Christian Benteke Player Thread (Liverpool -> Crystal Palace)

Just one picture of how isolated Benteke was against the scum:



How is any striker meant to perform in that kind of situation. It would be unfair if that was a single incident but that happened the entire game, tactics, don't make me laugh.

Just one picture of how isolated Benteke was against the scum:



How is any striker meant to perform in that kind of situation. It would be unfair if that was a single incident but that happened the entire game, tactics, don't make me laugh.

Spot on. Given we had two players in the starting line up either of which would have been perfect to play within ten paces of Benteke it really is baffling. I actually thought the big fella did well, and I think he's done pretty well all season given how sh!te we've been playing. The supreme irony of Brendan's transfer dealings could end up being that of all the players who were actually HIS signings, the best one of all may end up showing his true colours once Brendan himself has been shown the door. At 24 years of age I think we may have picked up a bit of a gem in Benteke, but very few strikers in the World could look good in our team right now. 

Spot on. Given we had two players in the starting line up either of which would have been perfect to play within ten paces of Benteke it really is baffling. I actually thought the big fella did well, and I think he's done pretty well all season given how sh!te we've been playing. The supreme irony of Brendan's transfer dealings could end up being that of all the players who were actually HIS signings, the best one of all may end up showing his true colours once Brendan himself has been shown the door. At 24 years of age I think we may have picked up a bit of a gem in Benteke, but very few strikers in the World could look good in our team right now. 

As one of his biggest doubters before he joined I've been relatively impressed with him too. I think he's a little bit timid at times given his stature, like against Blind when he could have out muscled him. I also think his touch can improve massively but his interplay is decent and some of his movement is very intelligent.

He's scored a couple of absolutely world class goals for us both with his back to goal, but also he's missed a couple that he should score (the one offside yesterday and a tap in the other week). So there are positives and negatives so I wouldn't adjust my guess beforehand that he's a 15-20 goal a season guy. That is plenty though as long as you have others contributing and he can get better.

I do agree that if we brought in a different manager we'd get much, much more out of Benteke as we currently are. You must vary your tactics though, you can't just lump it to him no matter how good he is at winning balls he's not favourite for. Right now we're more predictable than a walk over.

Feel for the lad. He's scored in all likelihood the goal of the season but all talk is focused on our mistakes and the manager cocking up.

Peach of a goal.

Man amoung boys yesterday. Needs some help

Although he scored a worldy having him as the focal point of attack just doesn't work for us.
Look at the ball played in for him where he should have been favourite to beat Darmian I think it was.

Although he scored a worldy having him as the focal point of attack just doesn't work for us.

Of course it won't work if he's standing isolated 20/30 yards from the nearest player.

Seems quality so far. Deserves better from a tactical point of view.

If we were still running. High pressing game he'd have been in his element.

As it is high gets a cameo MOTD apperance for an absolute worldie.

Obviously needs more support upfront, to make full use of his ability. Otherwise another waste of a player's undoubted talent. Anyhow cracking goal in an overall dismal team performance.

We spent all Summer agruing about whether or not he could fit in with our high press and the way we move the ball around quickly, whether he could be intelligent enough to find space in an around the edge of the box when teams are defending deep against us. Then, we completely changed the way we play. Waste of f*cking time that all was.

For me, Benteke has been one of the few bright spots for us. Clyne too.

he is isolated up top, he needs players close to him

He's shown me enough that he is technically a really good player and not just a lump.

Between the preseason volley and the stunner from Saturday I've seen enough to think he can get us 20-30 goals a season if provided with support and service, but he got neither against the Mancs. He has enough technical ability to go with his size, strength, and freakish athleticism to torment defenders. We just need a manager who knows how to use a player like this.....

It was pathetic how often we hit long, high, hopeful balls into Benteke when his closest teammate (usually Can or Milner) was 25-30 yards away. He was completely isolated and usually had 3 defenders for company. No striker in the world could do anything with what he had to work with on Saturday.

This was BR's #1 target this summer, and he has no idea how to use him.....

Great strikers like Owen & Suarez did not need service to score goals, they made them themselves.

Benteke isn't a 32m striker, despite a great goal on Saturday. I don't think he is a 20 goal season striker, but I hope I'm wrong.

Great strikers like Owen & Suarez did not need service to score goals, they made them themselves.

Benteke isn't a 32m striker, despite a great goal on Saturday. I don't think he is a 20 goal season striker, but I hope I'm wrong.

Different type of striker mate. There are plenty of great target strikers who can score 20+ if/when they get the service: Toni, Drogba, Vieri, Van Nistelroy, etc. These are the types that Benteke has the ability to emulate if given the right service and support.

Great strikers like Owen & Suarez did not need service to score goals, they made them themselves.

Benteke isn't a 32m striker, despite a great goal on Saturday. I don't think he is a 20 goal season striker, but I hope I'm wrong.

You're saying the goal against swindon wasn't self made?  Yes technically he did get assisted but only a small handful of strikers in the world can do what he did.

Also against United he definitely did that out of no where, he can do the extraordinary.

Recent results have been very poor, but i honestly think when we get couts and firmino working well behind him and sturridge to partner him i think we'll see alot from benteke.

its odd though how we've gone from an attacking team to a team thats defending then lumping it to benteke, it doesnt suit our players at all

Said from when we were first linked, I didn't think he was the kind of striker we needed and that hasn't changed to be honest, he's obviously a talented player, there is no question of that, I just don't think his talents shine in the way that we play football, but like most I'm hoping when he has a partner who is up top along side him, whether that be Ings, Sturrdige or Origi we'll start to see the best of Benteke and that both his game and ours will evolve a little because at the moment with out the right kind of service or Benteke being Isolated due to being up top on his own we are looking a bit one dimensional and Benteke the odd good goal aside is being made to look a very limited striker and he's better than that if truth be told.

We paid a good sum of money for him to score goals and goals are what ultimately win games, so we need to play to Benteke's strengths not the side of his game that is limited, lets be honest Benteke is not the most intelligent striker, his game doesn't thrive on the intricate passing, pulling the defenders about, making space for him self, nut megs, little one - two's ala Suarez, his game thrives on a more direct approach and I'm not meaning lump it to the big fella here, I mean quick, direct and incisive passing into his feet/space as he plays on the shoulder of the last defender, the intricate, patient, passing about waiting for an opening approach will never work when were playing one up top as he just gets crowded out.

Lets give him a willing runner partner to create space, drag defenders out of position and then and only then do I think we'll see the best of Benteke, being used in the correct way and playing to his strengths, he really could be a beast for us, but as I always felt when we were first linked, I never thought Rodgers would play to his strengths and that's why I had my initial concerns about signing him.

Benteke has scored 66.66666667% of our goals this season

Still think he is mobile enough?

32m for a decent striker who Ings done a lot better than him when he came on.

Still think he is mobile enough?

32m for a decent striker who Ings done a lot better than him when he came on.

Benteke is a good player and yes he is mobile enough.

He was clearly struggling with an injury today which is why he was substituted.

Benteke is a good player and yes he is mobile enough.

He was clearly struggling with an injury today which is why he was substituted.

He hasn't been anything special since he started.

and for that sum you expect much more. He was awful today, he only felt his hamstring at the end.