Mario Balotelli

[ryan90]

I wonder what will happen to him when big Divock gets here. 

[Fugitive]

I think he will compliment Sturridge nicely but he is no lone striker.

[BCM]

Reminded me of Heskey today. Spent more time on the floor than he did on his feet. I dont think we play to his strengths.  But considering his size he needs to show more desire to beat his opponent in both floor and aerial duels.

[magicrat]

I think his biggest flaw is his immaturity. Instead of concentrating and staying focused, he fools around in the tunnel. And some of his late reactions take the Oscar ahead of Robben. Still we live in hope. The day he stays focused in the tunnel to the final whist , like the others, he'll have learnt to be a professional and he might just fulfill his huge potential.

I'm afraid his biggest flaw is that he doesn't score many goals. Where strikers are concerned a pretty fatal flaw,

[Strontium]

the thing I was worried about was his lack of work rate but you cant fault him for that so far.

 

what surprises me is how little quality he seems to have.

 

I'm not going to be judging his quality based on the shit he's had to play alongside this season. Fucking Pele at his peak would look like the reserve centre forward for the Dog and Duck in this Liverpool side. So far as I'm concerned, Balotelli hasn't even been in the worst ten Liverpool performers this season.

[Newport]

I don't think people realise how big a step up it is from Serie A to the Premier League these days. Obviously he has been in the league before, but there aren't many other players who have come from that league in the last ten years who has succeeded. Balotelli at City and Cambiasso (albeit a bit too early to judge him yet) are probably two of the better ones during that time.

[Baltar]

I have to be honest, I always thought he was overrated at City. I still think the same. He can be a good player but if we are looking at him to replace Suarez, well that's never going to happen.

[Curly]

He needs to start fucking running around more instead fucking sulking around. Lallanna needs to put a shift in as does Markovics.

Both balotelli and lallana put a decent shift in today, surely?

[Tony Moanero]

We are fairly gash.

[ratcatcher]

Both balotelli and lallana put a decent shift in today, surely?

 

A curates egg in my opinion.

 

Both ran around a lot. Both produced very little impact. Some of balotelli's going to ground would have shamed Suarez.

 

Seriously, these guys are paid big bucks to make things happen. We've gone backwards. Anyone who cant see that needs a trip to specsavers.

[Jennings]

He needs to start fucking running around more instead fucking sulking around. Lallanna needs to put a shift in as does Markovics.

 

Lallana did put in a shift. He harried the back line relentlessly causing a number of forced errors. 

[DanDanShaw]

I thought Lallana played really well, one of our better players - if not our best.  Him, Sterling and Henderson are three of the most technically gifted English players I've seen for a while.  I doubted the Lallana deal, but I just think it's a shame he was injured in pre-season because he looks a proper player and he's not even fully fit.

 

Him and Moreno are the two signings who have most impressed so far.

[Dr Nowt]

Good post Dan. That Lallana has been talked of like he's a failed signing in some quarters, due to being injured in pre-season, could well be a new low.

[Mook]

I can't believe people are having a go at Lallana already.

 

Fair enough, we overpaid but give the lad a chance FFS.

[billypilgrimnz]

A curates egg in my opinion.

 

Both ran around a lot. Both produced very little impact.

You just described half our squad.

[DanDanShaw]

I don't even think we overpaid Mook, I did at first but £25m compared to a lot of dead done over the summer doesn't seem like a lot of money.  He'll score a lot of goals and get a lot of assists in our team - I love his passion as well.

[Stickman]

I thought he was great on Saturday infact with every game he's had I think he's getting better and better....

[Josef Svejk]

I don't particularly rate Balotelli; never really have. Even when he tries hard - which, to be fair, he is - he looks pretty mediocre. He has ability, though not as much as people make out. But he's a poor decision maker and, consequently, not a great team player; and, consequently, not ideal for a Rodgers team.

 

A better option than Lambert, clearly, but nowhere near good enough as a Suarez replacement.

[magicrat]

Lallana will be fine. Good player and will get better with a few more games under his belt.

Even have him down as a strong candidate for captain

Balotelli was never and never will be the answer to the loss of Suarez. At best he will be a good option from the bench but he wont stick around to be an understudy , Be surprised if he's still here next season to be honest.

[Bjornebye]

Suarez couldnt be replaced unless we signed ronaldo or messi.

[milky]

Balotelli will be fine once Sturridge is back providing the focal point up front and making the runs in behind. It's the opposite of what Mario likes to do and it's magnified because he's the lone striker at the minute. 

 

At the moment, he's a bit predictable and easy to mark. That will change when defences have to sit deeper when Sturridge keeps them pegged back, giving Mario more time and space.

[Xherdan]

Balotelli will be fine once Sturridge is back providing the focal point up front and making the runs in behind. It's the opposite of what Mario likes to do and it's magnified because he's the lone striker at the minute. 

 

At the moment, he's a bit predictable and easy to mark. That will change when defences have to sit deeper when Sturridge keeps them pegged back, giving Mario more time and space.

 

I am thinking the same and I am confident we will see improvement, but playing the roll he is currently in, he has been very poor.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Suarez couldnt be replaced unless we signed ronaldo or messi.

 

Couldn't we have made a better attempt at signing the equivalent of a 24 year old Suarez though?

[Dr Nowt]

Balotelli's fine as an option, but apparently needs support from another striker in the form of pace and movement to be adequately effective, rendering him far from ideal for the needs and limitations of our squad.

 

Someone like Remy in it for Borini and we'd have been in better shape, as while clearly not in the same league as Sturridge, he could take his role with only a drop in quality from our best 11 rather than a total change of it's style and therefore overall potency.

 

Can't help but feel that even Remy instead of Balotelli would have left us better off as well.  Not as much potential but more tangible input - a balance which overall isn't going in our favour on this summer's work.

[Josef Svejk]

Suarez couldnt be replaced unless we signed ronaldo or messi.

 

He could be replaced and was replaced. With a player who, in my view, isn't good enough. That doesn't mean "not as good as Suarez". That means "not good enough to be first choice for a Liverpool side that almost won the league and qualified for the Champions League".

 

I don't mind Balotelli. I just think we should have signed someone better.