If Liverpool had a scout at Villa Park, she/he would have appreciated the contributions of two strikers who could feasibly help ease the goalscoring burden at Anfield. Christian Benteke, with 12 goals in his last 12 games for Aston Villa, is a powerhouse oozing confidence and power while Danny Ings, claiming an 11th goal of a season which he ends as a free agent, has excellent mobility and close control. In days gone by, they might even have been an ideal front pairing, a latter day John Toshack and Kevin Keegan.
While Liverpool will be mourning Sunday’s events at the Britannia Stadium, they should move for Ings quickly. The England Under-21 striker not only has goals, youth and the ability to link play adroitly, he displays a hunger to press defenders and work for the cause. He’s not Luis Suárez just yet but, for where Liverpool are now, they could do a lot worse.
The case for Benteke is quite different. While he held his hands together in a silent appreciation of the Holte End that could have been perceived as a farewell, having promised not to discuss his future until after Saturday’s FA Cup final with Arsenal, the Belgian giant would surely cost £30m. But while he is imposing when galloping at defenders and a great target for teams willing to play forward quickly, Benteke takes an extra second to get the ball out of his feet and is not suited to sides such as Arsenal and Liverpool who like to create quick passing triangles to open defences up in the final third. Maybe he will stay at Villa but if he moves to another English club, Manchester United’s willingness to mix their game up with long diagonals could suit Benteke down to the ground – and up in the air. Peter Lansley
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