Mario Balotelli

[Buddha]

I must have been watching a different game.

He was playing on his own up front and held the ball up well with some lovely lay offs/skill. Given it's his 6th league game for us and he's surrounded in the attacking third by new players integrating into the team I'd say he's doing more than alright. he needs a goal or two but his play otherwise is promising.

Like others have said, stick him in a forward two with a mobile Sturridge and he'll look instantly better.

We should have won today and he contributed well to that.

 

[Fox]

Mario is not a 15 PL goal man

 

[mom]

I think we will sign the top striker we should have in the summer, in Jan. Borini will leave if he doesn't make a impression. Mario will play a part, but we need a top drawer striker of we're gonna hit the dizzy heights of last season.

 

[Buddha]

Spuriously linked to a move for Benzema today.

 

[Mors]

Be interesting to see how he gets on in a diamond, playing up top with Sturridge. We'll find out soon enough

 

[Halmeister]

He's obviously not suited to us, but I think a partnership between him and Sturridge could do some damage. Let's see how that works out.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Mario showed his frustration all throughout the game. I guess he knows the team doesn't know how to play with him and he's thinking to himself 'I have scored lots of goals everywhere i go and i'm world class' yet at the same time, he knows he's in last chance saloon so he tries to behave himself and not act like a prima donna and be more of a team player instead. It's like he's struggling to choose which Mario he's gonna be - the cocky, mental one or the toned-down, probationary be-on-your-best-behavior one.

There were a couple of times, the ball was at his feet and everyone was anticipating his next move, instead he just held up the ball, time stood still for a moment, it was pretty obvious he was planning to pull off a world-class move but didn't have a clue what to do next, so he switched to 'screw it I'm gonna be Mario, show 'em and have a crack' mode instead.

He's slowly turning into an enigma for us.

 

[Best Believe It]

I can't remember who said it when he was linked to us - some Italian journalist possibly - but that person said that they hoped we weren't going to ask Mario to lead the line, because he's much more effective when he drops off and takes defenders with him. I think he's going to get better but I think we'll see the best of him alongside Sturridge.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

I hope so too.

 

[Delinquent]

Mario showed his frustration all throughout the game. I guess he knows the team doesn't know how to play with him and he's thinking to himself 'I have scored lots of goals everywhere i go and i'm world class' yet at the same time, he knows he's in last chance saloon so he tries to behave himself and not act like a prima donna and be more of a team player instead. It's like he's struggling to choose which Mario he's gonna be - the cocky, mental one or the toned-down, probationary be-on-your-best-behavior one.

There were a couple of times, the ball was at his feet and everyone was anticipating his next move, instead he just held up the ball, time stood still for a moment, it was pretty obvious he was planning to pull off a world-class move but didn't have a clue what to do next, so he switched to 'screw it I'm gonna be Mario, show 'em and have a crack' mode instead.

He's slowly turning into an enigma for us.

He hasn't scored lots of goals everywhere he's been, certainly not for the world class striker he's proclaimed to be. And he's not slowly becoming an enigma. He's been an enigma for his entire career.

He's not what we needed. In fact, he's the antithesis of what we needed to fit into the team ethic that Rodgers has built here. It's early days but I agree with single - I haven't seen this hard work, and I don't see it materialising. Sturridge is absolutely vital to how we play, and if he spends too much time on the sidelines then it's going to be a really long season.

 

[Cerberus]

He's shite.

 

[Frogfish]

Equally there was a bit when he stood and watched Coutinho (I think it was, may have been Sterling) dribble past him on the left, about level with the halfway line, and didn't make the slightest effort to get forward in support

It was Sterling .. it had me up off of the sofa swearing like a trooper at him.

 

[Frogfish]

I hope these rumours of a £40m bid for Benzema in January are true.

 

[mom]

No he's not. Just the wrong type of player for us, at the moment. He needs to adapt to some degree, as do others in the team. Give him some time.

 

[Cerberus]

No he's not. Just the wrong type of player for us, at the moment. He needs to adapt to some degree, as do others in the team. Give him some time.

It's painfully obvious already that he's a fucking massive meh. If by some miracle he starts banging in the goals ill whole heartedly eat wolands nob cheese.

 

[Squiggles]

He's far from shite and has already contributed more than most of our summer signings, the majority of which cost more money. Remy would have been the better gamble as he's more suited to Liverpool's set up, but I do think Mario will prove his worth here and that's more likely to happen when Sturridge back. We're lacking his finesse and movement. Rodgers needs to be bold and select the pair of them when given the chance.

 

[mom]

It's painfully obvious already that he's a fucking massive meh. If by some miracle he starts banging in the goals ill whole heartedly eat wolands nob cheese.

I'll buy you some crumpets for your cheese...

 

[Cerberus]

He's scored goals in the Italian league where every forward has about half an hour on the ball before they shoot. Thanks for the haircut Mario now fuck off.

 

[Whirly]

He's scored goals in the Italian league where every forward has about half an hour on the ball before they shoot. Thanks for the haircut Mario now fuck off.

It's funny because Inter fans reckon Coutinho has broken through with us as a result of the lax defending and pressing in the BPL compared to Serie A.

 

[kingjulian]

Benzema doesnt run the channels does he? Whats the point of signing him.....he is same as Balo...

 

[cloggypop]

He needs to stop the theatrics.

 

[rurikbird]

On MOTD they were quite complimentary of his performance.

http://www.lfc.vn/motd1/motd-liverpool-everton-s15-w06/

 

[Hansern]

Why shouldnt they be? He played a good game for us. Its yet another story of giving up on players after 5-6 games.
Best fans in the World? Yeah right.

 

[keniget]

Why shouldnt they be? He played a good game for us. Its yet another story of giving up on players after 5-6 games.
Best fans in the World? Yeah right.

Who is giving up on him?

It's okay to be concerned about a player. We don't have to maintain this facade of "he'll be a beast" all the time. It doesn't mean you're a better / worse fan for it.

 

[rurikbird]

His ability to hold on to the ball while being outnumbered reminds me of Lewandowski. There are not many strikers in world football who can do this at such a high level. Balotelli can. If he keeps working and pressing like he did yesterday, keeps his head cool and we surround him with 2-3 willing runners, I believe goals will come. This is not Morientes situation at all.

 

[Red Astaire]

Why shouldnt they be? He played a good game for us. Its yet another story of giving up on players after 5-6 games.
Best fans in the World? Yeah right.

See that just annoys me. I'm not giving up on him I'm just commenting on what I have seen of him so far. Not just for us but when he played for Citeh as well. I've always thought he was a bit meh and he's done nothing so far to prove me wrong. I of course would be delighted if he did prove me wrong. That would be great. I do support Liverpool after all.

Your 'Best fans in the World? Yeah right' quote is sarcastic, patronising and frankly a bit bellendish.

 

[Hansern]

See that just annoys me. I'm not giving up on him I'm just commenting on what I have seen of him so far. Not just for us but when he played for Citeh as well. I've always thought he was a bit meh and he's done nothing so far to prove me wrong. I of course would be delighted if he did prove me wrong. That would be great. I do support Liverpool after all.

Your 'Best fans in the World? Yeah right' quote is sarcastic, patronising and frankly a bit bellendish.

So you dont agree that labelling someone a flop after 5 games is awful? Its the exact same thing with Markovic.
20 mill wasted etc are the comments about him. 4 games in to his career at Anfield.

Its one thing being concerned about how he'll fit in and if he can succeed. No one is saying he'll deffo be a beast either.
I agree with all those issues and concerns because thats relevant. Its a fair discussion and in Balos case very relevant because of his past.

Making up your mind after 5 games isnt. We've done so several times with other players aswell. If thats a bellendish thing to point out, then well soz about that. But it annoys me to fuck that we're having so high thoughts about ourselves yet cant give new players time to prove themselves.

 

[gkmacca]

There shouldn't be any serious reason why Coutinho can't thread the ball through to him to run on to. If the movement is good enough around them, that move would be simple and quick, and ought to create loads of chances, especially away from home. So there should be some improvement once the team gets used to him, and vice versa. But he's got to adapt. To put it most basically, he's got to work far harder, week in, week out, than he's ever worked before, and that's the thing that worries me. I just hope he's got the appetite for it.

 

[Red Astaire]

So you dont agree that labelling someone a flop after 5 games is awful? Its the exact same thing with Markovic.
20 mill wasted etc are the comments about him. 4 games in to his career at Anfield.

Its one thing being concerned about how he'll fit in and if he can succeed. No one is saying he'll deffo be a beast either.
I agree with all those issues and concerns because thats relevant. Its a fair discussion and in Balos case very relevant because of his past.

Making up your mind after 5 games isnt. We've done so several times with other players aswell. If thats a bellendish thing to point out, then well soz about that. But it annoys me to fuck that we're having so high thoughts about ourselves yet cant give new players time to prove themselves.

I'm certainly not making my mind up after 5 games. I'm commenting on what I have seen so far. To be frank about it I have seen very little. As Macca just said he needs to work harder. If he does that (and that's a big if) It will hopefully work out for all.

 

[furyoo]

I was quite happy with his performance yesterday. I thought it was intentional to not have him play as an out and out striker, hence why he was dropping deep at times and letting others push ahead of him. I thought he had one or two penetrating passes that were pretty good and could have gotten something out of them.