KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Benteke

should have scored there open net good job it didnt cost liverpool

Agree Stan. He may improve, it's still early days and he has a useful 3rd striker element to him that is silly to discard I guess (looking ahead to next summer) but he simply misses too many as goals to chances for me. However we aren't exactly stacked out with options so harsh to be over critical if he's trying his hardest.

'as a striker he has the ability to take advantage of half chances.', for benteke that wasn't a half chance, and he's not a poacher like Costa can be at times (who can take half chances better), he has enough shot power to put that sort of cross away. I'll just repeat what I said before, he will have limited success as a lonestriker. Did anyone really think when we were on the attack Firmino played alongside him, you must be joking me, firmino helped create space for coutinho, but Benteke, as was Origi, was used a lonestriker throughout saturdays match.

It's good klopp told Benteke what he wants from, that's where I guess the - willing to adapt, and improve his overall game comes from. Costa's movement really impressed me, if Benteke had that side of his game, and pace, I'd have no problems, and even perhaps more awareness like Torres had. It's always a risk though using a lonestriker (even Sturridge would struggle as a lone front man), you need 2 quality players in that position at least during a season. For example what if Giroud got injured for arsenal, or costa for chelsea, or torres in season we got the most points of any side not to win the premier league in 08/09. I prefer 2 strikers and always will, players will the ball at their feet able to run at defenders.

The villians got benteke firing they still finished 3 points from relegation last season, liverpool are trying to be something they are not if benteke is to be our No.1 and thus alienate sturridge and a strike partnership from the liverpool way - I don't think this last paragraph is going to go in, but why should it if we can get some success from it. I guess that's all we care about, not trying to build a dynasty or win the CL in future.

I'm willing to give him a chance. He's proved he can score goals with little service as we don't seem to be playing to his strengths. He also plays better with a strike partner which he hasn't done for much of the time for us.

On a side note, Sturridge tweeted he's ready to return. For one match at least!

For me, Benteke is no different to Balotelli.

so we spend £16m on Balo, ship him out as a disaster, and then spend £32m on someone we consider to be no different to Balo? Who is responsible for this madness?!

He IS going to come good once he gets a decent partner passing the ball to him regularly.
I like him already in fact, always have done tbh.

Totally agree for a change.

+1 and a seasonal sprout flavoured coconut (new line)

Agree, but only if you mean striker partnership, not just Coutinho behind benteke linking up, because surely Coutinho is the best passer of the ball we've got? Firmino is still adapting to the PL.

Watching the match on the counter attack you could see the midfield players (like Can) don't have confidence in Benteke's ability to get in behind a defence. Aston villa had players who he would link the play with, so surely they had 2 or 3 players who could pass the ball into him regularly that's not the entire answer, because we shouldn't be looking to adapt our style of football completely towards the Belgian forward. It's not going to be enough for our attack midfielders to score 7 a season each, with benteke on 22. There's only so much we can get out of the team if we build it around benteke.

Benteke could still link the play (as I think you're intimating will be key to his success) in a 442 diamond as ballotelli did against spurs, he just needs to drop deeper to receive the ball if we operate in that system in the future, and we need to press in our own half (which moreno is great at), play short passes, not counter attack, but have an overall attacking style.

We still have our very own Vardy in Ings to consider, but I think most fans would agree his tenacity will be useful from the bench etc, I think it will be hard for him to be a permanent starter should Benteke stay on an upward curve.

Would just say it's worth noting though gegenpressing won't suit our big man, I think that showed twice in the match, where he tried but struggled to put pressure on the defence, particularly the last man. His strength was better than Origi's against Morgan, but we need the best of both worlds.