Roy Keane has claimed that Philippe Coutinho showcased ‘pure quality’ during Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Sunday, as he told Sky Sports Football (15/01/22 at 7:50 pm).
The former midfielder added that he felt that, if Coutinho was going to score, it was going to be ‘from 25 yards out’ and not a ‘poachers-like’ goal.
On Saturday evening, Coutinho came off the bench to help Villa come from 2-0 down to record a point against Manchester United.
It was an outstanding start from the Barcelona man, who made a dream debut for the boys in Claret and Blue.
After all the hype and talk around Coutinho’s signing, the Brazil international topped it off by delivering the goods out on the pitch.
Keane praised Coutinho for showcasing a ‘lot of football intelligence’ and how he seemingly surprised him by the manner of goal he scored.
“It’s a poachers-like goal,” said Keane. “If we all felt he was going to score today, we all felt it was going to be from 25 yards out.
“But not this. This is Watkins and Ings should be getting on the end of this. Lovely finish. A big boost for him.
“He has had his ups and downs. He has played for big clubs, so coming to Villa, it should be okay for him.
“He has to get up to speed. He is certainly capable of producing them moments. The big test is whether he can do it over 90 minutes for the rest of the season. But he’s getting up to speed. He can produce moments and what he has is a lot of football intelligence. Pure quality.”
A number of people questioned the risk Villa were taking in bringing Coutinho to the club because of his struggles in recent years.
But the manner in which Villa have done this deal, with a loan deal and then an option to buy, is possibly a genius move by the club.
And, already one game in, it’s looking like this might just be a rollercoaster ride many other teams will question why they didn’t jump on.
Not only has Coutinho made a direct impact within 20 odd minutes of being on the Villa Park pitch, but he has also lifted everyone else around him.
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