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Jamie Carragher says Liverpool are still struggling to get the best out of Christian Benteke

The Belgian striker has scored two match-winning goals in two consecutive games

Mark Critchley
Thursday 31 December 2015 12:54 GMT
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and striker Christian Benteke
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and striker Christian Benteke

Jamie Carragher believes that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is still finding it difficult to get the best out of Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker, who arrived at Anfield last summer as part of a £32million move, has now scored two winning goals in two consecutive games following last night’s narrow away victory over Sunderland.

Benteke had lost his starting berth to compatriot and international understudy Divock Origi, but came on as a substitute against Leicester City after the 20-year old had sustained a hamstring injury and duly scored the game’s only goal.

He followed that with another match-winning strike at Stadium of Light but Carragher, who spent the entirety of his 17-year-long playing career at Anfield, thinks the former Aston Villa striker still has a point to prove.

"When Klopp came in, Origi started his first game at Spurs and we highlighted the work he put in," said Carragher while appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports.

"That's what Klopp wants from his players - we know that from Dortmund - and Benteke is not that type of player.

"He gives Klopp a problem in that he is the one goalscorer they have, excluding [Daniel] Sturridge, who you can't bank on because he has been out so much.

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"It's Liverpool's problem how they use him and get the best from him,” he added.

Jamie Redknapp, sitting alongside Carragher in the studio and a team-mate of his at Anfield for six years, praised Benteke and suggested that Liverpool’s other attacking players could be doing more to help get the best out of their frontman.

"He is so gifted in terms of his approach play and he is a good finisher. Second half [against Sunderland] he was different class,” he said.

“He is getting into fantastic positions, he should have midfield runners coming off him when he gets the ball, I don't blame him for that, I think other players have to get used to what he can do."

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