Philippe Coutinho is so good the only problem is Aston Villa stars admit the Brazilian is sometimes on a different wavelength to them.
Villa boss Steven Gerrard sympathises after admitting Coutinho’s form and brilliance in training at Liverpool hastened the end of his playing days as he tried to keep up.
But the Villa manager is not complaining now as his loan for Coutinho,29, from Barcelona looks better business everyday.
The star went off to a standing ovation late on after inspiring Villa to victory over Saints with a goal and an assist.
But Ollie Watkins, who opened the scoring, admitted: “Sometimes he thinks too quickly for you and I've gone the opposite way. He's too sharp - he thinks quicker than anyone else."
Gerrard, who spent all his career at Anfield until 2015 when he joined LA Galaxy, can relate to his striker’s admission.
Gerrard said: “I can certainly understand what Ollie is saying because Phil was one of the reasons I called it a day and went to America.
“In most training sessions , some of the things he did with me on the pitch, he was too quick for me.
“He is the reason I have six screws in my left groin and I am probably on my way to a new hip.
“Those type of players can do that.
“I understand exactly what Ollie is saying because I have experienced it.”
Coutinho, who Villa have an option to sign in the summer for £33m, was usually available for the ball in the hole as No.10 and able to build play with his wide range of deft touches and clever passes.
He was instrumental in Watkins’ opener before Coutinho unselfishly squared the ball to Douglas Luiz to make it 2-0.
Coutinho then got on the scoresheet himself with his third Villa goal in seven games after bamboozling Saints’ defenders before Danny Ings sealed the win.
Gerrard added: “I think he deserved the ovation with the performance he gave.
“He is in a really good place physically now in terms of the training and the games he has had.
“You can see the fans are delighted to watch him and I am delighted to have him.
“When you are dealing with this level of talent I think it is important he is comfortable in the environment.
“The players and staff have made him feel really welcome.
“It is important his family feel welcome too because he has been to a place in Barcelona where yes, he has been successful in terms of what he is going to take away but he’s had difficult periods as well.
“He has got to the stage where he needed a change of scenery and a different movie.
“We want to be that movie for him because if we want to get where we want to in the long run, we need to build it around talents like Phil because he is high level when he is at it.
“All good teams have these type of players, game-changers who the opposition are really concerned about before a ball is kicked.”
Gerrard is trying to develop Villa into a more possession-based team but it is a work in progress because even Saints had 62% of the ball.
But in Coutinho, Gerrard knows he has a fabulous talent capable of making his plans a reality.
He said: “I want us to enjoy the ball and keep it better for longer periods.”
