Philippe Coutinho: Revitalization at Villa Park
When you don't thrive in one place, you try to rediscover yourself by moving to another. Even after winning a Bundesliga and Champions League double in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich, ironically scoring against Barcelona en route to the latter's final, Philippe Coutinho has only returned to the stagnation that he had undergone in Spain which had him transferred to begin with. . Aston Villa have given the Brazilian a chance to rekindle past form and in doing so add an extra dimension to Villa's creativity, and perhaps also reinforce Coutinho's sense of importance to his team. p>
The art of Tushar Dey
Aston Villa has been and continues to be in a period of transition. The start of last season saw talisman Jack Grealish sold to Premier League champions Manchester City for a British record fee of £100m, and Villa used the acquired funds to bring in a range of attacking talent; Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings were signed for a combined total of £88m.
Villa was quick to go with Bailey who impressed with short bursts but was hampered by time out due to injury. Buendia and Ings were slow to adjust to their new surroundings, but came closer to finding their feet following the exit of Dean Smith and the subsequent appointment of Steven Gerrard as manager. Gerrard enjoyed success in Scotland with Rangers, reclaiming the league title, while remaining unbeaten throughout the campaign, achieving a perfect home record and conceding just 13 goals.
Since Gerrard's arrival in the Midlands, Villa's form has been mixed, and it has continued to trend since Coutinho's arrival, with four wins, two draws and four losses in his first 10 games . Coutinho, however, could not have personally asked for a better start, coming off the bench to seal a two-goal comeback in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Philippe Coutinho desperately needed a fresh start. And that urgent need could only be amplified by possible goals of playing at this year's World Cup in Qatar. Coutinho was previously a key part of manager Tite's plans and has been recalled to the Brazil squad twice since returning to English football, featuring and scoring for the first time since 2020. He scored a penalty in a a World Cup qualifier as Brazil won. 4-0 against Chile.
So Coutinho's performances for Villa not only helped the club, but also increased his own chances of featuring for the club.
When you don't thrive in one place, you try to rediscover yourself by moving to another. Even after winning a Bundesliga and Champions League double in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich, ironically scoring against Barcelona en route to the latter's final, Philippe Coutinho has only returned to the stagnation that he had undergone in Spain which had him transferred to begin with. . Aston Villa have given the Brazilian a chance to rekindle past form and in doing so add an extra dimension to Villa's creativity, and perhaps also reinforce Coutinho's sense of importance to his team. p>
The art of Tushar Dey
Aston Villa has been and continues to be in a period of transition. The start of last season saw talisman Jack Grealish sold to Premier League champions Manchester City for a British record fee of £100m, and Villa used the acquired funds to bring in a range of attacking talent; Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings were signed for a combined total of £88m.
Villa was quick to go with Bailey who impressed with short bursts but was hampered by time out due to injury. Buendia and Ings were slow to adjust to their new surroundings, but came closer to finding their feet following the exit of Dean Smith and the subsequent appointment of Steven Gerrard as manager. Gerrard enjoyed success in Scotland with Rangers, reclaiming the league title, while remaining unbeaten throughout the campaign, achieving a perfect home record and conceding just 13 goals.
Since Gerrard's arrival in the Midlands, Villa's form has been mixed, and it has continued to trend since Coutinho's arrival, with four wins, two draws and four losses in his first 10 games . Coutinho, however, could not have personally asked for a better start, coming off the bench to seal a two-goal comeback in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Philippe Coutinho desperately needed a fresh start. And that urgent need could only be amplified by possible goals of playing at this year's World Cup in Qatar. Coutinho was previously a key part of manager Tite's plans and has been recalled to the Brazil squad twice since returning to English football, featuring and scoring for the first time since 2020. He scored a penalty in a a World Cup qualifier as Brazil won. 4-0 against Chile.
So Coutinho's performances for Villa not only helped the club, but also increased his own chances of featuring for the club.
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