Christian Benteke (Aston Villa) - SIGNED BY LFC

Thank God.

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/581093/Chelsea-Compete-Liverpool-Christian-Benteke-Transfer-Summer-Aston-Villa

Although to be fair he probably suits their style of play much better than ours.

Wait, I thought we weren't after targets that the top clubs go for. We only shop in bargain bins for mid table players.

Thank God.

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/581093/Chelsea-Compete-Liverpool-Christian-Benteke-Transfer-Summer-Aston-Villa

Although to be fair he probably suits their style of play much better than ours.

Ha I wouldn't be so sure about this.

32million is way too much

After watching the lad yesterday I'd struggle to take a chance for the £16m we paid for Balotelli, all Wenger did to nullify him completely was to tell Szczęsny to come out of his goal to challenge every time a ball come in the box in his general direction and Benteke/Villa didn't try and change a thing, just kept lumping balls in to Benteke Szczęsny's fist.

We NEED an intelligent striker who has the nous to change his game to suit, if his threat is being nullified then he'll change his threat, Benteke is NOT that man, he's more one trick pony than a thoroughbred.

Villa paid £7.7m and if we paid any more than double that then the whole moneyball game would be turned on its arse.

All this talk of style depends who the manager is next season

All the transfer tittle tattle is null until that decision is made

The club is in flux until after that meeting is Boston.. All other talk is simply talk until after that one way or the other

Looking at his marking when defending he will fit right in

After watching the lad yesterday I'd struggle to take a chance for the £16m we paid for Balotelli, all Wenger did to nullify him completely was to tell Szczęsny to come out of his goal to challenge every time a ball come in the box in his general direction and Benteke/Villa didn't try and change a thing, just kept lumping balls in to Benteke Szczęsny's fist.

We NEED an intelligent striker who has the nous to change his game to suit, if his threat is being nullified then he'll change his threat, Benteke is NOT that man, he's more one trick pony than a thoroughbred.

Villa paid £7.7m and if we paid any more than double that then the whole moneyball game would be turned on its arse.

Not half mate, it seems like everyone is moneyballing us with every signing we make.

All this talk of style depends who the manager is next season

All the transfer tittle tattle is null until that decision is made

The club is in flux until after that meeting is Boston.. All other talk is simply talk until after that one way or the other

Not really, it has nothing to do with that because if we're to get the most out of Benteke we'd have to overhaul the entire squad for a second year running. The manager, whomever he is, is just not getting that sort of investment in to the team, and even if he did, is that something we really want? Besides, ask yourself what style you want to see? One from 2013-14 that involves pace and trickery up front or one that lumps long balls and crosses in to the head of a big target man? One style almost won its team the title, the other almost got its team relegated. I sure as hell know what I want to watch.

All the transfer tittle tattle is null until that decision is made

Aren't the new contracts for kolo and wisdom an indicator that Brendan will be staying though? I can't see a new man wanting to have two players on the books if he has no idea how they'll fit into his 'potential' squad.

Aren't the new contracts for kolo and wisdom an indicator that Brendan will be staying though? I can't see a new man wanting to have two players on the books if he has no idea how they'll fit into his 'potential' squad.

I personally thinks he's staying anyway, I have all along but I'm not sure that those two getting a new deal is that much of a confirmation either way to be honest mate, the club could feasibly be simply securing numbers as even if a new man came in it would be difficult to completely change the squad around in such a short term anyway, they will need numbers and losing two squad members who aren't that much of a gamble (in terms of weekly wage as I'd imagine Kolo has taken a reduction and Wisdom isn't on much anyway) but it would be a gamble to let them leave and leave a new manager so much work to do in his first (shortened) summer



To be honest as I said I believe he will stay but I'll be frank I'm not happy with where we are right now. I've been thinking about it a fair bit this week and this is where I am.

I think that the silence from the club currently is sh*te I'll be honest, now I know that I could be accused of hypocrisy here as I've always made noise about doing things in house and a big advocate of The Liverpool Way but I'm looking at this here and wondering what the f**k is going on in all honesty.

Let's look at where we are..

Right so at the beginning of the season there is always this end of season review planned for the seasons end, and by all accounts it was planned for this couple of weeks after the end of season.. So that's a standard thing, just a review for the business, a review that he had last season and the one before.. And this season it's the same..

 Take a holiday after the end of the season, go away, recharge your batteries and we will have the review after that in a fortnight..

Let's take that at face value, there is no panic? I mean they must have spoken, conference call or something.. They can't be overly worried about making a change? Even the results at the end of the season, the Palace or Stoke games, the cup semi.. Nothing has made them call Brendan and say that we need to cancel a break and get together sooner as a fortnight is a long time in football and there is a real worry at where the season went.. I mean Kenny went to Boston 3 days after the season finished if I recall and was gone, Brendan came a couple of weeks max after that, so near on the time of this meeting this summer is happening we had a new manager 3 years ago.. So there can't be any thought to sack him. Not any immediate action or plan? It would take a disaster for Brendan in that meeting for him to lose his job in my opinion.

Look at the transfer news coming out of the club, there are too many links to the same players to assume that it's with a managers blessing, and with the actual links it makes you thinks it's Brendan.. If you look at say Milner and Clyne you could say that a foreign coach would know enough of them to say yes on them. Or be happy to work with them, but the likes of Ings who it seems is very very close, how would a Klopp for example be happy or have enough knowledge of him to be happy with it?
Why would an incoming be coach be happy all of his transfer deals are done prior to him coming?

Of course unless the TC is still in place and has the backing of the club to continue to do their work no matter who the manager is? I don't buy that at all..

All points to me that unless something absolutely dramatic happens in that meeting Brendan stays.

So take it that a disaster does happen in that meeting? Say he goes, then the decision not to bring that meeting forward is then crazy, if there is say even 1% chance in the owners mind that he could go after this meeting then it's gobsmackingly bad not to bring in forward.
Why?
Because if he goes next week and then we have to appoint a new manager and he has to come in and get his feet under the desk, look at his squad at potential new signings, get to know his staff and players, the transfer committee or what's left of that then this summer could be beyond us before we know it, and we will have wasted two weeks of it for simple incompetence of not allowing for the slight possibility of his potential sacking.

I'm pretty sure because of that he will be staying.. I'm pretty sure of that.

If it had been a season with no questions surrounding it then stick to your plan, but it's one that has many questions surrounding it that could lead to the manager going, change your plans, get together and sort it out.. Waiting two weeks whether that was the original plan or not is poor.

He's staying beyond a massive massive argument in that meeting. If there is still a chance in their minds of him going now and they waste 2/3/4 weeks of the summer then it's adds to the thought process that they are classless and clueless

All this talk of style depends who the manager is next season

All the transfer tittle tattle is null until that decision is made

The club is in flux until after that meeting is Boston.. All other talk is simply talk until after that one way or the other

Agree. Someone that could work well for BR, might not suit someone else.
Though imo Benteke is not up to it either way.
As has been said, the showdown with FSG and BR in June can't come soon enough, so we can move past the manager debate...

I personally thinks he's staying anyway, I have all along but I'm not sure that those two getting a new deal is that much of a confirmation either way to be honest mate, the club could feasibly be simply securing numbers as even if a new man came in it would be difficult to completely change the squad around in such a short term anyway, they will need numbers and losing two squad members who aren't that much of a gamble (in terms of weekly wage as I'd imagine Kolo has taken a reduction and Wisdom isn't on much anyway) but it would be a gamble to let them leave and leave a new manager so much work to do in his first (shortened) summer



To be honest as I said I believe he will stay but I'll be frank I'm not happy with where we are right now. I've been thinking about it a fair bit this week and this is where I am.

I think that the silence from the club currently is sh*te I'll be honest, now I know that I could be accused of hypocrisy here as I've always made noise about doing things in house and a big advocate of The Liverpool Way but I'm looking at this here and wondering what the f**k is going on in all honesty.

Let's look at where we are..

Right so at the beginning of the season there is always this end of season review planned for the seasons end, and by all accounts it was planned for this couple of weeks after the end of season.. So that's a standard thing, just a review for the business, a review that he had last season and the one before.. And this season it's the same..

 Take a holiday after the end of the season, go away, recharge your batteries and we will have the review after that in a fortnight..

Let's take that at face value, there is no panic? I mean they must have spoken, conference call or something.. They can't be overly worried about making a change? Even the results at the end of the season, the Palace or Stoke games, the cup semi.. Nothing has made them call Brendan and say that we need to cancel a break and get together sooner as a fortnight is a long time in football and there is a real worry at where the season went.. I mean Kenny went to Boston 3 days after the season finished if I recall and was gone, Brendan came a couple of weeks max after that, so near on the time of this meeting this summer is happening we had a new manager 3 years ago.. So there can't be any thought to sack him. Not any immediate action or plan? It would take a disaster for Brendan in that meeting for him to lose his job in my opinion.

Look at the transfer news coming out of the club, there are too many links to the same players to assume that it's with a managers blessing, and with the actual links it makes you thinks it's Brendan.. If you look at say Milner and Clyne you could say that a foreign coach would know enough of them to say yes on them. Or be happy to work with them, but the likes of Ings who it seems is very very close, how would a Klopp for example be happy or have enough knowledge of him to be happy with it?
Why would an incoming be coach be happy all of his transfer deals are done prior to him coming?

Of course unless the TC is still in place and has the backing of the club to continue to do their work no matter who the manager is? I don't buy that at all..

All points to me that unless something absolutely dramatic happens in that meeting Brendan stays.

So take it that a disaster does happen in that meeting? Say he goes, then the decision not to bring that meeting forward is then crazy, if there is say even 1% chance in the owners mind that he could go after this meeting then it's gobsmackingly bad not to bring in forward.
Why?
Because if he goes next week and then we have to appoint a new manager and he has to come in and get his feet under the desk, look at his squad at potential new signings, get to know his staff and players, the transfer committee or what's left of that then this summer could be beyond us before we know it, and we will have wasted two weeks of it for simple incompetence of not allowing for the slight possibility of his potential sacking.

I'm pretty sure because of that he will be staying.. I'm pretty sure of that.

If it had been a season with no questions surrounding it then stick to your plan, but it's one that has many questions surrounding it that could lead to the manager going, change your plans, get together and sort it out.. Waiting two weeks whether that was the original plan or not is poor.

He's staying beyond a massive massive argument in that meeting. If there is still a chance in their minds of him going now and they waste 2/3/4 weeks of the summer then it's adds to the thought process that they are classless and clueless

Or it could just be that they have decided they are going to keep him unless they can get eg Klopp, and they reckon its gonna take a couple of weeks to negotiate ( or fail to negotiate) such a deal.

Anyway, hopefully Benteke's non-appearance in the cup final has killed off our inclinations of signing another striker who probably isn't quite good enough.

Or it could just be that they have decided they are going to keep him unless they can get eg Klopp, and they reckon its gonna take a couple of weeks to negotiate ( or fail to negotiate) such a deal.

No way to do it in my opinion, either believe in him and back him or sack him and move on.
You can't have a half way house on it.
All the pondering and the summers gone

As for Benteke, I'm taking all these with a pinch of salt until after the meeting.
If he did come it signals a move to two up top in my opinion

No way to do it in my opinion, either believe in him and back him or sack him and move on.
You can't have a half way house on it.
All the pondering and the summers gone

As for Benteke, I'm taking all these with a pinch of salt until after the meeting.
If he did come it signals a move to two up top in my opinion

I think if Benteke comes it signals he is moving back to his Swansea formation of 433.
Two wide forwards and a big man up top.

I suspect it will be more like

Origi - Benteke - Sturridge (if fit!)

I think if Benteke comes it signals he is moving back to his Swansea formation of 433.
Two wide forwards and a big man up top.

I suspect it will be more like

Origi - Benteke - Sturridge (if fit!)

He played with more wingers than wide forwards at Swansea though mate, it was Sinclair and Dyer who often made it a 4-5-1 than a 4-3-3..
Sturridge and Origi aren't those types and Danny Graham basically fed all around him with a runner beyond him in Sigurdsson.. It was a way of keeping the ball and playing a sterile domination type football which is more set up not to lose than to win which at Swansea he could afford.

I genuinely see us ( if Brendan stays) going back to two up top, I think he realises (I hope) that we don't want to see that type of football and that we are a place that loves it's no.9 and getting goals.. Last season we failed mainly due to a lack of goals, I genuinely think he will look to solve that and his 4-3-3/4-5-1 of Swansea isn't going to provide that or give the punters what they want

Approaching games to kill free flowing football and win 1-0 won't go down well here

He played with more wingers than wide forwards at Swansea though mate, it was Sinclair and Dyer who often made it a 4-5-1 than a 4-3-3..
Sturridge and Origi aren't those types and Danny Graham basically fed all around him with a runner beyond him in Sigurdsson.. It was a way of keeping the ball and playing a sterile domination type football which is more set up not to lose than to win which at Swansea he could afford.

I genuinely see us ( if Brendan stays) going back to two up top, I think he realises (I hope) that we don't want to see that type of football and that we are a place that loves it's no.9 and getting goals.. Last season we failed mainly due to a lack of goals, I genuinely think he will look to solve that and his 4-3-3/4-5-1 of Swansea isn't going to provide that or give the punters what they want

Approaching games to kill free flowing football and win 1-0 won't go down well here

We will see mate but even this season he kept going back to 433, even to the detriment of the team as that is his footballing philosophy.

We will see mate but even this season he kept going back to 433, even to the detriment of the team as that is his footballing philosophy.

I don't think he trusted the forwards he had

Had Sturridge stayed fit I think we would have seen two up top more often as with Spurs away.. By the time he had come back he had lost faith in Balo, didn't think Lambert had the pace to play and wanted Borini out so decided not to give him hope to cling to by playing him

Do we never learn from our transfers?

How on earth will Benteke fit in with the Rodgers style of play? He isn't mobile enough. He will be a flop guaranteed.

Technically, Balotelli is a better footballer than Benteke and look how he turned out.

If we are sticking with Brendan than we need to build the team around Coutinho. He is our best player. Bring in players that fit in with his style. Benteke doesn't.

After seeing Lambert and Balotelli this season, two big centre forwards who don't move, and watching how dreadful we've been going forward then the last thing we need is F***ing Benteke!

I personally don't want Benteke, really think he would be another misfit , can't our scouts find a young South American starlet going cheap ?

I personally don't want Benteke, really think he would be another misfit , can't our scouts find a young South American starlet going cheap ?

Vietto?

Vietto?

They think that's an ice cream dessert from Iceland mate

Ian Ayre has been trying to buy one for over a year but keeps coming back with a gateaux

Liverpool 'not prepared' to pay 32.5m release clause in his contract.

 :action-smiley-035

best news i've heard this month