Brazilian star Coutinho has finally left Barca, not officially, of course, but on loan at Aston Villa. It was a step towards his self-redemption, and the 29-year-old was not yet old.
160 million 25 goals
Why did Coutinho fail at Barcelona?
In the winter window four years ago, Coutinho joined Barca from Liverpool for a transfer fee of up to 160 million euros, which can be said to be highly anticipated by Sasfan, expecting him to become another world-class superstar at the Camp Nou. However, four years later, Kubird made 106 appearances in all competitions, contributed only 25 goals and 14 assists, and participated in the production of 39 goals, which was deeply disappointed by the public and was denounced by the media and fans as "parallel goods".
The Brazilian star has the technique and the footwork, which is said to be very much in line with Barca's technical and tactical requirements, but why did he fail? First of all, the location is not adaptable. When Kubird joined, Neymar had already left in the summer of 2017, Iniesta was leaving at the end of the season, and Barca wanted a "new Neymar" or "new little white".
However, the position of the Kubird, more advanced than Iniesta, more in the middle than Neymar, he likes to take the ball frequently between the two lines, looking for space, sacrificing his signature long-range shot, which conflicts with Messi's position and role, and he obviously can't surpass the mei ball king, so he plays awkwardly on the court.
In 2019, Barca brought in Griezmann, and Coutinho's status declined further, and he could only go to Bayern on loan. However, in the Bundesliga, his performances were not stable, in the words of Rummenigge: "Some of the games were impressive", including the 8-2 Barca match. In the end, Bayern did not buy out, and he returned in the summer of 2020.
With messi and Suarez leaving, Koeman intends to reuse Coutinho last season, and he also has a good play. However, at the critical moment, the Brazilian international suffered another serious injury and missed the entire second half of the season, which can be said to be quite bad luck. This season Koeman was dismissed and Harvey took on the job, preferring to insert in midfield from the back, and the Kubird is clearly not this type. His high salary also became a burden, and in order to register Felan Torres, Barca had to purge him as soon as possible in the winter window to free up salary space.
Reunion with Gerald
Can The Kubird redeem itself?
According to British media, arsenal and Tottenham hotspur both want to go on loan to Coutinho, but he ultimately chose Aston Villa, and Gerrard's role is crucial. The two were once Liverpool's team-mates and midfielders who won the Premier League title in 2013-14, and they know each other very well, and jay knows and trusts his characteristics and abilities very much.
After Gerrard became Villa manager, he achieved a good record of 4 wins and 2 losses in his first six games, losing only Manchester City and Liverpool, but recently suffered two consecutive defeats. The lack of creativity on the offensive end is one of their main problems, and Argentine star Buendía, who was brought in at a high price in the summer window, has not played out, and has only 3 assists so far, but is already the team's king of assists.
Coutinho's arrival helps solve this problem. In Gerrard's 433 formation, Douglas Luiz, McKinn and Jacob Ramsey are not known for organizing attacks, nor are they midfielder types that eat the ball, so the Curry can get a high degree of weight and freedom, play left midfield, cut inside the middle of the field, and enjoy the core treatment he does not have at Barca.
Coutinho can also play as a left winger, echoing Buendia on the right to support centre-forward Watkins. In the 2013-14 season for Liverpool, he played in this position, often cutting inside to blast through the clouds, and Gerrard played at the back.
In short, returning to the Premier League and coming to Villa is the first step for Coutinho to redeem himself, at least, there is a better living space than Barca and Bayern.