Brendan Rodgers Talks Christian Benteke, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and More

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has backed Christian Benteke to come good after his rocky start at Anfield, citing Robert Lewandowski as an example of how patience can benefit strikers. 

Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t John Cross of the Daily Mirror), the Northern Irishman, who was sacked by the Reds earlier in the campaign, has spoken out about the man he brought in from Aston Villa for £32.5 million in the summer, insisting he has no doubt the Belgian will be a big player for the club:

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We felt at that time that Christian was up there in terms of goals to games. We felt that he was someone that we didn’t have in the squad. The problem now is the patience element. There doesn’t seem to be time.

We talk about patience. An example is Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich and he wouldn’t have got the patience in the Premier League that he did in the Bundesliga and now look at him. Christian over time will show he’s a top class player.

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Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

At the moment, Benteke is finding it difficult to settle under new manager Jurgen Klopp. The German has opted not to start the striker in the Premier League since the visit to West Ham United on Jan. 2, instead utilising Roberto Firmino, typically an attacking midfielder, as the sole striker.

The former Villa man has been handed chances in cup matches, but even in those outings, as noted by Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, the 25-year-old has been usurped by some younger players:

Lewandowski thrived under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund before eventually joining Bayern Munich. However, as Rodgers noted, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the imperious Pole, who struggled to get into the side straight away at the Westfalenstadion and even when he did get a chance, was played as a split striker instead of at the point of the attack.

Now, as the Bayern Munich US Twitter feed noted recently, the striker is very much the real deal:

Rodgers also revealed he met Klopp in an attempt to provide advice about the job he faces at Liverpool.

“I remember when Klopp first got the job and we sat down and we spoke,” said the former Reds chief. “We sat and had a chat at my house. He’s a good guy. Whatever help he needed going into the job, I was there for that.”

BreatheSport noted that the former Dortmund man, despite livening up the club with his effervescent personality, hasn’t actually enjoyed too many good results:

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After first 16 PL games as Liverpool manager:

Roy Hodgson: 22 pts
Brendan Rodgers: 22 pts
Jurgen Klopp: 22 pts pic.twitter.com/uvyWEiQUy5

— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) February 3, 2016"

Indeed, results accrued by Klopp have not been too dissimilar to those Rodgers posted during the early weeks of the season, but there have been some positive strides made. The German has steered Liverpool to a cup final for starters, while the cohesiveness instilled in the side and the chances for young players have also been refreshing.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Rodgers also commented on Manchester City’s decision to appoint Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola as manager at the end of the season.

“Everything seemed to be set up for him coming here,” said Rodgers. “It’s certainly going to be different for him. He’s shown with the best teams, he’s made them better. [Now] you’re coming into the most competitive league in the world. I’m sure that’s what excites him.”

He offered an opinion on who he feels will eventually go on to win the Premier League: “I think if you look at it and the squad they have, I’d lean towards Arsenal. Sanchez is the player that makes the difference for them.”

OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

Benteke was always going to take time to adapt at Liverpool and it’s true Klopp did utilise a target man during his time at Dortmund. But what’s worried Reds supporters is the lack of mobility, work rate and technical quality when it comes to their No. 9. They’re areas that need to be improved if the forward is to have a long-term future at the club.

Rodgers’ decision to meet with Klopp is something that should be lauded, and any insight provided would have been cherished by the German. At the moment, this is a side that remains very much in the Northern Irishman’s image, though, and, as such, any judgement about the current manager would be premature.