Philippe Coutinho has been placed under the spotlight again after his performance for Barcelona against Girona.
The 26-year-old former Liverpool star has had a tough time at the Camp Nou, with some reports suggesting that Manchester United are interested in bringing him back to the Premier League.
Coutinho, however, has found himself on the receiving end of some fierce criticism.
The Brazil international was 'third-wheeling' on the left wing, mainly for the partnership that Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba had in the match.
Journalist Rik Sharma pointed out this observation for Goal.
"Operating on the left of the attack there were a couple of occasions where it just seemed like Coutinho was in the way, the third-wheel, as Messi and Jordi Alba tried to link up on the left," he wrote.
"The connection between Messi and Alba has long been a source of Barcelona joy and as they tried to combine in the second half Coutinho had to scurry out of the way."
Fans have also felt the same way about Coutinho's performance and have expressed their disappointment on Twitter.
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Nélson Semedo opened the scoring for Ernesto Valverde's men and handed the reigning La Liga champions a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Girona were reduced to ten men in the second half following the sending off of Bernardo Espinosa.
Messi would seal Girona's fate after he scored Barça's second and Valverde's side walked away with all three points.
The Barcelona captain has continued to carry on his spectacular form in La Liga, with recent stats showing how brilliant the 31-year-old Argentine magician has been this season.
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Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Liverpool, Football News, Football, Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho, Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi, La Liga, Camp Nou, Girona
