Christian Benteke Player Thread (Liverpool -> Crystal Palace)

Is the situation so bad that some are trying to see positives in Balotelli? Anyone suggesting so needs their head seen to, utter mental cases

I'd rather eat sh*t than see him in a Liverpool shirt ever again.

But that doesn't mean I'm happy with Benteke - he was f**king atrocious last night. He gets somewhere between £120k- £140k a week did you know?

I feel physically sick he earns this much and that we wasted so much - I'm really beginning to think he is worse than Carroll now. There was nothing to him last night, the guys behind him (particularly Allen and Brannagan) did well enough and he let everyone down. He has no future as far as I'm concerned and I'd quite happily see him sold tomorrow.

If you really want to get depressed, look at how much he is paid (because he certainly doesn't f**king earn it) in the time you view this page....

http://www.whatfootballersearn.com/player/christian-benteke/

Years of hard work at the highest level of the most popular sport in the world means he gets paid that much. If it would be easy then we'd have a team of people who supported Liverpool from a young age.

If you really want to be sad about how much someone earns take a look inside the House of Commons. At least Benteke has put in a day of hard work in his life.

If we manage to get around 26-27 millions for him, we should get rid, clearly he isn't suited for Klopp's system and is another sh*t signing made by clueless Rodgers. I had high hopes for him but he just doesn't seem capable to deliver for us, and when he has easy chances he misses them, at least Balotelli scored when he had the chance.

When the blue F**k did Balotelli score for us when he had the chance? He was dog sh*t poor! Benteke is still our leading scorer despite playing crap, he's ten times the player Mario was for us, and that tells a story right there!

"As a result of the way we play we will never get the best out of him and now his confidence is shot to sh*t. It was all very predictable really. "

It's clear he isn't being used to his potential.

It's possible that we could play to his strengths and he would still flop but right now we aren't doing so.

Why are the manager and coaches not addressing this?

There's no way Klopp could change the system to suit him he's too slow , it's clear to see he hasn't got what it takes to make it .

There's no way Klopp could change the system to suit him he's too slow , it's clear to see he hasn't got what it takes to make it .

There are plenty of strikers much slower than him who have had very prolific careers.  Luca Toni was superb as a target man striker, but he benefitted from playing in teams that had good, slow structured buildup play, and players who could deliver quality crosses from out wide.  Unfortunately, Klopp's style doesn't cater to a big target striker.  Even if he wanted to change his approach to get the best out of Benteke, we still don't have anyone aside from Milner who can deliver a decent cross....

It seems Benteke is on borrowed time under Jürgen.  Shame too as I think in the right setup he would be a 20+ goals per season player (assuming he could stay fit the whole time).  I think he'd be boss in a Mourinho team, just not a Klopp team.....

Totally agree mate, and I must confess I find it baffling why people constantly feel the need to label him "sh!te" rather than accept what appears to be pretty obvious. "Sh!te" strikers don't score the number of goals he has over a sustained period (while playing in a sh!te team it's worth pointing out), he's obviously a good player who is low on confidence and struggling to come to terms with the way we are playing.

Equally, he must be the first player in history who after being signed by a manager who was sacked 8 games into a season, has fans saying "I said all along he wouldn't fit into our style of play". Those same fans who say that, completely accept that our style of play is different/better under the new manager too, work that one out.

I think it's fairly clear Jürgen doesn't fancy him, and based on the way Benteke is currently playing you can hardly blame him. Whether we're all supposed to be surprised though when he transfers somewhere else and starts scoring heavily again I'm not sure. That doesn't of course mean we'll be wrong to get rid, it simply means that when he has confidence and when a team plays a style which utilizes his strengths, he will score goals. How do I know this? Because he always has. Like many things in football, it's hardly rocket science.

Totally agree mate, and I must confess I find it baffling why people constantly feel the need to label him "sh!te" rather than accept what appears to be pretty obvious. "Sh!te" strikers don't score the number of goals he has over a sustained period (while playing in a sh!te team it's worth pointing out), he's obviously a good player who is low on confidence and struggling to come to terms with the way we are playing.

Equally, he must be the first player in history who after being signed by a manager who was sacked 8 games into a season, has fans saying "I said all along he wouldn't fit into our style of play". Those same fans who say that, completely accept that our style of play is different/better under the new manager too, work that one out.

I think it's fairly clear Jürgen doesn't fancy him, and based on the way Benteke is currently playing you can hardly blame him. Whether we're all supposed to be surprised though when he transfers somewhere else and starts scoring heavily again I'm not sure. That doesn't of course mean we'll be wrong to get rid, it simply means that when he has confidence and when a team plays a style which utilizes his strengths, he will score goals. How do I know this? Because he always has. Like many things in football, it's hardly rocket science.

How's your prediction of him scoring 26 goals and getting the golden boot coming along mick? 

i'm kidding!!

How's your prediction of him scoring 26 goals and getting the golden boot coming along mick? 

i'm kidding!!

Haha not so well mate!! I ought to have been more conservative and gone for him being our top scorer despite the fact we don't play to his strengths when he does play and nine times out of ten don't play him at all.

Perhaps a couple of videos of how Benitez used Peter Crouch might refresh peoples memories a bit (I don't remember Crouchie "running the channels" overly, or being a massively "mobile" front man) or failing that we could just watch a couple of videos of any Aston Villa/Liverpool match over the last three seasons or so. That ought to do it, and it might work.

Please though spare me the "Benteke is sh!te" nonsense, because he's a million miles from that.     
 

Would that be the first 19 games before crouchie scored Mick , still we were patient with the coat hanger and maybe we need to be patient with Benteke  if we had another option . Firmino is a fine player but he won't be banging them in on a constant basis , the same with Couthinho when fit pops up every 4-5 games with one, still not enough either . And with all the talk of trying to get Alex Texeira , well he's a massive gamble at those prices . It's just a pity Ings got injured because i think he would have been fine until the summer arrived .

Totally agree mate, and I must confess I find it baffling why people constantly feel the need to label him "sh!te" rather than accept what appears to be pretty obvious. "Sh!te" strikers don't score the number of goals he has over a sustained period (while playing in a sh!te team it's worth pointing out), he's obviously a good player who is low on confidence and struggling to come to terms with the way we are playing.

Equally, he must be the first player in history who after being signed by a manager who was sacked 8 games into a season, has fans saying "I said all along he wouldn't fit into our style of play". Those same fans who say that, completely accept that our style of play is different/better under the new manager too, work that one out.

I think it's fairly clear Jürgen doesn't fancy him, and based on the way Benteke is currently playing you can hardly blame him. Whether we're all supposed to be surprised though when he transfers somewhere else and starts scoring heavily again I'm not sure. That doesn't of course mean we'll be wrong to get rid, it simply means that when he has confidence and when a team plays a style which utilizes his strengths, he will score goals. How do I know this? Because he always has. Like many things in football, it's hardly rocket science.

I did say all along he wouldn't fit into our style of play and every time he has wore a red shirt he has been sh*te. He hasn't had one good game for us.

Style of play doesn't necessarily mean how we play under a certain manager either by the way, I was also referring to the other 25+ players we have in our squad - none of which are compatible to Benteke.

Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana (the first choice three behind the striker) and Benteke in the same side just doesn't work. It was clear as anything it wouldn't work.

Oh and for the record, Klopp and Brendan have quite similar styles anyway, both play on the deck and both like to press the opposition. Both have suffered the same problem in that we can't score goals and whys that? Because our main striker is a lamppost playing in a team full of players who like to move and have a bit of flair.

I did say all along he wouldn't fit into our style of play and every time he has wore a red shirt he has been sh*te. He hasn't had one good game for us.

Style of play doesn't necessarily mean how we play under a certain manager either by the way, I was also referring to the other 25+ players we have in our squad - none of which are compatible to Benteke.

Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana (the first choice three behind the striker) and Benteke in the same side just doesn't work. It was clear as anything it wouldn't work.

Oh and for the record, Klopp and Brendan have quite similar styles anyway, both play on the deck and both like to press the opposition. Both have suffered the same problem in that we can't score goals and whys that? Because our main striker is a lamppost playing in a team full of players who like to move and have a bit of flair.

In fairness I think we have proven categorically that we are as poor at scoring goals when we don't pick Benteke as we are when we do. It'd be OK if we played Norwich every week, but I can't help thinking people are rushing to make a conclusion rather than duly considering things. I know it's tempting to blame everything on Benteke and start every sentence with "I said all along", but unfortunately the occasions when he doesn't play we don't exactly rattle the goals in either.

And Bigears, that's precisely why I included the Crouch comparison. I thought it was 17 games before he scored but it makes no odds, I remember his first goal when it looped off a huge deflection and found its way in, the place went wild. Crouchie was a good player though, and Benitez recognised that rather than worry about what he didn't bring to the team, he would be better employed if we worked out what he did.

That's where my slight disappointment re Jürgen and Benteke comes. It doesn't take a genius to work out with a young striker who plays like Benteke that if we refuse to play in any way shape or form to his strengths, he will lose his game and fall into a hole. Now if we were rattling in the goals and racking yup the wins without him I could completely understand it, but we aren't. We do IMHO look a better side with Firmino in the team so I have no problem with us favouring the Brazilian over Benteke, but it seems a bit soft from where I'm looking to not have a coherent plan when we do actually bring the big fella on.

See if we did actually play in a fashion in which he would be more likely to prosper, he might actually get his confidence back and give us a viable alternative to our current first choice. Seems pretty obvious from where I'm sitting, but maybe it's just me. At the moment what we are doing is akin to playing it long to a big fella as our first choice, then bringing a Michael Owen on as sub and continuing to launch it in exactly the same fashion and wondering why the little bloke isn't playing well. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

In fairness I think we have proven categorically that we are as poor at scoring goals when we don't pick Benteke as we are when we do. It'd be OK if we played Norwich every week, but I can't help thinking people are rushing to make a conclusion rather than duly considering things. I know it's tempting to blame everything on Benteke and start every sentence with "I said all along", but unfortunately the occasions when he doesn't play we don't exactly rattle the goals in either.

And Bigears, that's precisely why I included the Crouch comparison. I thought it was 17 games before he scored but it makes no odds, I remember his first goal when it looped off a huge deflection and found its way in, the place went wild. Crouchie was a good player though, and Benitez recognised that rather than worry about what he didn't bring to the team, he would be better employed if we worked out what he did.

That's where my slight disappointment re Jürgen and Benteke comes. It doesn't take a genius to work out with a young striker who plays like Benteke that if we refuse to play in any way shape or form to his strengths, he will lose his game and fall into a hole. Now if we were rattling in the goals and racking yup the wins without him I could completely understand it, but we aren't. We do IMHO look a better side with Firmino in the team so I have no problem with us favouring the Brazilian over Benteke, but it seems a bit soft from where I'm looking to not have a coherent plan when we do actually bring the big fella on.

See if we did actually play in a fashion in which he would be more likely to prosper, he might actually get his confidence back and give us a viable alternative to our current first choice. Seems pretty obvious from where I'm sitting, but maybe it's just me. At the moment what we are doing is akin to playing it long to a big fella as our first choice, then bringing a Michael Owen on as sub and continuing to launch it in exactly the same fashion and wondering why the little bloke isn't playing well. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Its not about being a smart arse and saying 'I told you so'. Its more to do with frustration that we have spent yet another fortune on an average premiership player who was a big fish in a small pond at Villa. I just couldn't believe we spent most of our kitty on a player who quite clearly doesn't mix or gel with the rest of our players.

The team as a whole suffers when he plays. The likes of Lallana and Firmino have been much better without him in the side. When Benteke has played those two players in particular have been awful and have come in for lots of criticism. Coutinho has also been poor with Benteke in the side.

Don't know the stats but I'd bet my house that we have scored more goals without benteke in the side than we have with him in the side. I agree with you that we aren't exactly electric when Benteke is on the bench but we are still better, even if its just a little bit, we are still better.

If we start playing to Bentekes strengths and build the team around him then the above three players don't start. In my opinion Benteke isn't good enough to make him a priority and for us to build our team around him.

Maybe my thoughts only but we should build the team around Coutinho. There is a real player in coutinho but he needs more players on his wavelength. Benteke is the complete opposite of how Coutinho (and Jürgen) plays football.

It's got to the point where you are so entrenched in your views that you've stopped actually reading alternative posts mate, you just assume you know what they say. At no point have I advocated "building the team" around Benteke, I'm simply up for us adapting the way we operate when we do play him. Similarly, I've quite clearly said in my post that I think we look a better team with Firminho as the 9 rather than Benteke, but my point is WHEN WE DO BRING HIM ON, we might as well at least try and get something out of him.

One thing is absolutely certain (and we'll probably agree on this) if we keep doing things in exactly the same way as we currently are visa via Benteke, we will continue to get the same out of him. Nobody is saying we ought to become Wimbledon circa 1990's, it's simply a question of adapting our game a fraction.

Lastly While I agree that we "look" a better team without Benteke in it, we certainly haven't got more points per game since we've started not playing him. Perhaps a stat guy could do the "goals scored per minute Benteke on/off the pitch" stat, that might be interesting. I wouldn't like you bet my house on it, but I've a hunch you maybe surprised.

The fact That we're even debating it means it must be close. Given that (and given we certainly aren't ripping it up whichever style we play) I'm very surprised that you don't advocate us trying to make the maximum amount of use of all resources at our disposal. It's basic common sense to me, we have an option to play in a more Benteke friendly style WHEN HE IS ON THE PITCH, or we can continue to use him as we currently are. It's a no brainer for me, but you're probably right. As you say, you did "say all along".

Not sure what else can be done for Tekkers, whenever he has started or come on;

He looks so slow and laboured he can't get away from any defenders.

He tries to dribble but ends up stepping on the ball and ending up on his Arse.

He has coughed up countless easy chances even the ones on his big bonce you would have thought he would gobble up.

And to cap it all his movement trying to find space is shocking more like u12 level.


Apart from all that he's doing a grand job.

I don't think Benteke is too slow for Klopp's system. It's not like Lewandowski is a speed demon. Obviously, Benteke is nowhere near the talent Lewy is, so I don't think it's a pace issue as much as it is an anticipation one.

I don't think Benteke is too slow for Klopp's system. It's not like Lewandowski is a speed demon. Obviously, Benteke is nowhere near the talent Lewy is, so I don't think it's a pace issue as much as it is an anticipation one.

Compared to Benteke Lewandowski is a speed merchant.........

Compared to Benteke Lewandowski is a speed merchant.........

Did you "say all along" that he wasn't very fast?

Did you "say all along" that he wasn't very fast?

I actually think Benteke is pretty quick he's just slow through the gears a bit like Can. His top speed is probably decent but I think strikers benefit more from an explosive turn of foot like Sturridge. Similar to Luis too, he could leave someone for dead over a few yards but in a prolonged foot race I think Benteke would be quicker than Suarez.

As they say the first yard is in the head and this is often where Benteke finds himself a few yards behind to begin with and often doesn't catch up.

I actually think Benteke is pretty quick he's just slow through the gears a bit like Can. His top speed is probably decent but I think strikers benefit more from an explosive turn of foot like Sturridge. Similar to Luis too, he could leave someone for dead over a few yards but in a prolonged foot race I think Benteke would be quicker than Suarez.

As they say the first yard is in the head and this is often where Benteke finds himself a few yards behind to begin with and often doesn't catch up.

Its funny that mate Im sure he was much quicker when he was at Villa, I think that major Achilees injury he got seems to have robbed him of his explosiveness. He is now really slow off the mark.

Its funny that mate Im sure he was much quicker when he was at Villa, I think that major Achilees injury he got seems to have robbed him of his explosiveness. He is now really slow off the mark.

He also seems slow in everything though, mind you that could just be him not yet accustomed to his team mates moves etc.

Some adjust quicker than others, some never adjust but I still think it's too early to say that he'll never adjust.

How did i know Kopite Luke would be in here

It's got to the point where you are so entrenched in your views that you've stopped actually reading alternative posts mate, you just assume you know what they say. At no point have I advocated "building the team" around Benteke, I'm simply up for us adapting the way we operate when we do play him. Similarly, I've quite clearly said in my post that I think we look a better team with Firminho as the 9 rather than Benteke, but my point is WHEN WE DO BRING HIM ON, we might as well at least try and get something out of him.

I too have been accused of advocating for 'building the team around benteke' when i simply said we lack width and pace (in general) and if we got 2 good wingers (with pace) it would benefit the team (IN GENERAL) AND by proxy would benefit Benteke.

These haters are literally hoping he doesnt score just to be proven right.

I guarantee some of these people were wishing he would miss his penalty against stoke. (but we still win) just so they could say I TOLD YOU SO.

I too have been accused of advocating for 'building the team around benteke' when i simply said we lack width and pace (in general) and if we got 2 good wingers (with pace) it would benefit the team (IN GENERAL) AND by proxy would benefit Benteke.

These haters are literally hoping he doesnt score just to be proven right.

I guarantee some of these people were wishing he would miss his penalty against stoke. (but we still win) just so they could say I TOLD YOU SO.

Stop being so self obsessed nobody cares what you want, you sound very bitter,  most posters just want a successful team.

I apologise if your name is Mrs Benteke.

I'm adamant that Benteke is nowhere near as bad as he's currently playing, he looks like a player lacking in belief in his own ability, but we've seen first hand what he's capable of when he's played against us.
I wouldn't advocate humping long balls forward to him, but definitely throwing a few crosses into the box seems like the common sense thing to do, it wouldn't even mean a change of tactics, just play the ball out wide be whipped in instead of always bring the ball into centre where two rows of four are blocking our path to goal.