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Mark Lawrenson: 'Christian Benteke needs more service'

Ex-Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson says that Brendan Rodgers needs to change his style of play if summer signing Christian Benteke is to score goals at the club.

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has said that Christian Benteke needs better service from his teammates if he is to be a success at Anfield.

Benteke joined the Reds from Aston Villa for £32.5m this summer as manager Brendan Rodgers looked to add a goalscorer to his team, but the Belgian has scored just once in his first four Premier League appearances at his new club.

Lawrenson insisted that the striker has the quality to be a success at Liverpool but stressed that the current style of football being played at the club is making life more difficult for the summer signing.

"They know Benteke will score but Liverpool's problem is getting the best out of him," Lawrenson told BBC Sport. "Football is really simple sometimes – give your striker the service and he will get you the goals.

"With Benteke, the way to do that is to deliver crosses into the box, but that is hard when Liverpool lack width in their attack.

"What Liverpool are doing this season is making the pitch narrower, and relying on their full-backs for width rather than their forwards. It has not worked for them so far."

Brendan Rodgers's side will be looking to bounce back from the 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United in their last match when they face Manchester United tomorrow at Old Trafford.

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Football pundit Mark Lawrenson looks on before the npower Championship game between Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers at Cardiff City Stadium on April 23, 2011
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3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
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8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
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12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
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18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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