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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp thinks Christian Benteke should be allowed time to make an impact at the club and has backed the Belgian to make his mark just like Robert Lewandowski did at Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool Echo reports. The charismatic German was talking to the media after Liverpool’s 2-1 Europa League win over Bordeaux when he expressed his views on Benteke.
The manager was happy with the 24-year-old’s performance in the match where he scored a goal and earned a penalty for the team, and feels that the striker can only get better from here.
Klopp said: “It was a very important goal for him. When I came here he was injured.
“I know a lot about Christian Benteke because when he was at Aston Villa, we were interested too, everyone was interested,” Klopp explained.
“A brilliant player but like everyone else, if you are injured and come back, everyone thinks now you have to be the Benteke that he has shown he can be straight away. Each person needs time for this so he can get better, better, better.
“Tonight he was good, very hard working, but he did not play too often in this formation so it was not so easy with Roberto [Firmino] to close the lines.
“It wasn’t perfect. We can have a complete new team. Ok, s*** we didn’t train together, but with time they can get better and better.”
Teams in England are not patient with strikers: Klopp
The ex-Dortmund coach then conveyed his views as to why the strikers should be given time to settle down, something which is not quite common in English football. He gave examples of Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who did not perform all that well in their initial stages of their Dortmund careers but ultimately came good when given ample time.
“I can tell you that I am not sure that Robert Lewandowski could have developed in the Robert Lewandowski of today in England because no one is patient enough to wait for this.
“He made eight goals in his first year and I don’t know what you would write about him if he made eight goals in one year and played all the time: not good enough, come on, sell him.
“Aubameyang needed three years for this performance at the moment [23 goals in 21 games this season in all competitions], so sometimes you have to work together. It is very important in football,” he said.
Liverpool welcome Swansea City to Anfield on Sunday in the Premier League and with Daniel Sturridge out through yet another injury, the Belgian is expected to lead the line for the Merseysider club again.
