Sue Smith believes Philippe Coutinho was among the problems that convinced Aston Villa to sack Steven Gerrard. The Sky Sports pundit feels the Brazilian has been poor this term.
Aston Villa dismissed Gerrard as the club’s head coach on Thursday night after losing 3-0 at Fulham. The Villans’ trip to Craven Cottage was the 42-year-old’s 40th game in charge in all competitions. He replaced Dean Smith last November on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
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Gerrard oversaw 13 wins and eight draws over his time in charge of the Birmingham outfit. But Aston Villa had lost eight of his last 15 Premier League fixtures to a mere two wins. The claret-and-blue club also conceded 50 goals to 45 scored during his 38 top-flight matches.
Coutinho featured in 29 of Gerrard’s Premier League matches in charge after joining Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona in January. The Villans also paid the Camp Nou outfit £17m to keep the Brazilian on a four-year contract in May. Yet the move has not worked out so far.
The 30-year-old is yet to score or lay on an assist through 10 top-flight appearances so far this term. He also played no part in Aston Villa’s 3-0 defeat at Fulham as Gerrard opted to leave the 69-cap maestro on the bench. It was the first game since joining that he sat out.
Smith feels Coutinho was a ‘problem’ for Gerrard with his ‘poor’ form at Aston Villa
Coutinho’s failure to find the net or create a goal this season leaves the Brazilian with one goal and no assists in his last 21 Premier League outings. He found the net four times and fashioned a further three during his first eight appearances whilst on loan from Barcelona.
Smith has now told Sky Sports News (22/10, 12:09) that Coutinho’s lacklustre form played a part in Aston Villa’s decision to sack Gerrard. The former England women’s international also feels the Brazilian not delivering meant Gerrard was often left searching for answers.
“He’s been poor, hasn’t he?” Smith said. “I think that’s been the problem this season. You’re looking for someone to give Aston Villa a spark and create something. We know how Steven Gerrard likes to play, he likes to use his full-backs in terms of that creativity.
“Staying quite tight and narrow in the middle, but his full-backs are the ones to create the opportunities. And then if they can’t go around the outside, then they want something in the middle of the park and that something was Coutinho.
“That top-quality player that we just haven’t seen in terms of goals and assists this season. And I think that has been a big problem in terms of Steven Gerrard not knowing what his best system is [or] what his best personnel is within that system.”
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