A Look At Coutinho

So now that one of January's most drawn out signings has come to a close, we take a look at Liverpools newest addition to the already stacked midfield Phillpe Coutinho. After getting his start at South American powerhouse Vasco De Gama, Couthinho became hot property in Europe at the age of just 16. Due to their famed youth program Inter Milan won the race for his signature paying $4 million Euros for him in 2010.

A loan spell at Espanyol under now Southampton coach Pochetino is where he really flourished with a double against Malaga the highlight of his spell with the Spainish club. Brendan Rodgers had his eye on him all season but Coutinho finally became a Liverpool player on the 26th of January.Key atributes of his game are his ability to take on players, one on ones with goalkeepers and his work rate. He has represented the Brazilian national team on one occasion and also has 100 first class appearances to his name, not bad for a 20 year old.

Only time will tell if Phillipe Coutinho will become a Luis Suarez or a Alberto Aqualiani for Liverpool Football Club.

Career Stats

2009–2010	Vasco da Gama	19	(1)
2010–2013	Internazionale	21	(3)
2012	→ Espanyol (loan)	16	(5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE2GuQwR4oo

Transfer Gossip

Tick tock, with not long to go in the January transfer window the rumours are heating up in world football here are the best ones going around.

- FC Dallas star Brek Shea will undergo a medical with Stoke on Tuesday ahead of a move which will see the club earn as much as £2.5million (Tribal Football).

- Aston Villa have agreed to ship out flops Alan Hutton to Real Mallorca and Stephen Warnock to West Ham.

- Anton Ferdinand could join Aziz Behich at his new Turkish side Bursapor 

- Milan could send Kevin-Prince Boateng to Man City as part of the deal for Balotelli. (Tuttosport)

- Huddersfield want sacked ex-Southampton boss Nigel Adkins as their new manager. (Daily Telegraph)

- Middlesbrough are ready to offer a deal to free agent Kieron Dyer. (The Sun)

- Newcastle Jets, Wanderers, Sydney FC, Perth and Wellington all interested in signing former Bolton Wanderers Striker Bedi Buval.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedi_Buval 

Player of the round - Marco Rojas

In arguably the match of the round the one and only Marco Rojas stood out from the weekend. Maybe the talk of Liverpool and Juventus scouts in the stands watching him sparked his performance. He scored the opening goal on the 23rd minute and put the game beyond doubt with his second goal of the game in the 72md minute.

A move to Europe awaits for young Rojas that is certain.

Arthur Papas - Part 2

Here is part two of our exclusive chat with Arthur Papas.

Do you have an opinion on the best manager in the world?. (inside)

Not really because it’s such a broad term and what constitutes the best

is not in my opinion only about the coach winning championships. I

have just as much admiration for someone like David Moyes who

continues to have Everton over-achieving with a significantly smaller

budget than the big spenders in the EPL. Coaches I have admired are

those who have not had big playing careers because it resonates with

my own background and provides motivation to continue the path I have

chosen. When coaches such as Arrigo Sacchi, Jose Mourinho and

Andre Villas Boas can have such profound success in the highest levels

of Europe surely an unknown Australian at some stage can appear in

our country and have an impact! (AP)

What about the A league who is the best coach?. (inside)

Right at this moment in time based on their respective domestic

successes over the past couple seasons it has to be Ange Postecoglou

and Graham Arnold. Their teams play contrasting styles but together

they have set a benchmark both on and off the field as people first, and

coaches second. (AP)

Who do you think shows the most promise in the youth ranks in the A -

League?. (inside)

I prefer not commenting on young players individually because I think

it’s something that gets thrown around too easy, sometimes to the

detriment of the player. I’ve been fortunate to work with a whole host of

top talented players either through the AIS, National Youth teams or in

the A-League and the certainty is that there is the quality there and it’s

just a matter of when they get identified, in what environment they

develop and if they are given the opportunity at the correct time. (AP)

There is a debate out their that the A - League recycles managers /

coaches, do you agree with that?. (inside)

I think in every league you could form the same debate if you wished to.

Reality is there are minimal positions at A-League level and I can

understand that when looking for a new coach that there are only a

handful with A-League Head Coach experience, therefore if you’re an

owner you are limited if this is what you seek and you must turn to

coaches who have this background. 

I do believe though that there is more risk involved by employing someone as Head Coach who has only been an Assistant Coach at A League level rather than someone who has coupled this with a Head Coach position in the State Leagues and been successful. There is still so much unknown by going down this path based on my previous experiences. That is why I went about taking on a team as a Head Coach in the VPL because you only really know about your capabilities to lead a team by being placed in situations where you have to make decisions on a daily basis. This does not occur to the same intensity when you’re an Assistant Coach. This is why proven coaches in the VPL such as Chris Taylor who has won Coach of the Year twice and Ian Dobson who was successful in the NSL and VPL should not be so easily overlooked when positions are available. It’s a bit of a shame that the door has in a way been closed to some of these coaches because they are very talented and still have a lot to offer!. (AP)

With your Greek back ground is the Greek super league on your radar?. (inside)

My Greek heritage is something I am proud of and to coach in Greece

at some stage is definitely an ambition of mine. I grew up supporting

Panathinaikos and my favorite player was Dimitris Saravakos so to think

that down the track I could get an opportunity to be part of the football

culture is exciting. I am realistic that this is not something that will

happen easily but I have a attitude of ‘believing everything is possible’

so why not harbor thoughts to reach this level in the future. (AP)

In three years time where would you like to be professionally?. (inside)

Planning for me is now not as easy as it was when I was starting out. At

this stage I knew that gaining the best education was the absolute

priority and I placed all efforts into this area of my profession because

as long as you receive the correct education you go a long way to

ensuring you will have a certain level. I was able to do this by

completing all my tertiary studies, gaining practical experiences under

some very good coaches and working within the AIS and A-League. If I

had to now sit back and write this whole pathway out for an aspiring

young coach I wouldn’t change a thing so in terms of my pathway it has

been everything I needed.

Unfortunately you can reach a stage as well that it depends more on

whom you know rather than what you know, I have had to learn this and

have matured because of this. Moving forward as an individual I can’t

worry for that and all I can do is keep proving to myself over and over

because that internal fulfillment is what makes me feel satisfaction. I’m

proud of what I have accomplished and how I have kept persevering to

be the best I can be day in day out. I knew the moment I started this journey that I would have to work harder than anyone else and for the whole time I’ve stayed true to

myself, those closest to me only know the amount of sacrifices I have

had to make and without sacrifice there is no means to success! (AP)

We would like to thank Arthur one last time, all the best in your future endeavours. 

A new breed - the continental and philosophical Arthur Papas

Arthur Papas could be viewed as the Tom Rogic of the manager stakes, one of the best up and coming managers in our country. After becoming the youngest ever coach of the year in the Victorian Premier League in 2011 Papas then moved onto assistant/youth coaching roles at Newcastle and Melbourne Heart respectively before a call from India came along. Papas is currently in a dual role as head coach of I-League side Pallian Arrows and the India u/23 national side. Arthur lives for coaching and our game, he recently just completed his Masters in Sports coaching whilst juggling the two head coaching roles. Hes a worker, a coach that does everything at 100% like Tony Popovic does with the highly successful Western Sydney Wanderers. We would like to thank Arthur for giving us the time and commitment with his interview, his answers are so detailed we had to do this interview in two parts.

Is it true that you began coaching at the age of just 16, if so what drew

you towards coaching?. (inside)

I didn’t actually coach a team at the age of 16, however I did enroll in

my first coaching course at that age. It wasn’t necessarily though

because I was eyeing a coaching career, at that stage I was a young

player who would always think about the game so I wanted to look at

other avenues to develop my game and increase my awareness.

Is it true that you Studied an official KNVB course when starting out?.

In 2008 I attended the KNVB Youth Course being held at the Australian

Institute of Sport. At that stage I was also completing my Exercise

Science Degree and working as an Assistant Coach with the Melbourne

Knights in the Victorian Premier League. This KNVB course was a great

learning experience and the instructors on the course were very

humble, open and knowledgeable, traits I consider necessary when

establishing a positive learning environment. In fact one of the

Instructors Arie Schans was so open that he made the time to meet in

Holland at the end of that year. Through him I was able to visit the

KNVB Training Centre in Zeist as well as watch Vitesse Arnhem and

Utrecht FC in their training environments. One of the best decisions I

made was attending that course! (AP)

The Dutch are sought after in the coaching world, why is that exactly?. (inside)

Based on my experiences it is a combination of understanding their

culture and then how their football has evolved. Dutch people as a given

seek adventure and new experiences, this is a given. Football wise you

only have to think about the size of their population and then reflect on

the level of football they have produced for so long to understand that

they have a system in place which optimizes their potential. I only can

go off my own experiences but some of the Dutch people I have had the

opportunity to work with have been a real breath of fresh air, it has

given me the extra motivation to believe I can carve out a future as a

professional football coach. (AP)

Your first big break came in the VPL with Oakleigh Cannons , which

ultimately you went on to win coach of the year that's no easy feat

considering the VPL is of a good quality what was it like finally being the

man in charge?. (inside)

It was definitely a break out year but it wasn’t what I consider my big

break. What I consider my big break was when I was offered the

Australian Institute of Sport/FFA Men’s Scholarship Coach Position. For

those two years I was able to work in an environment under two

excellent coaches in Jan Versleijen and Gary Van Egmond with the

focus being on developing my coaching on all levels, most pleasing part

of this period was that when I left I was certain I had soaked up every

possible minute of my time there. (AP)

Oakleigh was the place I wanted to put into practice all I had learned

over the years. It was a very enjoyable coaching experience as I was

responsible for all the decisions and that feeling of accountability made

me work even harder. It was a bold move by them at the time and I

always will appreciate the opportunity they gave me. It’s no coincidence

I guess that Oakleigh has sent nearly 10 players to the A-league in the

last few years because they are willing to give younger people a go. (AP)

Then you moved onto the Newcastle jets In a dual role of head coach of

the youth team and assistant to the first team was it a big step up from

Oakleigh?.

Not a big step up at all. Our State League system is underrated in

Australia and often not given the credit it deserves. Being a Head

Coach in the Victorian Premier League came with much more pressure

and need to learn on the job compared to being an Assistant in the ALeague.

Main differences though was that I moves back to full-time

football per se but I can assure you when I was Head Coach in the VPL

it culminated in full-time hours, also you work with on most cases a

higher level of player and within better facilities in the A-League. What I

did confirm though is that there are some very good players playing in

the State Leagues and if given the opportunity would forge very good ALeague

and possible international careers. There are to many examples

already in the past few years not to believe this is the case. (AP)

You've been quoted as saying that you only left Newcastle because of

the uncertainty hanging around the club now that is sorted do you wish

you had stayed?. Not true at all. I left Newcastle for three reasons, those being ambition,

challenge and opportunity. It’s always been an ambition of mine to

coach internationally as well as experience football as part of a different

culture. Challenge was to then prove to myself that I can take my

coaching style and adapt it to such a diverse country and culture and

lastly because the opportunity allowed me to fulfill these reasons and

there has not been one minute where I have looked back upon this

decision. I enjoyed my time in Newcastle and it’s a beautiful part of

Australia and the club was good to me, but I would have regretted not

taking on such a big challenge as coaching internationally at U23 level

with a National Team against the strongest countries in Asia. You

shouldn’t regret the moment you take on an opportunity that without a

doubt has made me a better coach, manager and person. If anything

having this experience should make me more valuable to any

organisation back home in the future because I am well educated on the

challenges of coaching in Asia. (AP)

Then came your interesting move to India, why India ?. (inside)

India because the opportunity to become a Head Coach of the Men’s

Olympic Team, to coach in the I-league and to learn more and more

about myself as well football in Asia was too good not to accept. I know

comfortably that I could have remained in Newcastle or Melbourne and

stayed within the A-League system as an Assistant for 6-7 years and

this in itself is something that is comfortable and enjoyable if you like to

live this way. However, there is something inside me that just wants to

push boundaries, have no regrets, challenge myself and maximize how

much I can learn. So I saw this as something exciting and decided this is what suits my

character best because I have never had anything come to me easy

and the moment you become comfortable or complacent you can go

stale and lose your competitiveness and desire. I’d rather not be

coaching if I reach this stage!. (AP)

I bet you have seen some interesting things? (inside)

Eye opening might be the best way of summating! India feels like many

different countries within the same country. It has really afforded me a

beautiful perspective on how good we have it in Australia and I keep

saying to anyone who will listen that the traits I will have developed by

the time I return home is ‘patience’ & ‘adaptability’. I have never been

the most patient of types but one of the areas you have to accept when

you work in a different country is that you are the one who needs to

adapt and not the other way around, for this reason alone it has

developed my human side and improved my coaching. Living in India

humbles you as a person, and humility is a trait I admire and I will return

home a much more patient and worldly human, football is secondary in

comparison to what I have experienced as a person. (AP)

You are coach of the I league team Pallian Arrows and u/23 India coach

is it difficult to juggle the two roles?. (inside)

It only becomes difficult when you want to scout players around the

country but instead need to be coaching day in, day out for an I-League

match on a weekly basis. It also has its positives though because the

bulk of my Olympic team is signed to the Arrows so this continuity in

training, coaching and system allows us to maximize our development

as a team for AFC Tournaments. All remaining equal this will bode very

well for the next qualifying campaign. (AP)

For interested football fans back home can you describe the standard of

the I - League?. (inside)

I have limited background knowledge regarding the history but my

understanding is that the level has increased very quickly in the space

of 2-3 years. There is strong financial support in many I-League clubs

and the challenge for the clubs is to invest in facilities, infrastructure,

coaching and youth development. Once the clubs adapt a holistic

approach to football then only then can I see the league making greater

strides. In saying that when you now have players such as Carlos

Hernandez joining it shows that the level is maybe higher than

perceived externally. (AP)

Sean Rooney and Tolgay Ozbey play there I'm sure it's not the last we

see of Aussie footballers plying their trade over there?. (inside)

I have been asked many times to recommend players from Australia as

the clubs here appreciate the mentality that the Australian player brings.

I can’t see why there will not be more and more Australians join the

likes of Tolgay in India as it can be very lucrative and the attention and

adulation you receive from the fans is something you have to see to

believe. Supporters over here are as passionate and fanatical as I have

seen anywhere, you won’t go many places around the world where you

have the domestic league derby drawing 100,000 such as the one in

Kolkata! (AP)

Do you model your mangement style of any particular manager?. (inside)

This is such a unique profession that it’s impossible to model yourself

on one person in particular. You need to be your own person and forge

your own identity that suits your personality. However, as a manager

you are always looking for sources of inspiration or ways to enhance

yourself and from that point I like to learn about the various ways the

best managers have evolved their management style. (AP)

Stay tuned for part two.

Player of the round - Alessandro Del Piero

The easiest decision out of all of the rounds, the player of the round for round 17 goes to the marquee man Alessandro Del Piero. Not only did he score a career best four goals but his playmaking and passing game took him back to his days at Juventus. The way Sydney played on Saturday was simply world class, maybe Joel Griffiths was right when he said that he is the final piece to the puzzle because his link up play with ADP was superb. Another positive about ADP's display is that his performance would've been broadcast across Italy which means more exposure for our league, maybe not the exposure we want for Wellington Phoenix.

Grazie Ale !.

 

Mariners vs Jets 3,2,1.

A very tight match tonight in the 29th F3 derby, defence really stood up tonight and although it wasn't a goal fest like the Sydney Wellington match

3. Trent Sainsbury

Have to agree with the Fox Sports team tonight, Trent Sainsbury was outstanding at the back tonight. Showing maturity beyond his years and outshone his experienced partner Patrick Zwanswjiik,


2. Josh Brillante

Young Josh has been fantastic since Jobe Wheelhouse has been out injured and with Jobe back to full fitness he should by no means walk straight back into the starting side.


1. Josh Mitchell

Having to mark the leading goal scorer of the competition in wet conditions isnt always easy and Josh really stood up tonight. Hopefully a reported falling out with GVE wont stop Mitchell from holding down his spot in the centre of defence.