da luck： When Liverpool were forced into sanctioning a move for top scorer Luis Suarez to Spanish giants Barcelona everyone knew the club would miss his goals, but there was always the next best option in Daniel Sturridge.
da leao： So, when the 25-year-old picked up an injury that eventually ruled him out for half of the season, manager Brendan Rodgers had no other choice but to dip into a summer transfer market that wasn’t really all that inspiring.
Some would forgive Rodgers for giving Mario Balotelli a chance, but not many Liverpool supporters have been inspired by his arrival and, if their team fails to make top four on something minor like a couple of points, or even goal difference, it wouldn’t surprise me if the blame was placed firmly at his door.
From the day he signed it was obvious that bringing Balotelli back to England was not the smartest decision, as the immature forward’s previous stint in the League had proved. A very public falling out with ex-Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini should have been warning enough. But now with the Italian scoring only one Premier League goal from 13 appearances Rodgers, who almost masterminded Liverpool’s first ever Premier League league trophy last season, looks like he has one of the divison’s most expensive flops on his hands.
Super Mario, as he is affectionately though quite inaccurately called, has been so ineffective that it is a wonder how he can possibly stay on Liverpool’s books beyond this season.
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With experience for Manchester City, AC Milan and Inter Milan at club level and senior caps for Italy stretching back to 2010, Balotelli is a player who should be producing more for his side. He is a striker after all and one league goal just doesn’t cut it.
No-one was demanding that the 24-year-old score 15+ goals in his first season but as someone who spent three years getting to grips with the League and was playing at the highest level in last years World Cup, Balotelli should have more to say for himself.
If Liverpool do hang onto him they are likely to continue paying the wages of a player who brings much controversy on and off the pitch while failing to work flat out to support his team mates on it.
Rodgers, just like everyone else in England, knew of Balotelli’s checkered past. His antics and petulance is common knowledge and yet, at the time, the Northern Irishman must have believed that having a difficult forward was better than not bringing one in at all. Daniel Sturridge has seemingly rescued his club’s season but Balotelli’s lack of impact still looks bad on both Rodgers and Liverpool.
If they had just bared in mind that Mario never fully adapts to any club he goes to – even his beloved AC Milan – then they could have saved themselves £16million by buying a less billboard worthy signing who would have at least had the work rate worthy of playing for one of England’s most successful teams in history.
Instead Liverpool have a player who spends his free time sending inappropriate tweets when he’s not setting off fireworks in his bathroom. Time to move him on!
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