Stoke City 0-1 Liverpool: In game and Post Match debate

I don't think you can argue that Benteke wasn't involved and he wasn't any threat for us either.

I would absolutely argue that he was a threat, but I'm not going to because it's not like you'd acknowledge it anyway

Agree with your point that there is nothing to conclude from Benteke's first match.

As for the "i told you so",you will be the first one to say this if we have a good season(which i think we will).

Oh sure - but by that point it will be proven which seems fair enough, no?

just checking in to see the latest on the Stoke Game . Still smiling about 3 points at a historically difficult ground(how did we do last season?).
Don't give a sh*t about performance in the first 6 games just results. If we rumble along picking points up against teams like Stoke we will do well as these are the games we have struggled in away from home. Onwards and upwards.

so season vs season 3 points up so far?

I'm certainly not one of his ''biggest admirers'', far too early in the day to gauge any qualities and their effect on his overall influence on the team performance.
Much to early as well for anyone to condemn the player on his first run out in the opening game of the season surrounded by team mates whose nuances and actual match-day reactions are unfamiliar to the player.
Having experience of your vague and negative comment it is no surprise to come across such vilification of a new signing it's got to be said.

Have you read anything I've put Stuey?

Benteke was no threat for us on Sunday. Did he even have an attempt on goal?

But by no means am I writing him off after our first 90 mins of football of the season. Our attack play in general was dire so I'm not blaming it all on Benteke.

I've also said I hope we involve him more on Monday night and get the big man scoring.

I don't want Benteke to be a flop here. If he scores goals and we win games then it will please everybody. I just hope the team/Brendan start playing to his strengths and quickly.

Don't think you can use the game to congratulate yourself  The plan was to keep things tight for the first 65 minutes and avoid losing rather than going for their jugular. No striker would have thrived on the service offered - Lallana and Ibe were far too slow to release the ball on either flank - and they would have been whoever was playing up top.

Benteke also looked to be developing an understanding with Coutinho and narrowly missed getting onto a great ball from Henderson.

Before you start patting yourself on the back with "I told you soes" it would be interesting to know how many goals and assists Benteke will get for us this season?

I predict 15 goals and 5 assists which will be a good return for his first season.

I'm not congratulating myself nor am I saying I told you so either.  I'm just not surprised at his performance on Sunday. I'm not surprised at our other attacking players struggling either because they need a quicker forward who moves more. I hope on Monday we give him something to attack. Get balls into him. Play it long if we have too.

I don't know why you all think I hate Benteke because I don't. I actually like him. But I just don't think we will see the best of him because of the way we play.

I disagree. If he does get 15 goals and 5 assists then that wouldn't be a good return for a 32.5m striker. He needs to hit 20 goals minimum. He is familiar with this league. No excuses.

I personally think he will hit around 12 goals and 2-3 assists though. Those assists won't be proper assists either. They won't be through balls for example. They will be a 5 yard pass out wide to Coutinho or somebody like that, who will then dribble past 2-3 players and hit a rocket. But because it was Benteke who gave him the ball, even if its somewhere near the half way line, it will still go down as an assist

I would absolutely argue that he was a threat, but I'm not going to because it's not like you'd acknowledge it anyway

Would be happy to hear your thoughts...

I might be mistaken but from memory I can't remember Benteke having a shot.

Have you read anything I've put Stuey?

Benteke was no threat for us on Sunday. Did he even have an attempt on goal?

But by no means am I writing him off after our first 90 mins of football of the season. Our attack play in general was dire so I'm not blaming it all on Benteke.

I've also said I hope we involve him more on Monday night and get the big man scoring.

I don't want Benteke to be a flop here. If he scores goals and we win games then it will please everybody. I just hope the team/Brendan start playing to his strengths and quickly.

I'm not congratulating myself nor am I saying I told you so either.  I'm just not surprised at his performance on Sunday. I'm not surprised at our other attacking players struggling either because they need a quicker forward who moves more. I hope on Monday we give him something to attack. Get balls into him. Play it long if we have too.

I don't know why you all think I hate Benteke because I don't. I actually like him. But I just don't think we will see the best of him because of the way we play.

I disagree. If he does get 15 goals and 5 assists then that wouldn't be a good return for a 32.5m striker. He needs to hit 20 goals minimum. He is familiar with this league. No excuses.

I personally think he will hit around 12 goals and 2-3 assists though. Those assists won't be proper assists either. They won't be through balls for example. They will be a 5 yard pass out wide to Coutinho or somebody like that, who will then dribble past 2-3 players and hit a rocket. But because it was Benteke who gave him the ball, even if its somewhere near the half way line, it will still go down as an assist

Would be happy to hear your thoughts...

I might be mistaken but from memory I can't remember Benteke having a shot.

You're allowed to multi-quote.

Would be happy to hear your thoughts...

I might be mistaken but from memory I can't remember Benteke having a shot.

you have made up your mind by the sounds of it he is just a big lump who can only score from inside the box.
Time will tell.

Still arguing over nothing I see.

Ah well we won, time to move on from this game and put our attention onto Bournemouth.

I'm not congratulating myself nor am I saying I told you so either.  I'm just not surprised at his performance on Sunday. I'm not surprised at our other attacking players struggling either because they need a quicker forward who moves more. I hope on Monday we give him something to attack. Get balls into him. Play it long if we have too.

I don't know why you all think I hate Benteke because I don't. I actually like him. But I just don't think we will see the best of him because of the way we play.

I disagree. If he does get 15 goals and 5 assists then that wouldn't be a good return for a 32.5m striker. He needs to hit 20 goals minimum. He is familiar with this league. No excuses.

I personally think he will hit around 12 goals and 2-3 assists though. Those assists won't be proper assists either. They won't be through balls for example. They will be a 5 yard pass out wide to Coutinho or somebody like that, who will then dribble past 2-3 players and hit a rocket. But because it was Benteke who gave him the ball, even if its somewhere near the half way line, it will still go down as an assist

Fair enough let's see what happens.

From my point of view he seemed to be developing a good relationship woth Coutinho - and to a lesser extent Henderson and Can.

The players are smart enough to work out what kind of deliveries he can latch on to and i'm quite confident he will finish a good precentage of them as he has done so far in his career.

Whether or not he turns out to be a success though i would anticipate it will take a couple of seasons to know for sure.

Thinking back to prior to this game

If someone told you that we would beat Stoke 0-1 I think most of us would've taken it

lets focus on the next game! 

Would be happy to hear your thoughts...

I might be mistaken but from memory I can't remember Benteke having a shot.

Yes he did have a shot, a good chance that he probably feels he should have converted, he also had a missed opportunity due to a horrible pass from Hendo. Had he played it to Benteke's feet instead of his head it's likely a sure goal. He also made several key/smart runs to create space for other players.

As opposed to me going on and on, here's a good read from a so called "critic" of his....
https://anfieldindex.com/16192/tactical-analysis-christian-benteke-vs-stoke.html

As opposed to me going on and on, here's a good read from a so called "critic" of his....
https://anfieldindex.com/16192/tactical-analysis-christian-benteke-vs-stoke.html

Red... Not having a pop, but why is it people always believe that if you write about football for a living it makes your views more valid than anyone else's? There are people out there that can maybe do a much better job of analyzing a game that can't write or maybe work for a bank,multi-national, refuge company etc, (you get the drift)