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

[Kenneth]

On the bright side, they've probably doubled our Balotelli shirt sales with the four they bought for their publicity stunt.

[baitman]

omg, imagine having the fowler of the past as a swap for mario. it'd be like having suarez back

probably the only time i will use the smiley in this thread until he is being shipped out to west ham.

[DannyMan2006]

Not convinced he's going to be the answer as a lone front man, but worked hard today & got in some good positions. Didn't hide and kept going. He'll score soon enough, especially when Studge gets back.

[Phoenix07]

He did alright for his standards. Interesting that he kept taking positions on the left flank and cutting in.

However, it's all about building consistent performances, and having the temperament to perform in all sorts of environments and scenarios. Is he the player who will do that, or will he be a luxury plan B player?

Anyway, it's clear his best chance of success with us is to be in a front two with Sturridge. I think that will determine if he's bombed out asap, or is allowed to stay.

[danperkins]

He did alright for his standards. Interesting that he kept taking positions on the left flank and cutting in.

However, it's all about building consistent performances, and having the temperament to perform in all sorts of environments and scenarios. Is he the player who will do that, or will he be a luxury plan B player?

Anyway, it's clear his best chance of success with us is to be in a front two with Sturridge. I think that will determine if he's bombed out asap, or is allowed to stay.

it's his only chance.

Got more chances even with Lambert up there. If we are going to insist on playing him, he must play in a two.

[Kenneth]

He made a few decent runs into space today, wasn't too bad.

[Shaggy]

Still clearly got no confidence, so in a way it's not fair to judge him solely on what he's served up thus far. He definitely is better than this. But we know what he's about even when he's better than this and it's impossible to see him ever being a really good fit for us, unless of course - as unlikely as it might be - Balotelli and Sturridge as a pair absolutely tear it up.

[TheElephantMan]

Obviously I want him to do well for us, but he doesn't seem all that bothered. I'd like him to come out and admit that he's struggling a bit and that he's working really hard to overcome whatever problem he's experiencing and that he wants to perform and score goals as much as we want him to. He's giving the impression that he's not really all that arsed.

[vlahka]

Thats not an impression. Thats his style. Hes a player that doesnt really heckle and chase after. And when he gives the ball away he doesnt do much to get it back. I was pretty livid when we signed him. He's the absolute opposite of what we need. I equally blame Rodgers and this stupid transfer committee for getting him. I doubt any of us here ever signed him in football manager either, just as an poor example of how we know hes useless. I look forward to the day he gets loaned out and we pay his salary till the end of his contract, because I cant se any intelligent club paying him the wages he wants.

[danperkins]

When he make a mistake or gives the wrong ball, he just stops, puts the head and mutters something to himself... it's incredibly frustrating. So insular at times. When Sturridge is fit (if that ever happens) Balotelli will get his chance up top with him. We are all banking on that pairing being the one the we see the best of Balotelli. IMO if that doesn't happen he'll be benched and we'll go back to the tried and tested Sturridge up top on his own.

[RedRum]

When he make a mistake or gives the wrong ball, he just stops, puts the head and mutters something to himself... it's incredibly frustrating. So insular at times. When Sturridge is fit (if that ever happens) Balotelli will get his chance up top with him. We are all banking on that pairing being the one the we see the best of Balotelli. IMO if that doesn't happen he'll be benched and we'll go back to the tried and tested Sturridge up top on his own.

Or else Lambert alongside Sturridge. I'd like to see that

[Phoenix07]

Liverpool are about to discover that Mario Balotelli is the footballer nobody wants.

Despite a growing acceptance at Anfield that the £16million gamble taken on the Italian in the summer is already looking like a lost cause, the prospect of finding a buyer for the errant striker is fading with every under-par performance.

He had another shocker on Saturday, missing a sitter in the last seconds of the 0-0 draw with Hull.

Balotelli’s stock has fallen so far that the Reds were the only big club interested in signing him when AC Milan were touting the 24-year-old around Europe in a cut-price deal after the World Cup.

Manchester City declined the chance to sign their former striker. And, in less than three months at Anfield, his reputation has suffered perhaps irreparable damage.

As one football agent put it: *“Balotelli’s career was at a crossroads when he signed for Liverpool and once again he has taken the wrong turn. Who is going to want him now?

"Even his own agent Mino Raiola said this was his last chance, but there hasn’t been any sign that he is going to deliver.

“Balotelli might have improved his behaviour off the pitch, but the other part of the deal was for him to help fill the gap left by Luis Suarez. Good luck with that.”

Balotelli went into the clash with Hull at Anfield still searching for his first Premier League goal of the season.

His attitude off the pitch does seem to have improved since the days when his escapades forced Manchester City to order Robert Mancini to sanction his £20m departure to Milan in January 2012.

But there were signs during the week that the facade has begun to slip as the pressure has started to mount.

On Thursday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Balotelli had outraged some Liverpool supporters by *swapping shirts with Real Madrid defender Pepe at half-time in a 3-0 Champions League defeat, he was questioned by Greater Manchester Police over an altercation with a woman.


If Brendan Rodgers’ decision to substitute him after just 45 minutes against Madrid was worrying enough, the fact that Balotelli has now started to find problems off the pitch as well will bring further *difficulties if and when Liverpool attempt to offload him.

It is unlikely that any of the top clubs in England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France will offer to take on Liverpool’s problem player given his lack of application on the pitch.

Balotelli has gone from a player who Manchester City refused to sell to Paris Saint-Germain for £50m in 2011 to a misfit being touted around at a bargain price.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...-mario-4506267

[danperkins]

Or else Lambert alongside Sturridge. I'd like to see that

Rodgers seems pretty stubborn with Mario so IMO i reckon it will be Mario & Sturridge at first. If that doesn't work could be Sturridge on his own or him up there with Lambert

[Slinky Skills]

Mirror ****ing **** stirrers.

[danperkins]

It's more of a story for the tabloids if Balotelli implodes rather than he succeeding at LFC.