Christian Benteke is ‘awful’ and Crystal Palace must not extend his contract, former Eagles midfielder John Salako has told talkSPORT.
The Belgian has had a difficult start to the Premier League season, failing to register a single goal or assist in six matches so far.
His form over the course of the two previous seasons has not been much better, having netted just four goals in 48 appearances.
And Salako, who scored 22 goals in 215 league appearances at Selhurst Park from 1986 to 1995, has expressed his outrage at reports that Benteke could be offered a new deal.
“There is talk of Benteke getting a new contract and I am just flabbergasted!,’ Salako said.
“The lad was incredible at Aston Villa – he was a beast. He also went and did well at Liverpool for a while, but then he got injured and I think he has struggled.
“But what has happened over the last two or three years of him at Palace – and I don’t like digging him out – he’s been awful.
“I really feel for the lad to a point because he just can’t do it. It’s like he’s got his boots on the wrong feet.
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“He just can’t do anything right; it’s amazing.
“I’m not sure whether Palace can still believe that it is coming, but what they have got to do is find a striker or a couple of strikers that are going to get goals.”
Salako continued to suggest that Palace should cut their losses with Benteke or risk being left behind by other clubs with top strikers.
“I think it is partly to do with injuries – his body not being right – and partly to do with his head.
“I’ve been saying for the last couple of years he needs to get to the training ground, put his head down, and work his socks off.
“[He must] work on finishing and his physicality, because when he’s in the air, heading-wise, you can’t stop him.
“You need to get the runners in and around him, but in the box he needs to make runs. He’s got to get Townsend, Zaha, Schlupp and the full-backs delivering balls where he is pulling to the far post to attack it, or he’s making runs across to the near [post] where you can’t stop him.
“His movement has got to be right, because if you attack the ball right he will score more goals.
“And Benteke has got to be someone, for £30million, who is scoring 20 goals! At least 15-20 [a season], but he’s been nowhere near – he’s been getting twos and threes. You are like ‘wow!’
“You could play anyone there! Over the course of a season, the games played to goals ratio is shocking.”
West Ham vs Crystal Palace is live on talkSPORT at 17:30 on Saturday 5 October – one of three Premier League commentaries on GameDay
