Brendan Rodgers Cannot Afford to Overlook Liverpool's Creative King Coutinho

In the wake of Liverpool's disappointing Champions League exit, having failed to get the win they required against Basel on Tuesday night, lots has been written about the failings of Brendan Rodgers' side—with his lineup for the must-win match receiving much criticism.

The Liverpool boss opted for a side which he hoped would be solid in midfield, able to control the game and dominate possession; Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen lined up at the base of midfield, with Jordan Henderson moving to the left side of the three behind Rickie Lambert.

Liverpool's most creative midfielders, namely Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana, were left on the bench, joined by Lazar Markovic and Emre Can.

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Aside from the decision to start Jose Enrique at left-back, the lack of creativity in the side was a standout point from Rodgers' starting selection. On a poll on This Is Anfield, 58 percent of votes suggested that the failure to start Coutinho or Lallana was Rodgers' biggest mistake on the night.

Coutinho was finally introduced with 16 minutes remaining, replacing Lucas Leiva—who was on a booking—as the game opened up more. Liverpool pulled one goal back courtesy of Steven Gerrard's masterful free-kick, but the winning goal didn't arrive and the storm that soaked Anfield during the game engulfed the club at full-time.

Coutinho

It's Coutinho's continued lack of form that is becoming a worry for Liverpool supporters. After an impressive campaign last season, the Brazilian was expected to kick on this year and become a key player at Anfield. Thus far, that has not happened, and if anything, he has regressed.

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The 22-year-old has been rotated in and out of Rodgers' side, and when used, he's been utilised in different roles from game to game. He, like the rest of the Liverpool side, has struggled for consistency.

Interestingly, Coutinho has started 13 of Liverpool's 23 games in all competitions this season—hardly the way you anticipated when Rodgers said pre-season that Coutinho was "the brains of the team," as per LiverpoolFC.com.

Coutinho impressed during pre-season, seemingly benefiting from having a summer off after not being included in Brazil's squad for the World Cup. He also linked up expertly with Raheem Sterling—offering supporters belief that in a Luis Suarez-less squad, the two youngsters would form the new creative element of the side. Getting the best from the two of them would be key to Liverpool's campaign.

Instead, Sterling's been pushed into a wide role, where he struggles to influence play as much as from a central role, and Coutinho has found himself as a bit-part player used out wide, in behind the forward and very rarely in central midfield—where he appears to be most at home.

"For someone so small, he's very tough and robust," said Rodgers in pre-season. "He's a wonderful technician that has a great idea, tactically, of the game."

Yet the manager appears reluctant to play him in a midfield role.

Consistency and Movement

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With the manager constantly changing his tactics and the way Liverpool set up in games, Coutinho has been unable to find a consistent role.

Having likened the Brazilian to Real Madrid's Luka Modric in the summer, as per the Guardian, it's a central role within a three-man midfield where Rodgers needs to give Coutinho a run of games to find his form and his place in the side—being that brains of the team.

It's from there where Coutinho enjoyed his best performances last season; at home to Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton most notably.

Of course, Liverpool are a different side this campaign, and without the movement of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, all of the midfield players are struggling for form due to a lack of movement ahead of them.

This is why Rodgers must play Sterling in a central role, too—he is one of the players who can offer that movement in attack.

It's also why using Fabio Borini up front wouldn't be the worst idea. The Italian isn't of the quality of Suarez or Sturridge, but he does offer movement and pressing in the final third. His energy would benefit Liverpool's attack—but Rodgers continues to exile Borini, making Liverpool suffer in the short term.

Comparison

For comparison, Coutinho created 24 chances in the final 10 Premier League games of last season, but he only managed five in his opening 10 of 2014/15, as per Squawka (h/t Henry Jackson of This Is Anfield).

This proves the point that three factors are contributing to Coutinho's lack of form; his inconsistent role within the side, his lack of consistent game time and the lack of movement and options ahead of him.

Rodgers must look to improve the two key areas here; use Coutinho in a more consistent role—no more shunning him out wide—and add movement to the attack ahead of him; use Sterling central and/or Borini.

Getting the most from Coutinho—and Sterling—will be key to Liverpool getting their season back on track.

Get them both in their strongest roles and give them more than one game to find their form.