In April, Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson admitted that he is 'still a little wary' about Reds signing Philippe Coutinho, and questioned Inter Milan's reasons for selling the Brazilian for a 'relatively small amount'. The 21-year old attacker has gone from strength since arriving at Anfield, and is now an integral part of LFC's attack. Lawro, however, admits that he still has 'nagging doubts' about Coutinho's ability to be a long-term success at Liverpool.
In his April column for the Liverpool Daily Post, Lawro explained:
"Leading Italian clubs don’t let their best players leave for a relatively small amount, so why would they [Inter Milan] let him go? Defenders are still learning about Coutinho, and I’m sure they will be better prepared to deal with him next season".
Speaking to the BBC over the weekend, Lawro reiterated these reservations:
"Coutinho has got lots of ability but he does disappear for long spells in games. I hope he goes on to show how good he is, but there is a nagging doubt at the back of my mind because I just wonder why Inter Milan sold him. I need to see more of him before I am completely convinced, though"
The LFC hype-machine always gushes with gross overpraise for any Reds player that displays a modicum of talent, and Coutinho - recently described by Jose Enrique as an 'amazing talent' - is no exception, but in this case, is the praise deserved, or is Lawro right to have 'nagging doubts' over the Brazilian? It's certainly fair to say that Coutinho's impact in the league this season is not on the same level as his first five months at the club:
Jan-May 2013
* 3 goals/6 assists in 13 apps.
* Goal/Assist every 103 mins.
* 1 chance created every 46 mins.
* Shot on target every 84 mins.
This season
* 0 goals/assists in 4 apps.
* 1 chance created every 52 mins.
* Shot on target every 104 mins.
Stats: OPTA
There is a clear attacking regression from last season, but every attacking player goes through small barren spells every now and again, and perhaps this is just Coutinho's for the first part of the season?
If, as Lawro suggests, defenders have 'worked him out', will this permanently curtail the effectiveness of his game, or is Coutinho good enough to deal with it? A logical comparison would be David Silva at Man City: superb first season, but his influence has waned big time ever since, mainly because defenders know how he plays and what to expect.
Conversely, defenders have had plenty of time to get used to Luis Suarez - who is also prone to barren creative spells - but he's still banged in the goals on a regular basis.
For me, Lawro's cautious 'wait and see' approach is infinitely preferable to gross overhype, though unlike him, I don't have any doubts about Coutinho's ability to be a long-term success at Anfield.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In his April column for the Liverpool Daily Post, Lawro explained:
"Leading Italian clubs don’t let their best players leave for a relatively small amount, so why would they [Inter Milan] let him go? Defenders are still learning about Coutinho, and I’m sure they will be better prepared to deal with him next season".
Speaking to the BBC over the weekend, Lawro reiterated these reservations:
"Coutinho has got lots of ability but he does disappear for long spells in games. I hope he goes on to show how good he is, but there is a nagging doubt at the back of my mind because I just wonder why Inter Milan sold him. I need to see more of him before I am completely convinced, though"
The LFC hype-machine always gushes with gross overpraise for any Reds player that displays a modicum of talent, and Coutinho - recently described by Jose Enrique as an 'amazing talent' - is no exception, but in this case, is the praise deserved, or is Lawro right to have 'nagging doubts' over the Brazilian? It's certainly fair to say that Coutinho's impact in the league this season is not on the same level as his first five months at the club:
Jan-May 2013
* 3 goals/6 assists in 13 apps.
* Goal/Assist every 103 mins.
* 1 chance created every 46 mins.
* Shot on target every 84 mins.
This season
* 0 goals/assists in 4 apps.
* 1 chance created every 52 mins.
* Shot on target every 104 mins.
Stats: OPTA
There is a clear attacking regression from last season, but every attacking player goes through small barren spells every now and again, and perhaps this is just Coutinho's for the first part of the season?
If, as Lawro suggests, defenders have 'worked him out', will this permanently curtail the effectiveness of his game, or is Coutinho good enough to deal with it? A logical comparison would be David Silva at Man City: superb first season, but his influence has waned big time ever since, mainly because defenders know how he plays and what to expect.
Conversely, defenders have had plenty of time to get used to Luis Suarez - who is also prone to barren creative spells - but he's still banged in the goals on a regular basis.
For me, Lawro's cautious 'wait and see' approach is infinitely preferable to gross overhype, though unlike him, I don't have any doubts about Coutinho's ability to be a long-term success at Anfield.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In order for Coutinho to shine in the number ten role we need a better central midfield pair.
ReplyDeleteHopefully in the January window we sign a big and powerful defensive midfielder.
Lawro tries to cover his ass all the time. So many contradictions listening to him.
ReplyDeleteSince when was Inter the ultimate in transfer dealings? Perhaps mthey just didn't 'get Coutinho. or felt their alternatives were better
The fee has nothing to do with it.
Jamie, i believe coutinho is having a bad start because of our slow tempo. When the game is attacking and fast , then i believe we might see his craft and vision. This year we lacked a cutting edge because of generally slow buildup. We have scored when moves were quick and decisive. And most of our attacking wing threats were from Johnson (who we miss dearly). Also Aspas has been a passenger, Moses still being integrated . Clearly these players are not in the same wavelength with each other. With marauding fullbacks we will see an improvement together, with ball retention up front in the second half. Movement off the ball also needs to pick up . Coutinho is most effective if we are attacking, not defending as in all the second halves of games this season
ReplyDeleteLawro, and his negativity can stick it where the sun don't shine. Our little Brazilian has been the heart and soul of the team this season and without him ie the Southampton game we were totaly lost. I worship Gerrad but he can't be playing 90 minutes anymore, Henderson is a waste of space and Lucas is having a bad season so far. What I don't understand of Rodgers is, Skertl who was our best player two seasons ago, he was trying to get rid of, as much as Sako is a good prospect WHY THE HELL WAS HE HESITATING TO BUY ERICSON, for 11mil yet he went and spent 17mil on Sako??
ReplyDeleteNot a worry really. Inter Milan aren't the first team to let young players go and regret it (Mata from Madrid is a clear example).
ReplyDeleteAlso depends on tactics.
Fact is this season Coutinho has been our best player IMO. Gerrard has been poor and expecting a 20 year old to carry the team (without Suarez) is a difficult ask.
It's been a while since I have been able to take Lawro seriously. I agree that we shouldn't pile on the pressure and over-hype but what Lawro is referring to is teams doubling up on him or trying to be on top of him when he has the ball. I think with Suarez and Coutinho in the same team defenders will have more to worry about and Coutinhio will have a touch more freedom.
ReplyDeleteHenderson is a workhorse. Very unfair to say that he is a waste of space.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a very long time since we have had physical presence in our team. Sakho IMO is exactly the type of defender we need in our back for. He is a monster!
If we signed Eriksen then it would have conflicted with Coutinho. Eriksen did not want to join us anyway. He has even come out and said he rejected a move to Man City last season and Coutinho is a much better player anyway!
I think Lawro is making something out of nothing here. If a young player sustained the kind of form coutihno showed in his first 4 months for an entire season then we would be talking about a Messi sort of talent. Of course he is going to have a dip in form, and also the fact is, despite the results the team around him have not really performed either.
ReplyDeleteHis arguement about price tags haz no merit either. By his logic, if Cout had displayed the same performances, but we had paid 30mil for him, Lawro would have more faith in his abilities? Another example of pundits and commentators being swayed by their own press hype when it comes to transfers and players.
Agreed. With Coutinho. Sturridge, and now Suarez for teams to have to keep tabs on. each player will get that much more space to work with.
ReplyDeleteHe isn't the finished product by any means but he is only 20 so has a long way to go still. He will be a key player after a couple of seasons, and when he has fully matured.
ReplyDeleteOff topic, but i seen a snippet today about the club wanting to renegotiate G.Johnsons contract, to reduce his wages.
ReplyDeleteIs it me or does this seem like really bad timing?
If anything was clear from the Swans and Soton match, we are stuck for quality cover at right back. As much as i bemoan Johnsons defending at times, he is still our best choice. I like Kelly, but his fitness and lack of a sustained run of games is a major worry. Wisdom is not a full back IMO.
So why when the team needs him the most, need him to put every effort into returning to fitness, do we start talking about reducing his wages?
Johnson is not stupid and im sure he knows hes reaching that stage of his career, but surely this could have waited til after jan? when some cover could have been brought in?
More than likely this will have no affect on Johnsons motivation, but it seems to me a needless complication for a player we should be making clear to that he is integral to our season. Just seems ill advised timing to me.
Zola for 4.5m
ReplyDeleteI think he will be sold for younger right back with half his wages...just a guess
ReplyDeleteto me price is not relevant....the matter is how the mgr can bring his fully potential to any player..
ReplyDeleteby look at gareth bale is a very good example.
The "he goes missing" argument is typical for players of the British school. When we drop back and invite pressure on ourselves for 45 minutes, it is not so strange that you less of Coutinho. As with every creative player, he is best when he has the ball and that's when you notice him. Hamann used to have the same problem in a different position. He hardly did anything spectacular when he had the ball but he got it back for us plenty and would make sure we kept position. No player is visible for the full 90 minutes of a game. Romario, one of the greatest strikers that ever lived, used to be famous for being invisible for 88 minutes and then scoring two goals. It's all about what they do when they have the ball. In attack, Coutinho will always be a threat and if he doesn't score or provide an assist himself, he will attract defenders which frees up space for the other attackers.
ReplyDeleteGood one.
ReplyDeleteYeah he is 29 and his contract runs until 2015. My guess would be that if he gets a new contract they will not want to be paying a 31 year old right back 110k a week. My guess is the same. We will be looking at younger options.
ReplyDeleteCoutinho is a quality player and a dip in his stats doesn't make me think it has anything to do with players getting wise to him, I think it is down to how Brendan has had the team playing this season we have taken our foot of the pedal in every game this season especially in the second half and have struggled to out muscle teams in the centre of the park, so Coutinho's become a bit of a bystander. I agree with Logan that we need a powerful defensive midfielder to get the best out of Coutinho and I am suprised we never brought one in before the transfer window shut.
ReplyDeleteIf suso proves to be a hit in Spain and coutinho fails to impress will he start suso I wonder........... my nagging prowess tells me suso is gonna be back with a bang but if we are gonna play him on the right wing instead of centre we are wasting his talents though that' is Where almeria seem to be deploying him for some reason
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why that ryan mc laughin has not featured he is already an ireland international surely we should be giving him and flannagan chances in games against teams like Southampton instead of toure....... Hopefully toure won't be rb tomorrow nani will tear him with his pace....... injured or not I want Kelly to start.....
ReplyDeleteIf Suso returns Alberto has no chance of getting game time, Suso is looking great.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't get too excited, Aspas looked great too
ReplyDeleteJuventus let Henry go for 11 million i dont think any club has it nailed down completely when judging talent i believe Coutinho was simply more suited by playing EPL than Serie A.
ReplyDeleteI don't think aspas is gonna have any match winning contribution if we are not gonna let him lead the line
ReplyDeleteAlberto as it is has bleak chances
ReplyDeleteExcellent post...you can't witness Coutinho's contributions when we are spending more than half the game in our own half. Attacking mid-fielders need an attacking mind set behind them.
ReplyDeleteI used to think Hendo was a waste of space...running around giving the ball away through crap passes or heavy touches, but my perceptions have changed as his performance has improved. I think he's a good player now and worthy of his starting role.
ReplyDeleteEasy for him to say when the guy is out injured...
ReplyDeleteI don't even have a problem with his opinion... I just have a problem with the timing of it.
It's like watching a murder mystery, the killer is revealed, and then someone shouts "I knew it all along!"
If Lawro wants to make a claim, call it beforehand... not while the guy is having a bad spell/injured.
AC Milan let Patrick Vieira go to Arsenal for 4m, if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Tevez get sold this past summer for 10m to move to Italy?
ReplyDeleteHe's still a great talent... Sometimes teams just need the money or (in the case of City) gave up on a guy.
Sounds to me like Inter gave up on Lil Phil and decided to take the money and run.
Cortinho will be the new God at LFC, he is everything a Liverpool player should be, has vision, speed, flair, goalscoring ability. Lawro was always a little bitter about Lpool, hence he always bigs up man u. Cortinho epitimises what liverpool is all about.
ReplyDeleteBecause Inter are smart and they realised Coutinho is only a slightly above average attacking player who does nothing on defence - they sold him to buy Kovacic who will soon be one of the top 5 players in the world.
ReplyDeleteKovacic at 19 is better than Coutinho will ever be
ReplyDeleteAll Henderson needed was a bit of time to settle. The price tag must have been too much for him.
ReplyDeleteYou can ask him to play anywhere and he will do it with no hassle, reminds me so much of Dirk kuyt.
COUTINHO was sold to raise money to fund a move for PAULINHO.That deal couldn't be made for whatever reason so INTER turned to KOVACIC.
ReplyDeleteHe's a extremely talented young player with a truckload of potential but i doubt he'll go on to be a top 5 player in the world.What is it that makes grown ups act like children when it comes to football.Our player is better than yours will ever be.Are we in a playground?
My club is smart they realised COUTINHO is just above average attacking and contributes nothing defensively.Sometimes football forums make me feel like i'm back at school.
Why does any club ever let any player leave? It's not really much of an argument, more of a pondering thought that sticks with you because you can never actually know the answer. Coutinho has plenty to learn and will continue to improve as a player. There seems to be some expectation these days that everyone turns out like Messi and are bona fide superstars by the age of 22. Why not continue to learn as a footballer until you reach the end of your career? Some players don't truly mature until they get past 25 so I don't think it's at all possible to decide right now what's going to happen over the next 4-5 years. Right now the quality that he has can be easily seen. He's got plenty of things to work on but his vision, his passing, his dribbling control are all excellent. What Lawro is talking about seems to be some vague abstract concept, as if he's trying to sum up the player in one sentence. That only works for the superstars or the super duds. Everyone else is somewhere in the middle, a complex mix of good and bad qualities.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree he is a work horse and I agree he is a good player, but is he a top four or even a top six team player? Would he get into any of the other top six starting 11? That is my point and there you have your answers.
ReplyDeleteSako is a beast and no doubt should be a great siging but skterl is an animal too. Erikson is such a classy player and surely would have been a better signing then aspas or Alberto, no?
ReplyDeleteToure and Sakho can fill the DMF role well.
ReplyDeleteThe manager must sign a firstteamer a quality player with some steel in his game to act as a minder then you won't get bullies from other teams such as ashley the dirty williams obviously taking the piss and allowing the little fellow to do the business if you pick Coutinho you must also protect him
ReplyDelete