Mario Balotelli

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

The problem isn't his effort, it's his application. When the run into the box is there to be made he rarely makes it, when one of our players is looking for the through ball, he's moving towards them and when he does make runs and the low ball comes in from the flanks he goes far post not near post. Just basic things, but those basic things are the difference between scoring and not scoring and winning and losing.

 

Sure he runs about and he cares but it's the in game intelligence that's lacking not the physical attributes.

This post sums it up perfectly, and the result is not only a lack of goals from Balotelli. It's also one of the main reasons the poetry in motion from last season is nowhere to be seen.

[magicrat]

I'm sorry I don't get  Balotelli .Didn't want him and thought it was bit desperate signing him at the end of the window and whilst he hasn't gone gaga yet he's not scored goals despite having plenty of opportunities ;some of them easy chances. That's not down to other players playing badly. Yes its early days and he could in theory turn it around but I just feel with this guy its more likely his head will drop completely rather than he'll dig in and get better ,. 

[Pureblood]

I now understand why he asked who took the pens. 

[Newport]

The lack of a plan B in the absence of Sturridge is quite depressing. Sterling should play behind Balotelli and not on the wing. Balotelli isn't and won't ever become the same type of player as Sturridge. That should have been quite obvious before we signed him. We need to play to his strengths rather than trying to fit him into a role he isn't suited for.

[Mathewbet1]

tru dat 

[Mathewbet1]

We need another Striker in January bin Borini off and get another fast mobile striker. Origi is doing well scored again tonight.

[gingerhulk]

Ive not given up on the lad, but his two headed misses against Spurs could be telling. 

 

He is certainly not a player who can play upfront on his own, which is worrying. Think it might be time throw lambert up top with balotelli for the WBA game. 

[Baltar]

Anyone who thought he was going to be a hit here must not have watched him at City.

He has some talent but he's selfish and lacks the intelligence to be a top striker. Compare him to Aguero when he was at City or even Dzeko and he never looked world class in that company.

I think Brendan was a bit overconfident in thinking he could unlock his potential. Maybe Brendan can do it but I don't want to see our season collapse in the effort. We should've spent silly money to replace Suarez. Instead we went for a cheaper, riskier option.

[Paco]

rodgers pretty much saying balotelli was his only option at the end of the window in a guardian article. it was either get him or go with what we had.

 

lille demanded origi stay on loan for the season as part of the deal.

[eeyore]

rodgers pretty much saying balotelli was his only option at the end of the window in a guardian article. it was either get him or go with what we had.

 

lille demanded origi stay on loan for the season as part of the deal.

Well that's not entirely true as we could have already signed the relatively minimal risk of remy.

 

Just a clusterfuck of a transfer window really.

[Paco]

the only hope is that he can play alongside sturridge and be a foil for him but also learn from sturridge how forwards play in this team.

 

rodgers has said hes not running in behind but neither is sterling or markovic or coutinho or lallana. its not that long ago that liverpool got to the edge of the box and didnt know what to do and we seem to be back there again.

[xerxes]

Rodger's recent quotes are a concern. Balotelli is an international striker with a good record at top clubs. He signed him, his job is to get the best out of him, and he has only been with us for a couple of months. It is not just Supermario who has to up his game.

[Gnasher]

Rodger's recent quotes are a concern. Balotelli is an international striker with a good record at top clubs. He signed him, his job is to get the best out of him, and he has only been with us for a couple of months. It is not just Supermario who has to up his game.

Balotelli has not got a good record at top clubs. He has scored one goal in his last nineteen appearances in the prem league. That would not be seen as 'a good record" if he was playing for someone like burnley.

[Gnasher]

Well that's not entirely true as we could have already signed the relatively minimal risk of remy.

 

Just a clusterfuck of a transfer window really.

Could also have signed Eto as a stop gap. Eto's goal record is far superior to Balotteli and he would have suited or style of play better.

[sh#t waffle]

I am not defending the signing of Balotelli by any means, but can you imagine the uproar if we had lost Suarez and 'replaced' him with Lambert (old, £4m) and Eto'o (old, free)?

[magicrat]

Ive not given up on the lad, but his two headed misses against Spurs could be telling. 

 

He is certainly not a player who can play upfront on his own, which is worrying. Think it might be time throw lambert up top with balotelli for the WBA game.

 

He will give up on himself first. Missing easy chances has nothing to with having a strike partner

Rodgers better have a plan B for the Baggies because the form they are in we will get snotted otherwise . Balotelli might be better warming the bench for the next game

[skend04]

Not impressed by Brendan's usual chuck 'em under the bus quotes. He got lucky last season with Suarez and for me has more to prove than some of the players. Perhaps if he went scouting to the World Cup like other managers rather than banging some 6cent slapper in Boston we might not have had a horror start to the season.

[Major Tom]

Not impressed by Brendan's usual chuck 'em under the bus quotes. He got lucky last season with Suarez and for me has more to prove than some of the players. Perhaps if he went scouting to the World Cup like other managers rather than banging some 6cent slapper in Boston we might not have had a horror start to the season.

 

Who should we have bought?

[cmuller]

Can't see Rodgers quotes having anything but a negative effect on Balotelli's mindset. Telling someone through the media that they're not doing their job isn't and never has been productive.

[Paco]

Not impressed by Brendan's usual chuck 'em under the bus quotes. He got lucky last season with Suarez and for me has more to prove than some of the players. Perhaps if he went scouting to the World Cup like other managers rather than banging some 6cent slapper in Boston we might not have had a horror start to the season.

yes he was lucky to have suarez but the way we played was down to rodgers.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Balotelli was a gamble and I was all for it. It's early days yet, but it looks like the gamble won't pay off. Balotelli yesterday was everthing we hoped not to see. No work rate, no interest in developing his game into how BR would like us to play. And a terribly stupid yellow card in the 2nd half. I'm surprised BR didn't hook him. No player should be allowed to show attitude like Mario did yesterday.

 

It's time to tell Mario the hard way. Adapt or at least try to adapt, or else... Either he gives us his best or he's not willing or capable of doing it. If so it's a lost gamble.

 

I’ve not given up on Mario just yet. His work rate has been OK in previous games but it’s not like he’s giving us the 110% we want is it?

 

Shape up or fuck off Mario!

 

I don't see how Balotelli is not working hard for the team. he tracks back into his own half looking to win the ball, holds the ball up well, wins loads of free kicks around the opposition penalty box and in the last few games has been making the runs in to the box that we need him to.

 

Yes he has missed a few decent chances when they have been created for him, but Suarez wasn't that clinical for us to begin with either.

 

Balotelli has made space for himself to be set up and would probably have scored more if the right pass had been made to him. The same could also have been said about his intent on trying score from everywhere as well.

 

Our creation of clear cut chances for him has been piss poor. We have hardly played a ball in to his feet. They have all been either to his head or his mid riff. Get it on the floor and he will score.

 

If people are expecting him to run like Suarez, then they are setting an unrealsitic expectation for him. He is not like that, and never will be.

[Dr Nowt]

My worry with Balotelli is that he looks more unable than unwilling to understand and do what's required.

 

He reminds me of a kid with the inattentiveness side of ADHD, the way he just floats about in his own world.

[KopOut]

I didnt think targetmen were right for the system.

[Denny Crane]

Rodger's recent quotes are a concern.

He certainly needs to wind it in and understand when you are winning you can say anything. When you are losing games and playing poorly everything comes across as pathetic excuses looking for escapegoats. Rodgers has bought six strikers since he arrived. We have four here now, Lambert, Borini, Sturridge and Balotelli. Not sure what moaning about, Mario was all we could get offers, other than lame excuses.

[skend04]

Who should we have bought?

Not my job to say who. But we had an effective system last season along with areas to improve on and buying a keeper and DM would've solved half those issues. I don't like the way he wrings his hands of anything and anyone, its a shit characteristic. Fair enough Mario isn't scoring but he isn't Suarez where he can both run around and be on the end of attacks. Frankly Brendan needs his head checking if he thought that's what he was buying in Balotelli. He has actually been working non-stop without much reward.