Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes forward Christian Benteke has made a great start to life on Merseyside, and he gives the team an added dimension.
The £32.5m Belgian international scored his first competitive goal for the Reds as they beat Bournemouth 1-0 in their first home game of the season.
Fowler, who scored 183 goals for Liverpool across two spells at Anfield, doesn’t think it’s a problem if long balls are played up to the target man.
The former number 9 told the Liverpool Echo: “It’s been a great start for Benteke and that goal will do him the world of good.
“When you join a new club you want to hit the ground running and that will ease a few nerves.
“It probably shouldn’t have counted with Philippe Coutinho standing in an offside position but as a striker you take a bit of luck like that.
“With Benteke in the side, we’ve probably seen more longer balls than we’ve been used to from Liverpool.
But there is no perfect way of playing. I’m one of those who doesn’t go on about whether we should play the long ball or the short ball, it’s about the right ball.
“I’ve got no problem with playing it long if it’s the best ball on and when you’ve got someone like Benteke up front that’s going to be the right ball at times.
“Having Benteke up there gives you the option of being able to mix it up.
“He’s strong in the air and wins the flick-ons but he can also play with the ball at his feet and create space for others. He has the ability to hold it up and bring team mates into play.”
The 40-year-old says he always believed in Benteke, and that fans are now realising how impressive he is:
I’m not going to say ‘I told you so’ because it’s still so early in the season but I think people are starting to open their eyes to what he’s about.
“I’m a big fan of Benteke and I thought he’d be a great signing. When people questioned how he would fit in, my answer was ‘we haven’t won the league for 25 years so maybe it’s time for a change’.
“Being a bit more direct at times can help. He’s been labelled as a big bustling centre forward who wins, scores headers and powers defenders out of the way.”
The former Aston Villa frontman has already equalled the league goal tally of last season’s big money striker signing Mario Balotelli.
He will look to surpass the Italian in Liverpool’s next fixture, against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.
The Gunners lost on the opening day of the season against West Ham United, but recovered with a victory at Crystal Palace last week.
Brendan Rodgers’ side had a poor record against the bigger teams last season, and Fowler believes that problem must be mitigated in order for the Reds to succeed this term.
“Our results against the top four clubs last season weren’t great and we need to improve that record if we’re going to get in the Champions League,” he said.
“We need to be able to go to places like the Emirates and get a result.”
If the Reds are able to get only their second ever win at the Emirates, they would go six points clear of Arsene Wenger’s side.
