7 - Philippe Coutinho - V1
- Thread starter AnfieldEd
- Start date
gregorrin10
Senior Member
With Valverde in charge, injury is sadly the only way that players from our starting lineup can get some much needed rest. On the other hand, maybe it's finally time for Dembele and Malcom getting their deserved minutes for the next few games. But it's still Valverde, so i'm not gonna surprised if we see Munir-Suarez-Rafinha this weekend instead. 
soul24rage
Senior Member
hope he's back for the atletico madrid match
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Our injuries with EV in charge aren't bad at all, and Coutinho has played full 90 minutes only 5 times this year, he is one of our most rested starters.
Would understand that rant if it was Suarez/Raki/Busquets? but Coutinho? come on now.
Seem like he is doubtful for Atletico game.
jairzinho
Senior Member
His minutes need to be managed better. He isn't the most robust player.
Raki and Busi should get some rest against Betis too. We came up short in the CL for the past 3 years with conditioning and fatigue being one of the main factors.
You don't run players into the ground. Not a smart approach to management at all.
Raki and Busi should get some rest against Betis too. We came up short in the CL for the past 3 years with conditioning and fatigue being one of the main factors.
You don't run players into the ground. Not a smart approach to management at all.
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FinBarcelonafan
Well-known member
He probably had knock earlier but now was good time to take a break because international break and everything. Not so bad news imo. I'm happy he is resting.
Centauri B
New member
This is both good news and bad news at the same time.
Good news: Coutinho will be spared from the moronic international break.
Bad news: He will miss Betis & Atleti matches. Maybe even PSV.
Good news: Coutinho will be spared from the moronic international break.
Bad news: He will miss Betis & Atleti matches. Maybe even PSV.
Messigician
Senior Member
No hate but at least we can play a winger with pace now
Total-Football
Senior Member
coutinho is crucial to the system.. when he plays side by side with Arthur they produce that xavi iniesta effect of maintaining the ball. thats why arthur plays so close to coutinho in the pitch. this partenership is basically Valvderde.
Potroh
New member
Naturally this is a valid observation. But:
- The Xavi-Iniesta duo and effect represent the midfield. Arthur is still far from being a Xavi but apart from that the partnership only works if Coutinho plays in midfield. Often he does, even when in theory he plays as the 3rd attacker.
- When Coutinho plays well with Arthur (two Brazilians understand each other a tiny bit better) then actually a 4-4-2 is played, something that EV loves and would prefer, but it is far far from being a typical Barca style.
- When Suarez is sloppy and imprecise (as he is most of the time nowadays) that means Messi is almost alone does the attacking part, the creating part and the finishing part. So the "partnership" only works with a defensive setup and four midfielders.
- Therefore Messi needs an Alves-type help on his right to do dangerous things, but there's no Alves there, so Messi doesn't get those assists anymore, rather tries the known cross-balls towards Alba, that works fine but not as efficiently as in Alves's time.
- Roberto is a bad defender, a better midfielder and creator but the entire right-wing is his alone, which is way too much for his capabilities and talent.
- I don't dare mentioning a Dembele here (specially that you really dislike him) but the team has a very weak right wing, and a left wing that depends on Coutinho, who is NOT a winger, on Alba, who does well there but is not a winger once again.
Therefore the entire STRUCTURE is questionable, because just as you say the Coutinho-Arthur pair should play together but in that case whatever one dreams of and whatever results happen, it still remains a pseudo 4-4-2 with one single CREATOR and two attackers, both above 30. One needs to play a semi-creator and the other one is able to handle one ball in three...
There is almost no SYSTEM whatsoever and that is why results fluctuate and will keep on fluctuating until another coach arrives with some imagination...
Total-Football
Senior Member
[MENTION=21136]Potroh[/MENTION]
I practically agree with all your input. I, too, never consider the system when Coutinho plays as a 4-3-3 but as a 4-4-2 like you have said. I did compare Coutinho, Arthur with Xavi-Iniesta just in the coach s eadeavour to dominate possession, and by no means I was comparing THE two midfieds because as you said there is no complex structure which can be given the honor of such comparaison. I slightly disagree about the very last point when you said results are going to fluctuate because of the lack of ideas, because i think that Coutinho, somehow, now is almost the most valuable piece of the puzzle, followed by Arthur. The whole idea of Valverde is: put as many midfielders as you can, with Arthur And coutinho you can somewhat monopolize the ball, therefore, less tracking back by Messi and Suarez, hoping that these two would keep banging goals which in most times they can.
The issue is : To play with this 4-4-2 you need a midifielder capable of operating from the flank in a natural way. Those are not abondant. You have the likes of Iniesta, David Silva, Isco to name a few. Fortunately for Valvderde he has a hell of a one in Coutinho.
The problem with all this premise is: If coutinho is not there there is absolutely no plan B because Valverde is obviously a simple minded coach like you described.
I may insert a wild idea and say that this partly explains that even with messi out we performed relatively good because the most single piece of Valverde s little puzzle was playing.
I practically agree with all your input. I, too, never consider the system when Coutinho plays as a 4-3-3 but as a 4-4-2 like you have said. I did compare Coutinho, Arthur with Xavi-Iniesta just in the coach s eadeavour to dominate possession, and by no means I was comparing THE two midfieds because as you said there is no complex structure which can be given the honor of such comparaison. I slightly disagree about the very last point when you said results are going to fluctuate because of the lack of ideas, because i think that Coutinho, somehow, now is almost the most valuable piece of the puzzle, followed by Arthur. The whole idea of Valverde is: put as many midfielders as you can, with Arthur And coutinho you can somewhat monopolize the ball, therefore, less tracking back by Messi and Suarez, hoping that these two would keep banging goals which in most times they can.
The issue is : To play with this 4-4-2 you need a midifielder capable of operating from the flank in a natural way. Those are not abondant. You have the likes of Iniesta, David Silva, Isco to name a few. Fortunately for Valvderde he has a hell of a one in Coutinho.
The problem with all this premise is: If coutinho is not there there is absolutely no plan B because Valverde is obviously a simple minded coach like you described.
I may insert a wild idea and say that this partly explains that even with messi out we performed relatively good because the most single piece of Valverde s little puzzle was playing.
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Mitchell1978
Senior Member
Good post, its clear there are issues but as this season has shown when the team playes with intensity (like the classico, tottenham away, inter at home etc) they seem to be able to overcome a lot of the issues, of course it might not be able to play like that every game.
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