Balotelli really isn't as lazy as people think. He's not like Tevez who'll harass the defenders but he tracks back and presses when he has to. The problem most likely is people have this conception of Balotelli as someone who just doesn't apply himself, so the few times they see him standing about it sticks much more in their mind than if it was any other striker.
Balotelli signs for Liverpool - Official
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His pressing and tracking back aren't too bad. It's his annoying lack of movement when we actually have the ball that's the problem. He's far too static to be useful to us.
Good performance by Mario. Don't think he has a long term future here, but it'll be handy to have Sturridge and Balotelli playing well for the run in and it will hopefully make him easier to move on in the summer.
Not sure he's the type of player to have a long-term future at any club but it looks like another example of Rodgers improving the performance of an individual. Did well today.
Improving the performance?
Balotelli clearly isn't a bad player. His exploits for Italy, and previous clubs show this.
If anything , Rodgers handling of Balotelli has been poor.
Balotelli clearly isn't a bad player. His exploits for Italy, and previous clubs show this.
If anything , Rodgers handling of Balotelli has been poor.
Or...Rodgers removed Mario from the public gaze for a few games, reintroduced him and he's come back looking a lot better.
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If you want to (deservedly) compliment Rodgers' ability to get the best out of his players, you have to acknowledge when he fails. Don't be a Glaston/ Orc/ self-appointed Scouse PR sploodge.
He waited until February to do this, right?
Dropped him under the bus at least twice in that time fram too.How has he improved the performance of Balotelli when he suffered one of his worst spells in football under him and has only just started to deliver the kind of performances he occasionally did for Inter, City and Milan?
Balotelli's poor form coincided with the team's big dip in the autumn. However, he didn't pick up like the rest of the squad. He wasn't a good fit and he didn't look like trying to fit. Was that Rodgers' fault? Or was Balotelli just reverting to type? I'd say the latter based on the player's history.
However, Rodgers has clearly looked again at him and given him another go. I can't prove if this was Rodgers' impact but if this return to form sustains then I would suggest that Rodgers deserves some credit.
So Balotelli's poor form wasn't to do with Rodgers, it was just him reverting to type, but now he is playing well, that is down to Rodgers. Come on now, that's a bit silly.
Balotelli started the season poorly and you're right, Rodgers was not responsible for that. But if you received a good offer for him in January he would have been gone and it's only because of Sturridge's injury and the lack of ability between Borini and Lambert that Balotelli has been given another chance. To now try and credit Rodgers for that is nonsense.
We can talk about rodgers improving him if he becomes better than he was at his previous clubs. This looks like his worst club stint yet.
The last two games have been decent enough, but that's about it. Long way to go for him.
The last two games have been decent enough, but that's about it. Long way to go for him.
Hopefully we can get nearly all our money back for him in the summer if he keeps up this level of performance.
Or keep him. If he's playing well then he's a bird in the hand, no?
Not saying he will defo sustain good form but I'm also not suggesting he's an automatic sale.
I think we should look to sell whatever happens unless he turns into Messi overnight.
Striker positions 1 (Sturridge) and 2 (Origi) are already booked.
I'd rather populate Mario's position with someone on a lower salary and higher goal scoring ratio, e.g. Ings or someone. However, if someone of a higher salary is available (Lacazette, Lavezzi, Pastore) then I would like to see that player in the number 2 spot with Origi at 3.
Balotelli's too expensive to be a 4th choice striker.
Pastore's not a striker, but I agree with the point made. I'd be wanting Sturridge, Origi, Ings and a new signing to be our strikers going into next season.
I'd be looking at a wide forward better than Lallana. Sterling looks like a more than capable third choice if you play one up top.
I like Lallana. I think he's had a good debut season all things considered. Sturridge, Origi, Ibe, Sterling, Markovic, Coutinho, Lallana and Ings and another striker who could also play wide would be a very good set of young, versatile options most of who still will be able to develop.
Origi has been crap for Lille. One for the future maybe, but no way would he be an adequate 2nd choice at the moment.
Why are people talking about Ings as a dead cert for Liverpool? Surely they would have been in for him last summer if they rated him? If they didn't know he was a good player then, they must have rubbish scouts.
A goal and a decent cameo are examples of Rodgers getting the best out of him?
Balotelli's time at Liverpool has been a case study in shite man management.
Or they knew they wouldn't have to negotiate directly with Burnley in a year. I believe Sturridge is the most costly deal to have gone to a tribunal to determine a fee, Ings surely won't be more than that.
They also get a year to see if he's Premier League quality.
Or you know they could've done a Zaha like we did.
You guys thought he was good yesterday? Apart from his free kick that led to the goal (which was just blasted at the keeper), what do you think he did particularly well?
Evidence? Examples of something Rodgers has done? Or is it based on Balotelli's performances alone?
A goal and a decent cameo are examples of Rodgers getting the best out of him?
Balotelli's time at Liverpool has been a case study in shite man management.
Won the free kick with a clever one-two then drew the foul; held up the ball very well to kill the game; closed down defenders to rush them into hoofs allowing Liverpool to regain possession; gave the attack more natural balance.
It wasn't anything amazing but it was solid forward play which you need when playing a tricky away tie and trying to kill the game. He did a good job - 7/10 for his 45mins.
There are heaps of examples of Rodgers digging Balotelli out.
He's on record as saying that Balotelli was basically a fall back option in the summer, which is a shocking thing to say when you should be looking to give a player confidence.
You have a very one eyed view of this situation. You attribute Balotelli's poor form to himself and the recent upturn in performance to Rodgers, yet you don't seem to entertain the idea that Balotelli's tough start is because of your boss's shite man management.
I acknowledge above that his poor start wad to do with his role in a poorly performing team, which is Rodgers' responsibility. However, Rodgers backed him for several games where he did nothing and moped about. His attitude was petulant. Rodgers declared that he's got to show up more - something everybody else was saying. This followed a removal from the squad with occasional cameos.
Is that poor man management? If it was then why has Balotelli responded with an apparent new vigour? Why is Balotelli playing for this manager who has treated him shoddily? What we do know about Mario is that he does what he wants. If he felt so hard done by then he'd likely let the world know through poor performances.
Is there not a possibility that Rodgers' intervention had led to hard work with him in training, getting him up to speed with Liverpool's aggressive attacking approach and the high press? Because that's what Balotelli has done these past two games - he's looked like a team player rather than an odd man out. Well done Rodgers if that is the case.
I like how the whole team performing badly somehow reduces the blame on Rodgers rather than enhancing it.
I do believe it was Rodgers' responsibility that the team was poor but I'm taking issue that Rodgers' man management caused Mario's poor form. In reality it was the fact he was operating in a dysfunctional team.
He dropped at a time when the team were playing badly but it doesn't at all preclude bad man management. The team was playing badly sure, but Mario was downright awful for many games and pretty much the worst striker playing in the league for a while.
If he wasn't managed badly then I imagine he would have picked up with the team much sooner but it appears he was held back by Rodger's poor handling of him (see that argument reversed?).
I've already responded to this above. Essentially it's conjecture as we don't know how Mario was handled in training every day. That's where man management is done or not.
Rodgers didn't really want him here and had practically lost all hope by the time January came around - you can tell that from many of the comments he made about Balotelli - so praising him for man-management in this case is comical stuff. If your logic is that Balotelli does what he likes then why not apply that logic to both when the team were playing badly and the team are playing well? Maybe he's just playing slightly better now and enjoying himself more because the team are playing better and enjoying themselves more, and Rodgers is just letting Balotelli do his own thing because he doesn't know how to man-manage him?
Maybe.
Rodgers said that was tactical after the game and that they had noticed a weakness and then decided to exploit it.
He pressed well, did some very nice lay-offs, helped us keep possession, held the ball up nicely, won the ball back a few times. As PickledRed said, it was 7/10 stuff. I doubt you'll find a Liverpool supporter who thinks he had a bad game and even most non-Liverpool supporters would probably disagree with you.
I didn't think he was particularly bad, just thought he was overall 'meh' and nothing to write home about. Don't really agree with the contributions you and PR have talked about, nor do I really pay attention to what Rodgers says.
Wow, standards really are low for Mario these days.
Going by his statements, agree with most of that. But he did also mention him being involved in defending in our box which he never did before and the high intensity pressing. When he didn't satisfy these he was dropped.
If Balo was 'doing his own stuff' we wouldn't be commending him on his change of performances.
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