Phil is magic and United just tragic
Dream debut for Coutinho as Rangnick suffers again
NO WONDER they call Philippe Coutinho The Magician – he had hankies springing out all over the place at Villa Park.
The on-loan Barcelona star might have had the broadest grin in the stadium when he capped his debut with a late leveller – but his missus and kids were in floods of tears.
Wife Aine and family sobbed openly in the stands as they witnessed the tiny Brazilian feel the love again.
When Coutinho stabbed home the equaliser in front of the Holte End it was all too much for his nearest and dearest.
The floodgates opened as he pulled himself out of the net to acknowledge the adulation of a crowd desperate for a new hero.
It’s early days but you sense this could be the man.
Coutinho certainly couldn’t have made a much more dramatic introduction after coming off the bench with just over 20 minutes left and Villa trailing 2-0.
Cometh the moment, cometh the man – and Coutinho, who felt unloved during his time at Barcelona, was thrown into the action.
There was no chance the occasion would get to him – he cost Barca £143million for God’s sake.
It was all a question of how ringrusty he was.
But within minutes he’d assisted Jacob Ramsey to superbly cut United’s lead in half, before the youngster returned the compliment and sent a low ball across the box and straight into his path. Coutinho raced in and forced it home, beating his heart with his fist in celebration, as if to signal the start of a love affair.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard reckons that’s the essence of it all.
He said: “You can’t underestimate the feeling of being happy going to work. Just getting love and support – we all enjoy that.
“He’s smiling away. What’s happened is history. All he has to do now is go out and enjoy his football.”
Try telling that to United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Some players are openly revolting, the fans aren’t far behind, and the German’s chances of taking over the Old Trafford hotseat on a more permanent basis must be ranked around zero right now.
Everything seems to be going wrong and angry United fans can’t help thinking it’s the fault of the interim manager, pointing to late and ineffectual substitutions.
United were certainly bossing things in the first half, with Gerrard admitting he delivered harsh words to his men at the interval.
It was a really bumpy start for the Midlanders – Emi Martinez making a hash of Bruno Fernandes’ sixth-minute shot to gift the visitors an early lead.
The keeper did redeem himself with some fine blocks but was powerless when Fernandes thumped home a rocket via the underside of the bar in the 67th minute.
Enter Coutinho, who managed to sprinkle enough stardust to change the course of the match.
While Rangnick dithered, Gerrard, who played with Coutinho at Anfield for almost three years, played his trump card to stunning effect.
And the big bonus for Villa fans is that fellow playmaker Emi Buendia clearly doesn’t have to be sacrificed to accommodate the ex-Liverpool star.
It’s hard to know what’s in store for Rangnick and his badly misfiring United side, who threw away victory.
In control in the first half, in the second they were in utter disarray.