Why Christian Benteke Must Be a Regular Starter for Liverpool
Christian Benteke is close to four months into his Liverpool career and has so far yet to fully justify the £32.5 million fee former Reds manager Brendan Rodgers sanctioned to secure his move from Aston Villa at the end of July—undermining the Ulsterman's off-season expectations.
Staunchly, and correctly, backing his big-money signing, Rodgers told the club's official website in July that Benteke would "prove to be a bargain for the club."
Continuing his appraisal, Rodgers reinforced his belief that Benteke could become a key player within his Liverpool squad after cutting his teeth in the Premier League over three seasons with Villa:
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"I've read and seen things about his game, but in the short period of time he's been in, I've been even more impressed. I've seen him up close now for three years, stood at the side of the field and watching this guy - not just his power and strength, but also his footballing ability.
[...]
Obviously he doesn't set the price and I'm thankful the club have brought him in because I really think at 24 years of age, he's going to be a huge asset for us.
"
Benteke became something of a symbol of Rodgers' last days on Merseyside, with the 42-year-old seemingly doomed from the outset in 2015/16, and a change of manager could have created fears for the striker's own future at the club.
But as Jurgen Klopp assesses his squad during the international break, he will likely have earmarked the bullish Belgian as a key player—at this stage, Benteke must be a regular starter for Liverpool.
Christian Benteke
"This isn't someone who lacks pace, movement and intelligence," Rodgers continued back in July. "He's not just a guy who you chuck the ball up to. Of course, his strength allows you to keep the ball, but he'll really help the unpredictability of our game this season."
Though the then-Reds manager refuted suggestions Benteke was a poor fit for the club as he briefed reporters during Liverpool's pre-season visit to Helsinki, the striker certainly represented something of a gamble, as B/R's Sam Tighe told This is Anfield upon his arrival at Anfield:
"As good as Benteke really is, he’s a pretty bad stylistic fit for the Liverpool we have come to know and understand under Brendan Rodgers.
Without wanting to put him back in said pigeonhole, he’s essentially a cross hoover, and if you don’t cross or play long to Benteke, you’re probably not using his best strengths.
"
Benteke, who was a focal point within Paul Lambert and Tim Sherwood's Villa sides because of his aerial prowess, power and hold-up play, faced a significant test of his capabilities on Merseyside, with Rodgers' Liverpool renowned for their nimble attackers and intricate buildup play in the final third.
Though Tighe said "it is unfair to pigeonhole him as a target man," Benteke has endured a troubled adjustment period following his move, hampered by injuries to himself and the key players around him.
Benteke scored one goal in his first four games for the club in August in a run that showed signs of promise alongside key playmaker Philippe Coutinho but lacked the end product required to keep Rodgers in a stable position. This was made worse by the Brazilian's red card in a 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham United at the end of that month.
Rodgers' blossoming attacking partnership was torn apart against the Hammers, and a 3-1 loss away to Manchester United followed, with a goal-of-the-season contender from Benteke the sole consolation.
Suffering a hamstring injury in September's 1-1 draw with Norwich City, Benteke played his last minutes under Rodgers. With a changing of the guard instigated by the club at the beginning of October, his future was up in the air.
Benteke is an undeniably talented player. He scored 42 goals in 89 Premier League games for Villa and is the Reds' joint-top goalscorer in the league at the stage, having netted four times in nine appearances.
Moreover, at this stage, he is the best attacking option at Klopp's disposal.
Liverpool's Attacking Options
Benteke was made a priority signing for Liverpool this summer, ostensibly because of Rodgers' reservations over the long-term fitness issues of star striker Daniel Sturridge, as he revealed in conversation with the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle in April.
"I am not sure [how many strikers I need], but I need one that is going to be playing and at a top level every week," he explained.
"[Sturridge] is not fit and once he can show that consistency and fitness, you can see in his performance level that it’s a high one. But obviously he has missed lot of the season so we need to assess it. But either way if he’s not available, we need to have that support."
Though Rodgers is still licking his wounds after receiving his P45 after October's 1-1 draw with Everton, he will feel a sickly vindication for taking this stance over the summer, as Sturridge's injury problems have continued in 2015/16.
After recovering from hip surgery, the 26-year-old made just three appearances in the Premier League before suffering a knee injury in training shortly after Klopp's arrival at the club, and while the striker has since returned to outside work at the club's Melwood training facility, question marks remain over his fragility—Sturridge would be Liverpool's first-choice striker, but is he a reliable option?
Elsewhere, after looking set to take over from Benteke as Liverpool's starting centre-forward following a period of strong performances, including star turns against Norwich, Villa and Everton, Danny Ings' unfortunate ACL injury rules him out of contention under Klopp this season.
The 23-year-old, who joined the club from Burnley this summer, will set his sights on a leading role in 2016/17, but Klopp will be forced to plan without him for the time being.
Injuries to Ings, Benteke and Sturridge left Klopp to put his faith in former Lille striker Divock Origi in the first four games of his Liverpool tenure, but with the Belgian struggling to impose himself as a lone striker against Tottenham Hotspur, Rubin Kazan, Southampton and Bournemouth, he has since played just three minutes in all competitions for the Reds.
Origi has the raw quality to become a star under Klopp, with pace, power and intelligent movement suggesting he could be developed into a devastating off-shoulder forward. But at present, he looks more likely to succeed in a wide role—Klopp deployed him on the left wing in November's 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, suggesting this move is in the manager's thoughts at this stage.
Benteke led the line against Palace before he and his Liverpool team-mates departed for international duty, and with Sturridge, Ings and Origi struggling with injuries and for form, he is the default option as Klopp's first choice.
But as his performance against Palace suggests, there is much room for improvement before this can be considered a positive.
Room for Improvement
Against Alan Pardew's side at Anfield, Benteke was poor, disjointed and far from the standard required. Missing crucial headers at both ends of the pitch—failing to put Liverpool ahead at 1-1 and mistiming his jump in attempting to clear a Yohan Cabaye corner in the buildup to Scott Dann's winner—the Belgian can be blamed for the Reds' defeat—along with many others within Klopp's lineup, of course.
Touching the ball just 11 times in the Palace penalty area, hitting the target with one effort from five attempts and making three fouls—the most of any Liverpool player—Benteke was well below what is needed.
As the final whistle blew, Klopp will have privately lamented the anonymous showing of his key striker, who must involve himself more productively in Liverpool's all-round play to thrive.
This criticism extends to the majority of his performances in a Liverpool shirt to date, with all but one of Benteke's four goals isolated incidents—his tap-in against Bournemouth, his volley at Old Trafford and his header against Southampton all coming against the run of play.
He has averaged the lowest passing accuracy of any of Klopp's outfield players this season, with 68.6 per cent, and he has made more unsuccessful touches per 90 league minutes (3.2) than any Liverpool player bar Origi (4.1).
At this point, Benteke has done little to assuage initial fears of his unsuitability for the team.
Circumstances dictate he plays a key role, but there is still work to be done by the striker and his team-mates in order for this to be effective.
This is a Liverpool side still coming to terms with Klopp's demanding attacking system and, arguably, still coming to terms with a new breed of striker.
Benteke's poor performance against Palace—his first league start under Klopp—was as much to do with his work rate as it was his team-mates' confused deliveries, with the fast, one-touch attacking ideals of Coutinho and Roberto Firmino jarring with the approach of the more direct Jordon Ibe. Just six of Liverpool's 33 attempted crosses against the Eagles were accurate, leaving Klopp's "cross hoover" frustrated with the quality of service.
This will no doubt improve with time—as will Benteke's all-round contribution—and Klopp will be hoping this improvement comes sooner rather than later.
As his side return from international duty to take on Manchester City on Saturday evening, Benteke represents Klopp's best hope of success as Liverpool's attacking spearhead, and the Belgian must remain a regular for the Reds in the absence of Sturridge.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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