And if I'm a quarter as wrong as you were about Carroll and Henderson then he'll have the golden cunting boot.
Benteke - BOOOOOO the puns
- Thread starter mxtravs
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And if I'm a quarter as wrong as you were about Carroll and Henderson then he'll have the golden cunting boot.
Then how the hell did you ever think Ballotelli would work?
Fowler:
[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fowler-benteke-perfect-for-liverpool-9577550?]“The striker issue is a big thing,” Fowler told the ECHO.
“We didn’t have anyone who scored 10 Premier League goals last year and I can’t remember the last time that happened at Liverpool.
“It’s important we get a proven goalscorer and of the names being bandied about I’d go for Benteke. I think he’s excellent.
“I know there are other top strikers out there and probably more prolific scorers. But in terms of all-round play - strength, speed, physicality, finishing - I think Benteke could be the main man for Liverpool.”
Benteke’s record since joining Villa from Genk in 2012 is impressive with 49 goals in 101 appearances. He was sidelined for six months after rupturing his Achilles in April 2014 and initially struggled on his return to action last season.
It was following the appointment of boss Tim Sherwood that he came to life - scoring a dozen goals in his last 12 matches to save Villa from relegation.
Many have questioned whether the 6ft 3ins frontman would be a good fit for Liverpool’s style of play and Sherwood has warned Benteke against making the move to Anfield.
“I think we cross more balls into the box than any club in the league and I think Christian says he feeds off crosses,” he said. “There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball.”
However, Fowler, who plundered 183 goals in 369 games for Liverpool, says there is so much more to Benteke’s game than simply attacking balls from the flanks and believes his presence in the Liverpool side would also enable others to flourish.
“I’ve watched him a lot and he’s not just a targetman,” Fowler said.
“He can hold the ball well and bring others into play but he’s also mobile and keeps defenders on their toes.
“Before he got his injury I was very impressed with him and I was hoping we would sign him then. He had a slow start after getting back fit but under Tim Sherwood his form was superb.
“I think he’s ideal for the way Brendan wants to play. It’s probably what we lacked at times last season. We had forwards who wanted to drop deep to get involved with the play and we always had that gap up front.
“With a Benteke type, you have someone who will stay up there and stretch defenders. If you have someone who stretches the defence and makes the pitch bigger there’s a lot more space for the likes of Firmino, Coutinho and Henderson to run into.
“When you’ve got players who want to drop deep all the time, you’re easier to mark as a team. When forwards drop into Coutinho’s position, it makes it harder for him to get on the ball.
“Liverpool’s game isn’t all about getting down the line and whipping crosses in, it’s about movement but I think Benteke has got that.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is that we get a forward like that - someone to make the pitch big. It’s vital for us because it brings others into the game.”
If Liverpool paid the release clause Benteke would become the second most expensive signing in the club’s history. The price tag wouldn’t put Fowler off.
“That’s for the clubs to sort out,” he added.
“A big thing is made out of the price but that’s doesn’t concern me.
“If a player is good enough, he’s good enough and I believe Benteke is.
“He scores goals, he’s a threat and a real handful for defenders. Being honest, I think he’s probably the perfect player for us.”[/article]
[article]While Benteke won 188 aerial duels in the 2014/15 season, Liverpool’s forwards won only 58 between the six of them. While Benteke scored four headed goals, Liverpool’s forwards mustered just one.
[/article]
[article]Opta's Premier League best: Aerial duels
1. Christian Benteke (188)
2. Graziano Pelle (176)
3. Jason Shackell (170) [/article]
[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fowler-benteke-perfect-for-liverpool-9577550?]“The striker issue is a big thing,” Fowler told the ECHO.
“We didn’t have anyone who scored 10 Premier League goals last year and I can’t remember the last time that happened at Liverpool.
“It’s important we get a proven goalscorer and of the names being bandied about I’d go for Benteke. I think he’s excellent.
“I know there are other top strikers out there and probably more prolific scorers. But in terms of all-round play - strength, speed, physicality, finishing - I think Benteke could be the main man for Liverpool.”
Benteke’s record since joining Villa from Genk in 2012 is impressive with 49 goals in 101 appearances. He was sidelined for six months after rupturing his Achilles in April 2014 and initially struggled on his return to action last season.
It was following the appointment of boss Tim Sherwood that he came to life - scoring a dozen goals in his last 12 matches to save Villa from relegation.
Many have questioned whether the 6ft 3ins frontman would be a good fit for Liverpool’s style of play and Sherwood has warned Benteke against making the move to Anfield.
“I think we cross more balls into the box than any club in the league and I think Christian says he feeds off crosses,” he said. “There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball.”
However, Fowler, who plundered 183 goals in 369 games for Liverpool, says there is so much more to Benteke’s game than simply attacking balls from the flanks and believes his presence in the Liverpool side would also enable others to flourish.
“I’ve watched him a lot and he’s not just a targetman,” Fowler said.
“He can hold the ball well and bring others into play but he’s also mobile and keeps defenders on their toes.
“Before he got his injury I was very impressed with him and I was hoping we would sign him then. He had a slow start after getting back fit but under Tim Sherwood his form was superb.
“I think he’s ideal for the way Brendan wants to play. It’s probably what we lacked at times last season. We had forwards who wanted to drop deep to get involved with the play and we always had that gap up front.
“With a Benteke type, you have someone who will stay up there and stretch defenders. If you have someone who stretches the defence and makes the pitch bigger there’s a lot more space for the likes of Firmino, Coutinho and Henderson to run into.
“When you’ve got players who want to drop deep all the time, you’re easier to mark as a team. When forwards drop into Coutinho’s position, it makes it harder for him to get on the ball.
“Liverpool’s game isn’t all about getting down the line and whipping crosses in, it’s about movement but I think Benteke has got that.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is that we get a forward like that - someone to make the pitch big. It’s vital for us because it brings others into the game.”
If Liverpool paid the release clause Benteke would become the second most expensive signing in the club’s history. The price tag wouldn’t put Fowler off.
“That’s for the clubs to sort out,” he added.
“A big thing is made out of the price but that’s doesn’t concern me.
“If a player is good enough, he’s good enough and I believe Benteke is.
“He scores goals, he’s a threat and a real handful for defenders. Being honest, I think he’s probably the perfect player for us.”[/article]
[article]While Benteke won 188 aerial duels in the 2014/15 season, Liverpool’s forwards won only 58 between the six of them. While Benteke scored four headed goals, Liverpool’s forwards mustered just one.
[article]Opta's Premier League best: Aerial duels
1. Christian Benteke (188)
2. Graziano Pelle (176)
3. Jason Shackell (170) [/article]
Yeah, after the 1-0 defeat to Wales.
[article]'I changed my system afterwards, because Benteke was isolated. I then played with two strikers, but they need more crosses. We asked them to get to the front post, but they stand there like two poles. We still have work to do.
'We missed [Fellaini] in this game because this really was a match for him. He gets in the box.'[/article]
Probably one of the reasons why we are interested:
OptaJoe @OptaJoe https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/589784813264994305
4 - Christian Benteke has scored four goals in five PL appearances v Liverpool – only against Sunderland (5) has he scored more. Target.
Ryan's opinion v God's opinion - both can't be right. No deep deep v big pitch?
The f*cking pits, at least if we do blow 30 odd million on Bentekkers he can't be as lazy, childish, selfish or disinterested as him.
Still really hope we don't get him.
It will be God's opinion then. Cant argue with him.
As for Ryan's long post, it's hard to disagree with any of it, its so frustrating that we stupidly fucked off Remy last season, he'd work great in our system and was clearly the right striker for us, instead we are now fucking about with Strikers that are completely incompatible with our style. We'll probably sign Llorente and Mario Gomez next.
Further, my only hope for Benteke is that he's been playing like a big lump most of the times I've seen him because that's how he's been instructed to play (reading that villa post makes me hopeful that's the case), and that with a little coaching and instruction he'll be able to adapt to our play style, by dropping deep and rotating position more often in the build up, and by constantly dragging defenders about by looking to make runs in behind off their shoulders. If he's able to do that, he'll be alright, but I've just spent a year hoping that Balotelli would learn the same, and I really don't want to do it again.
You're the one who said he needs crosses into the box to score, you who said crossing the ball was defunct. But when you actually watch the videos, it's bollocks because his goals are a mix of everything. You're going back on a sweeping generalisation, by making more sweeping generalisations.
"The archetypal centre forward", who can also score all manner of goals. It's lazy thinking and I'm not a massive fan of Benteke and don't happen to think he'd be best suited to us (or rather, there are better suited players out there), but the reasons against him are exaggerated and inaccurate.
Hahahahahaha terrific.
I cant believe people think we're going to buy a striker again with no plan on how to utilise him. It almost cost Rodgers his job last year. Rodgers would have spent every waking minute thinking about this and how its going to work. We're certainly not going to walk blindly into next season with the same plan and make the same mistakes.
I've got faith that this time around Rodgers is making HIS signings to work to HIS plan. A front 3 from these: Benteke, Origi, Sturridge, Sterling, Lallana and Ings with Coutinho behind and Milner and Henderson behind him sounds good to me.
I've got faith that this time around Rodgers is making HIS signings to work to HIS plan. A front 3 from these: Benteke, Origi, Sturridge, Sterling, Lallana and Ings with Coutinho behind and Milner and Henderson behind him sounds good to me.
People seem to have fallen into this trap of thinking that every player we sign up top has to be a speed merchant. Accusing Rodgers of being inflexible then insisting we "have" to have this or that player, that matches his so called blueprint. Sturridge, Ibe and Origi are all fast, Coutinho, Firmino and Ings are all relatively quick, while Benteke is hardly a cart horse. He scores goals and if you get men forward and around him, he'd thrive. I can't be arsed with people dismissing him as a big burly centre forward. Mario failed because he's lazy junk, Lambert failed because he just wasn't good enough or played enough and Andy Carroll just didn't look after himself, but they're shit comparisons anyway.
There are others I'd take ahead of him but Benteke is far from a lump of lard with no movement or skill. That aside, I was saying during last season how we have virtually no aerial threat and that regardless of how we are set up we still need to offer an aerial threat at set pieces. With Suarez, Sturridge and Skrtel we offered that in 2013/14 and were rewarded with a fair number of headed goals, 2014/15 was pathetic though, SG probably our only real threat and that at the tail end of the season.
And it's not just headed goals we lack, we constantly lose possession when the ball is up in the air in the opposition half of the pitch because overall as a team we lack height and this was extremely obvious with our usual front lines last season. This would be one aspect of our game that would improve no end, leading to more goals of all types from more retained, and won, possession.
And it's not just headed goals we lack, we constantly lose possession when the ball is up in the air in the opposition half of the pitch because overall as a team we lack height and this was extremely obvious with our usual front lines last season. This would be one aspect of our game that would improve no end, leading to more goals of all types from more retained, and won, possession.
I'll go with Ryan
The fact that we played best last season when Sterling was upfront on his own, even when it was obvious he's not a striker, speaks volumes.
It made it so painfully obvious that Rodgers' team needs someone mobile upfront to function well, and when we had that mobile player, even though he was not very good at scoring goals, we played better and won more games, with all of our strikers sitting on the bench.
And that's all that has to be said, it really doesn't freaking matter if Benteke is a good player or not, he's obviously a decent football player and maybe in some other team he may develop into a world-class player, but he's not mobile enough, clearly not the best option for us at 30m.
what this team needs is mobility upfront and it's been proven time and time again, it would be stupid to buy someone that doesn't fit that bill.
It made it so painfully obvious that Rodgers' team needs someone mobile upfront to function well, and when we had that mobile player, even though he was not very good at scoring goals, we played better and won more games, with all of our strikers sitting on the bench.
And that's all that has to be said, it really doesn't freaking matter if Benteke is a good player or not, he's obviously a decent football player and maybe in some other team he may develop into a world-class player, but he's not mobile enough, clearly not the best option for us at 30m.
what this team needs is mobility upfront and it's been proven time and time again, it would be stupid to buy someone that doesn't fit that bill.
That's not my memory of us playing best last season, it was the few games Sturridge played. When sterling played upfront in games we looked devoid of any sort of goal threat.
