In 2019 Philippe Coutinho must make back lost ground
It's been a year since he signed and the truth is Coutinho has been inconsistent
If there is a footballer in Barcelona’s first team squad that needs to kick off 2019 with a bang, it’s Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian, the only South American in the squad who stayed in the Catalan capital over Christmas, has lost his place as an untouchable in the team and needs to vindicate himself.
In the first two months he impressed but since then something has happened to ‘Phil’. He has started just one of the last five official game, the dead rubber 1-1 draw with Spurs. In the others he has participated but from the bench, with Ousmane Dembele taking his spot.
What happened to Coutinho? He’s not performing at the level expected from him. He came as a ‘crack’ but is too inconsistent. Nobody doubts his extreme quality, but he is needed to be consistently the man who connects things together up front. His droplets of magic need to become an incessant rain.
Recovering lost ground, not only in the eyes of his coach, but the fans too, is important.
It’s been a year since he landed in Barcelona. January 6, a Kings Day gift for 120 million euros plus 40m more in variables.
He didn’t make his debut until Jan 25th against Espanyol, coming on for Andres Iniesta in the 67th minute.
It was a change that had to signify a lot more than it has. For now, Don Andres’s shadow still looms. Over to Cou…
