The Liverpool Striker Conundrum: What Does The £32.5m Striker Bring To The Club?

One aspect that seemed to be missing from Liverpool’s play last season was their fluid attacking. In the 2013-14 season, opposition defences would try to safeguard themselves from Liverpool’s counter-attacking blitzes. In 2014-15, after the departure of Luis Suarez and with Daniel Sturridge falling prey to injuries, Liverpool’s attack fell upon the rest of the strike-force, which was not good enough to keep the goals flowing. As compared to 110 goals in 43 games in 2013-14 at the rate of 2.53 goals/game, Liverpool were only able to manage 74 goals in 58 games at the rate of 1.28 goals/game in 2014-15.

This season, Rodgers has made changes to Liverpool’s attack, by adding adaptable players and giving himself more room to maneuver, in case of injury woes or a dip in form, to avoid a repeat of last season. The addition to squad depth will reinforce Liverpool’s front-line, and will enable Rodgers to tinker with team formations to the benefit of the team, making his choices unpredictable to oppositions. Danny Ings can play as a striker or as a second striker, Roberto Firmino can play anywhere across the front line, Divock Origi can play as a striker or on the left, James Milner can play on the right, as a makeshift striker or a false-9, while Lazar Markovic, Jordon Ibe and Adam Lallana on the wings can terrorize oppositions with trickery.

The impending addition of Christian Benteke will add power and strength to Liverpool’s attack. Liverpool fans across the world want Benteke to perform in a Red jersey, and he may give them something to look forward to.

*look at rotation strategies*

The implications of splurging £32.5 million on a player are clear: he performs and Rodgers can keep his head high, he fails and Rodgers may be out before the end of the season. Rodgers might have escaped the drop last season, but he will not survive this season if Liverpool fails, especially with the availability of Jurgen Klopp, who is currently on a sabbatical. Similarities with an erstwhile signing, Andy Carroll are cropping up in the minds of supporters, but it has been proved over three seasons in the Premier League that Benteke in form is a lethal proposition for any team wanting to catapult itself into the top-4.

Didier Drogba at Chelsea could provide enough inspiration to Benteke to make his skill-set count at Liverpool, as a target man with a lethal shot-making ability. Add the remaining forwards to boost the supply of goal-scoring chances for Benteke, and Liverpool might just rediscover its fluid attacking flair over the course of the season.