Hello all I previously commented on gerrard. I know I know..I’m an obsessive Lfc fan.
However as a season ticket holder I feel in a decent position to comment on these two in particular..
I've been watching developments with villa with interest for obvious reasons and I think this will prove to be a very good signing.
I have to admit I haven’t watched lots of coutiniho since he left but I can tell you about the player who was at liverpool.
Firstly, by all accounts he is a good lad, not going to upset anyone, speaks English and for us was not injured a lot from memory.
His touch is immense as is his awareness, close control and skills in tight positions. His other main strength is his shooting from distance both from dead balls an in open play.
I would say the other thing that helps with him is he can press and he does work hard. He isn’t just some number 10 who strolls round the pitch.
The general criticism of coutiniho from liverpool fans was that certainly for the first few years he was inconsistent. He could put in a 9/10 performance then 2x6/10 performances and that seemed to be the cycle. However in the last 2 years I think it was or certainly 18 months (an bear in mind he was young) it became near enough every game he was immense an for me he was probably along with hazard the best player in the league at that time.
You don’t go for 145m if you are shit an he wasn’t a flash in the pan like a dembele for instance.
yeh it worked out for liverpool as we sold him an bought Allison an van dijk who based on our American owners track record we would not have bought without the sale.
However at 29 I see no reason why you cannot have 4/5 years of coutiniho. The fact gerrard will build around him will help too an I suspect he will be a success.
ps from reading a number of these threads over the last couple of months you aren’t the most optimistic bunch are ya? But on this one I think you might be pleasantly surprised.