Philippe Coutinho looks out of Barcelona … but the former Liverpool star CAN save the career of Nou Camp

The Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, is becoming more and more comfortable in his role.

When he ascended the throne in January 2014, he was nervous, clumsy, like he did not belong, but now he behaves with more conviction and even a braggart.

But there is a problem that makes him sweat. Bartomeu has paid record fees of £ 142 million for Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho, and this looks like a lost bet.

"We will not listen to the offers that are intended for him," Bartomeu said in an interview with Spanish radio Cadena COPE this week. "He is a young player with great potential and we expect a lot from him."

That the question has even been asked shows that Coutinho fails at the camp of Nou. When he signed in January 2018, he was to become the successor of Andres Iniesta.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde does not trust the Brazilian enough to play in midfield. He deploys it rather on the left flank, where he struggles to find the form.

Although Bartomeu and Valverde have publicly defended Coutinho, if they manage to recover even 75% of their expenses, the playmaker could leave in the summer.

Bartomeu thinks that Valverde will extend his contract and stay in Barcelona for another season, which could mean a new year lost for Coutinho, whose level of confidence is already at the rendezvous.

The coach prefers to pbad Master Arthur for third place in the middle of the field, alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, or even the hustle and bustle of Arturo Vidal for the moment when Barcelona needs to go out. a little chaos.

Coutinho is too heavy, unable to function from muscle memory.

Upon his arrival, before knowing the system and methodology of Barcelona, ​​he played as he knew, reflexively.

It seemed to work. The Brazilian scored 10 goals in his first campaign, including in the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla. He was constantly pulling the distance with his shot.

But little by little, the Brazilian seems to have been overwhelmed by the task at hand. While the first weeks pbaded like a blur and Coutinho's instinct saw him take the lead, now time pbades slowly for him.

Every game looks like an eternity, an eternity in which nothing goes.

Whenever Coutinho receives the ball, he is ousted by the defenders and, not trusting in him, he does not retreat to succeed a turn to escape.

Instead, he pbades the ball back, retaining possession of the ball, but failing to break through the defensive lines, which is his duty. It should be more than that – its raison d'être.

Coutinho seems to be worried about pulling too much, his last goal in La Liga after a free match coming back on 28 October.

With Ousmane Dembele returning from injury, if not this weekend, Valverde will have to give up Coutinho.

The Frenchman, who had his time in a black hole at Barca, has been in electrical form this season and deserves his place in the lineup.

But in Dembele, Coutinho can find an example of the speed with which things turn, the capricious nature of football.

It only takes a little more than three or four good performances for the past to be buried.

Unlike Dembele, his behavior off the field was also excellent, allowing him to benefit from the cloakroom support. Coutinho lives in Castelldefels and is friends with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, who could save him more time than other players.

Barcelona has a series of crucial games that define the season.

Trips to San Mames and Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan to face Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla.

The Clasico double in Madrid at the end of the month, with the semi-final return of the Copa del Rey followed by a championship clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And the return of the Champions League, which is the big dream of the club this season, with a double header against an exciting Lyon team.

If Coutinho can help Barcelona put an end to Real Madrid's dominance in Europe's biggest competition, his offenses will certainly be forgiven.

And with Arthur injured prematurely at the hamstring on Friday, which will keep him out next month, the door is open for Coutinho to attempt to claim the midfielder place that was his destination from the start.

Known as a "nice boy", it may be time to be mean, to ask Valverde to give him a chance to qualify among the three central. And if that happens, do not be jostled by opponents who see it as weak.

When Coutinho arrived in Barcelona, ​​he said that it was a dream come true. It's time for him to get up or move.