Swansea preview / Balotelli still backed (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

Almost exactly two years ago, Liverpool faced Swansea City in a League Cup tie at Anfield. The Reds went into the game struggling for form in the Premier League and with new boss Brendan Rodgers trying to implement a new way of playing while juggling with the extra demands of European football.

Liverpool entertain Swansea again this week in eerily similar circumstances; plagued by indifferent league results and with Rodgers bemoaning a lack of time to work with his players on the training pitch due to the congested fixture list. The one significant difference is that he is not a new boss anymore, although in some ways it feels as though he is. The Reds are clearly in a transitional phase once again and it's almost like last season never even happened. The goalless draw at home to Hull City at the weekend was disappointing in the context of who Liverpool were, but actually represented some degree of progress in terms of who they now are.

The performance was an improvement on much of what has been served up by at Anfield previously this season even if the result didn't reflect that. It wasn't particularly good but it was certainly not as bad as Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Ludogorets while it was no worse than Southampton or West Brom. The 1-1 draw with Everton was perhaps the only time this season that Liverpool have played better at Anfield, which in itself shows just how far -- not to mention how quickly -- they have fallen.

It was only their second clean sheet of the season while there were some -- although ultimately not enough -- encouraging signs at the other end, particularly from under fire Mario Balotelli who was much improved on previous outings.

The Italian was deservedly criticised after an unacceptable display at QPR and a largely ineffective 45 minutes against Real Madrid but the nonsense that he was subjected to following the shirt swapping incident with Pepe may have worked in his favour in terms of galvanising fan support. The Anfield crowd have not turned against Balotelli and as long as he continues to show the kind of application he did against Hull City, they will continue to back him.

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