Am I the only one who thinks that Benteke isn't actually progressing but is on the same level since 2 years?
Christian Benteke | BBC: Liverpool Agree £32.5m Fee
- Thread starter Sparky Rhiwabon
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Because none of them had a great all round game and yet it didn't hinder the other attackers ability to perform around them.
You pay that amount of money not expecting him to just be on the bench. He'd be competing with a wayne rooney that hasn't led our line for 5 years and is in clear physical decline.
I take it you haven't payed attention to his villa career. He had a slow start in the beginning then started scoring at a amazing rate for the 2nd half of his first season. Started his 2nd season like a house on fire and then got injured. Came back, couldn't score and then got a really bad injury at the end of that season then started the next one not playing and still recovering.
Couldn't score after coming back then suddenly burst into life after a managerial change.
Fact is he's had two spells in the past 3 seasons where he's scored at a rate that'd make any club forget his so called deficient all round game.
Batistuta's all round game was far superior to Benteke. And even though Inzaghi didn't play a major part in Juventus or Milan's build-up play, using one of the greatest poachers in the history of football to justify a potential signing like Benteke is highly disingenuous. Players like Inzaghi and Paolo Rossi were exceptions to the norm, not the median standard. Benteke would do extremely well to become a Klaan-Jas Huntelaar type scorer, based off his body of work so far.
Wayne Rooney in physical decline is still a better forward than Benteke.
Yeah, you're right. I haven't got a clue, and habitually talk out of the arse. Using injuries as a caveat to enhance his reputation doesn't work. At the end of the day, he doesn't have top shelf skill, and has scored at an average of 11 goals per season. Lack of form or fitness concerns isn't exactly high praise when speaking of the consistency required to be an elite forward.
Who cares about spells and purple patches ? Plenty of players have periods where they score at a blistering pace. If your substitute or even presumptive lead striker can't maintain a decent level of consistency over the season, then what's the use. How is a player who either starts the season on a house of fire, and then stops scoring once the knockout stages of the Champions League roll around beneficial to the club ? Or a player who goes months with only a couple of goals after getting injured, allowing your title rivals (yes, that's what our level should be) to build up a substantial lead..
I have watched quite a bit Bundesliga games and Firmino always looked one of the best on the pitch. Not sure if he is worth that kind of money but compared to other prices he might be.
Like mentioned by some others Benteke is a good player but completely overpriced.
I don't see whats so hard to understand here. To repeat @B20 question, did you know about Drogba while he was at Guingamp? Im making a direct comparison with Drogba and Benteke at the same age. When Drogba was 24, which Benteke is now, he played for Guingamp. People in this thread are pretending they watched Drogba before Marseilles and that they knew he'd be a world beater. I honestly don't think a single person on here thought that back in 2003, or even knew who Drogba was back then, thats just my guess.
He did play in the CL with Marseille, they finished third of their group I think and thefore played/reached the UEFA Cup final. He did well in the CL but he truly shone in the UEFA Cup scoring this goal against Newcastle in the semi final:
16 goals per season average not 11. In the EPL
Did you even read the previous series of posts that lead to the conversation ? Or do you like to jump in and act the smartarse without considering the context ?
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/christian-benteke-bbc-liverpool-to-meet-£32-5m-clause-seriously-like-not-even-lying.406461/page-26#post-17796811
All this is just an evolving, perhaps unintentional, strawman though. The argument has gone as follows:
"When Drogba was benteke's age he played for Guingamp and unknown. It was only when he joined Marseille he made a name for himself."
"You didn't know drogba before he joined chelsea? he was great in the champions league."
"He didn't play CL at Guingamp. No one knew him at guingamp."
"Did for Marseille."
Why omit his first season at Villa? I looked at the posts you were responding to and I don't see why you'd specifically only take count of his last two seasons when he's played three in the EPL altogether. Earlier in the same conversation you mentioned Hernandez's strike rate in his first three seasons as a comparison to Benteke's first three no? It doesn't make sense.
Because that's more recent evidence in median terms, and a better gauge for the level he will project to ?
Hernandez was included in a separate context (as was Benteke) when comparing his overall body of work through the first three seasons at United vs Benteke who scored a similar figure per season at Aston Villa through his three seasons.
Get the feeling you want to argue just for the sake of it, or are maybe seeking oneupmanship rather than more fruitful debate, and like to dredge up minutiae in emphatic fashion, so I'm just gonna leave you to it.
I think you're full of shit tbh. So yea lets just leave it at that.
Ooh, snappy comeback. That definitely burnt a hole through my soul. 
Let me make this simple for you muppets - Benteke is not as good as Drogba was.
Overpaid or not I still think he's a good signing for them. They're not able to secure the top talent so the only option they have is steady players who may be able to step up and thats what they've gone for.
Sturridge, Benteke, Ings, Firminho is decent enough firepower up front. Not as convinced by what's behind them though.
Sturridge, Benteke, Ings, Firminho is decent enough firepower up front. Not as convinced by what's behind them though.
I think you'd have to be worried about the long troughs of poor form he falls into if you were a Liverpool fan. He might well develop that consistency, but far from a given, IMO.
Batistuta had a miles better all round game than Benteke.
He was one of the best attackers in his generation.
Benteke is not a player we should be looking for. We'd better give his game time to Wilson. I don't think he can be a starter, given Rooney is fit.
Liverpool on other hand I think he will improve.
Aye, lad. You've cherry picked and cut your stats in the best of faith so far.
Sky Sports just posted this to see how he would fit in... That team is fecking dreadful except for Coutinho, they need a lot better to get into the top 4 next season if that's what they are boasting
They have a good front 3 - Firmino, Coutinho and Benteke (as he'll improve them in the striker area). Behind them tho... Stoke level.
Sky Sports just posted this to see how he would fit in... That team is fecking dreadful except for Coutinho, they need a lot better to get into the top 4 next season if that's what they are boasting
It's way too narrow in the front 3 imo. Reus would probably fix this but they aren't getting him in their dreams
I can`t believe Benteke is being compared to Inzhagi , Batistuta and Drogba . Surely he is more in the Kevin Phillips , Heskey or Darren Bent bracket which is a fair distance in quality from the former three .
That is something else, but let's not forget we have a midfielder that could be better than them all.
Sky Sports just posted this to see how he would fit in... That team is fecking dreadful except for Coutinho, they need a lot better to get into the top 4 next season if that's what they are boasting
I wouldn't say 'fecking dreadful'.
For me that's a solid team, replace Benteke with a fully fit Sturridge and that's a team challenging for a top 4 place. The thing that will let them down is the squad depth in areas, no doubt they have the depth but the quality in the depth isn't the best. Milner, Can and Henderson all very solid hard working players, that are going to consistently put in 7/10 performances - they have the flair in Firmino and Coutinho to make goals for their forwards. Scousers will be solid this season, I just think us and the other top 4 might have too much for them in the big head to heads.
That looks to me like Milner will end up back on the wing in some capacity. Hasn't old Brent promised him a central midfield berth? All hell will break loose.
I feel as though we have dodged a bullet here with Benteke:
- I don't see how he would fit our system. And for that matter I don't see how he fits Rodgers' striking role.
- For £32.5m you would be wanting to sign a striker who will compete with Rooney. Not one who is always going to be second fiddle.
- Whenever I have watched him play he has never inspired me. This 'potential' people speak about I just don't see it.
Sky Sports just posted this to see how he would fit in... That team is fecking dreadful except for Coutinho, they need a lot better to get into the top 4 next season if that's what they are boasting
Looks like a quite well-built team in that there are no major holes in the lineup and it seems balanced. But at the same time there's not a player in there that really puts the fear in you when you see the lineup before the game. Might change if someone like Firmino or Benteke become a huge success, but I doubt it. Solid team, nothing spectacular. Could challenge for top 4, but they've got a terrible fixture list and have to start well.
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Cherry pick what exactly ? I've only attempted to illustrate how someone like Benteke is not going to be the world class player some are making him out to be. We have folks mentioning him in the same light as the likes of Batistuta to prove a point about the overwhelming virtues of goalscoring competence. If you disagree, fine, you're entitled to the opinion. But surely you must realize that outside of Benteke's first season at Villa (which was well over 2 seasons ago mind), he has been kind of mediocre, and not someone destined to lead a big club in terms of title chances, and European competition ? People keep coming back to his 2012/ 2013 form, but lots of players are flash in the pan in their debut seasons, and fail to replicate that sort of return over subsequent seasons, which is exactly what Benteke has shown so far with 10 goals in 2013/ 2014 and 13 goals in 2014/ 2015. How can anyone say with gumption that he will be a consistent 20+ goal per season player is beyond me to be honest.
I mean this is someone who has a similar playing style, and has been the statistical equivalent to the likes of Edin Dzeko, Wilfried Bony, Romelu Lukaku in the past 24 months or thereabouts. Hardly the most distinguished company to have, atleast in terms of what United should aim for. Not an intentional dig in all honesty, but I'm kind of ambivalent about him joining Liverpool. You can't sign some of the best strikers in Europe (by virtue of being out of the Champions League and having underperformed in recent seasons apart from the blip in 2013/ 2014) and I totally get the circumstances, so from an objective standpoint Benteke makes sense. But I do think that from a schematic fitpoint of view, someone like a Lacazette might have been a better choice.
And I still don't believe Benteke will justify the inflated £32 million fee, be it in terms of his current standard, or his projected impact based on his skillset, and lack of consistency evidenced by the performances in the last couple of seasons. That's exactly the type of fee Chelsea paid for Diego Costa, a player that showed a significantly higher level of consistency over his final 2 seasons at Atletico, both in terms of his overall play, and increasing statistical returns, going from 10 at Rayo, to 20 for Atletico in 2012/ 2013, and then replacing Falcao and scoring 36 in all competitions in 2013/ 2014 to show a progressively positive trend as opposed to Benteke who scored an encouraging 23 in his first seasons, but then reverted to the mean instead of improving and building upon the performances. And he has 0 compeitive goals for Belgium since 2012 to boot, despite the striker position being kind of weak for their national team and competition in the form of Lukaku, Origi and co.
Sorry but when I see that team I just think of mediocrity. Yeah its solid but is solid good enough to get the top 4, especially when you compare their team to the current top 4? To say that midfield will consistently put in 7/10 performances is an exaggeration, if so I'd be eager to see what our midfield could do at that rate. Nothing in that team scares anyone except for Coutinho and Sturridge (when he finally gets off the injury table) and maybe Firmino.
They will probably use the wings with Clyne and Moreno. Firmino and Countinho are also capable of playing on the wings. That team however is pretty weak on paper in the center..
Pereira?
Did Jamie Redknapp write this tweet?
So £49m for Sterling - £10m to QPR - £32.5 for Benteke = £6.5m
I've seen this film before.
I've seen this film before.
SSN hunting for Benteke
Another unremarkable signing for a silly fee. Standard Liverpool.
He'll do well for them.
Glad he's not coming here. Strikes me as more of a Liverpool player than United player.
He is playing for a pretty shitty team. It will be interesting to see how he does in a better attacking lineup. I think he will get a minimum of 17-20 goals this season.
Great post.
The money is off on Benteke but I do think he would have had good value at United because at times he can impose his will and take over games more so than many of the PL counterparts.
Hard to say what his ceiling could be because he's never had proper service.
Liverpool seems to be a mismatch in terms of fit re: style of play but he could give them a reasonably consistent goal threat.
Hard to say what his ceiling could be because he's never had proper service.
Liverpool seems to be a mismatch in terms of fit re: style of play but he could give them a reasonably consistent goal threat.
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