Mario Balotelli (Liverpool -> Nice)

I feel for the guy as he was let's say decent tonight esp when compared to Sturridge and Sterling.

I agree totally, he has three months of the season left to kick on.

If he doesn't then we kick out.

Sorry mate but our best penalty kicker was taken off tonight.

Mario has improved over the past 4 games.

Poor lad is being short changed.

Sorry mate but our best penalty kicker was taken off tonight.

Mario has improved over the past 4 games.

Poor lad is being short changed.

Agree, one of the only players to turn up tonight. Didn't deserve to get his collar felt.

How Sturridge stayed on barely moving I've no idea, shocking decision.

Disrespectful f**k.Scores an impossible to miss goal (yes,thank you for getting into a good position/doing your job) after almost 7 months of nothing and lets it go to his head enough to challenge 2 teammates, including the captain of the squad for a penalty?The fact that this has prompted a gentleman like Gerrard to speak out against a fellow current teammate should be very telling.What a shameful spectacle this,but what else could we expect after bringing this person into our club?

A truly rotten apple,they had to be the bigger people and let the little boy have his penalty or else he would throw a fit.Inmature,childish,arrogant, disrespectful to his own team.Just like Cristiano Ronaldo,except he can afford to be like that,this embarrasment of a player cannot (not saying it´s right but you understand).And the fact that some of us are labelling a goal and a penalty as a "run" for him just highlights how pathetic his production is.All this penalty scuffle following a goal?A single goal?What´s going to happen if he scores a double?God forbid he scores a hat-trick (odds would be 17-1 on that one).

I really do hope,for the image,good name,and honor of this respectful club,and our very own as people who represent this club,that this embarrasing chapter be closed come summer.I don´t care if we sell him for 5M,that´s probably the best offer we´ll get,just please get rid of this ignominious character,it´s only going to get worse.The fact that this was a carbon-copy of the Inter incident just highlights how much of a facepalm this situation is,how naive we were to think he was going to change.Very sad stuff.

stopped reading after 5 words. come back after your 16th birthday.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Mario has been THAT good either yesterday or the past few weeks. It's an Andy Carroll situation to me: Scores a few goals, looks halfway motivated and all of a sudden he's Jesus. But it's sort of a mental trick because he was coming from such a low performance point that doing the minimum a striker of his physique should do -- holding the ball up, etc. -- seems like he had a whale of a game. He didn't really. He's been much better than earlier in the season, but he still has quite a ways to go to putting in an all-around good performance IMO

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Mario has been THAT good either yesterday or the past few weeks. It's an Andy Carroll situation to me: Scores a few goals, looks halfway motivated and all of a sudden he's Jesus. But it's sort of a mental trick because he was coming from such a low performance point that doing the minimum a striker of his physique should do -- holding the ball up, etc. -- seems like he had a whale of a game. He didn't really. He's been much better than earlier in the season, but he still has quite a ways to go to putting in an all-around good performance IMO

I feel the same way too. Still think we're using him all wrong.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think Mario has been THAT good either yesterday or the past few weeks. It's an Andy Carroll situation to me: Scores a few goals, looks halfway motivated and all of a sudden he's Jesus. But it's sort of a mental trick because he was coming from such a low performance point that doing the minimum a striker of his physique should do -- holding the ball up, etc. -- seems like he had a whale of a game. He didn't really. He's been much better than earlier in the season, but he still has quite a ways to go to putting in an all-around good performance IMO

I disagree for the match yesterday. I thought he did a lot of the little things that I actually wouldn't normally care about our striker doing (if they are scoring goals). He was an outlet through the midfield more than a few times, holding up the ball, holding off defenders, drawing fouls and generally being a pain in the butt to their side. Much more so than Sturridge was. Mario wasn't much of a threat to score but to be fair....who was?

Truthfully though, how many people here can see him staying here beyond this summer? Irrespective of what they can recoup of the £16m that was shelled out for his 'services'.

Truthfully though, how many people here can see him staying here beyond this summer? Irrespective of what they can recoup of the £16m that was shelled out for his 'services'.

Yea he's gone this summer. So is Lambert in my opinion and also Borini.

Truthfully though, how many people here can see him staying here beyond this summer? Irrespective of what they can recoup of the £16m that was shelled out for his 'services'.

If we go through the process of buying players to sell most of them on the following summer then what is the point? One of the problems we've had is the amount of players we buy and sell every summer. I didn't like the idea of signing Balotelli and I still don't. however, there comes a point when a player has to be given a couple of seasons at the very least for them to come good.

I also disagree with the way he is utilised at times and the way he is expected to play. We play with a press from the front ethos, Balotelli has never fitted that style so why is he being slated for not being that type of player? The blame has to lie on the shoulders of the manager and the committee for buying him. He is never going to run round for 90 minutes chasing every shadow but he does put his body about in other ways. Balls need to be played into him and not him going making sliding tackles, winning the ball and then going on his merry way.

I say give the lad another season or two, his stock won't go down that much by then, we'll probably still recoup a similar amount as we would the coming summer if we do decide to sell.

Agree, one of the only players to turn up tonight. Didn't deserve to get his collar felt.

How Sturridge stayed on barely moving I've no idea, shocking decision.

I would have hauled them both mate, Balotelli was always a risk once he got the yellow for a silly lunge although he did quite well to curb things as they were clearly trying to rile him form there on in. But he wasn't really running from midway in the 2nd half, just strolling about and playing like a lazy bugger. Same applied to Studge, he looked shot to pieces from the 60 minute mark on. We desperately needed another man in the midfield so Brendan has to take that one on the chin.

As for Balo, first half I thought he was very good. I do wonder if he has a good 90 in him though.

I think Mario did enough to justify keeping his place in the starting lineup. I also think Studge needs to be rested as he is injury prone and just played a long game on Thursday. He still has a handful of games to prove himself and save his LFC career....

I've seen now the full match against City, still can't know how Balo can play at this level of speed.

he worked hard in his last game but his ego is stopping him from becoming the player he can be. his like Ibraimavich ego wise but cant back it up with pulling off goals and worldy assists. he needs to be the main man in an average team to be happy. selling him to the MLS for 15mil would be our best option as i dont think any decent teams in Europe will touch him now

I've seen now the full match against City, still can't know how Balo can play at this level of speed.

He can't. He will never fit our style and his ego has no place in our club.

I don't think he has an ego problem. Obviously they all have egos - even "selfless fighter and all-round nice guy" Jordan Henderson. Does Balotelli have an ego problem because he knows he's the best penalty taker on the ground? Or because he believes in his ability? This is the kind of man leads Italy to victory over Germany when you back him. Don't we back our players?

I've seen now the full match against City, still can't know how Balo can play at this level of speed.

He can.  the question is, will he?

If you watch the games he's played in so far, you can see how fast he actually is.  He is very, very quick, both over short distances, and over long ones. 

The problem is he is lazy as hell.  He may be fast but it's sort of irrelevant if he doesn't feel like running.

as opposed to say, Rickie Lambert, who is slow as hell but at least he tries.

I don't think he has an ego problem. Obviously they all have egos - even "selfless fighter and all-round nice guy" Jordan Henderson. Does Balotelli have an ego problem because he knows he's the best penalty taker on the ground? Or because he believes in his ability? This is the kind of man leads Italy to victory over Germany when you back him. Don't we back our players?

Mate this club backs it's players to the hilt. Look how much we backed Suarez through two controversies. You make out like we haven't given Balotelli a chance here. He has has had plenty, more than Borini and Lambert combined, and he simply has not delivered. Our manager clearly doesn't rate him as he is only a bench warmer now Sturridge is back. Balotelli has an ego problem because he thinks he is a better player than he actually is. If he showed less ego and more desire on the pitch he might actually be a very good player for us. But I still haven't seen enough to suggest he will give his all for this club.

Mate this club backs it's players to the hilt. Look how much we backed Suarez through two controversies.

Call me cynical but something tells me that if Suarez had been as awful as, say, Borini, he wouldn't have gotten nearly the amount of support he did during those controversies.

His latest instagram post is pretty sad 

"Someone doesn't Like me But differently of what they say about me im a team player and im so proud of my team,of this win and of these fans! ❤️ let's keep going"

I hope he doesn't mean Rodgers

Oh for heaven's sake...

Probably the clearest sign he is not in Rodgers long term plans with Lambert coming on last night, albeit for the last few minutes instead of Balotelli.

Got to feel for the guy who seemed to me at least to have increased his work rate and application on the pitch as demanded by the manager and even Glen Johnson gets a run out ahead of him 

Or maybe this is just a masterplan by Rodgers to get the best out of him