“I don’t believe that what he [Sherwood] said is true and I told him that,” Benteke said.
“I spoke with him and I explained the situation. I said football has changed and the football now is modern and I can adapt.
“It is not just about crossing, I can score normal goals too. I told him I am not afraid about it. If Liverpool bought me then they know how to use me.
“That’s why I came here – I’ll show I can play with my feet too.”
Christian Benteke has come out fighting in response to comments made by his old Aston Villa boss while his transfer saga was rumbling on over the summer. Tim Sherwood may have had good intentions when attempting to dissuade his 24-year-old hit-man from leaving Villa Park, but his “no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball” quote, even at the time, seemed a little disrespectful to the Belgium international.
Benteke himself appears to have been riled by the judgement of his talent, which bodes well for Liverpool as they embark on a ‘do or die’ season following serious investment. A top four finish in the aim, and anything less may cost Brendan Rodgers his job and lead to serious questioning of the £32.5m fee paid for Benteke.
However we at Football FanCast believe that the burly striker will be a hit at the club, and here are FIVE reasons we think he’ll prove Sherwood, and any other doubters, wrong…
Quality around him
The major difference between Benteke at Villa and Benteke at Liverpool is that he’ll have better players around him. No disrespect to the Villans, but the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana will be able to provide a greater quality of service than Jack Grealish and Charles N’Zogbia. As a result, Benteke is sure to get more chances, even if they’re not the ‘swing the ball into the box’-type that Sherwood has talked up.
On a similar note, Liverpool play a more progressive brand of football than Benteke has been a part of at Villa. Sherwood’s side may be a bit more ‘up and at ‘em’, but Paul Lambert’s pragmatic claret and blues were joyless to watch.
His impressive goalscoring record
49 goals in 101 outings is mightily impressive. To be a top-quality marksman a one-in-two ratio is needed, and although Benteke has fallen marginally short, it must be remembered that the Villa side he’s played in has been pretty dreadful for his three years. Benteke’s record proves that he knows what he’s doing in the Premier League, and that sort of know-how will not disappear overnight.
Building on from the last point, the added quality around him is sure to help, with more chances of greater quality sure to yield more goals from a composed finisher.
Rodgers’ main man
The massive £32.5m fee paid and the summer-long pursuit shows that Rodgers has faith in Benteke. Although the Northern Irishman has been criticised and ridiculed by many, he shows faith in the players he rates, which bodes well for the 24-year-old even if his competitive Reds career gets off to a slow start.
The vast fee paid suggests that Benteke will get a significant amount of game time, too. After all, why would the Reds make him their second most expensive player ever to ration his minutes on the pitch?
Has negotiated the tricky debut…
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Okay, it was only a pre-season match against League One opposition, but Benteke shone in sunny Wiltshire against Swindon Town and netted a fantastic debut goal. Getting off the mark early is always the aim for any striker, so the fact the big money signing has already removed the anvil of ‘that first goal’ is a real positive.
Then there’s the quality of the strike, too. Benteke didn’t bundle it home or play up to the stereotype with a towering header, he instead took the ball neatly on his chest and volleyed home from the edge of the area. It was very mid-2000s Didier Drogba
Not worried about price-tag
“I don’t think about the transfer fee. I knew if I joined a big club I would have some pressure so I am ready for this challenge. I will work hard and not worry about things.
“I think the pressure will bring the best out of me. The money is high, but even if it was less when you join a big club there is pressure so I just have to deal with it.”
Many big name players have wilted under the glare of massive transfer fees. Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko, Andy Carroll and many more have suffered with the attention that comes with significant portions of money moving between clubs, and although we cannot be truly sure about how Benteke feels, he does seem bullish.
If he can keep the fee out of his mind and make a positive start to his spell at Anfield, there is no reason he cannot cement himself among the very best strikers to have played for the Reds.