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| Phileppe Coutinho in action |
I knew this day was somehow coming like a storm ready to strike at any cost at all. For god's sake, we're talking about a BID from FC BARCELONA here! It is truly a setback to witness a player of his capability, credibility and capacity to leave Liverpool FC. But hey, it is never a one way traffic in today's football world like how it used to be back then, where we had players who would truly and sincerely give their heart and soul towards a single club. I am boldly talking about players like Steven Gerrard, Franceso Totti, Andre Pirlo, Ryan Giggs and the list can actually go on, trust me. Let's not get too carried away and sway the focus towards Coutinho aka LITTLE MAGICIAN.
He may not have been the physical player that any fan would dream of having in their team, he may not necessarily be the fastest player on the field, he may not be the best samba player Brazil could ever have in their history books, he may not be the Peter Crouch or a Zlatan that a club would want, but trust me, he had it all to be named one of Liverpool's greatest player ever. January 26 2013, the day that has brought us to the news that has been so viral today, the day that Coutinho was legally signed for Liverpool, and that too only for 8.5 MILLION EURO! Oh my goodness, and here he is, today being the 2nd most expensive transfer after Neymar's move to PSG. Liverpool have serious problems sustaining self-created star-studded players. First, Michael Owen, then Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and now Coutinho! Who next? Hope not Salah. Probably not yet I assume to the least. Haha. Coutinho was something else. He is probably one of the evidences that samba football still exist, alongside Neymar, Firmino and Dani Alves. He made defenders look so vulnerable on pitch whenever he's on the ball, and all he ever did was causing threats that always led to heart attacks amongst the opponents.
I would say, when Coutinho arrived here at Liverpool, he was already making headlines and became a fan favourite in no time! This, I would say it is totally rare and you don't often see a player coming from a totally different continent, and creating an impact in an instant manner. He did that. That type of energy, smartness, creativeness that he brings to the game, it was almost incomparable to any other players on the field, well of course not comparing with the likes of Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard. He matured as a player, his flaws decreased, he started becoming more of like a leader, and he set an example of what you can expect from A SAMBA boy! At times, he even resembles the likes of Ronaldinho (the touches, the way he dances through the defensive wall), lethal finishing like Roberto Carlos, well that guy was in his own league as well, redefining the law of physics scoring that ever explosive, stunner against France in 1997.
Players come and go, the modern football era as it is. Coutinho's dream move to Barcelone is now a reality, and he needs to expect a whole different ball game there, but a warm welcome is assured. Time will tell how he fits into the star-studded team with the likes of Messi, Dembele, Suarez, Iniesta, Busquets and so on. Oh and yes, I smell a Liverpool reunion there! Luis Suarez and Phileppe Coutinho. Suarez was a beast at Liverpool, and no lesser at Barcelona. He was lethal last season alongside Messi and Neymar until his record - breaking move to PSG. Suarez must be delighted with Coutinho's move to Barca, and that too for a simple fact that they both assisted pretty well on field and scored some blistering goals together!
Coutinho, probably the only deserving player to have worn the No.10 jersey at Liverpool after Michael Owen. It is never an easy task to carry such highly expected numbers on your shoulder, but he didn't disappoint. He was a bomb! His lethal finishing, especially the free-kicks! Oh god, nightmares for the goalkeeper and the wall of defence when he takes them. He got consistent, more bold and he stood up whenever it mattered the most. He has scored some individual brilliant goals that can never be forgotten, and one of them that will stay very close to my heart is when he cracked the winner against Man City in 2014 in what happened to be a game that Liverpool had to win.
His absence will affect Liverpool not only on the field, but among the hearts of the many players that he shared tremendous bonds with. Klopp, the sort of manager that creates that type of relationship with players that you hardly see it between other managers or players. Lose or win, he never fails to attend to all of them and cheers them up! Coutinho was a close favourite of Klopp, but as the saying goes "No Player is bigger than The Club itself"
All the best in Barcelona, brace yourselves mate, and hope you don't hit the bench often!
#YNWA
