Former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho returned to the Premier League and Aston Villa a year ago
Philippe Coutinho, a former Liverpool player, returned to the Premier League a year ago today after joining an Aston Villa side led by Steven Gerrard.
Following a loan spell at Bayern Munich, the Brazilian playmaker’s ill-fated spell at FC Barcelona was cut short for the second time. But, unlike in Munich, his departure to the Midlands became permanent, bringing an end to the chapter of his tenure in Catalonia that began when he left Liverpool for a whopping £142 million, the third highest fee in football history.
Coutinho appeared in 106 games for Barcelona, scoring 26 goals and winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey twice, but his time with Lionel Messi and co. was hampered by injuries and a lack of form.
His concerns led to his being loaned out to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 season, where he appeared to have recovered his mojo. He helped Bayern win a continental treble and scored twice against his parent club in a thrilling Champions League quarter-final defeat over Barcelona 8-2.
Coutinho returned to Spain but was loaned out again a year later when Gerrard implored his old Liverpool teammate to infuse some flair into his Villa side as he attempted to lead them to the Premier League title.
His stint at Birmingham City couldn’t have started any better, as he reminded Manchester United supporters why he was such a thorn in their side during his time at Liverpool. Coutinho scored and assisted on his debut as Villa rallied from a 2-0 hole to draw 2-2 with Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils.
However, such moments were few and far between at Bordeaux and Blau, as injuries impeded his progress once more. The fact that Gerrard, the man who originally loaned him out before bringing him to Villa for a permanent £17 million, was fired in October after only 11 months in charge didn’t help either.
The Anfield star has since been replaced by Unai Emery, and up until Sunday’s humiliating FA Cup home loss to Stevenage, Coutinho had to make do with bench outings under the former Arsenal manager. Our sister publication Birmingham Live gave the Brazil international a 3/10 for his performance against the League Two side.
“He looked sharp, but his rust was obvious as he made two obnoxiously high and wide attempts, cutting inwards each time to look for that top corner,” they wrote. Coutinho kicked one into the Holte End shortly after the break, despite changing shoes at halftime. He didn’t seem very pleased when his number was called, and he flopped into the substitute’s seat. A few nice videos and further hacking to seek for that mother of pearl in the upper corner, but I’m not pleased.
Coutinho was forced to clarify reports that he was seeking for a move away from Villa Park as the January transfer window approached. “I’ve noticed a lot of news with my name on it in the last few days,” he posted on Instagram. “The problem now is that certain lies have started and I’m here to make things right.
“I never had a dialogue asking to quit the club because I’m pleased here and so is my family.”
Now that I’ve returned from an injury, my entire emphasis is on working hard every day, playing at a high level, and assisting the club and my teammates in reaching our objectives.”
It’s a far cry from the days when Coutinho’s spellbinding performances for Liverpool earned him the nickname “little wizard” from his adoring fans. But when he finally completed his dream transfer to Barcelona, his love turned to rage.
Jurgen Klopp previously provided the player some excellent advice, which has since proven to be correct.
“Stay here, and they’ll create a statue in your honor,” urged the Reds’ manager. “Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid and you’ll just be another player. You can express yourself a little more here.”
Under Klopp, the Reds realized their full potential, winning every major trophy in domestic, European, and global club football. But, for Coutinho, it’s a matter of what may have been following a poor period in L4.
Leave a Reply