26 Mar 2015

Legend: £20m Brazilian maestro Liverpool want to sign is 'better than Coutinho'

Liverpool recently scouted Lazio attacking-midfielder Felipe Anderson, and according to former biancocelesti legend Stefano Fiore, the Brazilian is better than one of Liverpool's most exciting players.

Last week, the The Mirror claimed:

* Liverpool scout Paul Goldrick watched 'excellent' Anderson in action during Lazio's recent 4-0 victory over Fiorentina.

* Lazio are allegedly willing to sell if offers 'exceed' £20m.

In an interview this week with Italian newspaper Tutto Mercato, Fiore raved:

"[Coutinho] has long been a staple in Liverpool and his continuity is being rewarded [by Brazil] ahead of Anderson. However, Anderson is currently better than Coutinho, and Dunga cannot ignore him for much longer"

Anderson - described: in January by Sinisa Mihajlovic as 'like Cristiano Ronaldo' - is playing well this season, but is Fiore right? Let's look at the stats:

Anderson

* This season: 10 goals/8 assists (18) in 25 apps.
* Goal/assist every 1.3 games (1 every 81 minutes)
* Lazio Total: 11 goals/11 assists in 45 games.
* Goal/assist every 2 games.
* Passing accuracy: 78%
* key passes: 27 (1.1 per game)
* Successful dribbles: 80 (3.2 per game)
* Dispossessed: 50 (2 per game)

Coutinho

* This season: 5 goals/5 assists (10) in 42 apps.
* Goal/assist every 4.2 games (1 every 318 minutes)
* LFC Total: 13 goals/20 assists in 92 games.
* Goal/assist every 2.7 games.
* Passing accuracy: 80.4%
* Key passes: 63 (1.5 per game)
* Successful dribbles: 121 (2.7 per game)
* Dispossessed: 67 (1.6 per game)

The primary role of attacking midfielders is to score/create goals, and based on the stats related to that goal, it's fair to say that Anderson is performing 'better' than Coutinho, especially in the goals/assists department.

Like Coutinho, though, Anderson needs to improve in certain areas, and in a recent interview, Lazio Coach Stefano Pioli outlined a few areas that need attention. He noted:

“He [Anderson] has grown when it comes to consistency during the game. He’s working hard in both a technical and a physical sense, but he could still be even more calm in his choices and decisive".

The biggest difference between the two players is clearly the price tag. Coutinho is one of the transfer bargains of the century, but Liverpool will probably have to pay through the nose to seal this deal, and after spending £20m on Lazar Markovic, it's debatable whether it's a risk worth taking.

That said, it'll be exciting for the club if Liverpool can unearth another Brazilian maestro capable of having a Coutinho-like impact, but what are the chances of lightning striking twice?

Whatever happens, it's (arguably) imperative this summer that Liverpool target players who are capable of making an immediate impact on the club. Last summer's signings only started to settle after Christmas, and by that time, the club was already out of contention in the league and Champions League.

Author:


11 comments:

  1. Seems like a good player, but is he what we need right now? Haven't seen much about potential Gerrard replacements, or a new GK, CB, WB, none of that.

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  2. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:10 pm, March 26, 2015

    some exciting talent


    Dyabla
    Lacazette
    Vietto
    Anderson
    Depay
    Kovacic
    Pjanic

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  3. I'd rather Kovacic for that price.


    Saw a string of recent rumours... Papadopoulos, Luiz Adriano, Kovacic, and Cech. Wouldn't mind that as a summer at all :D

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  4. no more southcoast geeezers7:29 pm, March 26, 2015

    We do need tht type of player i dont think we will get him thow

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  5. Seems like a good shout, but I hate stats so much it's ridiculous.... The stats are incomparible.. One plays in the most physical and demanding league in the world, and the other is playing in Serie A...

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  6. Felipe Anderson? I vote make it happen! Tap him up and snap him up before he takes his level to heights that are realistically out of Liverpool's reach.
    Amazing talent.Quick, direct and skilful.A creative that will bring better goals/assists to our team and improve on his current production stats under Brendan Rodgers' guidance.I think Anderson's style is tailor-made for Premier League football.
    The players Liverpool are being linked with lately makes me want to press fast forward on this season.I've noticed an upgrade in targets.Still not in the A category targets but very exciting B standard talent that we could easily turn into Superstar A level players.

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  7. Italy is no easy place to get a high level of production.PL is more physically demanding but it's less defensive minded and tactical than Serie A.
    The Premier League can be like watching a playground game of football at times.Tactics sometimes go out the window and it's like watching two boxers trade heavy punches.Turnover in possession is frequent.It can be similar to a basketball game that's being played at 200mph.
    Many top strikers and creators have struggled in a Serie A because tactically space is crushed.

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  8. Don't you think the defensive and tactical nature of Serie A make it that fast players can do more? Don't you think lines are more static, there is less man marking?

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  9. I think players excel in football environments which suits their ability better.If someone is quick that works more effective in a faster league.There are exceptions but I'm speaking generally.That's why I think Felipe Anderson would take to the EPL like a duck to water.Plus his other strengths.Not strictly speed.
    I think Italian football has a way of tactically making pace a non factor.If you think back to some of Serie A's best attackers in recent years.Pavel Nedved, Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Vieri etc... the common strength they share is fantastic movement, not pace.I can't really think of many attacking speed merchants who have been overwhelming success stories in Italian football.
    Top quality movement is a Serie A tactic k4ller.It's easier for a team to collectively stifle a quick player over someone who uses intelligence to get into goal scoring positions.
    Conversely think about some of the PL's most feared attackers in recent years.Gareth Bale, Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo those players tore defences to pieces with electric pace being one of the main things they share.
    Or I can give you Alan Shearer and Drogba who were successful scoring goals by using another quality of British football.B5llying defenders and being physically dominant strikers.
    I think man marking is something Italians specialise in.However no longer are the days we see creatives hacked down by a opposition hardman.Now they collectively try and eliminate dangerous players from making big impacts.By compact defensive shapes, squeezing space and doubling up on dangerous attackers to stop threats.
    I would say defensive lines in Serie A are more static and regimented than EPL football.That links back to possession breakdowns and the pace of British matches.
    Serie A can be like watching a overly tactical, boring game of football chess sometimes.Whereas the PL is without doubt a more exciting product, where creatives and strikers can breathe and have a bit more freedom.

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  10. Eh. They're both super good.

    Andersen is quite possibly better.

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  11. Well, when Coutinho arrived here he said that there was more space in the EPL because players moved more and moved quicker, which made attacking and creating chances easier. And Beast makes excellent points.

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