‘Liverpool are a better team without Christian Benteke’, admits former manager Roy Evans
The jury is well and truly out on Christian Benteke, with former Liverpool manager Roy Evans telling talkSPORT the Reds play much better without the Belgium international.
Benteke has failed to prove his worth at Anfield following his £32.5million switch from Aston Villa last summer, with rumours claiming he could leave the club after just one season.
While the striker is one of the club’s top scorers this season, eight goals is a measly return for a hitman who proved a prolific goal threat during his stint at Villa Park.
Recent reports from Merseyside claim La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid are willing to end Benteke’s Liverpool nightmare and could be set to table a surprise £37million bid for the 25-year-old.
And ex-boss Evans believes the towering frontman does more to hinder the team than to boost it, compared to Jurgen Klopp’s other attacking options.
“To be fair to Benteke, when he was at Villa he looked a real player and he scored a lot of goals, but Liverpool have never found a way to play with him.
“The difference for Liverpool is that when Daniel Sturridge plays, the movement is fantastic and they get behind defences.
“When Benteke plays he’s a bit static in the middle, he doesn’t drift to the wide areas and make space for the people, and it blocks up their play.
“They look a far better team when they play with Sturridge, so from Jurgen’s point of view I think that’s the way forward.”
Liverpool will take on Klopp’s former side Borussia Dortmund on Thursday night in the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final, but Benteke has remained on Merseyside with injury.
Daniel Sturridge is still yet to fully recover after his recent return from the sidelines, but Evans insists the England forward should get the nod to start against the German side.
Asked if Sturridge should start the game, which you can hear LIVE on talkSPORT, he added: “Certainly, yes.
“He’s only been playing around an hour every game. He looks really disappointed when he comes off, but he’s still not at his top fitness level.
“I would certainly start with Sturridge because he’s got pace and that extra bit of special ability in the box. Hopefully we can make that pay against Borussia Dortmund.”