Philippe Coutinho

[Bender]

Phil Coutinho called up to Brazil squad after injury to cfc duo Oscar and Ramires.

[Angryred]

Lots of people buy houses in Spain. Would make more sense to buy in Portugal though?

Maybe along the Med rather than the big cities?

[Lee]

Phil Coutinho called up to Brazil squad after injury to cfc duo Oscar and Ramires.

Due to injuries?!

He's better than both of them ffs!

[topscorer]

Injuries? FO, they'll be fresh and ready for Chelsea after the international break instead of traveling and playing in a meaningless money spinning Brazil FA International.

[BigChief]

Phil Coutinho called up to Brazil squad after injury to cfc duo Oscar and Ramires.

FFS!!

[Exiled_red]

Re-establishing a creative team depends on getting the best out of Coutinho IMO the role we have been playing him in doesn't do that.

EITHER
we consider him a number 10 / in the hole player - in which case he needs to get closer to Benteke and pick up knock downs, make runs into the box and is a final third player running at people etc.

OR
we see him as someone who isn't going to get into the box, but is going to play through balls for Benteke and/or Sturridge and midfield runners, in effect he is going to be a Xabi Alonso type play maker, and we need other midfield runners to get in the box or someone else to play the No 10 role

At the moment he seems to have been playing as a number 10 but as one who has been playing through balls and not really getting into the box and supporting Benteke and it hasn't been working in a team context IMO. I think we need to nail down his role first and find a system that works around that.

[Phoenix07]

Coutinho is best playing from deep and advancing forward i.e. the No.8 role. Ideally, Firmino would take the No.10 position, as he has the ability to play in that role, and advance between the lines to support the striker, and go beyond him.

[fidget]

For tough games (aren't they all though)

Clyne - Gomez - Sakho - Moreno
Lucas
Henderson - Milner/Can
Coutinho
Sturridge - Benteke



Clyne - Gomez - Sakho - Moreno

Henderson - Coutinho - Milner/Can
Firmino
Sturridge - Benteke

[G]

Coutinho is best playing from deep and advancing forward i.e. the No.8 role. Ideally, Firmino would take the No.10 position, as he has the ability to play in that role, and advance between the lines to support the striker, and go beyond him.

how I see it too, Coutinho would still be a goal threat from deep too and he'd be great at feeding those ahead of him plus we get Firmino in his best position and have two top strikers up top. It's the only way for us imo.

[Exiled_red]

I originally thought he was going to be a number 10 but I agree he is more suited to the deeper role, he doesn't make anywhere near enough runs into the box for a No 10, either behind two strikers or particularly behind one, but Rodgers seems to keep picking him there

[MrMichael]

Coutinho is best playing from deep and advancing forward i.e. the No.8 role. Ideally, Firmino would take the No.10 position, as he has the ability to play in that role, and advance between the lines to support the striker, and go beyond him.

how I see it too, Coutinho would still be a goal threat from deep too and he'd be great at feeding those ahead of him plus we get Firmino in his best position and have two top strikers up top. It's the only way for us imo.

How would that look in practice though?

You're basically suggesting...

Sturridge - Benteke

Firmino

Henderson - Coutinho - Milner

Back4 - Back 4 - Back 4 - Back 4

or something else?

[frank the tank]

Coutinho is best playing from deep and advancing forward i.e. the No.8 role. Ideally, Firmino would take the No.10 position, as he has the ability to play in that role, and advance between the lines to support the striker, and go beyond him.

Agree completely...... in reality, Coutinho is probably our one player who would get into the Man City or Chelsea first teams..... and he would be played in centre midfield.

[cream]

Who would drop out of midfield then, Milner or Henderson?

[danperkins]

I like Milner but I think he's been pretty poor for us. Works hard but so slow and ponderous on the ball. In reality Milner, Can and Henderson are too similar.

[Liverpool]

Rodgers wants him furthest forward behind the striker, with Firmino behind it seems a bit odd