Philippe Coutinho is expected to bolster attacking options at Bayern Munich, allowing Niko Kovac to rotate his squad effectively and challenge for multiple titles.
The Brazilian attacker is set to join Bayern Munich from FC Barcelona on a one-year loan deal. He arrived at Saebener Strasse on Sunday to undergo medical and complete the final details of this transfer.
Coutinho in Munich [@SkySportNewsHD] pic.twitter.com/BymHBvcpys
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) August 18, 2019
The key terms have been agreed with the 27-year old as confirmed by Bayern CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who was in Barcelona last week with Hasan Salihamidzic to negotiate terms for Coutinho. (News source: fcbayern.com)
"“I can confirm that Hasan [Salihamidzic] and I were in Barcelona last Wednesday and reached agreement with FC Barcelona and the player. We’ve watched Coutinho for quite some time. The name doesn’t matter, only the quality.”"
Coutinho’s career blossomed when he was signed by Inter Milan in 2008 for €4 million and made his debut for the Nerazzurri in 2010 followed by a loan to Espanyol in 2012.
Fast forward, the dynamic attacker was procured by Liverpool FC in the January transfer window of 2013 for £8.5 million thanks to their former manager, Rafa Benitez who described Coutinho as “world-class”.
It was in England where the Brazilian made an impact in his debut season by scoring three goals and assisting five times in 13 appearances for the Reds. During his spell at the Merseyside in England, Coutinho managed to score 0.26 goals per game along with grabbing 42 assists in 203 appearances across all competitions. His impressive performances in England eventually helped him to land up a dream move to Barcelona in January last year for a deal worth £142 million. (Stats courtesy: ESPNFC)
While his professional life in Barcelona was not as rosy as with his previous employer, there are a plethora of qualities that the little magician has to succeed in the Bavarian capital. Let’s evaluate how Coutinho can fit in under Niko Kovac’s system.
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Much of Coutinho’s failure at Blaugrana was to be blamed at Ernesto Valverde’s system which gives Lionel Messi the space to roam freely in the attacking third. This suppressed Coutinho’s innate style of playing as a free-roaming attacker behind the center-forward.
Jurgen Klopp deployed Coutinho in different positions on the field, using him as a number eight, number ten and often as a winger; allowing him to move freely in his zone. This enabled Coutinho to link-up effectively with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino confusing the opposition defense. One would always find Coutinho running in different areas in the attacking third. Also, Coutinho is familiar with the “Gegen Press” style used by Liverpool akin to Bayern’s counter-press tactics. He can dispossess the opposition and push for a quick counter-attack using his amazing dribbling abilities.
A similar approach can be used by Kovac at Bayern using a 4-2-3-1 formation:
"Neuer Kimmich – Sule – Pavard/Hernandez – Alaba Thiago – Tolisso Gnabry – Coutinho – Coman Lewandowski"
In this attacking system, Coutinho can switch places with Gnabry and Coman to disrupt opposition’s marking and make space for Tolisso to surge forward alongside Lewandowski and overload the box for an additional goal-scoring threat.
Alternatively, Countinho can be deployed as a number eight in a 4-3-3 formation:
"Neuer Kimmich – Sule – Pavard/Hernandez – Alaba Thiago Tolisso/Goretzka – Coutinho Gnabry – Lewandowski – Coman"
In terms of his scoring ability, Coutinho is also a set-piece specialist, along with having a knack of testing goalkeepers with long-range efforts in an open-play, a lot of which was missing in Bayern’s recent fixture with Hertha. I believe the fans won’t miss James Rodriguez anymore as Coutinho is a like for like replacement for the Colombian.
Alongside scoring from set-pieces, Coutinho remains a key player in winning free-kicks in the danger zone, thanks to his magnetic ball control, lightning-fast movement and dribbling skills. As a playmaker, Coutinho created 52 major chances in 152 Premier League appearances during his time at Liverpool, surpassing Sadio Mane (Stats courtesy: Premier League).
Moreover, Coutinho can also be deployed on left flank if needed. The Brazilian has struggled at Barcelona, but he has all the attributes to thrive in the Bundesliga and become the key link between midfield and attack at Bayern. He is technically gifted and has a great degree of intelligence on the pitch.
Come what may, I reckon the 2019 Copa America Winner to be a star for Die Roten and expect him to hit the ground running from his first appearance in the “red” shirt. To conclude, a smart move from Bayern Munich; one which may help the fans to feel better after a tedious Leroy Sane’s transfer saga.