16 Mar 2024 17:06:21
This is very old and dated
But have always been curious
What happened to Coutinho?
When he was with us, he was the superstar.
Yes, he did went on to win a few titles and had a treble with CL with Bayern
But you could say he only had one season with Barcelona where he was a first teamer, the rest of the seasons, he was more part of the squad but definitely not a key player per say
Don't think he would mind the medals he has and he probably would have won about the same amount had he stayed. But he did probably be more loved and more of a first teamer I would guess had he stayed. He definitely will be or perhaps already a forgotten figure among Barcelona and BM fans
Just learned that these days he plays in Qatar and is out of the Brazil team though only 31.
16 Mar 2024 17:22:29
He’s found out that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
16 Mar 2024 17:56:52
How many ex players truly move on to more fruitful pastures? Suarez. any other obvious ones? ✌.
16 Mar 2024 18:33:21
Xabi, Arbeloa, Mascherano, McManaman.
16 Mar 2024 19:03:28
Couts was a very good player. His ability to dribble, play through balls, cut inside and shoot was undeniable but There is a massive difference between having ability to do something and then being able to do it within a different team set up to what you are used to. Combine that with us basically setting up to go through him for everything made him look better than what he was. Not saying he wasn't good, but he was never a world class £100m+ player. I'll always remember him fondly though. Firstly for the special moments he provided and secondly for essentially bankrolling Klopp's revolution! Cheers Couts!
16 Mar 2024 19:15:53
Assumed combination of how player fits tactical (eg focal point or style), relationship with manager/ fans / team and sometimes just age.
Klopp seems to helps with confidence as well as take focus off them. Similarly, remember Barcelona wanting couts to replace iniesta, which aren’t just big shoes to fill but diff players.
Always curious of opposite in what would have happened if player who looked like moving to a certain club would have got it at the time. Remember when linked with konoplyanka under BR thought would have worked well. Fit how we played with SAS, pace to burn and we were limited with attack options from bench…
Also get outliers who I think would succeed where ever (Ronaldo, Suarez, Alonso, Salah) but mean could argue Messi wouldn’t have as his career dropped after Barcelona club wise.
16 Mar 2024 19:16:40
If coutinho had stayed we might not of got Allison and virg and probably wouldn’t have won very much .
17 Mar 2024 00:42:44
Very hard to tell but to stay on form at that level you need elite focus and dedication. I suspect he got distracted a little bit and perhaps didn't react in with the right attitude to setbacks.
If you let your focus slip for a year or two, it can be very hard to get back even when you are trying.
But the only people who really know are those closest to Coutinho.
17 Mar 2024 01:49:50
My memory at the time was that we weren’t going to sell him but the combo of Barcelona interest and Coutinho wanting to Barcelona made it make too much sense to not sell.
Not sure what our squad would have looked like had he stayed. In saying all that I do wish he stayed and kept getting better with us. I think environment and circumstance is as important to a player performing as their own ability and efforts.
17 Mar 2024 03:55:31
@Westwood, I don’t think that Couts was very good.
He had great moments and some good skills but had too many faults to be very good. The defensive side of his game was weak and he became a passenger when we under pressure.
For me he was at his best when we were in control of a game although he didn’t generally do that much to put us in control.
He had great games but not enough and he never really looked like he could take the lead for us (or subsequent clubs) in controlling a game.
17 Mar 2024 10:48:58
I never saw Couts as a superstar. He never really took a game by the scruffof the neck a la Stevie, Suarez, and now Mo and win us a game that we didn't deserve to win.
17 Mar 2024 12:09:17
Coutinho was a great player and when he left us he was at the time the second best player for the Selecao. Absolutely gutted when he left.
17 Mar 2024 12:55:24
Cou was our best performing player when Klopp arrived, which just shows how dire we were at the time. By the time Cou left when we became a better team than the one Klopp inherited, he was no longer our best performing player. That would be a new signing (a former PL/ Chelsea reject) who was ripping the PL and CL to pieces, a certain Mohammed Salah.
Klopp himself said that even tho he was going to keep Cou, he was not going to build a team around one player and he said it started costing us in games and the Spurs debacle (4-1 at Wembley) was the example he used as Spurs would pressure him ever time he got the ball and when he was not in possession, they would drop. Cou got the dream move he wanted and hats off to him. That's all I got to say.
17 Mar 2024 13:31:32
Loved him when he was here, smashing player and was sick when he left. Its true his fee probably bought Alli/ Virg so made us allround stronger but be honest lads, he was a brilliant player. We're doing what we always do where a player suddenly becomes crap when he walks out the door.
17 Mar 2024 13:45:41
I never understood the hype about the lad, a decent player sure but he wasn't a great player. Scored some important goals for us but he wasn't exceptional like some make out. Personally I was happy to see the back of him.
17 Mar 2024 18:26:52
This will be controversial, but in my opinion, Coutinho's departure was more impactful on all the titles we won afterwards, than his arrival and stay. Without VVD and Alisson we are nowhere, had these two not been brought in. I have to thank Neymar for bigging him to Barcelona and for Barcelona handing over all that money for a player they have been sending out on loan for 4 consecuive years. Technically very gifted, but still a one-trick pony. This became even more obvious when Mane took over his left wing position and did wonders with it.
17 Mar 2024 21:02:25
Didn't it all go downhill fast for him once he got that back injury?
17 Mar 2024 22:39:17
He was a brilliant player for us, but his sale has helped the side progress due to excellent recruitment.