Gerard Pique Says Philippe Coutinho Must Respect Barca Fans After Camp Nou Jeers

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said Philippe Coutinho must respect the opinion of the club's supporters after he was jeered off the field against Rayo Vallecano by a section of the crowd on Saturday.

The Brazil international was substituted in the 80th minute of a 3-1 win for Barcelona, and his run of poor form continued.

After the game, Pique was asked about his team-mate's performance, and while he backed Coutinho to come through this testing spell, the centre-back said the supporters have a right to make their thoughts known, per Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC:

"Philippe is having a good season. Obviously, he cost a lot and that means there are higher expectations surrounding his performances. It is what it is. You have to accept the reaction of the fans because at the end of the day they're our supporters, you have to respect [their opinion].

"We—his teammates and people at the club—have to give him all the support in the world. We need him at his best in the final stage of the season and I'm sure he will be."

Coutinho arrived at Barcelona in January 2018 for a club-record fee, costing up to a whopping €164 million (£142 million).

Having shone at Liverpool, there was plenty of excitement about what he would offer the Blaugrana. Given his technical ability, vision in possession and penchant for scoring spectacular goals, Coutinho appeared an ideal fit for the Camp Nou club.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently spoke of the creativity void Coutinho's departure has left at Anfield:

However, since the switch, the Brazilian has failed to sparkle and finds himself down the pecking order in the attacking positions. As Barcelona gear up for a key part of the campaign, it would be a surprise to see Coutinho feature from the start in any key games.

Football journalist Musa Okwonga thinks the player has been weighed down by his transfer fee:

Rafael Hernandez of Grup 14 noted that Ousmane Dembele has overtaken Coutinho and said Barcelona should look to cash in on the Brazilian:

There has been speculation regarding a possible summer departure for Coutinho. According to Jon Richardson of the Sunday Mirror, the midfielder has spoken with Manchester United stars about a possible £100 million move to Old Trafford.

Given the money Barcelona invested in Coutinho, it would be a surprise if they did opt to give up on him so soon. After all, the former Liverpool man has shown throughout his career that when he is on form, he is a special footballer.

To dampen any exit talk, the Brazilian needs to provide a few reminders of what he can offer to Barcelona before the end of the campaign.