The last time Philippe Coutinho faced Manchester United, he offered an illustration of why he became the second most expensive footballer in history.
It was the 2019 Champions League quarter-finals. Barcelona kicked off at the Camp Nou with a deficit. Coutinho’s classy curler from some 25 yards completed the comeback. He and Lionel Messi were twinned on the scoresheet. It was Barcelona’s vision on the pitch, long before it was apparent their ambitions were unaffordable.
A few weeks later, Coutinho returned to Anfield. Barcelona arrived with a 3-0 lead, which was wiped out. Coutinho was booed when hauled off after an hour. Liverpool’s extraordinary 4-0 victory took them to the final.
The Catalan newspaper Sport gave him 0 out of 10 in their player ratings. “Invisible,” was their verdict. Not since Pete Best quit the Beatles, it seemed, had anyone made a worse decision to leave a Liverpool outfit who went on to become all-conquering.
As he prepares to make a second Premier League debut against United on Saturday, it is with the question of which Coutinho Aston Villa have borrowed: the £142 million ($195m) man, the player Steven Gerrard branded “a magician” last week and “a dream to play alongside” in his autobiography, the king of the long-range goal, the player with an extraordinary ability to conjure something out of nothing?
Or the player whose fortunes have nosedived to an alarming degree, the unwanted emblem of financial mismanagement who was benched for kids this season and on offer to virtually anyone, the byword for Barcelona’s costly transfer-market failures who almost bankrupted the club?
A player who is only three days older than Mohamed Salah can seem yesterday’s man, a throwback to another era; yet one whose brilliance owed far more to technique than physicality should not be in irreversible decline.
Gerrard could be forgiven for being nostalgic, for thinking back to happier times. His last game alongside Coutinho was the infamous 6-1 defeat to Stoke in 2015 but they helped power Liverpool’s inspired surge towards the title in 2014. Coutinho peaked after that. In two seasons from the summer of 2016, three-quarters of it for Liverpool, he got 28 goals and 18 assists in league games alone. He was an extraordinary footballer.
The same may be said of James Rodriguez, and there are comparisons with Colombian’s move to Everton last season, offering perhaps the most high-profile signing in decades for historic giants who had become an ambitious mid-table outfit but taking a big earner that Spain’s dominant duo no longer wanted.
Rodriguez offered moments of magic, sometimes with Coutinho-esque goals from distance, but ultimately flattered to deceive, given his huge wages.
Villa can look at Coutinho’s list of past employers — Inter Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich — and see fellow former European Cup winners. They may also wonder if a player who used to get a disproportionate share of his goals against the Premier League superpowers can secure flagship wins to catapult them up the table.
Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 1: player ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER RATINGS: David de Gea – 7. Saves from Watkins before and after the break. Conceded a set-piece. He thought Villa were offside for the goal. His manager agreed with him, but excuses – not particularly from the Spaniard - start to wear thin when it’s three defeats in four. AP -
Aaron Wan Bissaka – 6. More touches than any player on the pitch but limited in his influence on the game. Defensively sound but stifles too many United attacks by not playing quick or accurate crosses. AFP -
Raphael Varane – 7. Kept busy by Watkins and Ings. Did ok. A penny for his thoughts right now about the players in front of him. PA -
Harry Maguire – 5. It’s like he’s left his legs at the Euros. Poor pass to his goalkeeper in the first half. Off injured after 67. Getty -
Luke Shaw – 5. Another who appears to have left his legs at Euro 2020. Booked after 29. Came off injured after 34 minutes. Matt Cash often had the better of him. Getty -
Fred – 5. There are plenty of questions to be asked of the Brazilian and his poor passing, and he’s not short of critics, but he wasn’t the worst player against a scruffy Villa side. Broke up play. Booked. AFP -
Scott McTominay – 5. The question which will keep being asked of Solskjaer is why he plays two central defensive midfielders at home to a mid-ranking side. United had 60 per cent of possession and 28 shots to Villa’s 7 but lost for a third time in four games. McTominay gave it a lot but had a limited influence in the centre of the pitch. Getty -
Mason Greenwood – 7. The best United player. Exciting when he runs at opponents. End product and decision making closer to goal so as effective as usual. United’s best player in the last two matches and he’s 19. Getty -
Bruno Fernandes – 6. This game will mostly be remembered for him skying a penalty two minutes into time added on after Kourtney Hause had put Villa ahead. Worked hard and looked desperate at times, but the magic touch wasn’t there. PA -
Paul Pogba – 6. One of United’s better players, especially in the first half. Faded in the second. Getty -
Cristiano Ronaldo – 6. A passenger for much of the match. Worst game since he came back but he also needs players around him who know what they are doing. Getty -
SUBS: Diogo Dalot – 7. On for Shaw after 34. Better than Shaw at dealing with Cash, despite playing away from his preferred position. AFP -
Victor Lindelof – N/A. On for Maguire after 67. Better than the man he replaced. Maybe starting again in Wednesday’s key match against Villarreal if Maguire isn’t back. That statement won’t trouble fans as much as it would have a month ago. PA -
Edinson Cavani – N/A. On for McTominay after 82 as his side went for a win. The opposite happened and Cavani was outmuscled by Hause in the lead up to Villa’s goal. A fit and firing Cavani will boost United. Reuters -
ASTON VILLA RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 7: Not called into serious action until just before half-time when he saved well from Maguire free header. Comfortable stops from Greenwood and Pogba after break. EPA -
Matthew Cash - 7: Perfect ball across six-yard box to Targett after 18 minutes but his fellow full-back couldn’t finish. Important touch to deflect Pogba shot wide just before half-hour mark. Picked up late booking. EPA -
Ezri Konsa - 7: Playing on right of back three, shown clean pair of heels by the pacey Greenwood in first half but generally solid throughout. Missed Villa’s third good chance of opening 45 minutes when he headed over from close range -
Kortney Hause - 6: First league start of the season and looked shaky early on giving away clumsy free-kick on edge of area, then allowing Ronaldo far too much time to shoot at goal. Roller-coaster finale - Brilliant header at near post to score late on, only to give away penalty minutes later for handball … then watched Fernandes blast spot-kick miles over. Getty -
Tyrone Mings - 8: Left Targett in no doubt of his feelings in first half after teammate failed to get on the end of his headed knock down. England defender was impressive figure at the back. Getty -
Matt Targett - 7: Awful miss after 18 minutes when he blazed over from close range after great work from McGinn and Cash. Certainly put in a shift charging up and down that left flank. Getty -
Jacob Ramsey - 7: Showed great determination to get back and tackle Greenwood after it looked like United man had got away in first-half injury time. Slipped at crucial moment when teed-up in United box in last 10 minutes. Key part of Villa’s relentless pressing game. AP -
Douglas Luiz - 8: Brazilian was his usual industrious self in centre of midfield, keeping things simple and constantly harassing United players in possession. Beautiful ball through to Watkins with 20 minutes left that put striker through on goal. AP -
John McGinn - 9: Brilliant tracking back and sliding challenge to stop Greenwood counter attack in opening 10 minutes. Lovely slide-rule pass to put Cash away down wing ahead of Targett’s glaring miss. Booked in second half for foul on Fernandes minutes after Maguire should have had same treatment for hauling down Scottish midfielder, who was excellent for Villa. AP -
Danny Ings - 6: Villa could have done with any of their three first-half misses falling at his feet/head but wasn’t to be. Not a sniff of goal at Old Trafford but, like every other Villa player, showed a relentless workrate. AFP -
Ollie Watkins - 6: Gifted chance by De Gea after dodgy Maguire back pass but finish wasn’t great and Spaniard recovered to block his shot. Had shot saved by keeper in second half after lovely Luiz pass when teammates were better placed. Also needs to work on timing his runs as guilty of some frustrating offside calls. AFP -
SUBS: Emiliano Buendia – (On for Ings 78’) N/A. Cameron Archer – (On for Ramsey 86’) N/A. Getty
Certainly, Gerrard’s demanding nature has been reflected both in his words and his dealings so far. Matt Targett was voted Villa’s Players’ Player of the Year last season.
Signing Lucas Digne, in a £25m deal from Everton, felt an expensive upgrade. Gerrard is reshaping his left flank. His narrow, Christmas tree formation needs attacking full-backs. It offers scope for Coutinho to tuck in as a left-sided No 10. It should be role that suits him.
Yet the tactical aspects may initially be outweighed by the sense of excitement around Coutinho’s potential debut. Villa’s league win at Old Trafford in September was momentous. Because of Coutinho, even if the result is different, the rematch feels another significant occasion.
