Next season we will probably get a new manager, but what if Coutinho remains shit? Is it going to be the new manager is awful? I mean we won't get everyone's beloved Pep/Klopp/Tuchel/Sarri so whoever coming here won't have the resume that makes people convinced that it is the players not the manager.
I am honestly asking, when can we hold players accountable?
Dembele/Vidal/Arthur all look far better than Coutinho and responded when the coach didn't play them, Suarez can be shit at times but always fight back.
I hope Coutinho fights back, he is top 10 players in terms of abilities right now even if he doesn't have position in our team. but even then you need to show a portion of quality and he isn't doing that for some time.
Well, let's apply things logically.
I agree Coutinho does not have a very clear position that is flat out compatible with our system, which is a 4-3-3. He is somewhat a cross between a forward and a midfielder. But it is possible for players who don't have a natural fit with a certain style to get accustomed to a new role under the proper manager and the proper guidance. Plenty of cases of players who have been played in slightly different positions than people anticipated, and did great.
The real question here is what are the qualities that the next manager should have in order to pull this off, integrating a player like Coutinho into a style and a setup that might not be custom made for him. That's not easy to do if you are not a very good manager.
First would be to have guts and courage. It's not going to work if the new manager is too scared to experiment a bit and plays it safe all the time to the point that everyone knows in advance what subs he will make or when, or what tactics he would use. Everything takes work and guts. There are more managers out there who have the required qualities. Many aren't even superstars. I don't know who exactly fits the best. Maybe Setien from the names we all know and watch. Maybe.
Second would be about fluidity. This one is pretty important. Fluidity means imo the skill of having players moving a lot off the ball while keeping the shape. Which means movement in a rehearsed and planned manner. The shape is kept, but the movement is fluid meaning there are many instances when passes and interplay can happen between midfielders. Pass and move, 1-2s, these things have been lost at Barca for a while, and Coutinho is the type of player who could really feel comfortable because he is smart, and he has very good technique. But when you basically make him run a lot, doing basically nothing much on the ball because every fellow midfielder is static, you ask him to basically cover a huge area, because you are basically too damn scared of taking any risks even against much inferior opposition at home, then we really can't be sure about anything regarding whether Coutinho will work or not.
We need to integrate into our game a style of defending that is not individual, but systemic. Guardiola uses a midfield 3 at City formed from one DM and two AMs like David Silva and De Bruyne, both who have been turned into all rounded midfielders. Neither of those is good defensively when taken individually, but the fluidity of City's game means opponents can't actually isolate a player like David Silva, and expose his lack of physique, lack of speed or his pretty advanced age. You put David Silva and De Bruyne into our midfield, and Valverde would bench both in 10 games max. I can guarantee you that.
Third would be about leadership skills. I don't want to see a team led by veterans who want more money while they embarass themselves in CL for 3 years in a row.
So, let us sign a manager that is not afraid to try new things, one that plays a fluid system and doesn't try to go Simeone to protect a slim lead against teams we could play off the park, and somebody that is ready to take the challenge and command this team, and then we'll see if Coutinho can make it or not.
Under this manager, with these tactics, with basically 3DMs almost in midfield, and without having pace to beat players 1 vs 1, what the hell is Coutinho supposed to do exactly? Score a trademark golazo from 25m wide once every 15 games? He could do that, but that's just not worth 140m.
