When it comes to picking the first team shirt in a Club like Barcelona that plays host to the best players in the game, it's always not an easy task, as the player will have to be a bit extraordinary in his position to be preferred ahead of a teammate that plays same position in the team. No doubt, it's a dream come through for most young players to wear the Barcelona shirt, it comes with a new status and inner fulfillment.
Here is a Philippe Coutinho who was becoming a legendary figure at Anfield, he was one of Liverpool's backbones in his vibrant days for the reds. But he had a dream, an unquenchable quest to rise to the pinnacle of his career, so he set sail to leave Liverpool and head for Spain, the home of World Best Players and the most sophisticated teams(Barcelona and Madrid) in Europe.
Spain for the past decades have been where the Ballon d'Or winners emanate. In fact, the style of football of these two teams is so enticing that any player would love to feature under their shirt, and Coutinho is one of them. Fans loved him at Liverpool, he knew they would miss him, but his mind was made up and it was time to take his career to the next level. No tears could stop him. His performance for Liverpool team started to drop, you could notice from his countenance and postures that he wanted to leave.
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With the Legendary Andres Iniesta at the verge of retiring from Barcelona and Neymah having pushed his way to PSG in France in a regretted quest to win the Ballon d' Or, Coutinho was the perfect replacement for the team. Liverpool were adamant in letting the Brazilian go despite not willing to play for the reds anymore, and this gave birth to a protracted dialogue between both clubs.
With such an expensive price tag of €160 million, Barcelona President was under pressure to utilize the huge pay that was realized from Neymah's transfer. He just had to sign a high profile player. The fans in Spain was happy to welcome him to Nou Camp, the expectations were high and many believed he was an awesome signing. However, recent events have shown that things haven't been rosy for the Brazilian star, as he continues to struggle for a spot under Ernesto Valverde's tactical arrangements.
His arrival had painted glimpses of hopes for Valverde's side, but so far, one of Barcelona's biggest signings have failed to impress the coach and is currently dispensable in the team. This is not the dreaded Coutinho we paid for from Liverpool, how did he lose his wonder all of a sudden in Nou Camp. His predicament in Barcelona is really getting out of hand, and it's barely 12 months after the mouthwatering transfer, Coutinho is already contemplating another switch.
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Rumours are already making the round that the Brazilian star could be on a January switch to the rejuvenating Manchester United, isn't that funny? Few weeks ago when Manchester united was going down the drainage, such rumours would have been laughably brushed aside as a media stunt, but here lies a suffocating Coutinho who needs a breathing space. The Nou Camp seems to be too hot to survive, with new challenges every now and then. He has to keep competing for a shirt, maybe he will be able to cool off when he returns to England.
Since his touchdown at the Nou Camp, the Brazilian has only managed nine starts in the league and has failed to sustain and cement himself in the team. He has also started all the team's champions league outings till date and have nothing tangible to prove his impact under Valverde. His last goal in any competition for Barcelona can be traced to October during the El Clasico. He had opened to floodgate to a game that later saw Barcelona thrash Madrid 5-1. Since then, he has continue to degenerate in performance and have become surplus to the team.
Coutinho have unfortunately become a bench warmer in Barcelona's past four outings in the league, a decision that isn't even affecting the team a bit, as Barcelona continues to widen their gap on the League table. Maybe he left Liverpool for lack of trophies, but he may end up winning those silverwares in Barcelona from the Bench. No one could have predicted Coutinho's drastic decline, at least not so fast, or is the god of soccer(for those who believe in that though) angry with him? Trust me, I got no answer.
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Well, a more holistic look at the scenario sees a sudden resurgence of Ousmane Dembele, who seem to have gotten over his urge to leave the club and be more patient. Dembele a month ago must have been an unruly little boy who deserved a spank due to his shortcomings, especially as regards being a disciplined player and adhering to punctuality. Recent weeks have seen the Frenchman gain admiration from Valverde, therefore displacing Coutinho in the left flank.
He has become a big threat to the Brazilian and of course, he seems to be solidifying himself gradually in the first team line up. The budding French winger has got an almost unparalleled pace that helps him Pierce through opponents defense, therefore being a great asset when Barcelona are on the break. He has scored three goals and two assist in his last six games. It's this form that seems to have made Valverde to prefer him to Coutinho.
Ernesto Valverde has always preferred the 4-4-2 formation from the inception of his coaching career at Barcelona, But with Dembele having summoned back form, the Coach have alternated back to the Classic 4-3-3 formation to allow the Trident of Messi(Right flank), Suarez(Forward) and then Dembele to operate from the left flank. This leaves Coutinho in a very uncertain situation in the Club, as he is likely to play as a backup winger to the lad or somewhere else in the midfield.
With the way things have turned out for Coutinho at Barcelona, do you think he took the wrong decision by leaving Liverpool. If so, Would you advise him to leave Barcelona to another club or stay and fight for a spot in the team? Lemme hear your thought.
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