Operation - "Butter Benteke up"

The Aston Villa manager has set his star player a challenge, “prove you’re not a one-hit wonder at the club.” I find this to be some attempt of reverse psychology on the big Belgian.

Paul Lambert has come out once again to sing his praises about Christian Benteke, the Belgian front man has scored 19 times this season, 15 of which in the Premier League and has bagged himself a nomination for PFA Young player of the year, rightfully so in my eyes but I cannot see past Gareth Bale winning it this year, I’m afraid. I’ll admit it; he’s been outstanding at times this season and has carried the Villains to victory or more than one occasion and Lambert has recognised if he wants to keep him, he will have to greatly improve the contract he’s on, otherwise face losing their glimmer of premier league sustainability and potentially cause an exodus of players from the Birmingham club. A player will play for a team who’s not doing all that well, but when the head of the snake (Benteke) is removed, will they want to run the risk of playing for a team who has no evident option of how to get results? I don’t think so.

I like Aston Villa, I really do but I cannot see them having the ability to hold onto their man if teams such as the likes of Arsenal & Tottenham who have been continuously linked as his steady, impressive form has continued, come in for him. I like Lambert’s method, though. Almost daring the player to do it again, considering he is an athlete and a huge majority of players relish personal challenges and goals, I think it’s the right way to go about it. Let’s hope Villa can keep their young core and can build surely into a top half team which they have shown they are capable of in patches during this something of a transition season for the claret half of Birmingham.

Find the original article here on the Daily Mail.

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