Mario Balotelli [On the Road to Ballon d'or)

[G]

[ame="https://twitter.com/neiljonesecho/status/547691726291615745"]https://twitter.com/neiljonesecho/status/547691726291615745[/ame]

Why buy him then when thats an essential part of our game

[DannyMan2006]

https://twitter.com/neiljonesecho/st...91726291615745

Why buy him then when thats an essential part of our game

Think Rodgers has said enough times why we did.

If you can find one interview or quote where Rodgers said he was a great signing and an essential buy etc then I'd love to see it. All I've ever seen him say was it was a gamble because others we wanted weren't available.

Mario is top class. If you can't sign a player to fit your style that's world class, you either downgrade or take a gamble on one that has ability but isn't the type. Either way it's a gamble. You see what happened last year when we signed an average player that fits our style - Iago Aspas.

[danperkins]

You can't change someone like Balotelli, he's doing the same things at LFC that he's been doing throughout his entire career at other clubs. Playing for the team, work rate, desire & will to win are things that he just doesn't have. He'll never change.

[G]

Think Rodgers has said enough times why we did.

If you can find one interview or quote where Rodgers said he was a great signing and an essential buy etc then I'd love to see it. All I've ever seen him say was it was a gamble because others we wanted weren't available.

Mario is top class. If you can't sign a player to fit your style that's world class, you either downgrade or take a gamble on one that has ability but isn't the type. Either way it's a gamble. You see what happened last year when we signed an average player that fits our style - Iago Aspas.

Did I say he said he was great? I merely asked why the hell sensible football people would think to sign a player who doesn't give you anything you need just because he was available and nobody else was.

Some top managers seem to think he's top class alright but he's never done enough to warrant it for me. He was never going to suit us and we'd have been better off keeping the money. On loan its a gamble I'd take.

[Phoenix07]

It was rumoured to be a loan deal first, but then transformed into a £16million deal.

[nebbers]

It was rumoured to be a loan deal first, but then transformed into a £16million deal.

£16m all in, or in stages I wonder?

[Chilts33]

It's been said a thousand times on here already, he's just somebody with a bit of talent and very little genuine desire to even try and be a decent player. He looks like he'll be more than happy to keep pocketing £50k+ for the rest of his playing days without ever wanting to truly push himself. Take away his off the field antics and he'd be forgotten about overnight. Just hope he starts to drop down the divisions when we're finally rid of him, the penny might hopefully drop with the lad one day.

[Sarb]

Why was he picked as a lone striker for most of the season if he was a player who couldnt press high up the pitch?

[BobTheCharmer]

His work rate has improved since he's been with us. But he will never be an Ian Rush type in that aspect. He's been playing in a team that has created very little in a role that is foreign to him. His confidence much like the team is shot. But to say he doesn't care is bull****. He's got bags of ability. Is he the right fit for us? Probably not. But I'd like to see him if the opportunity comes given a run alongside Sturridge or at least in a team set up to attack like we are at present. Then see what he can do. £16m was 100% worth a shot. Thanks to him we got our only CL win and we're in the semi of another cup thanks to him. Important goals. Not sure why there is so much ****e thrown his way by our own fans.

[marcus50bucks]

Why was he picked as a lone striker for most of the season if he was a player who couldnt press high up the pitch?

On strategy and formation

"We're at our best when our game is aggressive. We've had to adapt this year.

"We had to steady the ship [after Palace] and had to get results but that wasn't long-term. It's about rediscovering the tempo and intensity [of our game] and we've seen that.

"That real aggressive pressure gives us the platform to dominate the ball so it's been a lot of work.

"We haven't just stumbled across this system, a lot of thinking time and hours have gone in on how we can maximise it.

"In the last three games it's been much closer, we have to work very hard, players are adapting to the club and performances will get better and better."

Alas...Balotelli can't play that way

"We've seen it [pressing] isn't really his game.

"Working with Mario we see someone who is better in and around the box so that level of intensity and pressing isn't part of his game.

"You try to get the best out of the players you have and the quality you have."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-press-conference-recap-brendan-4870294

The scapegoating of Balotelli is beyond ridiculous now. Every time he speaks about him he throws him under the bus with his comments.

[Sarb]

On strategy and formation

"We're at our best when our game is aggressive. We've had to adapt this year.

"We had to steady the ship [after Palace] and had to get results but that wasn't long-term. It's about rediscovering the tempo and intensity [of our game] and we've seen that.

"That real aggressive pressure gives us the platform to dominate the ball so it's been a lot of work.

"We haven't just stumbled across this system, a lot of thinking time and hours have gone in on how we can maximise it.

"In the last three games it's been much closer, we have to work very hard, players are adapting to the club and performances will get better and better."

Alas...Balotelli can't play that way

"We've seen it [pressing] isn't really his game.

"Working with Mario we see someone who is better in and around the box so that level of intensity and pressing isn't part of his game.

"You try to get the best out of the players you have and the quality you have."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-press-conference-recap-brendan-4870294

The scapegoating of Balotelli is beyond ridiculous now. Every time he speaks about him he throws him under the bus with his comments.

[red g]

So, ban over & probably fit for the bench at least.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't start at least one game over the Xmas period. As we'd all like to maybe call it quits, Mario is here to stay and I feel it's unlikely we will be signing another striker this January. No matter how much we need one.

I've seen enough this season to have huge reservations about his style of play and ability, but there is a world class player in there somewhere & we just have to hope that player makes an appearance.

I hate to pin our top 4 hopes on him, but as much as the return of Sturridge will be vital, I think it's essential this man lives up to his billing if we are to make the CL & find success in the cups.

Hi Danny, Always like reading your opinions and you obviously knwo your stuff.

I would love to know why you and others see a world class player in Balotelli?

I have never seen it.....He has far to many deficiencies in his game to get anywhere near world class imo.

no intelligence, shoot on sight policy, always offside, Tempremental.....shocking assist record.


He can produce the odd worldie....but then so can Jon Walters.

[alonso14]

On strategy and formation

"We're at our best when our game is aggressive. We've had to adapt this year.

"We had to steady the ship [after Palace] and had to get results but that wasn't long-term. It's about rediscovering the tempo and intensity [of our game] and we've seen that.

"That real aggressive pressure gives us the platform to dominate the ball so it's been a lot of work.

"We haven't just stumbled across this system, a lot of thinking time and hours have gone in on how we can maximise it.

"In the last three games it's been much closer, we have to work very hard, players are adapting to the club and performances will get better and better."

Alas...Balotelli can't play that way

"We've seen it [pressing] isn't really his game.

"Working with Mario we see someone who is better in and around the box so that level of intensity and pressing isn't part of his game.

"You try to get the best out of the players you have and the quality you have."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-press-conference-recap-brendan-4870294

The scapegoating of Balotelli is beyond ridiculous now. Every time he speaks about him he throws him under the bus with his comments.

Pathetic. What a way to motivate someone.

[~LFCHistory~]

Mario should be eternally grateful to the British media for perpetuating the myth that he's a talented footballer who could be top class player if he just got his head right. Without that myth he would never have got a move to Milan or here.
The reality however is that he's a bang average striker who isn't special or even above average in any area of football. He gave 100% in almost every appearance for us IMO, there was no lack of effort or determination on his part but he failed to deliver because he's incapable of it.

[Slinky Skills]

Pathetic. What a way to motivate someone.

It's not about motivating him, it's about making it clear he can't play in that type of system which is the truth.

He's said similar about Lambert coming in and knowing he would be a striker who would come off the bench, it's a statement of fact.

At the end of the day BR probably feels massively let down and disappointed in what he's seen from Balotelli so far and rightly so. He could proper go to town on him but he's chose not to.

Another thing as well, it's not going to make a blind bit of difference with Balotelli anyway as he's ****ing lazy **** so regardless of what Rodgers says he's not going to improve. Don't see why you're getting so worked up about it.