Coutinho: My confidence comes from freedom I'm given
Philippe Coutinho believes the freedom he is afforded in the Liverpool team is a crucial factor in his personal form reaching a new level this season.
The Brazilian has scored six times and provided seven assists in all competitions so far this term as his game has notably progressed under the guidance of Jürgen Klopp.
“I like the position that I’m now playing,” he told Sky Sports. “What I like most about it is that I don’t have to just stay in one place.
“I have the freedom to move around. The manager is comfortable with me doing it and that’s given me the confidence to go and play.”
Coutinho has starred alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in attack, with the trio permitted to interchange and stray from their nominal starting positions in the search for goals.
With the likes of Emre Can, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum chipping in from deeper midfield roles, the Reds have racked up more strikes than any other side in the Premier League.
A common theory among pundits suggests that Klopp’s charges are playing as a true team, not reliant on one player, producing the best from everyone.
The No.10 said: “I am linking up well with all of the players on the pitch. And when the team is playing well, the individuals in the team look like they are playing better.”
Liverpool have won 11 of their 15 matches this season, losing only once, to establish themselves in the early Premier League battle and move into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
A lack of European football, though not welcomed, has allowed Klopp and his staff far more time to fine-tune the team on the training pitch than they enjoyed during a frantic 2015-16.
“There’s definitely more time now to work on our tactics in training and for the coach to get to know us,” explained Coutinho.
“I like the tactical training we are doing. There is a lot of it. [Klopp] is teaching us to press when we don’t have the ball and keeping that pressure up. Then we have to keep possession when we do have the ball. It’s about putting that mentality into us.
“It’s all about the confidence and the mentality that the coach has given us.
“This used to be a team that didn’t really believe in itself. Now the players feel more comfortable and this comes from the coach. That’s something that’s reflected on the pitch and in the results.”