It was two seasons back that Phillipe Coutinho stepped
through the doors of Melwood as Brendan Rodgers’ second and last January
signing. Nobody knew what to expect from him back then. He was one of many
Brazilian technicians and had frankly failed during his time at Inter Milan. He
went down as one of many mistakes in former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s
ill-fated run at the Italian club. He was regarded as a calculated gamble with
only 8.5 million dished out on him so the risk and pressure was not that high.
But, there was still uproar in the Liverpool faithful at the time as the Reds
neglected to buy experienced campaigners like Wesley Sneijder for a player who
had not done much in the game.
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| Phillipe Coutinho signing for the Reds Sources - Getty Images |
But, Coutinho quickly put those doubters to rest scoring on his
first Anfield start, which was a precursor of supposed things to come. What
followed was a period of scintillating football from the little Brazilian
including a world-class performance against Newcastle in a 6-0 victory at St.
James’ Park. He left the Anfield crowd dazzled with his quick feet and keen eye
for a pass. His teammates also took well to him as Coutinho formed a
devastating partnership with fellow signing Daniel Sturridge including a game
where Coutinho assisted 2 of Sturridge’s 3 goals. After a prolific pre-season,
Coutinho was tipped to be the newest mastermind for the Anfield crowd to adore.
However, things did not go fully to plan in his first full
season at the club with Coutinho struggling to score or assist in the first
half of the season. This also coincided with a lengthy spell on the treatment
table as the Anfield crowd was left hopeful that the Brazilian would capture
his form back. In the second half of the season, Coutinho had established a
reputation of a player who can dazzle but blew hot and cold. This was apparent
as world-class home performances against the likes of Arsenal and Everton were
cancelled out by stale away performances against the likes of West Brom and
Norwich. Coutinho was playing well but the feeling from the Kop was that he was
not ready yet. But, Coutinho was still one of the mainstays in the Liverpool
team that nearly took home the title.
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| Coutinho endured a frustrating spell getting injured Soruce - Express |
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| Coutinho scoring a crucial goal against City Credit - IB Times |
This season started with Coutinho staler than usual. While
he was inconsistent before, Coutinho started this season with very insipid and
dull performances. He was not himself and gave the ball away on numerous
occasions. It was palpable to see that Coutinho was unhappy on the pitch. As a
result, Brendan Rodgers dropped him from the Liverpool squad during a spell
where the Reds struggled and struggled massively. It was no coincidence that
Coutinho’s lack of form met with Liverpool going on their worst run in 24
years. There was obvious discontent from Liverpudlian’s at Coutinho’s dull
performances and at one point, many of the fans wanted Coutinho to be sold.
But, like many other players this season, Coutinho came back
from his period out a stronger and revitalized man. The dazzling skill and
outrageous passing was back and there was excitement on his face again. His
confidence was coming back and he took on players with gusto and fervor. Before
he would go for the easy sideways pass but now he looked to take on his man and
beat him. Things were finally looking up for the Brazilian but those doubts of
inconsistency were still there. Coutinho gave leverage to the doubters with a
poor scoring record as he kept on rushing shots without putting much thought.
He was still not regarded as the match winner Liverpool sorely lacked since
Luis Suarez left.
However, in the past month, Coutinho has added that element
to his game with his shots hitting the target more often than not. Coutinho has
now become Liverpool’s most important component. It is not just the goals he is
scoring but it is the sheer value of those goals. Coutinho has already netted a
stoppage time FA Cup replay winner and his propensity for the outrageous has
increased. Now, he does not hesitate when shooting and is actually confident. Guilty
of overplaying the ball before, Coutinho is now very decisive in his thinking
and rarely makes the wrong decision. He is now controlling games when before,
he was just hoping to be involved. This can be seen in his performance against
Man City. He had 72 touches and was an ever-present in the attacking third as
the heat map shows.
This can also be seen in his performance against West Ham
where he got two assists, allowing Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge to run
riot.
Coutinho has definitely taken his game to the next level and
while his bad form led to bad results, his transformation has in turn led to
Liverpool’s resurgence. Coutinho is currently Liverpool’s best and most
important players and now he has added match-wining goals to his arsenal. What
was revealing to see was that Coutinho did not look surprised when his shot
against Man City went in when before he would like last season against the same
team. It is vital that Coutinho keep grounded. Humility is the key now forward
and complacency is the only restraint on Coutinho’s progress. Otherwise, even
the sky might not be the limit for where Coutinho can go.
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