Coutinho has it all, says Tite
Philippe Coutinho has emerged as one of the world's best midfielders in recent years and Brazil coach Tite says he matured well.
Brazil coach Tite believes Philippe Coutinho has all the attributes a footballer needs and has become a "very strong" player as he prepares for his first World Cup. Coutinho has established himself as one of the world's most talented midfielders since narrowly missing out on Luiz Felipe Scolari's 2014 World Cup squad.
Playing regularly in a Liverpool side renowned for their attacking fluency under Brendan Rodgers and then Jürgen Klopp has played a major role in his development, before eventually sealing a £142million switch to Barcelona in January. He has perhaps lacked consistency a little since making the move to Spain, but Tite is convinced the 25-year-old - who scored in Friday's 3-0 win over Russia - is the complete package.
Coutinho has a wealth of qualities, says Brazil coach
"What qualities do you think are important in a footballer? He has it," Tite told reporters. "The whole of Coutinho's work is very strong. He has passing, competitiveness, effectiveness at medium distance, speed of thought and execution, assists, and now a greater maturity, which is also important. He and Willian understand that they are offensive players. Douglas Costa is taking this in, [Roberto] Firmino is looking to convert what he has done in Liverpool – being aggressive, going for the goal, not heading out wide."
Brazil face Germany in their next friendly on Tuesday, as the two sides meet for the first time since Joachim Löw's men incredibly ran out 7-1 winners on Brazilian soil in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup.