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

[Zapater]

He did do ok. He's still nowhere near what we need though.

Except for Sterling, who is?

[BobTheCharmer]

He did do ok. He's still nowhere near what we need though.

I want to judge him when he's had a chance to play with sturridge.

What more could he have done today? He just isn't ever going to run around like a cunt. He made runs and got involved. Some players, lots in fact, just can't play up top on their own. We just have to muddle through. Hull was always more important, three wins on trot would be great.

[spud_gun]

Absolute clown shoes. Whoever signed him ought to join him out the door in January

[kingfunk]

Cost less than markovic. I thought he did OK first half. Thankless task.

It's his attitude, he doesn't give a flying ****, about anything, nothing! He will never change either unfortunately.

[~LFCHistory~]

What an utterly idiotic signing. Replacing Luis ****ing Suarez with this guy is as bad as spending 35 million on Carroll.

I'm not at all angry at Balotelli BTW he's performing to the level he always has, he's just a barely above average striker who'll spend the next 10 years at Parma or somewhere like that.
Where we go from here in the striker department IDK, recalling Origi in January if possible would be a start.

[Daniel 7]

I hated Andy Carroll as a player. Really couldn't stand him. He was the antithesis of everything I liked in football - he was a a big, huffing, puffing, immobile lump of traditional English meat - a Mick Harford type where I wanted to see cultured, zippy, intelligent strikers who didn't need the ball planted on their head in order to be half way effective. He was boring, and I found it embarrassing that we had employed someone so lumpen and rudimentary to wear the number 9 and act as the focal point of my team's attack.

Tell you what though.

I'd have Big Andy over Mario every day. Twice. No arguments. He was honest and he tried hard - he'd make a fist of being in a team, try to bring his team mates into play and was obviously well thought of in the squad. He wanted to do well at Liverpool.

I thought it might be a laugh having Mario here to do mad stuff sometimes and act the maverick. He's just **** though. Not having it anymore.

[Gibbo]

Sterling put out a similar performance second half, maybe he's **** too and we should get rid of him eh?

Last time I checked Mario didn't play centre back - the swapping shirts at half time was a bit stupid but the lad was almost in the tunnel, I imagine that goes on more than you'd imagine once they're safely inside, I thought Mario did pretty much everything expected of him today, held the ball up in places, and played a couple of nice passes, there's is only so much you can do when you're the only person in or around the area, the same happened with Sterling second half, absolutely zero support at all.

He's not perfect by any stretch - but wasn't the main problem tonight at all.

[BobTheCharmer]

It's his attitude, he doesn't give a flying ****, about anything, nothing! He will never change either unfortunately.

I don't agree. He's low on confidence and is feeling the pressure. I think his lack of all action style means some people view him as not caring. I think he cares a lot.

[Daniel 7]

My post isn't a frustrated one based on a 3-0 defeat against one of the elite teams in Europe, Gibbo, its based on every performance he's meandered through since he joined

[~LFCHistory~]

It's his attitude, he doesn't give a flying ****, about anything, nothing! He will never change either unfortunately.

That's the cliched bollocks/myth that just won't die sadly. He is trying, he is doing his best he's just an average player who from time to time produces a moment of magic to perpetuate the myth.

[Gibbo]

My post isn't a frustrated one based on a 3-0 defeat against one of the elite teams in Europe, Gibbo, its based on every performance he's meandered through since he joined

Oh yeah I know, it wasn't a direct reply to you!

It's just people were starting on him from the very first minute and acted like this result was his fault. I agree he's been far from good enough so far.

Mignolet, Lovren, Johnson and Skrtel should all be getting similar pelters though.

[Bender]

Big Game Player/Just a Player or just a pussy...we'll find out tonight

PUSSY

[Kenneth]

Sterling put out a similar performance second half, maybe he's **** too and we should get rid of him eh?

Last time I checked Mario didn't play centre back - the swapping shirts at half time was a bit stupid but the lad was almost in the tunnel, I imagine that goes on more than you'd imagine once they're safely inside, I thought Mario did pretty much everything expected of him today, held the ball up in places, and played a couple of nice passes, there's is only so much you can do when you're the only person in or around the area, the same happened with Sterling second half, absolutely zero support at all.

He's not perfect by any stretch - but wasn't the main problem tonight at all.

I don't think anyone suggested he was really mate.

[Daniel 7]

Oh yeah I know, it wasn't a direct reply to you!

It's just people were starting on him from the very first minute and acted like this result was his fault. I agree he's been far from good enough so far.

Mignolet, Lovren, Johnson and Skrtel should all be getting similar pelters though.

I agree, and I swore about them tonight at the tele too. No doubt my daughter is going to go into school tomorrow with an entire new lexicon of expletives to teach her mates.

Balotelli winds me up the most though.

[G]

Make no mistake, our biggest problems are at the back. But Balotelli is one too. I expect him to be more useful with Sturridge. But Sturridge will get injured again and this will be a problem again. He doesn't suit our style, he's not an attacker in the mould of the one we lost or the one who's injured.