Liverpool Balls: Mario Balotelli Has 9 Weeks To Prove Himself
LIVERPOOL Balls: Will it help Mario Balotelli to better settle into life at Anfield if he is continually singled out for treatment? Balotelli could go on a PR drive following his stupid decison to swap shirts at half time with Real Madrid’s Pepe, perhaps reminding kids about the Fireworld Code (never return to a lit bathroom towel etc.).
Or he could just be allowed time and space to repay some of £16m Liverpool invested in him?
In the Times, Liveprool fan Tony Evans writes benath the headline “Mario Balotelli faces fight to rescue Liverpool career”.
Balotelli joined Liverpool on August 25. It’s now October 24. He’s not had long to settle.
But:
Mario Balotelli is in a battle to save his Liverpool career two months after joining the club and could be sold in January unless he begins to justify the £16 million gamble taken by Brendan Rodgers.
No pressure, Mario. But how does anyone justify a gamble? A gamble is just what it say it is. It’s not an investment. It’s a punt.
…There is mounting concern at Anfield over Balotelli’s failure to fit into Liverpool’s playing style…
Is that his fault? Never the most fluent team player, Liverpool hired the player. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said:
“I think we have done a really smart piece of business here. This transfer represents outstanding value for the club.”
Really. Balotelli scored 30 goals in three seasons at Manchester City.
At Inter Milan, he was photographed in an AC Milan shirt.
Outstanding value? Evans adds:
Rodgers admits that his patience with the 24-year-old will be exhausted unless he conforms to Liverpool’s requirements.
Buy the player with the big media profile and then mould him to fit the team. Good luck with that plan.
Pressed on whether Liverpool would replace Balotelli in January, Rodgers said: “I don’t want to go down that route,” but he offered the former Manchester City player no guarantees beyond January, despite taking full responsibility for signing him during the summer transfer window. “He is an individual talent who is working hard to try to fit into the team ethos here, and the team identity, but only time will tell,” he said. “We brought in the player to give him a chance, and give him every chance. At this moment of time he hasn’t scored the goals we would like or want.
Liverpool spent £16 to give the lad a chance?
“…You can label it on me, so there is no problem there. I think it’s very clear, in the conversations we had with the owners, we knew what we were getting. I think I said before this was a calculated risk to bring someone in, and nothing has changed…We took in a young player that has football potential…’
He gives until it hurts.
Posted: 24th, October 2014 | In: Liverpool, Sports Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
