How much longer does Steven Gerrard persist with Philippe Coutinho? That was the question on the lips of many an Aston Villa supporter as the Brazilian turned in yet another underwhelming, bordering on invisible, performance during Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Everton.
How much longer can Coutinho continue to dine out on past glories? The promise of stardust that never seems to arrive? Especially with Emi Buendia, who scored Villa’s winner at the weekend, waiting in the wings and frequently offering more than his out-of-sorts team-mate whenever he’s on the pitch.
In his last 13 Premier League games, Coutinho has scored once and set up none. Memories of that game-changing performance at Manchester United – that dazzling destruction of Leeds – are fading. In fact, if his name wasn’t Philippe Coutinho, the usually-ruthless Gerrard probably would have consigned him to the bench a while ago.
And reports from BILD claiming that Aston Villa are currently leading the race to sign Emil Forsberg from RB Leipzig threaten to add an intriguing subplot to a story that started out like a Fairytale but could end up like something out of the Brothers Grimm back catalogue.
Philippe Coutinho out, Emil Forsberg in at Aston Villa?
“Emil has always stood by the club. Now, there is rotation due to the many strong attacking players, which is okay. What is not okay at all is that Emil is not part of this rotation,” Forsberg’s agent says via BuliNews, clearly displeased with his clients lack of action.
The silky Sweden international has played five minutes in Leipzig’s first two Bundesliga games this term.
“Emil trains well and deserves respect,” the agent adds. “But there are people at the club who apparently do not think so.”
Now, if Gerrard cannot find a way to get Buendia and Coutinho in the same Aston Villa XI, then a team sheet containing both Coutinho and Forsberg is certainly difficult to imagine. Both players are at their most effective when cutting in from the wing into their favoured right boot, after all. Forsberg became one of the most influential attackers at last year’s European Championships in such a role; Adding some spice to an otherwise bland Sweden attack.
Bodymoor Heath simply ain’t big enough for the both of them.
Now, it remains to be seen if there is any truth to those ‘Forsberg to Aston Villa’ rumours. And, as far as Coutinho is concerned, class remains permanent, his quality undoubted. But links with the former should serve as a warning to the former.
More performances like the one at Everton and it won’t be just Buendia breathing down the Brazilian’s neck.
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