Coutinho called out for lack of involvement at Bayern
The German press has praised the Brazilian's workrate but indicated that he needs to participate more in the creation of plays for Bayern Munich.
“It’s like he’s dancing with the ball”.
That is what Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac had to say about the fascinating skills of his new attacking midfielder, Philippe Coutinho, after the 3-2 victory over Paderborn in the Bundesliga a few weeks ago.
Since the Brazilian arrived on loan from Barcelona this summer, he has had some notable performances. However, criticism has come his way from the German press following Bayern’s disappointing home defeat (1-2) to Hoffenheim last weekend.
Sport Bild praised his work as a number ‘10’ but indicated that the 27-year-old needs to participate more in the creation of plays. "Two or three magic passes is not enough," the paper said.
The Barcelona loanee is not blamed for a lack of commitment when it comes to running or defensive work but they believe it is necessary for the ball to pass by his feet more to improve the team's overall game.
Coutinho's performance at Bayern Munich
| Game | Touches | Passes | Pass accuracy | Goals | Asissts |
| vs Schalke | 36 | 25/28 | 89% | ||
| vs Mainz | 51 | 31/37 | 83% | ||
| vs RB Leizpig | 4 | 2/3 | 66% | ||
| vs Red Star | 103 | 63/75 | 84% | ||
| vs Colonia | 77 | 42/49 | 85% | 1 | 1 |
| vs Paderborn | 66 | 37/45 | 82% | 1 | 1 |
| vs Tottenham | 65 | 34/43 | 79% | 1 | |
| vs Hoffenheim | 59 | 38/48 | 79% |
Coutinho participation rate at Bayern
The Brazilian participates an average of 57 times during a match, having games where he has had a lot of influence, like with his 103 touches against Red Star Belgrade, and games where he has found it more difficult to get involved in the play, like in the game against Mainz.
In that Mainz encounter, his participation in the game was less than half of that against the Serbian club. Even so, overall he has maintained an average pass effectivity rate exceeding 80%.
His team mate Corentin Tolisso has also been called out for a lack of participation. The Frenchman, the German press says, also tends to have little intervention in the midfield. Kovac has already tried several combinations behind Coutinho with Joshua Kimmich, Thiago and Tolisso himself. Now, he is looking for the one that works best until the return of the injured Leon Goretzka, who is out for at least a month.