7 Jun 2013

'He's my idol' - Coutinho admits he wants to play alongside Barca legend

After years of being wasted on unworthy players (Andrei Voronin, anyone?) Liverpool FC's coveted number ten shirt - made famous by the club legends like Terry McDermott and John Barnes - is now back where it belongs: on the back of a truly talented and skilful player, namely Brazilian maestro Philippe Coutinho, who models himself after one of the greatest players ever to grace the game.

When asked yesterday about his football role models, Coutinho reiterated his admiration for one of the most exciting players of the modern era. He told the official Liverpool FC website:

"Ronaldinho has always been my idol because he is such a skilful player. I would love to play with him one day in the future".

At the age of 33, Ronaldinho is still in the Brazil squad, so if Coutinho makes the step up over the next year, it's conceivable his dream could come true.

The 20-year old is well aware of the importance of the number ten shirt, last month, he he told The Guardian:

"In Brazil the one who wears 10 constructs the attacks. That is what I will try to do here. The number I have at Liverpool does not give me any added pressure. The pressure I have is to play well and do my best for the team"

Coutinho also name-checked another Brazilian midfield maestro:

“My idols are Kaka and Ronaldinho, who play in the same position. I will try to be the typical Brazilian, but my preference will be to become known by my own name.”

Kaka and Ronaldinho? If Coutinho can emulate those two then Liverpool fans will be deliriously happy.

In his first four months at Liverpool, Coutinho grabbed three goals and seven assists in thirteen games, which is more than Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson's *combined* creative output during their entire first season at the club. The Brazilian concluded:

"Hopefully I will have a long career at Liverpool. That is what I am hoping for but it all depends on many things."

Always worth seeing again:





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42 comments:

  1. who wouldn't? Ronaldinho was an absolute treat to watch. I think in his prime he was the greatest player ever.

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  2. "absolutely outrageous". Never get bored of watching that video. Different Gravy that side under Rykard.

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  3. Kunal Chaudhuri3:00 am, June 07, 2013

    It's always nice to read about the aspirations of one of our rising stars. So much better than those semi-sensationalist articles of criticism that I often see doing the rounds. Coutinho is a legend-in-the-making ... YNWA

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  4. Nice to see a positive comment about a Liverpool player. Maybe you aren't a Manc after all

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  5. One of my favourite players. He's the reason why I was a Brazil fan a couple of years ago.

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  6. This clearly can be seen as a come-and-get-me plea to Ronaldinho's club Athlético Mineiro. Why is Coutinho touting him himself like that shortly after moving to us. Note: No, I don't think it is as described above, but as every word one of our players said is analysed in, if need be, seen as trying to engineer a move elsewhere, why not in this case, too.

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  7. ur just talking a load of ball sh*t. get a grip mate

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  8. Yes, I said so myself, more or less, in the latter part of my comment. Did you read it to the end or did your concentration level didn't make it past the second sentence? No, I won't get a grip. I'm convinced that some regulars on here will understand what I mean and accept that some won't.

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  9. coutinho as the potential to be a great player in his own rite is vision is fantastic and if he believes in himself he could be a legend hopefully he will grace anfield for many years

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  10. Coutinho in exit shocker! I want to play for Atletico Mineiro. Did Suarez put him upto it? :-p

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  11. I'm definitely loving what I've seen so far - hopefully we bring in legitimate wide-forwards/wingers to act as his targets next season, rather than forcing Coutinho back out wide again

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  12. BR deserves credit for picking him out, I used to believe our scouts used rock, paper & scissors as a method of finding players!

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  13. as long as we keep him away from leg breakers like shawcross things should be fine ;)

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  14. Ronaldinho was amazing in his prime. He has probably been my favourite player to watch in recent years, him and Henry.
    I'm really excited about Coutinho as well! He has the potential to be one of the best players for us in a long time.

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  15. Coutinho doesn't have the size of Kaka and Ronaldinho, but he is a lot stronger than I'd expected.
    And he has far greater defensive instincts also than he is likely to be given credit for.

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  16. I always thought the same thing! Haha! We have signed some cr*p over the years knd of leaves a bad taste in ya mouth come to think of how much has been wasted.

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  17. feel good read, thanks

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  18. I am outraged!!! What a great little player, lets hope he continues next season with the great play. I am sure other teams will give him greater attention than last season. The key i feel is to acquire more great attacking talent, this will take the focus off Coutinho. Here's me thinking Inter don't sell good players ;-)

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  19. Haha beat you to it :-)

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  20. I was going to say we need to get him a nice scouse girlfriend called Leanne or Vicky or something so we won't have to deal with my gf can't get used to living in England with him like we did Mascherano and now Luis. Sadly, a quick Google search taught me he's married. At 20. The fool :-)

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  21. IMO Coutinho is BR best signing so far. Next season is going to be a big year not only for PC but for BR. The top 3 clubs have changed manager, we do not have European football and I believe with a good couple of signings, this year we should be making the transition into actually challenging for the top 4 and not chasing an impossible dream from day 1. No matter how good PC is or does, Liverpool as a collective need to succeed otherwise these potential star players will be picked off by league, cup winning teams each and every year. Last year was like a roller coaster in my support for BR, I was a bit harsh and should of understood that last year was a transitional year. However, this year must be the year Liverpool push forward and make a noise by establishing themselves as a top side again. For this to happen BR must get it right in the transfer market and prove that Liverpool have moved from transition to progression.
    He cant blame it on changing to a different style as we have had the transitional year,and nor can it be blamed on players as he will have brought it and got rid of players he does not need.
    Progress under BR will only be quantified by where we finish and what we win. I do hope he succeeds as I do not want to hear TRANSITIONAL YEAR EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!

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  22. Although Coutinho is a good player with bags of potential, I think we should not hype him up so much. A lot of players tend to have a slow second season so next season we will see.

    At the same time, he is now fully integrated in the clubs way of playing and will have a pre-season with us which is important so I would not be surprised if he picked up where he left of.

    Off topic but apparently we are close to signing Pedro Chirivella from Valencia, a Busquet's type of player. So that's Sergi Canos, Luis Alberto and this guy, all spanish, all much better prospects than Suso or Pacheco.



    Thoughts?

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  23. I think the problem we have had for a good few years is that our subs have not been good enough. You look at Tottenham, City, United, Arsenal and they have good players coming of the bench, we have not had that for a while.


    This year I expect a challenge for top 4 and a challenge (a serious one) for the FA and Carling.

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  24. I agree. Dinho was very talented, still is. Coutinho is not as skillful (who is) but he has the vision. I think he will get 10 goals and 10 assists next season.

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  25. No point. Pacheco was once considered best prospect in Liverpool. Then Suso...now these people? After 3 years we might have few more better prospects.

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  26. i agree hes more potant central

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  27. all day long mate all day long ....... if brazil make naymar their fulcrum of attack it will be their downfall

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  28. My thought exactly. As soon as we have more decent attacking talent to throw at the opposition, they won't be able to concentrate on them all. They seem to have a lot of trouble with Coutinho, Sturridge and Suaréz already. One or two more to let others worry would be awesome.

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  29. I beat you to it, by an hour or so. But, fair as I am, lets call it a draw, as I live in a different time-zone.

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  30. Draw? Do I look like Everton to you?

    When I posted it yours wasn't on here yet. JK, we need a time stamp here so I can prove I'm not only sadder but also funnier than him :-p

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  31. There is a time-stamp. Next to my comment it currently says "9 hours ago", next to yours "8 hours ago". I've offered you a draw, generous as I am, but now that you want to argue, I grant you defeat. :-)

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  32. That's because I'm on CET :-p

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  33. We were onto him since Rafa was at the club

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  34. Kids are kids. Do you know Richard Sneekes was once considered a brighter prospect at Ajax than Marco van Basten?

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  35. Irrelevant as we never bought him during Rafa's tenure! BR stepped up & took the risk which is now paying off! Besides whose to say Coutinho would have thrived in Rafa's regimented defence orientated team. Also BR's man-management is on a different galaxy to stone cold Rafa!

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  36. hehe. bait. bless the fishes!

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  37. Ronaldinho, a short peak but what a peak. An entertainer. A rarity at that level of football. Excited me more than Messi and Ronaldo II. To use the word someone else used here, he is 'outrageous'. Didn't take my breath away as much as original Ronaldo did at Barca but to do the stuff he did at that high level and with such penetration, I take my hat off to him.

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  38. I second the fool part!

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  39. Really, what age was he then, and at what age did he commit to Inter. ???

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  40. Hard to choose which of Ronaldinho's goals was the best.
    But IMO, that goal he scored for Barca away to Real Madrid, when he ran down the left beating players, and for the 1st time ever, the Real supporters all stood up and applauded a Barca goal scored against them., magic.

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  41. He was already signed by Inter but still at Vasco. He signed in 2008 but didn't move until 2010. So I think it must have been the summer of 2009 or the winter of 2010.

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  42. Of course it's relevant. It means BR did not pick him out, Rafa did. Well, scouts under Rafa's tenure did. You won't find me disagreeing about his man management but credit where it's due.

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