Can Payet and Coutinho coexist in Vasco da Gama?

This week was marked, although already in the pipeline, by the announcement by Vasco da Gama of the recruitment of Philippe Coutinho for a period of one year.

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This transfer was of course very well received by the fans of the Rio club, who see in the former Liverpool player a player capable of further dynamiting the team, which is also going through one of its best periods in the Brasileirao (10th in the ranking).

Except that this transfer also raises a question concerning the presence of two playmakers, with similar profiles, and both aspiring to a starting place, namely Dimitri Payet and the now new number 11 of Vasco da Gama, Philippe Coutinho. We looked into this.

AS PRIMEIRAS PALAVRAS DE PHILIPPE COUTINHO NESTE RETORNO AO VASCO DA GAMA! 🗣️🪄

Confira a entrevista exclusiva na VascoTV! 📺https://t.co/ucRXuo3wjW#CoutinhoÉVasco#VascoDaGama pic.twitter.com/OUZuxRKKxT

— Vasco da Gama (@VascodaGama) July 11, 2024

A transfer in anticipation of Payet’s poor form?

Already, for there to be a conflict of interest between the presence of Payet and Coutinho in the same team, the former would have to be in a state of form capable of performing for the question of competition between these two number 10s to arise.

Indeed, after a prolific first season, Payet is more likely to be in the infirmary and be in the green field than in the green meadow. While Vasco’s playing system was designed for his presence, for the presence of a playmaker, the former Marseille player has, out of 16 Brazilian championship matches, only played 5 small parts of the game.

The cause, an inflammation of the knee ligaments then a hamstring injury, which at 37 years old, make his return to the forefront a little more than questionable.

So, the transfer of Coutinho may have been carried out in this sense, in anticipation of an uncertain return for Payet, whose contract will expire next June, in a year, the same deadline as that of Coutinho who also signed for a year.

🇧🇷 Coutinho 🏆💪#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/hkhgHgJajJ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 23, 2020

But if both players become available at the same time, who will have priority?

Payet in the center, Coutinho on the right?

With two players like that, technically above the rest, this question should perhaps not arise, especially since both players can both play on the left and as number 10, in the centre, behind the striker.

So, with Vasco’s current system, a 4-5-1 which is performing well, the two players can obviously be associated together, with a predominance for Payet as leader, his defensive retreats being quite feverish, and a Coutinho on the left, as in his best era.

DIMITRI PAYET. 1️⃣0️⃣🇫🇷#VascoDaGama pic.twitter.com/AbR0pmVgGM

— Vasco da Gama (@VascodaGama) November 12, 2023

In reality, anything is possible, even a change of system, but we will only be able to know that if Payet is rehabilitated, something which is not yet a reality.

In any case, an entire nation is waiting for this duo. And so are we.

Article originally written by Karim Sefiani