Mario Balotelli (Liverpool -> Nice)

Analysis done by Shearer didnt bother reading anymore after the first line.

Analysis done by Shearer didnt bother reading anymore after the first line.

Indeed.

http://vine.co/v/ObJvL5ere3O

http://a.pomf.se/tovack.webm

If you're a striker missing those type of chances something is wrong.

Analysis done by Shearer didnt bother reading anymore after the first line.

Indeed.

Agreed.

That is why I only originally posted a link.
Couldn't be arsed with the whole thing.

To be fair, and I don't think I have ever said this about something Shearer has said, but he's bang on with what he has said....

Need a lay down now after this shock!

Agree with all the posts re Balo and his terribleness during the game but will just add that though he missed that sitter, he was still in the right place for the 2 own goals that we got, their lads don't knock it into their own net, Mario is standing there waiting for the tap ins.

At least he's getting in the box, hopefully his fortunes turn around soon. Wouldn't surprise me to see him knock in the winner against Real Madrid on Wednesday. F***ing hope he does for his own sake and for our sanity.

A goal tomorrow night, I realise it maybe wishful thinking on my behalf, may restore his confidence, may do  Mario a power of good, before we all start running out of patience with the misfiring striker.

Cometh the Hour  Cometh the Man  Mario.

The most important game of your career to date , MeThinks.

F**k up and it could be the creaky swinging door of the Last Chance Saloon.

Cometh the Hour  Cometh the Man  Mario.

The most important game of your career to date , MeThinks.

F**k up and it could be the creaky swinging door of the Last Chance Saloon.

And only about a Billion people watching, no pressure Mario! 

The problem with Mario, is he that bothered, seems to have a set way of playing. Do not really see him changing his style of play for anyone.

Unless he scores a hatrick and nuts Ronaldo in the process, he's never going to win me over.

you know what is the weirdest part about all of this?  The typical "Balotelli paradox" has seemingly been completely reversed.

Over the summer, and basically throughout Balotelli's career, the question was always "he has the talent and potential to be world-class, but does he want to put in the effort and the hard work to be world class?"

And it's exactly because of that that it is so bizarre, because from what I see in the games he's played in, the paradox has completely inverted---he DOES work hard, he puts in a shift, he tracks back, he presses, but suddenly, the talent is gone.  He doesn't read the movement of our other players well, he misses sitters, he shoots the ball in impossible positions and ends up breaking down our moves. 

That performance against QPR was up there with some of the dross we saw from Andy Carroll.  Not because he missed an open goal (that happens), but because every time we looked threatening in an attack, when he got the ball, everything just.... stopped.  We looked static, out of ideas.  The antithesis of last season.

I really don't get it.  We all wanted him to work hard and put in effort and behave; he's done all of that. 

But I don't think any of us expected that the talent would disappear as well.

He runs as fast as my gran. I wouldnt say thats putting in a shift.

He runs as fast as my gran. I wouldnt say thats putting in a shift.

he's a hell of a lot faster than Stevie and sadly only contributes slightly less than our undroppable captain.

you know what is the weirdest part about all of this?  The typical "Balotelli paradox" has seemingly been completely reversed.

Over the summer, and basically throughout Balotelli's career, the question was always "he has the talent and potential to be world-class, but does he want to put in the effort and the hard work to be world class?"

And it's exactly because of that that it is so bizarre, because from what I see in the games he's played in, the paradox has completely inverted---he DOES work hard, he puts in a shift, he tracks back, he presses, but suddenly, the talent is gone.  He doesn't read the movement of our other players well, he misses sitters, he shoots the ball in impossible positions and ends up breaking down our moves. 

That performance against QPR was up there with some of the dross we saw from Andy Carroll.  Not because he missed an open goal (that happens), but because every time we looked threatening in an attack, when he got the ball, everything just.... stopped.  We looked static, out of ideas.  The antithesis of last season.

I really don't get it.  We all wanted him to work hard and put in effort and behave; he's done all of that. 

But I don't think any of us expected that the talent would disappear as well.

That's a good sign as far as I'm concerned because it shows how desperate he is to score and quite obviously was snatching at those easy chances. As long he keeps doing what he is doing all he needs is a break and he will start scoring.

Still don't think he will ever be prolific like Suarez or Sturridge but better than what people think of him currently.

Those two own goals likely would have been put in by Mario had they not been put in by the QPR players and we'd be on here praising his movement to get into positions to score and finish. Yea he's not Suarez, yea he's struggling a bit, but I've seen nothing to think that he doesn't want to be here, or that he doesn't want to score. It's up to Brendan to bend his tactics around Balotelli's strengths if he chooses to use him in the way he's using him.

I'd love for Balo to have a breakout game tomorrow, but I'll be honest, I wouldn't put money on it. We'll see I suppose.
Still hoping he has a good part to play for us.

He runs as fast as my gran.
I wouldnt say thats putting in a shift.

Fit as a Butchers Dog your Gran ... last time we met. 

Ey ey, what you been up to while my backs turned?

Those two own goals likely would have been put in by Mario had they not been put in by the QPR players and we'd be on here praising his movement to get into positions to score and finish. Yea he's not Suarez, yea he's struggling a bit, but I've seen nothing to think that he doesn't want to be here, or that he doesn't want to score. It's up to Brendan to bend his tactics around Balotelli's strengths if he chooses to use him in the way he's using him.

I'd love for Balo to have a breakout game tomorrow, but I'll be honest, I wouldn't put money on it. We'll see I suppose.
Still hoping he has a good part to play for us.

Can't agree with this, influence on the play for sure but in the right position to score, of course not. If the defenders do their jobs correctly we don't get anything from those moves. Dunne should be alive to the free-kick, he isn't but he's still ahead of Balotelli because he's fast asleep walking away from goal, in fact he walks that far away from goal it's debatable whether the 2nd covering defender would have won the ball had Dunne missed it completely, probably 50/50. The 2nd one is the simplest of runs any striker can make, there's no credit bought with that and again if Caulker does his job correctly we get nothing and there's no chance of Balotelli scoring.

Afraid they're excuses being made for a shocking performance that should see him dropped for the Madrid game without question.

Can't agree with this, influence on the play for sure but in the right position to score, of course not. If the defenders do their jobs correctly we don't get anything from those moves. Dunne should be alive to the free-kick, he isn't but he's still ahead of Balotelli because he's fast asleep walking away from goal, in fact he walks that far away from goal it's debatable whether the 2nd covering defender would have won the ball had Dunne missed it completely, probably 50/50. The 2nd one is the simplest of runs any striker can make, there's no credit bought with that and again if Caulker does his job correctly we get nothing and there's no chance of Balotelli scoring.

Afraid they're excuses being made for a shocking performance that should see him dropped for the Madrid game without question.

You can be afraid of whatever you like, I watched it and that's how I see it. You aren't going to convince me of something I saw with my own eyes.

You can be afraid of whatever you like, I watched it and that's how I see it. You aren't going to convince me of something I saw with my own eyes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CymREHfKVg

Feel free to watch it again sometimes your eyes can deceive you, if you think what I'm describing is wrong then fair enough but I'd suggest you're being disingenuous.

It's clear he's 50/50 on the free-kick with the 2nd defender and let's be clear Luis or Studge would have been in front of both the 2nd defender and Dunne so defending him on the basis that "he's in the right area" on that one is ludicrous. As for the 2nd any striker from any school who has played more than 10 games of football makes the run he did for the 2nd, you'd actually have to be a complete idiot to run anywhere else. What next, we give him credit for finding his way on to the pitch?

Those two own goals likely would have been put in by Mario had they not been put in by the QPR players

Don't know about the first but definitely agree on the second.  I mean even if he had tripped over himself and hit it with his arse it would've gone on in.  I don't know if everyone would have been praising him for that tap in but I do wonder if it would have helped him settle a little bit, knowing he scored the goal that gave us the win.

Damn you Steven Caulker!

I don't think he is lazy. Just tactically thick and a poor decision maker whilst also being totally out of form.

A squad player who is getting more of a gig than he should be as a main, lone  striker.