KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Do we need to talk about Ben?

one striker has to go in the summer, and with a lot of you keen to see Ings given time as you think he will suit klopp's pressing game/and he may to an extent/overrate his workrate, one of our strikers is going to be neglected. as we know sturridge isn't a form player, as Top4 pointed out so if he's to play near his best he needs at least some starts, if he doesn't get a run, and just a few sub appearances - which may suit him?

Benteke doesn't do much running for the team off the ball, running the channels like origi does and is easy to isolate he often faces his own team and passes the ball back when he gets into play, unlike firmino, as the lonestriker, and unlike origi he's not the best to pick out with long balls. but for saying he doesn't have pace, it amazes me how many times we've got him virtually clean through this season. He lacks so much movement that defenders get bored of marking him

we've often used him as a target in the box this season, 6 goals and 2 assists from 19 sub appearances, but personally for me I wouldn't keep him as an impact sub, that's unprofessional to have a player with a different style to your team to come on to try to have something to aim at in the box. I don't see how benteke can improve fast enough as a liverpool player, he has to go for me, it's just frustrating and a big shame.

If we get good offers for Benteke & Sturridge we should bite the hands off the bidders!
Benteke clearly is a square peg for a round hole and Sturridge's attitude and dodgy injury history has given us no option but to get rid of him. Klopp plainly doesn't trust Sturridge although Klopp's stance in the media has changed from a couple of months ago when he questioned Sturridge's pain threshold. I believe that has come from above to Klopp, to not be so critical of Sturridge because it could affect the price when we sell him.
I'd like to see us get Gotze and try and get Sanchez from Arsenal because there's been mutterings in the media that he is not happy at Arsenal. Although winning or losing The Europa League is going to drastically change who we can attract to the club.

I think that we're just not the team for him. If he could adapt, then maybe, but I just think he'll reach his goals elsewhere.

Let's take a look at Benteke...

he has scored 10 goals this season and gotten 3 assists in the premier league. This in a team that does not play to his strengths and where he often came on as a late sub. he has contributed directly to us getting 14 points extra by scoring the winning or equalizing goals. Again, in a team, that does not play to his strengths.

Do I think we should sell him? NO.
Why? Because he seems a great plan B off the bench.
Is he an expensive plan B? Yes, no doubt about it.
Do I care? No, why should I? I am not an accountant, I am a fan. I want the best possible playeers on the bench, i dont give a hoot how much they cost, I want them to make a difference when they come on.

Imagine how many points we might have got with a striker that suits our style and speaks a bit harder and smarter? Thing is, we probably need to let one of the strikers go, it's not going to be Origi, probably not Ings either, maybe Sturidge but he seems to be getting the hang of Klopps ideas. So that leaves big Ben.

I feel for Benteke as he should be the best striker in the world

He's big, strong, scores all types of goals, he has pace he has premier league experience he has it all.

Yet he just can't seem to score for us

I think give him another year

well thats not true, he can score for us and has.

i would keep him and play him with teams that like to sit back deep and defend. teams of the ilk i would play him and another quicker player. one can strech the pitch and ben can give us the option of crossing it in

his a goal scorer and the states back that up.

the only time i would sell is if we get another striker/wide forward in

What????



Give me some of what your smoking please!

That's the thing though, can we include him in a team that is defensively strong enough?

genk couldn't, villa couldn't, how you attack should reflect how you defend, that's why you have different types of centre backs to suit and adhere to your style of football, that's my belief anyway. I'm going to be honest I didn't enjoy the performances against leicester, or sunderland away despite the victory.

any form of counter attacking is made difficult by the little pace benteke has (that includes winning the ball back high up the pitch - press), and we struggle to score over 1 goal when he starts. again this is part of the reason I'm saying can we include him in a team that is defensively strong enough, or even one that plays exciting football. can't afford to just play results football in the CL, they will show you what results football looks like, again another thing, is benteke a CL player, not imo.

When saying this, I'm not writing him off, I do have some hope, but how many times have I felt that this season for him.

tell ya what I shouldn't try to explain or gabble, just get to the point. Can we be defensively good enough with the quality behind tank, with no pace up front, therefore premium number of goals to be scored (imo)?