Christian Benteke (Aston Villa) - SIGNED BY LFC

I don't believe Brendan's ethos is right to take this club forward.

Oh dear. A club ethos/philosophy is exactly that mate... a "club" philosophy/ethos.

Its put in place by owners of most top clubs (ours included) and sets out a style of play, amongst other things, which is used throughout the club (from kids to first team). The point in having one is that, even when managers & players come and go, the ethos remains constant and all mangers & players work to it.

It does not, therefore, by the very F***ing nature of it, allow for managers to F***ing change it to accommodate a F***ing player. I thought you knew this... obviously not.

I'll cut to the chase to save your time and mine Harry.. I can't be arsed debating the subject anymore.

You are perfectly entitled to call for Brendan's head - I hope for your sake you get your way... I wouldn't want you to be angry at Mr John for not doing what, you believe, is 'the right thing'.

John Percy @John__Percy  ·  4m 4 minutes ago
#lfc target Christian Benteke can leave #avfc for £32.5m after Tim Sherwood reveals buy-out clause via @Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11636921/Christian-Benteke-has-32.5-million-buy-out-clause-as-Aston-Villa-fear-Liverpool-will-trigger-release.html

So unless we sell Raheem that's basically our whole summer budget on Benteke.

John Percy @John__Percy  ·  4m 4 minutes ago
#lfc target Christian Benteke can leave #avfc for £32.5m after Tim Sherwood reveals buy-out clause via @Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11636921/Christian-Benteke-has-32.5-million-buy-out-clause-as-Aston-Villa-fear-Liverpool-will-trigger-release.html

So unless we sell Raheem that's basically our whole summer budget on Benteke.

Absolutely F***ing madness if we pay that money for Benteke. I'm talking Andy Carroll levels of madness.

John Percy @John__Percy  ·  4m 4 minutes ago
#lfc target Christian Benteke can leave #avfc for £32.5m after Tim Sherwood reveals buy-out clause via @Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11636921/Christian-Benteke-has-32.5-million-buy-out-clause-as-Aston-Villa-fear-Liverpool-will-trigger-release.html

So unless we sell Raheem that's basically our whole summer budget on Benteke.

Benteke will have to have a hell of an FA Cup final for anybody to shell out that on him.
Sherwood wants to cash him in and is basically flagging up his availability (and trying to talk up the price).
I'd say he'll be sold for not much more than £20m, although it could go a bit higher if he does something special on Saturday

Shalke are almost the same value and trying to compare Dortmund to Chelsea you're taking the piss lad. Even still he managed to win the league twice, beating a team worth 3 times their value and get to the CL final. It's so funny how people try to run down Klopp's achievements and then big up Brendan's single achievement and then suggest other people have agendas.

 
He also won the league, against the 2 richest clubs in the world, monumental achievement and should heralded as such.

A winner, pure and simple, he's got trophies falling out of his arse. One minute you're trying talk down the achievements of people taking on the big boys and then you're talking down the achievements of the big boys, do you not see how you're trying to rig the scales in your favour without actually being fair.

Yeah it's dreadful, he only wins cups... how many cups has Brendan won?

Don't know too much but still he's just starting out and he's winning things, a record for them I believe, I'm not going to knock that personally.

Brendan might end up being the best manager in the world (my money wouldn't be on that) but trying to over sell him while under selling some of the most successful managers in the world really does look very desperate.

Read what I wrote before you start getting gobby with me in future. I said that they are the equivalent to Chelsea in their league. Not our league. Equivalent insofar as being the second richest team in their league. You know, like Chelsea are the second richest team in our league. The fact is if you put Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool in to the Bundesliga and we'd be in the top two each year. Similarly you put Klopp's Dortmund in the EPL and they'll be lucky to finish in a Europa place. Why? Because of comparative spending. The entire point of my reply is that when saying XXX is a better manager than YYY you should at least pick someone in the same bloody league because otherwise you're comparing Apples with Oranges and that we have far, far bigger issues facing us right now as a club than who is the f**king manager. Biggest transfer I want to see this Summer? Messi? Ronaldo? Klopp? No, new f**king owners because then and only then are we going to start winning stuff.

Saw a quote that Sherwood said he wouldn't fit us because we were 19th in the league in crossing the ball.

Tim Sherwood should sell windows.

Absolutely f**king madness if we pay that money for Benteke. I'm talking Andy Carroll levels of madness.

completely agree, I mean hopefully everyone does.

Read what I wrote before you start getting gobby with me in future. I said that they are the equivalent to Chelsea in their league. Not our league. Equivalent insofar as being the second richest team in their league. You know, like Chelsea are the second richest team in our league. The fact is if you put Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool in to the Bundesliga and we'd be in the top two each year. Similarly you put Klopp's Dortmund in the EPL and they'll be lucky to finish in a Europa place. Why? Because of comparative spending. The entire point of my reply is that when saying XXX is a better manager than YYY you should at least pick someone in the same bloody league because otherwise you're comparing Apples with Oranges and that we have far, far bigger issues facing us right now as a club than who is the f**king manager. Biggest transfer I want to see this Summer? Messi? Ronaldo? Klopp? No, new f**king owners because then and only then are we going to start winning stuff.

Hahaha I understood the context but I'll just direct you to Bier's excellent reply in the Jürgen Klopp thread:

I'm posting this here, from the Benteke thread. Don't want to clog up that thread with more offtopic stuff.

With just 100 million euros revenue Dortmund were the 5th richest club in Germany when Klopp took over as manager, they had serious debts, finished 13th the season before that and barely avoided bankruptcy and relegation in the seasons before that. So really, Dortmund having been champions twice since and being the 2nd richest now should speak for Klopp, not against him. Would you criticise any manager that made us champions twice in a row and leaves us in a situation of being the 2nd richest club of England? I mean, how awful would that be right, very deserving of criticism.

Now in an effort to get the thread back on track:

Benteke, I hear Sherwood is now offering analysis for us, explaining how he wont suit our system.

Tim F***ing Sherwood, beats us in the FA Cup with a shitty Villa side and then basically mocks our top transfer target, see this one through and then allow this f**ker to gloat afterwards, you can just see it happening.

villa just want to F**k someone over as bad as they got fu**ed over with Bent for 24mil.

£30 mill get out clause for benteke.

A frigging £32.5m buy-out clause ??!! Don't tell me we're ready to pay that! Why cant we buy Lacazette with that kinda money?? Probably Lyon wouldn't say no

Not sure about Benteke. I think he's a really good player but as many have said, doesn't suit our system. Thought this quote from Sherwood summed it up nicely

Sherwood has also noted that Liverpool’s number of crosses this season – 409 – is the lowest in the top division. “We cross more balls into the box than any other club in the league and Christian has said that he feeds off crosses,” Sherwood said.
 
“There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball.

He talks too much but sometimes Sherwood has a point. It looks like BR will stay, so as long as we don't play true wingers who cross, no point in going for Benteke.

A frigging £32.5m buy-out clause ??!! Don't tell me we're ready to pay that! Why cant we buy Lacazette with that kinda money?? Probably Lyon wouldn't say no

Well, for one, he has said he wants to stay for another season given they've just made CL, and seondly, he's the top scorer in the French League, if he leaves, it'll be for a higher fee, with top wages to a club like City or Chelsea. We have no chance for him sadly

Not sure about Benteke. I think he's a really good player but as many have said, doesn't suit our system. Thought this quote from Sherwood summed it up nicely

Sherwood has also noted that Liverpool’s number of crosses this season – 409 – is the lowest in the top division. “We cross more balls into the box than any other club in the league and Christian has said that he feeds off crosses,” Sherwood said.
 
“There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball.

He talks too much but sometimes Sherwood has a point. It looks like BR will stay, so as long as we don't play true wingers who cross, no point in going for Benteke.

sherwood had a point up to when he said another great season for benteke and he could think about teams like Real Madrid -hahahahahahaha

Not sure about Benteke. I think he's a really good player but as many have said, doesn't suit our system.

Agreed mate and you've touched on something which has left me bemused ozi. 

We have a number of people who wanted Brendan to change our system and football philosophy to accommodate Mario; yet the same people (in some instances) are dismissing Benteke.

Then again: Although John Henry said he wanted a footballing 'philosophy' (with the continuity it brings); it may just be that he has now totally abandoned it. [to be fair tho'; at least he admits to knowing F**k all about Soccerball... ]

Anyhow... although Benteke's a fine footballer [better than Mario in my opinion]; like you, I would prefer we signed someone who is a better 'fit'.

I would prefer we signed someone who is a better 'fit'.

I'm utterly clueless as well bbb. In Benteke and Sturridge we have 2 players whose defensive work rate is minimal to zero and we know how our 4-man defence works. So if BR wants to use a 3-4-1-2 where Clyne and Moreno can be excellent wing backs, we need a very good right sided center back with the idea that Can will get to play in the midfield, cos Lovren-Skrtel-Sakho is outright dodgy (with Kolo, Wisdom and Ilori as back-ups).

Benteke/Origi - Sturridge/Ings
Coutinho/Lallana
Moreno/Markovic - Can/Allen - Hendo/Milner - Clyne/Manquillo
Sakho/Wisdom - Skrtel/Kolo - Lovren/Ilori
Mignolet

I cant do anything but shudder at the thought of starting the next season with Benteke and Ings as our primary striking options.

I think if Benteke had shown more mobility, maturity, held it up better and had more appreciation of his teammates, we wouldn't be able to get him. He'd be on his way to Chelsea as a Drogba replacement, for about 200% of the wages we'll be offering him.

That's where we are unfortunately, unless we buy a Charlie Austin for 12 million quid who does all of the above but us in all likelyhood never going to be good enough for the very top level, we have to go for players who we hope we can encourage some improvement out of.

So what do we know of Benteke? Well he's as good a header of a ball as anyone in the league, as strong as an ox, seems quick, powerful and willing. He has a reasonable dig on him and tends towards having a good attitude. On the minus, he seems injury prone, is very raw, tends not to get too involved in the press and doesn't appear to like to run the channels. In many ways he does remind me of a young Drogba, but it's obviously by no means certain or even very likely that he'll develop his game to anywhere near the level the Chelsea man did.

Is he "worth it", are there "better options out there"? The answer is we won't really know until we've had him a season, and f*ck knows, in that order. My opinion? Well so desperate am I to get a credible striker in our squad other than Sturridge, I'd say yes he is. If he does develop, he could end up being a monster.

We have a number of people who wanted Brendan to change our system and football philosophy to accommodate Mario; yet the same people (in some instances) are dismissing Benteke.

Then again: Although John Henry said he wanted a footballing 'philosophy' (with the continuity it brings); it may just be that he has now totally abandoned it. [to be fair tho'; at least he admits to knowing f**k all about Soccerball... ]

Haha, your attention to details is a little scary at times bubby, but a very good point, it's funny how people change their views to suit their arguments. If only people kept their opinions on footballing and club matters rather than their egos...

The contradictions from FSG are baffling though mate. You can't talk about footballing "philosophy and continuity" when you restrict your manager's ability to recruit the right players, you refuse to adapt the management structure to allow for that continuity on the field and you barely watch games. I don't hate FSG like some do, I definitely think we won't win the league under current system, but they do insult fans' intelligence sometimes.

Agreed mate and you've touched on something which has left me bemused ozi. 

We have a number of people who wanted Brendan to change our system and football philosophy to accommodate Mario; yet the same people (in some instances) are dismissing Benteke.

Then again: Although John Henry said he wanted a footballing 'philosophy' (with the continuity it brings); it may just be that he has now totally abandoned it. [to be fair tho'; at least he admits to knowing f**k all about Soccerball... ]

Anyhow... although Benteke's a fine footballer [better than Mario in my opinion]; like you, I would prefer we signed someone who is a better 'fit'.

Do they though?

If 'they're' like me they see that we didn't change tactics to suit Mario so assume the same would be true if we bought Benteke, so rather than differing reasons it's actually the same reason.

I fully expect us to buy him though, so live in hope that we do change tactics to suit him because if we don't we're going to be left with another under performing striker to add to the list and then no doubt in 12 months time people will be throwing Benteke into the 'polish a turd' pile.

Not sure about Benteke. I think he's a really good player but as many have said, doesn't suit our system. Thought this quote from Sherwood summed it up nicely

Sherwood has also noted that Liverpool’s number of crosses this season – 409 – is the lowest in the top division. “We cross more balls into the box than any other club in the league and Christian has said that he feeds off crosses,” Sherwood said.
 
“There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball.

He talks too much but sometimes Sherwood has a point. It looks like BR will stay, so as long as we don't play true wingers who cross, no point in going for Benteke.

Totally agree with that ozi. I haven't seen much of him (like most players who don't play for Pool) but that does make sense.

If Brendan does stay, and if this is Brendan's choice then it's clear he needs a DoF who can realise Brendan's "philosophy" and buy players of that ilk. I cannot understand how a manager can 'pick' so many players who don't fit into his system. It has to be the most backward and illogical thinking, and working I've ever heard of.

Such is the muddying of waters, I cannot gauge whether it is Brendan who is the shocker for our transfers, or the equally incoherent TC. It may be a bit of both. And in that case you can only conclude it's actually the blind leading the f**king blind here which means, either f**k this TC off and put a DoF in place. Or entice  a quality manager in who can swing his cock around and catergorically state "I need that player" and insist upon it.

Watching him now in the final he just looks like more of the same as what we've got in lambert and balotelli.

Watching him now in the final he just looks like more of the same as what we've got in lambert and balotelli.

Exactly.

And if Rodgers is still keen on signing him for over £30 million hopefully he is removed from his position before he can follow through with this madness.