Philippe Coutinho shines very bad light on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa tenure with latest post
Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho both faced struggles before they left Aston Villa.
The former Rangers boss is arguably the worst head coach appointment in recent memory at Villa Park after a hugely frustrating spell in charge.
You would struggle to find a supporter in B6 that has anything positive to say about the Englishman, with a general feeling of delight surrounding his sacking at the time.
The same can’t necessarily be said for Coutinho, who was a fan favourite in the Midlands, even if his time in claret and blue didn’t live up to expectations.
The attacking midfielder is now facing further issues in his career after leaving Villa, something which hardly reflects well on Gerrard.
Philippe Coutinho shares damning Instagram post
“Wake me up before you go go, who needs Grealish when you’ve got Coutinho?“
I was on the concourse at Old Trafford the day before the number 10 joined the Villans from Barcelona on an initial loan deal.
Villa may have lost 4-2 against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup that night, but that failed to dampen the excitement surrounding the imminent January signing.
That temporary deal was successful, and there was further joy in B6 when Christian Purslow confirmed a permanent deal at Villa’s end-of-season awards night.
Nothing really went right after that move was sealed, and his tenure in the Midlands ultimately ended in the summer of 2025 with a move back to Vasco da Gama.
Things haven’t really worked back at his boyhood club either, and he has now revealed via Instagram that he is leaving due to mental struggles.
Part of his statement reads: “I thought long and hard before writing this. I really did, but out of respect, affection, and love that I have for you and for this club, I felt I needed to come here and speak from the heart.
“I would never disrespect the fans, my teammates, or Vasco. I’ve never done that anywhere I’ve been. Anyone who knows me knows that.
“At that moment, on my way to the locker room, I felt and realised that my time at the club was over, and I didn’t return to prioritise my mental health. That hurts a lot.
“The truth is, I’m very mentally exhausted. I’ve always been very reserved, so saying this here isn’t easy, but I need to be honest.
“With a heavy heart, I understand that now is the time to take a step back and end this chapter at Vasco.”
Steven Gerrard to blame for Coutinho failings at Aston Villa
If it wasn’t for Gerrard, there was no chance that the Brazilian would ever have joined the Villans.
Even with that being the case, the legendary Anfield captain was unable to get the best out of his former teammate in claret and blue.
Outside of his loan spell, Coutinho seriously struggled – as showcased by Sofascore – and that was thanks in part to the management and tactical setup.
Gerrard utilised a bizarre formation to try and accommodate the attacking midfielder, but he also had Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Emi Buendia and Co., who required regular minutes.
An approach with two number 10s behind a central striker never worked, usually with Watkins forced deeper or to the wing, leaving Villa to struggle in wide areas and fail to create regular chances.
That sparked the beginning of the end for Coutinho, who needed to play as a number 10 and be given the chance to dictate play with runners on either side of him.
The former Barcelona man has never recovered from Gerrard’s failure, and that has continued into his spells away from B6 with Al-Duhail and Vasco da Gama.
He scored just five Serie A goals for his boyhood club in 2025 and has now called time on his latest stint in South America.
It raises further questions of what would have happened if Gerrard had never signed Coutinho permanently and misused him for Villa.
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