When Philippe Coutinho was chosen by his peers as part of the PFAs 2015 Premier League Team of the Year, it seemed as though the world was about to fall at his feet.His prodigious
Ugo Amadi Jersey natural talent had seen him entrusted as playmaker-in-chief and potential heir to Luis Suarez as Liverpools most talismanic player. It suggested that better times were looming large on the horizon for both the player and the club, despite the teams laboured efforts on the pitch and the largely cluele s management of Brendan Rodgers.Fast forward seven months to the start of 2016 and there seems little improvement in the club or the player. Rodgers is history, but the goodwill and excitement felt by the fans following outstanding victories at Chelsea and Manchester City early in Jurgen Klopps tenure is beginning to evaporate following a wave of listle s displays in recent weeks. Klopp is well aware of how much work needs to be done to elicit more quality and better results from his mis-firing stars.Liverpools performance at West Ham during yesterdays 2-0 defeat almost perfectly encapsulated the problems facing Klopp. Two sucker punches from the significantly improved Hammers further confirmed Liverpools inability to defend cro ses into the box.At the other end, Liverpools attacking quartet of Benteke, Ibe, Coutinho and Firmino, tried to get into the game, but barely troubled the West Ham defence until late in the game. Even then, West Ham could have scored on a couple of occasions.Liverpool are certainly mi sing the goalscoring prowe s of Daniel Sturridge, whilst Danny Ings and Divock
Seattle Seahawks Jersey Origi both offer other options when fit, though neither is likely to set Premier League defences
Brandon Shell Jersey on edge.It also seems obvious to the fans that Klopp does not have a great deal of confidence in Cristian Benteke. Why, for example, did he start with the raw Origi in attack against Leicester Cityand leave Benteke on the bench? Miraculously, Benteke is the Reds leading scorer, a major surprise given his lack of mobility, reluctance to make runs into the penalty area and the teams singular failure to play to the big Belgians strengths.There has been a need to improvise given the paucity of goals and lack of fitne s of three of Klopps main strike force. This has put added pre sure on the attacking midfielders in the squad. There is a greater expectation on Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana to deliver goals, or at the very least create opportunities for other players.Of the three, Coutinho been the most effective, with five goals in the Premier League and three a sists.Lallana has yet to score, whilstFirmino has registered just a solitary goal, but it is Coutinho who is the biggest cause for concern.There is an expectation from the fans that he
Jason Myers Jersey will become a talismanic leader of the team, and he certainly has the talent to take the Reds onto better things and become a true club legend. There is a huge question, however: does he have the character, the fight or the physical characteristics to attain this status? Itis a ma sive role at Liverpool, the weight of expectation can stunt the development of le ser players, and I feel thatCoutinho istrying too hard tolive up to the what is required of him.Coutinhos creativity is beyond question, but he needs to get more out of
Russell Wilson Jersey those around him. He compares unfavourably with other playmakers, such as Mesut Ozil, for example, who has created 16 goals, and had 11 succe sful cro ses (Coutinhos figure is 3). Ozil has also created84chances, the figure for Coutinho is 27. Even players such as Cristian Eriksenat Spurs and DusanTadic at Southampton are better at providing scoring opportunities for team mates.Both have set up 50 chances.There is work to do for Coutinho and Klopp. The manager needs to protect Coutinho, but also get him to bring more to the game. How he does it, is a conundrum that is frustrating Liverpool fans.
