Priceless Philippe Coutinho proving value for money for Liverpool

Posted Tuesday, March 03, 2015 by Express.co.uk

THERE is a wiggle of the hips and a shimmy to bamboozle one opponent, dazzling footwork delivered in the blink of eye to outwit another before a cannonball shot leaves the goalkeeper helpless.

Priceless Philippe Coutinho proving value for money for Liverpool
Philippe Coutinho has been sensational for Liverpool in recent weeks

It could be a compilation of Philippe Coutinho’s best bits from the past few weeks, his long-range strike against Southampton or Sunday’s sumptuous curling winner against Manchester City.

Only you have rewind some 10-years for these clips. Back to when he still had his mop of curly black hair and his playing surface of choice was a sport hall’s wooden floor rather than a bowling green of a football pitch.

"If you see his videos playing Futsal when he was 11 or 12 in Brazil, then he’s playing the same game now only as an adult,” said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

"He’s a kid who wants to train every day. We put him in (the team) when he was 19. We knew he had ability. It was just about trusting that ability and allowing it to grow.”

And growing it is.

Just as Liverpool have blossomed this season, emerging from their early-season stupor, so, too, has the little Brazilian to emerge as one of Rodgers’ most important players in the increasingly convincing chase for a Champions League place.

Coutinho has, as much as anyone, benefited from the change in system Rodgers has introduced at Anfield with the range of passing which is quite often a tribute to trigonometry now determined by the blur of movement the 3-4-3 formation offers.

Back in the early months of the campaign, when Liverpool were one-paced and predictable, his own contribution was muted. There was one goal, delivered after coming on a substitute in the 3-2 win over QPR, and barely any more assists.

"During the period when the team suffered at the beginning of the season we had a lack of penetration at the top end of the field,” explained Rodgers.

"He's a player who thrives on that. He's normally the player who makes that last pass to those guys running in. We didn't have that in the early months and he suffered because he had to stay longer on the ball and wasn't as effective.

"But now the dynamics of the team are very good - the structure, the pressing and the movement off the ball.

"That allows him and technical quality to really shine.

"He's starting to add goals to his game and he's contributing to the team. Being so young, he still has improvements to make.”

This is key. For all the adulation currently being heaped on Coutinho, who is now represented by the agent Kia Joorabchian, his tally of four Premier League goals and four assists only scratches the surface of what he should be achieving.

Using David Silva, one of Sunday’s opponents, as way of a comparison, then the point is emphasised. Coutinho’s haul of goals have come every 452 minutes, while Silva has scored nine at a rate of one every 191 minutes. Silva has created 50 chances to 31 and won three penalties to none.

Coutinho had the edge in assists (4 v 3) and also age at just 22. Silva is 29.

It is point Rodgers also highlighted to him when the youngster agreed a new five-year contract last month.

"Before he did sign we spoke about what he needs to do to go the next level and about scoring goals more regularly because if he can add goals consistently to the talent, he’ll be right up there as a world class talent,” said Rodgers.

"Some players will feel they need that security (of a new deal), but I don’t think that’s the case with Phil because he still had three years left on his contract.

"We wanted to secure him here and reward him for what he’s done but certainly there’ll be a psychological impact where he feels this is the place where he’s going to spend the best part of his career and wants to be here. That can have a settling effect.”

It is remarkable to now consider that Liverpool’s path to Coutinho in January 2013 was smoothed because Inter Milan were conducting a fire sale.

Wesley Sneijder, a player Rodgers was also keen on, left for Galatasaray for £8.4m and a week later Liverpool got back in touch for a player in Coutinho who was more in keeping with the club’s transfer policy of buying young talent that could grow in stature and value.

"I wasn’t so involved in the discussions with Inter, but I’m led to believe there was a financial implication for them in that they had to move some players and of course in Italy there’s not so many young players who get the opportunity,” said Rodgers, who also looked at Tom Ince at the same time.

"I’d seen him play with (Samuel) Eto’o and Sneijder in big games and he was just the type of player I love; he has a beautiful arrogance on the ball, his touch is magical but he’s effective and efficient with it and playing here at Liverpool, with the dynamics of how we want to work, is perfect for him.”

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre negotiated an £8.5m fee and Rodgers is for once flummoxed on how much Coutinho would now fetch.

"I wouldn’t know,” he said. “He’s a wonderful player.

"You can certainly multiply it a number of times though. I wouldn’t want to put a value on him. What he gives to the team, he offers that gold dust to how we play.”

And, in that sense, Coutinho has become priceless.