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Philippe Coutinho: Brazil boss Tite makes prediction over Barcelona star's future
PHILIPPE COUTINHO will eventually find his feet at Barcelona and his early struggles are not unusual.
Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring his first league goal for Barcelona against Eibar
That’s the opinion of Brazil boss Tite, who is backing the £142 million midfielder to come good, eventually, for the Catalan giants.
Coutinho finally got the Camp Nou switch he long desired last month in a move that made the former Liverpool man the second most expensive footballer ever, at least until Kylian Mbappe makes his loan move to Paris Saint-Germain permanent next summer.
But the 25-year-old playmaker has taken time to find form with his manager Ernesto Valverde having said Coutinho was dropped for the good of the team in last weekend’s win at Eibar.
Coutinho scored his second Barcelona goal in their latest outing, a 6-1 La Liga thrashing of Girona, and also added an assist for good measure to suggest he is beginning to near his best for the Blaugrana.
And Tite used the example of Mbappe, alongside his PSG team-mates Neymar - Brazil’s talisman - and Edinson Cavani to suggest that Coutinho was always going to need time.
Lionel Messi celebrates with Philippe Coutinho after his goal versus Eibar
“How do I explain Coutinho struggling in his first days at Barcelona?” said Tite.
“It's absolutely normal. What was abnormal was the speed with which Paulinho adapted. Maybe (it was) because of his physical condition.
“Coutinho will adapt to Barca with time.
“It’s like getting Mbappe and Neymar and expecting the trio with Cavani to fully adapt from the first season. That's not how it works.”
But it hasn't been all plain sailing for Coutinho at Camp Nou
Coutinho describes scoring first goal for Barcelona
Tite also revealed his intentions to incorporate Coutinho’s former team-mate Roberto Firmino, who has 22 goals for Liverpool this season, into the national team’s starting line-up before the World Cup this summer.
He added: “I can see Firmino playing with (Gabriel) Jesus.
“A front four of Coutinho and Neymar as playmakers behind those two strikers could be our solution against opponents sitting deep.”
Spanish top-flight leaders Barca are back in action when they face Las Palmas away from home on Thursday night.
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