Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended his team’s style of play following the arrival of Christian Benteke in the summer, Mirror Sport reports.
Since the Northern Irishman was appointed was manager in the summer of 2012 he has instructed the Reds to play an attractive style of football with the main focus being on retaining possession.
But there appears to have been a change in tactics based on the opening two games at the start of the season as they have been looking for the long-ball option up to Benteke more often that not and it has rewarded them with back-to-back 1-0 victories over Stoke City and newly promoted AFC Bournemouth.
Speaking ahead of his team’s clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, Rodgers acknowledges the change and insists it’s vital they play to the Belgian strengths without abandoning their principles:
“When you bring in a certain profile of player, it gives you other options,” the Reds boss said.
“What he gives us is that threat in the box. When the ball comes in, he’s a striker that’s in the area.”
“There are other ways of keeping the game alive, but when you have a 6ft 4in player like Christian when the ball comes into the box, because of his physicality and mobility it keeps the game alive that little bit longer.”
“Our conditions of our game won’t change but hopefully because of the different types of players we have, and different strikers in particular, it gives that unpredictability to our game, which is important,” Rodgers added.
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