Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers has said that he has no plans to abandon his possession-based approach at Anfield, despite the signing of Christian Benteke, who Rodgers reckons is far better with the ball than his reputation suggests.
Liverpool FC prepare to face off Arsenal FC in a crunch tie in the Premier League tonight, hoping to inflict an early psychological blow to the Gunners who are their top four rivals.
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Liverpool FCa s lack of fire power upfront was touted as one of the biggest reasons for a poor season in 2014-15 when the club finished sixth in the league.
Christian Benteke was one of Brendan Rodgersa primary targets to solve the goal scoring problem at Liverpool FC. The club hierarchy duly obliged and signed the player for a reported 32.5 million GBP from Aston Villa, where the player had averaged a goal every other game.
Benteke signing won’t change Rodgers’ style of play
Rodgers insists he has always striven to play a style of football that is pleasing on the eye and sees no reasons why he would change that for Benteke, who is a player known to thrive on crosses.
“I worry that we play good football,” he was quoted saying by ESPN FC.
“I’ve always done that in my life — working with young players, working now at senior level as a manager with over 300-odd games — I’ve always worried about the football.
“I’m not one that will go into every game and not worry about how we play and take a 1-0. You can do that at times but the nature of how I work on a daily basis, and how we work as a coaching staff, is based on the tactical idea of intelligent footballers, creative footballers with high energy, the ability to press the game and make it really difficult for opponents with and without the ball.
“That notion hasn’t changed but as you evolve as a manager and a coach, you understand and recognise that at times there are different ways to win a game of football. When you have those types of players, that gives us a better way to win.”
Benteke a good fit at Anfield
There was a fear among the Liverpool faithful, that Benteke would fail to adapt to the style of play at Anfield. It was compounded when Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood warned the Belgian to not move to Liverpool FC as there was a no point going to a club where they dona t cross the balla .
Rodgers, however, sees that hardly as an issue with the manager of the belief that the the new Liverpool forward can fit with his preferred ideology.
“He can play football,” he added of Benteke.
“His touch is good, his ability to bring players into the game — whether that’s with his feet or a little cushioned header — is a great skill.
“What he gives us is that threat in the box. When the ball comes in, he’s a striker in the area. There are other ways of doing it to keep the game alive.
“When you have a 6-foot-4 player like Christian he affects when the ball comes into the box and because of his physicality and his mobility it keeps the game alive that little bit longer.”
