The Benteke Effect – Cranking Up The Pressure

As the trademark patient probing with the ball eroded into endless dithering outside the penalty area, many Liverpool fans, me included, despaired – when did the philosophy of “Death by Football” for the opposition turn into death by boredom for ourselves?

Liverpool struggled in attack last season largely because of the lack of cutting edge in offensive transition, something that was so instrumental in their success just a season ago. As a result, LFC more often than not had to contend with unlocking defences that are well-organized and playing a low-block.

To make matters worse, Liverpool struggled to make their chances count. Without the likes of Suarez and a healthy Sturridge buzzing and threatening constantly in and around the area, LFC simply couldn’t create the kind of perfect chances often enough for their group of AMs (who were short on finishing nous) to capitalize on.

By the end of a forgettable season, it became clear that Liverpool’s irresistible pressing and transition game was not the only major offensive output of the “oh-so-nearly” 2013/14 season that they lost. Other important aspects of their attack also suffered from vicious regression back to the mean. Lots of work needed to be done this summer for Liverpool’s attack to recover just a fraction of that swagger and ruthlessness so characterized their attack that season.

Enter Christian Benteke, the £32.5m answer from Brenden Rodgers and the Anfield hierarchy. Many well-informed fans on Twitter don’t believe he’s the right fit for the system LFC have enjoyed success with under Rodgers, and I am inclined to agree. Apparently, top decision-makers in FSG required thorough convincing as well. However, it is undeniable that Benteke will bring a different dimension to the attack that, frankly, was one-dimensional and predictable.

So, rather than talking about his stats, something that has already been done to death, I’d like to look at how his addition may help Liverpool overcome some of their problems last season from a more qualitative standpoint. Because let’s be honest, Benteke isn’t going to help the press or the pace of offensive transition too much, if at all, going by what I have seen of him. (Ok, his powerful running and surprising burst of acceleration looked quite impressive against Swindon. But it’s Swindon.)

BEAT THE LOW-BLOCK FROM WITHIN

Source: liverpoolfc.com

The prevalent argument against the signing of Benteke is that he needs crosses to be an effective goal-scorer, which Liverpool don’t do enough. While the man disputed that notion himself, his success he has enjoyed attacking crosses is well supported by stats. However, saying that Liverpool don’t cross enough for him to succeed at Anfield is rather misguided.

According to the always excellent Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed), Liverpool created nearly the same amount of chances through crosses as Aston Villa. It was not an outlier that only happened in one season, either. For the past 3 season, Liverpool, a team that purposefully swerve from crossing too much, created nearly as many chances from crosses as Aston Villa, a team that relies on crosses as a major part of their attack. With Benteke in the fold, it will be natural for the number of crosses the Reds play to increase, leading to even more chances created for him to get on the end of.

How many times did Liverpool’s attacks fizzle out on the flanks with the ball recycled back to CBs because there was nobody in the area to aim for? That, in turn, increase the chance of getting pressed in dangerous areas of the pitch, forcing the entire team into defensively transition, which, let’s be honest, the team was extremely poor at. If some of those instances turn into crosses into the area aimed at Benteke, perhaps opposing teams will think twice before being content with sitting deep, knowing full well it’s only a matter of time before he converts one.

Even when the crosses are cleared, Liverpool’s group of press-happy midfielders will enjoy a better platform for high press, as defences will inevitably collapse more in an effort to crowd out Benteke. This will allow the Reds to pin opposition back for longer periods, yielding more opportunities for players to pull off more intricate moves around the area. Or, it can force opposition defenders into dangerous mistakes, ones that turned into so many goals in 2013/14.

Creating uncertainty and forcing defenders to make uncomfortable decisions on the fly are key aspects of breaking down defensive organization. And Spending longer periods of time around opposition area increases the likelihood of the defence making a mistake. If utilized correctly, Liverpool’s new No. 9 can help the team achieve both by disrupting low-block defences from the inside. (Wait, you don’t expect him to make runs beyond the defence a lot, do you?)

BRING BACK THOSE SET-PIECE GOALS, PEASE!

Source: liverpoolfc.com

Some of the more erudite commentators on Twitter expressed concern prior to the start of last season, warning that the extraordinary scoring record Liverpool enjoyed from aerial set-piece deliveries into the area might regress. Their prediction was devastatingly correct.

Martin Skrtel became his human self again, having used up his lifetime set-piece scoring quota the previous season. There was simply nobody else to count on and aim for in these situations. After scoring a ridiculous 19 goals from dead-ball deliveries into the area in 2013/14, Liverpool only managed 5 the season after.

Once again, having Benteke in there will change the dynamics completely. There is a focal point for set-piece takers to aim for outside of doing the obvious by going to the big CBs. This will, again, create uncertainty for opposing defences and give Liverpool’s more skilled attackers more room to operate. The result will again be longer period of pressure and, hopefully, a better tally this term.

His presence will also bring about the additional bonus of having another big body while defending set pieces, something the Reds are well known to be rather poor at over the past few seasons. In my opinion, these dead-ball situations are where Benteke’s impact will be most noticeable from the get-go, as his addition will immediately go some way in remedying these weaknesses.

MAKE’EM COUNT

A quick look at Liverpool’s ExpG (expected goals scored) stats last season, it’s clear to see that the team underperformed when it comes to putting chances away. Of course, it can be argued that too many of the chances created were of the inferior kind. But a quick look at those who led the line for Liverpool, the result perhaps really wasn’t too surprising.

A significant portion of the season saw the likes of Sterling (out of position and too raw to be counted on as the primary scorer), Lambert (too static to be effective against the low-block) and Balotelli (just not the right fit with the system, and apparently the manager) leading the attack. Was it really a surprise that Liverpool couldn’t capitalize on their possession and chances?

While Benteke is by no mean Suarez, who not only scored from literally everywhere on the pitch but also contributed immensely to the team’s build-up play, he did demonstrate the proficiency at finishing the chances he did get in the area, using both his head and feet. With Benteke leading the line, at least we can rest assured that he has the right attributes and ability to put away more of the chances created by teammates, whether you like his playing style or not.

SO WHAT’S THE PLAN?

For me, a £32.5m striker need to either produce top-class statistical output, i.e. 30 goals through scoring and assists, or become a key cog in the system who makes those around him better. Luis Suarez did both and then some during 2013/14, justifying his eventual £75m price tag. Benteke, on the other hand, contributes around 20 goals each season for Aston Villa, which is good but not top-class.

Consequently, the pressure is on him to drastically improve his output, which is unlikely during his first year at a new club where the pressure to perform is much more intense. Or, he will have to excel at the tasks detailed above and bring about enough impact, positive externalities so to speak, to force oppositions into changing their approach in defending Liverpool.

With the plethora of pressing midfielders in the squad, it makes sense to optimize the system for high-press, an approach that can really crank up the pressure on defences that are either sitting too deep or pinned back. It is something that Liverpool simply couldn’t do to a good effect last season.

If Benteke can score his usual 15 goals, with the majority of them coming from situations where the team simply couldn’t convert a season ago, I believe that will result in tangible improvement in offensive efficiency. Combine that with the knock-on effect he could have on the other attackers, i.e. giving them more space to play and better opportunity to press high up the pitch, Benteke might just go some way to justify his hefty price tag and wages, which are frankly astronomical no matter how you look at it.

While the idea is starting to make more sense, it is still a massive risk for Liverpool to take on a player who can’t depend on his own individual brilliance to make things happen very often. Many might rightfully point to the wonder goal he scored on his debut against Swindon, but one wonder goal does not a Zlatan make. We know he can hit them real good, but I will wait to see whether he can do that consistently in a red shirt. A lot will have to go right for Benteke’s signing to become a undeniable success, yet it can fall apart rather too easily.

Personally, I’m very intrigued by how this will play out over the course of the season and will be paying close attention to Liverpool’s new No. 9. I’m quite confident that no matter what is to transpire, Benteke will turn out to be a better signing than Lovren. At least with him, it’s possible to envision a plan that can be clearly articulated and expanded on. This alone should mean that the fans can look forward to a much better season for Liverpool up front.