Too early to pass a verdict on Coutinho, but in the relatively short time that he has been at Liverpool, no one can argue that he has been an absolute success. That has led many (including myself) to believe that the imminent acquisitions for Iago Aspas and possibly Luis Alberto have the potential of turning out to be bargains in the long run. But what's been really heart-warming to see is that we finally now have a manager in Brendan who knows his football, has a philosophy and is not afraid of implementing them and at times changing it, on the go, based on his instincts. Roy Hodgson was probably the most pointless manager I have ever seen as a Liverpool manager. Kenny Dalglish, legend he will always be with a heart that beats for Liverpool but he is more suited to an Ambassadorial Role for Liverpool or a Director (Academy Directory perhaps?).
When Brendan arrived at Liverpool a year ago, he brought with him the ideas of "Tiki-Taka", pressing and resting with the ball. It was exciting at first and with Joe Allen in form, we could see evidence of how that could be made possible at Liverpool. His passing and ball-retention at times seemed phenomenal and in the first ten games it was sometimes as if Allen was on a different level to his teammates, but when he lost his form (so drastically I might add) that seemed to be the end of Tiki-taka football for us (at least for the time being). I am hoping that Allen's shoulder injury had something to do with it cause prior to that he looked like a class act. But coming back to the main point, this showed Rodgers tactical acumen in adapting to a new(er) philosophy, that which would bring the best qualities of Suarez and Gerrard to the fore. Neither Suarez or Gerrard are particularly suited to a slow build-up game, but both are world-class and needed to be accommodated, further diluting Rodger's preferred philosophy on the pitch..
Come January and with the arrival of Countinho, that changed. That's not to suggest we went back to the Tiki-Taka style but Rodger's got a Tiki-Taka player who did it in his side of the pitch. Countinho's composed genius needs a pacy striker up-front and he got just that in the form of either Suarez or Sturridge. Philippe is such a phenomenal passer of the ball, that it is easy to forget his other truly outstanding abilities. He is without a doubt a great dribbler, has that quick change of pace that attackers need and has the absolutely essential quality for a midfielder to see a pass and execute it with finesse. Like I said it's too early to say this but very rarely do you find a player who has all these attributes. Probably the only thing lacking in him is the physical aspect but if that's the only thing missing then I am not complaining. With a manager who values technique above all else, Coutinho fits right in.
Losing a player like Suarez so adored by the fans is never easy, and perhaps it is Suarez passion for the game that we will miss most if we goes. However with a manager who knows what he wants, and (finally o' finally) a transfer committee in place, we have hope to look forward and the hope lies in the business done last January, and the twinkle-toes of a young Brazilian who cost only 8 million pounds.
Having said all this, I am far from convinced Brendan Rodgers is the man to bring all the glory we hope for, but in him we at least have a man who has the right tools to get us there. The task for Rodgers is to build a side so good that when the big Spanish clubs inevitably come calling for Phillipe Coutinho in a few year's time, he doesn't find it so difficult to say "no".
