The pub in Manchester against City, the bar down the road from there against Bolton… Hell, the more recent venture into the local Merseyside dive against Stoke when it rained and I had that picture of you in my wallet for good luck. Oh, Phil, so many memories. You’re to thank for one of the best moments of my life when you sunk Man City and made me realise those dreams I’d been having weren’t just limited to my fevered imagination, but could become something more real. I know I’m rambling, and I’m sorry; because despite the memories we’ve shared Phil, something just isn’t clicking anymore. This isn’t a break-up, just a “we need to talk” talk.
If the collective LFC fan base had a gun to their head and was asked who their favourite three current players are, a third of your answers would probably be our boy Phil, there’s little doubt. That’s what makes admitting to ourselves he’s miles out of form so painful.
Previously going by the name of the “Keymaster”, he was known for unlocking defences with a dink, a hoof and a chip, reducing adult professional defenders that pay taxes and father children to tears. Well, probably – without HD I can’t quite make out the tears running down their cheeks. But recently, the Keymaster has forgotten his pick-lock; instead, resorting to just running full pelt at the door and trying to knock the bastard down.
I want to prefix this with admitting that he’s got a highlight reel the length of an airport runway, and he has scored some truly insane goals. That party trick of hammering it from thirty plus yards has impressed before, but he’s starting to get a bit too cocky now. He’s wowed us all a few times, but instead of warming the crowd up with some nice passes or dribbles anymore, he’s now going straight for the jugular.
Readying the ink for the headlines to be written about someone else just isn’t enough anymore, and after years of providing Sturridge or Suarez with a Vine-magnet of a pass for them to score the brace or worldie or winner, Coutinho has shed his selfless nature and taken to twatting the ball from distance at any given opportunity. Instead of, say, holding the play up and threading the ball through for someone else better at finishing to put away.
Yes, he’s scored once this season and it’s even fair to say he’s hit the woodwork twice, but once this season isn’t anything to write home about. In fact, his goal record in a red shirt is nowhere near the calibre it should be for our number 10. Fourteen goals and 19 assists in 90 appearances isn’t awful, and I think what Phil does often defies stats, but for someone that plays so close to goal in a team challenging for Champions League (Maybe the title, touch wood) he should be getting more.
This is why I’ve wanted to see him in the centre-mid role more – let him sit back and press like a rabid terrier napping at the heels of everyone around him, pick up the ball and recycle play with a pass from further back. Villa this season for example: no assists all season, then one match pushed further back and he gets two while running the match.
Looking at the 2014-15 Premier League season alone, Mata got four more goals in less appearances, Oscar got more goals in less appearances, and in three appearances more Eriksen got a whole five more. Even Hendo got more goals and he plays further back.
Almost every shot he takes and misses, even if it just skims the crossbar and goes out – ends play. No matter how beautiful the football we played moments before was, the opposition goalkeeper has it again and everyone is running back to get into position. Just like how shy girls/boys can be more attractive than the loud and in-your-face ones, everyone loved how Phil would play the pass instead of going for the shot. He knew his limits, and he knew that players around him were better at finishing than him. He needs the reality check that he is an amazing player, no doubt about it, but an amazing finisher? Not yet.
The best course of action might be to drop him for a match or two when Firmino gets to full fitness. Speaking of players that can finish, Bobby is exactly that and maybe under Klopp he can reignite the form that set the Bundesliga ablaze the last few seasons. I think with Phil we have an amazing player on our hands and could start a tag team with Firmino that would put the Dudley Boys to shame, but until then he should relinquish his trigger finger and get back to using his powers for good, not glory.
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