What the arrival of Philippe Coutinho means to Aston Villa


Philippe Coutinho is officially an Aston Villa player. While many will say that in itself is an indictment of the player's regression over the past three years, let the Villa fans have their moment!

The Brazilian, reuniting with former teammate and friend Steven Gerrard, will likely take the number 14 shirt that has been vacated over the past decade by the likes of Andi Weimann, Brett Holman and Rudy Gestede. On the same day that Coutinho was sold to Barcelona for a world record fee - almost exactly four years ago - Aston Villa were a Championship side losing 3-1 at home to Peterborough in the FA Cup.

The club's attacking options that day were Keinan Davis, Callum O'Hare and Andre Green. Their number 14, and among their best players at the time, was Conor Hourihane. Coutinho now joins the likes of Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore in the squad's attacking ranks, three of whom are now unlikely to start.

 

What the arrival of Philippe Coutinho means to Aston Villa

 

The progression of the club has been remarkable owed to the backing of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. Coutinho represents the second truly big name signing that the club hope will convince others to follow suit. The first was Steven Gerrard, and his pulling power was pivotal to what is a sensational signing for Villa in the true sense of the word.

The question now is whether the Brazil international can come close to recapturing the form that earned him a move to Barcelona, as he bids to make a return to the national team ahead of the World Cup at the end of the year.

While his eye-watering transfer fee was not insignificant in Barcelona's recent financial turmoil, the overall unravelling of the club on and off the pitch certainly wasn't a condusive environment for a player like Coutinho to flourish. He must bear the responsibility for his underperformance in LaLiga, but in truth he made a relatively bright start in Spain.

Indeed, after joining from Liverpool the playmaker scored eight goals and registered five assists in 18 appearances in the league but his playing time and performance levels dropped year-on-year in Spain as a result thereafter. His first full season at Barcelona saw him start 33 matches across the league and Champions League and making a further 13 substitute appearances, yielding another eight goals and five assists, but this time from significantly more minutes.

Perhaps the biggest cause for optimism that Coutinho can still reach impressive heights was a loan spell at Bayern Munich, even if his playing time was reduced further. In 34 appearances across the league and Champions League for the Bavarians, of which just 20 were starts, Coutinho scored 11 goals and registered nine assists, helping the club to both titles. A direct hand in a goal every 96.6 minutes was a strong return, while a rating of 7.20 leapt to a superb 7.66 from starts alone.

While playing for a Villa side trying to break out of mid-table obscurity will be very different to turning out for an all-conquering Bayern side, his performances in Germany were not those of a lost cause. However, his status at Barcelona appeared irreparable for one reason or another, despite the clubs struggles over the past two years, starting just 13 of 24 league appearances since the start of last season. The club had become disillusioned with the player and the player likewise with the club.

A way out was required and, for the time being at least, has emerged via an unlikely source. Villa, who sold their star man in the summer just as Liverpool did this time in 2018, have lacked a spark at times this season. It's ironic that Jack Grealish has regularly cited the man that has come in to replace that maverick as an icon of his. A player he sought to emulate with the way in which he carried the ball and evaded opponents.

 

 

By the time he left Anfield, Coutinho was a master at just that. The highest rated Premier League player prior to his departure that season (8.03), the Brazilian had become a shining light for both club and country at that time, with 12 goals and eight assists in 19 league and Champions League appearances for the Reds in 2017/18. He ranked among the top three players in the league for shots and key passes per game, and sixth for dribbles.

It's true that Villa aren't signing that player. They've taken what they believe is a worthwhile risk on a player that will be lacking match sharpness but one eager to prove a point, crucially in an environment in which he will be appreciated. The sense has always been that Coutinho has needed that in order to be at his best. If Villa can get him to anywhere close to that, it will prove a huge coup for the club.

The option to buy rather than obligation was pivotal, but if Coutinho is a success, Villa certainly have the financial muscle to make the move permanent. The hope will then be that the former Liverpool pairing of Gerrard and Coutinho leads the club to becoming a place where top players begin to consider. That, after all, is the crucial step in the club's quest to return to their former glory.

What the arrival of Philippe Coutinho means to Aston Villa