Chief editor Adrian Houghton believes Brendan Rodgers’ job security rests squarely on the form of big-money signing Christian Benteke.
“He’s a big lump and he’s slow,” those are the words that have emanated from some Liverpool fans across the globe.
There is always bound to be for and against, pros and cons, negatives and positives, lovers and haters – that is the nature of the English Premier League.
Conjecture, incessant debate and a series of pressing questions have greeted Liverpool’s big-money, and protracted purchase of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke.
The saviour to curb the side’s goalscoring woes, or yet another transfer flop?
Like anything, only time will tell. However, one thing is black and white – Rodgers has got his man.
Rumours of interest in the Belgian began in January, with Liverpool reportedly set to table a bid of £15 million, but it never eventuated.
After an elongated, and rather exhausting process, seven months later and the Belgium international is officially a Red for a fee double of what the club expected to pry him away from Aston Villa for.
Tim Sherwood’s inclusion at Villa Park not only rescued the former European Cup winners from a maiden Premier League relegation, it also saw the resurgence of Benteke.
He ended his Villa career with an incredible 12 goals in his final 13 games under the tutelage of Sherwood. Simply put, if you play to the target man’s strengths, then he will deliver, and emphatically.
After 101 goals in Liverpool’s desperately close title tilt of 2013-14, the Reds managed just a meagre 52 last term.
In Steven Gerrard’s words, world-class striker Luis Suarez was always going to be “irreplaceable”, but few anticipated just how hard the struggle would be in the wake of the Uruguayan’s exit.
Daniel Sturridge’s recurring injury problems were a cruel blow and of Mario Balotelli, the less said, the better.
#LFC are delighted to confirm the signing of Belgian striker @bentekechris20 from @AVFCOfficial #BentekeLFC pic.twitter.com/QODMLLUGhn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 22, 2015
Now, it is all nothing for Rodgers as he pins his Anfield job hopes on Benteke’s goalscoring potential.
Rodgers has taken risks in the transfer market yet again this summer, and understandably so, with the haunting memory of Stoke City’s 6-1 demolition job still fresh on the memory of the board and fans.
The 42-year-old, entering his fourth term with the club, only wanted to be judged after three years at the helm. It is safe to say that the jury is still well and truly out and Fenway Sports Group have gifted him one last opportunity to retain his role as Reds boss.
Providing Rodgers with the funds to capture his No. 1 summer target is a great vote of confidence and a massive risk at the same time. FSG will learn a great deal from the transaction if he pans out for better or worse.
To the player himself, Reds fans know the sight of the Belgian brute all too well, having scored five goals in his last six appearances for Aston Villa against Liverpool.
Naturally, there have been trembles of trepidation from Kopites, with the British record fee flop that was Andy Carroll painted as an example of a big target man who failed miserably.
At 22, and seemingly given all the tools necessary to thrive, Carroll became the ultimate scapegoat for Liverpool’s horrendous form under the Kenny Dalglish regime.
But this player is of a different ilk. He has the attributes of centre-forward like Carroll, only his goalscoring prowess is consistently delivered and undeniable.
Benteke’s 42 in 89 appearances in the league for a lowly club, managed by a sub-par manager in Paul Lambert, is an outstanding record.
His 13 goals from headers in the past three seasons is the most of any player in the division, which leads to doubts about how he can adapt to the Reds’ style.
Liverpool put in the fewest crosses of any team in the league during 2014-15. Cue the knee-jerk reaction, how can Benteke score in the air if this the case?
Since his debut in September 2012, Benteke is the fourth highest scorer in the division, behind world-class talents like Sergio Aguero, Suarez and Robin van Persie.
Moreover, 22 of his goals have been right-footed shots and seven on his non-preferred – this is a player clearly capable of scoring with both his feet and head.
The players that Benteke has had to feed off for delivery are significantly inferior to the likes of Brazilian duo Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, as well as industrious midfielders Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
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The apprehension is inevitable thanks to the ghost of Carroll, but Liverpool are recruiting a player who is proven goalscorer in this league.
Talk of redemption and landing a drought-breaking title 12 months ago is now a distant memory. Rodgers has seemingly brought in his preferred targets – something he struggled to do last summer – so fans will finally have a crystal clear indication of whether he’s capable of steering the English giants back into the coveted top four.
It is never clear-cut in football, but Rodgers’ reign at Anfield may live or die by his desire to bring in Benteke.
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