---
title: "Gabby Agbonlahor slams “distinterested” Philippe Coutinho"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2022/10/12/gabby-agbonlahor-slams-distinterested-philippe-coutinho/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Thompson"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2022-10-12T19:35:00Z"
modified: "2026-09-03T11:38:45Z"
---

# Gabby Agbonlahor slams “distinterested” Philippe Coutinho

[Aston Villa](https://readastonvilla.com/) dropped points yet again on Monday as they drew 1-1 against Nottingham Forest in their most recent Premier League game.

With Steven Gerrard [reportedly](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/10/10/forest-vs-aston-villa-live-score-premier-league-latest-updates/) under pressure as a result of his team’s poor start to the campaign, with just [two](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/spielplan/verein/405/plus/0?saison_id=2022) wins in nine games, one player in particular has come under scrutiny from someone who knows the club quite well.

Speaking to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/agbonlahor-philippe-coutinho-and-aston-villa-teammate-should-be-axed-amid-training-ground-claim/), former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, has shared his thoughts on the club’s current situation after the Forest game and the recent performances of Philippe Coutinho.

**Agbonlahor critical of Coutinho**

The [talkSPORT pundit](https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjNv7Pk49r6AhXLi1wKHQ73CLIQFnoECA0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftalksport.com%2Fwho%2Fgabriel-agbonlahor%2F&usg=AOvVaw1BF_H6RlQoShlgbuq-HNV8) said: “Watching the game, Villa had possession with no penetration. Having possession means nothing if you’re not creating chances, you’d rather have no possession, it’s not a possession game.

“Nottingham Forest did make it difficult by getting back in numbers but it keeps happening now with Villa, it’s a reoccurring theme that we’re talking about, not creating chances.

“Maybe you drop Coutinho and \[Emi\] Buendia. On Monday, Buendia didn’t do anything, he looked really weak. He doesn’t create, he doesn’t score and his free-kicks are poor.

“Coutinho, Jamie Carragher called it perfectly, he looks like a five-a-side player. He’s probably the best in training but when it comes to a game the pitch is too big for him.

“He looks disinterested. He looks like a player thinking ‘What am I doing in Birmingham?’ He’s done it all in his career and doesn’t look interested. He’s a million miles away from a recall to Brazil for the World Cup.

“It’s just painful to watch at the moment.”

**Could do with being dropped**

Having appeared in all [nine](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdaten/spieler/80444) of Villa’s league games this season, the Brazilian has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for his team.

To further highlight how disappointing he has been for Villa, Coutinho currently has the joint-highest number of failed attempts at trying to control the ball ([13](https://fbref.com/en/squads/8602292d/Aston-Villa-Stats)) among the entire squad.

Taking all that into account, it could be a smart move for Gerrard to take the 30-year-old out of the team for the time being, as Agbonlahor has suggested.