Player musings: Christian Benteke

Benteke presence as a target man serves as a great focal point for any attack.

Whats with these Belgians and just who is breeding them? Christian Benteke is one of a host of talented players that epitomize the progressive state of Belgian Football. Born in Congo,Benteke moved to Begium at a young age. He was drafted into the Genk youth set up aged 16 and flirted with a host of Belgian sides for the next five years before sealing a £7 million move to Aston Villa last season.

Benteke epitomizes the English forward a towering physical presence up front,good composure on the ball,and a lethal finisher. Benteke was pivotal in Villas bid for survival netting 24 times last season in all competitions,which just goes to show how quickly he has adapted himself to the English game. Benteke presence as a target man serves as a great focal point for any attack. He knows how to use his strength to hold up play and open up spaces for his teammates before picking out the telling pass. His performance against Liverpool at Anfield is testament to this.

Not the quickest of the blocks or the most agile,what Benteke lacks in pace he makes up for in his finishing. Though he does struggle to get his shot off,averaging 66 minutes per shot on target in the league,his 0.56 goals per game (in the league) proves that once he does receive the ball at his feet,inside the box,he is capable of terrorizing any defence.

Story continues below this ad

His performances have earned him a few admirers none more so than the manager of cross-town rivals Tottenham Hotspurs,Andre Villas-Boas (AVB). Given Tottenhams style of play and AVBs preference for a 4-2-3-1 (at times switching to a 4-3-3) Benteke is the ideal player to solve Tottenhams striking woes. He is not only capable of occupying the opposition back four but is also able to lead the line and hold up play. More importantly,his ability to link up with the attacking midfielders and distribute the ball effectively will ensure that Bale,Holtby,and Dempsey have someone to feed off.

Daniel Levy (Chairman of Tottenham) is known to drive a hard bargain and is expected to balk at the £25 million price tag. Benteke however seems determined to move and handed in a transfer request earlier this week. If I were Mr. Levy,I wouldnt think twice about brining on board a proven goal scorer to boost his sides bid for that coveted champions league spot.

Algerian-French artist’s work vandalised at Kochi art gallery over ‘obscenity’ allegations

India2 hr ago

Algerian-French artist Hanan Benammar's linocut prints were vandalised by two artists at an international exhibition in Kochi. The exhibition, curated by Anushka Rajendran and Damian Christinger, was organised by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi and opened on October 18.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS