For all of Liverpool’s innovation, Christian Benteke represents same old strategy

Richard Jolly writes 'there may be a revolution going on' at Liverpool, but a Christian Benteke signing would seem to suggest 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.

Christian Benteke shown celebrating after Aston Villa defeated Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final in April. Malcolm Couzens / Sportimage / Cal Sport Media / AP Images / April 19, 2015

There may be a revolution going on but sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Scouting teams have expanded, techniques have evolved, data are consulted and there is a transfer committee.

Yet the simplest way to earn a move to Liverpool may remain the same – play well against them, or better, score against them.

If Liverpool cannot beat them, they sign them.

A decade ago, Rafa Benitez bought Boudewijn Zenden and Peter Crouch, two of Liverpool’s tormentors of the previous season.

Now Brendan Rodgers is activating the £32.5 million (Dh186.3m) release clause in Christian Benteke’s Aston Villa contract.

The Belgian helped condemn Liverpool to defeat in April’s FA Cup semi-final, but his status as a scourge of the Merseysiders dates back to his arrival in England in 2012.

He has scored five goals in six games against them, showing what might be an auspicious aptitude for putting the ball in the Anfield net and exploiting the Liverpool centre-backs’ problems against physical forwards.

Martin Skrtel may be particularly happy to see Benteke join, simply to spare him more harrowing afternoons.

Yet his signing will swallow up most of the proceeds of Raheem Sterling’s sale (especially as Queens Park Rangers are entitled to 20 per cent of it).

There is an unhappy precedent. Four-and-a-half years ago Fernando Torres went to Chelsea for £50m and a hulking striker arrived – the spectre of Andy Carroll may loom large over Benteke.

Their price tags are similar – the West Ham United forward, who remains Liverpool’s record signing, cost £2.5 million more – and Liverpool’s move for the latter can be interpreted as a U-turn, even an abandonment of principles.

Rodgers was quick to inform Carroll he had no future at Anfield; three years later, he is making Benteke his biggest buy.

Yet there are significant differences: in the composition of the attack, which was built around Luis Suarez in 2012, the circumstances and the players.

Benteke is a more rounded player. He is quicker than Carroll – lending a counter-attacking threat – and has a better scoring record.

The Belgian has scored 42 Premier League goals in three seasons, the Englishman 35 in his entire, injury-hit career.

Benteke may be a streaky scorer – he kept Villa up with a run of 11 goals in nine games last season after failing to find the net in the previous nine – but at least he has the potential to be prolific.

Liverpool’s specialist strikers scored a mere eight league goals last season, the fewest of any Premier League team’s forwards.

With doubts how often Daniel Sturridge will be fit, Rodgers’s decision to bring in a more experienced alternative to Danny Ings and Divock Origi is logical.

Whether he will slot into Liverpool’s style of play is more of a moot point.

Liverpool’s finest forwards over the generations have tended to be finishers, speedsters or technicians, not target men.

Peter Crouch had his moments and Emile Heskey played a pivotal part in the treble season of 2000/01 before his goals dried up, but the last to make a long-term impact was John Toshack in the 1970s.

In typically blunt fashion, Villa manager Tim Sherwood had urged Benteke to stay. “There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball,” Sherwood said.

Liverpool’s best crosser was Steven Gerrard, but he has moved on and the finest at Anfield now may be Jordan Henderson and James Milner, but both will probably spend the season in central positions.

The £29m newcomer Roberto Firmino is more of a No 10 than a touchline-hugging winger, as is Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool’s reigning player of the year.

In any case, Rodgers has been using a midfield diamond in pre-season so Liverpool are likely to lack width.

It will put an onus on them to find other ways of supplying Benteke because you do not spend £32.5m and not adapt a game to suit.

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