I am a Liverpool supporter. But I have been a Barcelona follower/supporter as my second team for years. I remember when coutinho and Sturridge joined Liverpool in January 2013. We already had Suarez, but alone he hadn't yet influenced the team as much he did the following season.(in 2013/14 Suarez was one of the best individuals I'd ever seen on a football pitch, the way he completely dominated the whole game, involved in everything. The movement, unpredictablity and sudden shifts in pressing alone were incredible to watch live. He actually never reached that height again in my opinion. Still a joy to watch, he became more of a finisher at Barcelona as he hasn't been as free to lead and do what he wants in Barca's style of play).
Back to Coutinho; the Liverpool matches in 2012/13 were quite boring to watch, until he came when he was around 20. Every match he would play the most amazing through balls to sturridge. It transformed the team. But this was in a team with possession closer to 50%, with more counter attacks and where coutinho had space. Similarly, in the fast paced Brendan Rogers teams he had space on the counter attacks. This was when he was almost at his best. He was great at tackling in his own half, and starting off counter attacks. He later produced a lot of unbelievable moments of magic that only top players can, and he still can now.
In the end of Rogers/early Klopp period he was just as good on the counter attacks, but now he had developed the ability to be the reliable man, not only on counter attacks/fast paced football, but also when the team had all the ball and the opposition defended deep. When the team needed a goal against weaker teams, he'd either score or be the creative player who played short passes till a chance was created.
However, even this wasn't slower, controlled football. He was the player who would speed things up. He only ever knew one tempo. Maybe he played too much Futsal when he was younger. But this was fine at Liverpool. (But actually, now maybe the balance klopp wants in the team is better without him.) But at Barca, it certainly doesn't work. When Barcelona were first looking at him, I thought he'd be a good addition due to his touch and short pass and move ability.
But whilst they were signing him, I watched a highlight compilation of his and realised just how jittery he is on the ball, nothing like iniesta. He's not a calm player; he has to be constantly at 100% in order to create something, or just to receive the ball. I thought he'd dazzle the crowd sometimes with Messi, but he'd fail to keep calm and in position.
At Barca, control of the position is huge. What Coutinho does without realising is he makes everyone play quicker, when in fact tempo change is what's important to score goals. Coming down from his tempo, this becomes harder. It removes the unpredictability.
When you watch him receive the ball at Barca he has to take a few touches whilst his teammates take one. When Busquests, Arthur, Jordi Alba pass along the ground smoothly in triangles, he upsets the rhythm by stopping the ball dead, looking up, in which time the oppposition has closed gaps. He can't return the ball first time with pace unless he passes and moves with momentum, again not calm. Even Dembele and Suarez have more calmness on the ball.
In terms of natural position Coutinho is an Isco type of player who plays in between the lines and quickens the pace with short passes(or long passes when there's space). If you notice at Madrid, when Isco comes on he dominates/dictates the play as the number 10. But you can't have 2 number 10's in the same team. At Barcelona there's only one number 10 and that's Messi. This was the most annoying thing when Coutinho first joined Barca.
The problem with Coutinho is not only that he's under-confident. It's that-as many have said- he simply doesn't fit in positionally. In his first 6 months last year, he was running into Messi all the time. He still does, now he bumps into everyone, but on the left side of the pitch. Also, Messi becomes much less creative when Coutinho was/is creating.
When Coutinho was more confident last year he always looked for the ball which meant he got in Messi's way, only to receive it and lose the ball in his new, tighter surroundings. It's still the same, it's just he's lost the confidence to look for the ball, which means he hides, which further lowers his confidence, to the point where he doesn't even press opponents with enthusiasm, and it's a viscous cycle.
These naturally gifted number 10s like Coutinho and Isco do have good awareness, but their focus is to see gaps and get into space themselves to receive the ball and make an impact, whereas midfielders' awareness is on the whole pitch whilst staying put eg Kroos/Modric/Rakitic. As long as Messi is in the team, Coutinho shouldn't be. Maybe he could play as a super sub, but he can't play from the start. Or he could be a great player in another team.
