BARCELONA (REUTERS) - Barcelona shelled out a club record €160 million (S$250 million) to prise Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, yet one year on from his signing, the Brazilian is struggling to get a game while his former side are thriving in his absence.
Coutinho, the third most expensive player in the world behind Paris St Germain's Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, made a flying start to his Barcelona career with 10 goals in his first five months, giving the team a more direct outlet in midfield and an extra threat with his impressive long-range shooting.
But his impact has waned. He has failed to start any of the La Liga leaders' last three league games, falling behind Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal and French forward Ousmane Dembele in the pecking order.
Coach Ernesto Valverde has stopped short of publicly criticising the player, and neglected to say whether he had a preference for Coutinho or Dembele, the club's second most expensive acquisition at 105 million euros.
"It's a long way from being a problem having them both. It's an advantage," Valverde said last month.
"The coach is pro-Barca, he wants the team to win."
Valverde's recent team selections, however, may offer a clue to his thinking.
Â
Â
There was no place for Coutinho when Valverde fielded an unorthodox 3-5-2 formation in the recent 5-0 hammering of Levante, while he also left the Brazilian out when playing his usual 4-3-3 shape in victories over Espanyol and Celta Vigo.
The coach did pick Coutinho for a visit to Rayo Vallecano in November, but when he saw his side losing 2-1 at one of the weakest teams in the top flight, he hauled off the Brazilian and later brought on Dembele, who scored as Barca pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory.
In the last three league outings, Valverde has continued to show faith in Dembele, despite the French youngster running into trouble for turning up late to training.
With the lightning quick forward forming a blistering attacking trident with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and the highly-experienced Vidal slotting comfortably into the midfield three, Coutinho has been forced to make do with cameo appearances from the bench.
It is quite the fall from grace for a player many believed was signed as the long-term successor to Andres Iniesta, who ended 16 trophy-laden seasons with Barca last May to see out his career in Japan.
With Liverpool sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League, Coutinho may be wondering on Sunday's anniversary of his transfer from Anfield to the Nou Camp whether it was quite the dream move he had imagined at the time.
An open letter to Tatsuma Yoshida, the Singapore national football team's new coach. 2019, with the headline 'Yoshida-san, restore the Lions' semangat, boleh?'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
Football: Yoshida-san, restore the Lions' semangat, boleh?
virginiabus.info/sports/football-yoshida-san-restore-the-lions-semangat-boleh/
There was a time when our Lions roared on the regional stage. But after three straight group-stage eliminations from the AFF Suzuki Cup, we have been reduced to whimpering pussycats of late. We are looking to you to restore the semangat - which is similar to the Japanese concepts of seishin and tamashii - and revive the energy and
Flipboard: Lions hungry for post-raya victory
Mesut Ozil made the most of being handed a rare start by Arsenal boss Unai Emery as the German masterminded a 5-1 victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday to keep the Gunners in pole position for a
Ozil leads five-star Arsenal past Bournemouth
Guardiola hopes Champions League pain spurs on Manchester City By superliga On Apr 19, 2019 0 Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Pep Guardiola wants the pain of Manchester City 's gut-wrenching Champions League elimination at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur to inspire a charge for an unprecedented domestic treble.
Valencia set up a Copa del Rey showdown with Barcelona as they reached the final for the first time in 11 years by beating Real Betis 1-0 at a bouncing Mestalla on Thursday where a second-half
Football: Valencia to face Barca in Copa final after seeing
Bayern Munich will found a sixth football school in Asia after agreeing on a youth development partnership with the Sport Singapore (SportSG), the Bundesliga giants announced on Monday. Former Bayern player Klaus Augenthaler was present at a signing ceremony at Singapore's Jurong East Stadium on Sunday, as the club pledged to "close future
Bayern Munich sign youth partnership deal with SportsSG in
Newcastle United's 2-0 win over 10-man Huddersfield Town on Saturday eased their Premier League safety fears and sent the Terriers hurtling ever faster towards relegation to the Championship.
EPL: Newcastle plunge 10-man Huddersfield closer to the drop
Manchester City remain a point behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race after a Sergio Aguero penalty secured them a 1-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side
Man City 1-0 West Ham: Sergio Aguero penalty, Man City one
At Thursday's WADA executive committee meeting in the Seychelles, members approved a lesser version of the first point - an acceptance of the IOC's Schmid Report, which endorsed the core
Postmedia Solutions
Mohamed Salah completed a memorable day for Egyptian football by retaining his African Player of the Year award in Senegal Tuesday. Salah Retains African Award to Seal Great Day for Egypt
Salah retains African award to seal great day for Egypt
Guardiola isn't thinking that far ahead just yet and he urged his players to take it one game at a time. "Liverpool and Man City have done incredible so far so deserve the credit. We will have 80 points with six games to play if we win next week," he said. "We are going to do everything to win.
Guardiola salutes 'incredible' Manchester City
desdelabanda.com/2019/04/02/guardiola-salutes-incredible-manchester-city/
You can't have Salah, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane scoring a hat-trick each every weekend, but that just isn't how football works. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Sergio Aguero suffered a knock during his side's 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
100 points: Guardiola salutes incredible Man City - Starr Sports
starrsportsgh.com/2018/05/100-points-guardiola-salutes-incredible-man-city/
Pep Guardiola saluted his "incredible" Manchester City as the champions became the first Premier League side to reach 100 points thanks to a 1-0 win at Southampton on Sunday. Guardiola's team have been focused on rewriting
LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk is back in training but remains doubtful for the Premier League leaders' home match against Leicester City at Anfield on Wednesday.
Van Dijk a doubt for Leicester game - Klopp
Palatsides tipped for FAS technical director role, Football News & Top Stories - The Straits Times The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has cast its net far and wide for a new technical director and could well settle on someone from Down Under.
Director Fas Jobs, Employment | Indeed.com
soccer tv live football streaming portugal
watch coppa america live streaming putlockers
watch champions league live streaming video
watch coppa america live streaming english
watch coppa america live streaming spain
watch coppa america live streaming yify
watch indian premier league live stream online
watch coppa america live streaming ronaldo 7
watch soccer live streaming qatar vs philippines
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch coppa america live streaming philippines
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online india
watch coppa america live streaming video
watch barclays premier league online live streaming
watch premier league live stream reddit
watch champions league live streaming crictime
watch soccer online free streaming live youtube
watch us soccer live stream
watch champions league final online free live streaming
watch premier league net live stream channel
watch coppa america live streaming kenya
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online youtube
watch soccer game live espn
watch soccer games online free streaming live
watch indian premier league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming live
where to watch premier league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming live free
watch coppa america live streaming totalsportek
watch coppa america live streaming match
watch coppa america live streaming indosiar
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming online free
watch soccer online free streaming live english
watch champions league semi final draw live stream
watch soccer live live football streaming cr7
watch soccer online free streaming live first row
watch champions league simulcast live stream
watch coppa america live streaming mobile
watch soccer online free live streaming hd
watch live english premier league online free streaming
watch coppa america live streaming world
watch coppa america live streaming uk
watch uefa champions league draw live streaming free online
watch live soccer online free streaming now
watch soccer online free streaming live no registration
where to watch free live soccer streaming online
watch champions league online free live streaming hd
soccer tv live football streaming garuda select
khan tv pw watch indian premier league 2018 live streaming
watch live premier league football streaming online for free
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming portugal
watch iceland soccer live stream
watch soccer online free streaming live arabic
watch live soccer game barcelona vs real madrid
watch english premier league live streaming free
watch champions league live streaming bola
watch champions league live streaming vk
watch champions league live streaming putlockers
watch champions league live streaming pc
watch soccer am live stream
watch champions league live streaming now
watch premier league live streaming quality
watch champions league live streaming jamaica
watch soccer online free live streaming livetv ru
watch live soccer streaming free android
watch champions league live streaming malaysia
watch coppa america live streaming dailymotion
watch premier league live streaming jamaica
watch champions league live stream gratis
watch soccer games live stream free
watch live soccer stream android
watch premier league live streaming zimbabwe
watch coppa america live streaming without cable
soccer tv live football streaming gratuit
watch premier league live stream hd
live football watch free live football streaming free soccer
watch soccer live streaming kenya
watch usa soccer live stream
watch premier league matches live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live iphone
#goal #henderson #realmadridcf #manchesterunited #battuteepiche #insegreto #soccermemes #comico #footballschedule #vip #ballondor #tokyo #ignoranza #lovefootball #football #oasisengland #manunited #fut #Barca #kickoff #vandijk #bayern #leomessi #golazo #linkstreaming #visubal #league1 #liverpoolcity #conference #seriea #commento #liverpool #freekicks #rugby #zidane #manchestercity #leicestercity #zinedinezidane #goodday #24x7 #Liamgallagher #risate #klopp #barcelona #nikesoccer #mancityvsliverpool #hotcoffee #arsenalfantv #league2 #cappucino #oasisofficial #coutinho #copaamerica #4Series #serieatim #footballfans #soccer #coyg #juventus #Bar #uefanationsleague #football #watchlive #londoncity #elcasico #PartyTime #oasisandbeatles #nutmeg #girlsniteout #manchestercity #kroenkeout #realmadrid #arsenalnews #transfernews #sunderlandafc #villarealcf #thebeatles #coys #mancity #bayervshoffenheim #sumbertv #panini #bestshishacafedubai #frasitrap #nationsleague #paulmcartney #oudmehta #roadtrip #cristianoronaldo #kopisusu #calciatoribrutti #gym #beatifulgame
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen