When Liverpool signed Mario Balotelli in the summer, there was a lot of cautious optimism amongst the fans.
For £16m, it was seen as a risk worth taking, especially because it was clear as day that The Reds were short of a striker, after failing to complete deals for Alexis Sanchez and Loic Remy.
Mario’s Liverpool debut came in the away tie to Tottenham, where he and Daniel Sturridge looked like they could form a decent strike partnership. However, Balotelli did miss some guilt-edge chances in the game, something that he’s continued to do since.
With just two Liverpool goals to his name, it’s fair to say that Balotelli hasn’t hit the ground running, in fact, not running is the reason he’s found himself not playing recently. In his latest press conference, manager Brendan Rodgers said:
“[Mario] knows what is required to get in the squad – the pressing and aggression – and if you can’t do that you are not going to be part of the team.“
The manager has a point, Liverpool’s pressing game relies on all the team working hard to regain the ball, and if Balotelli doesn’t put the effort in, he doesn’t deserve to play.
Having said that, Mario has never been that player. He’s always been a more static centre forward, one who likes the ball to feet, and one who isn’t exactly known to work his socks off without the ball. So, once again, questions must be asked about Liverpool’s transfer strategy, much like when they signed a goalkeeper in Simon Mignolet who struggles with the ball at his feet, it seems like they’ve now purchased a striker who doesn’t fit with Brendan’s preferred style of play either.
Quite frankly, it’s absolutely bizarre. Do the scouting team not see that these players aren’t good fits for the team or is a decision being made by Rodgers to try and change players with coaching? That remains unclear, but a transfer policy based around either is hardly a recipe for success.
Recent performances suggest that most of the business done in the summer will turn out to be successes, Emre Can, Lazar Markovic, Alberto Moreno and Adam Lallana look like they’ll be important first team players for the Reds, but the fact remains, Liverpool without Daniel Sturridge look desperately short of a striker. That Raheem Sterling is having to perform that role is a major indictment against the infamous transfer committee.
Can Balotelli still make something of his Liverpool career and spare the blushes of a fair few people involved in the club’s transfer dealings? Sure.
Is Balotelli likely to change his approach and turn into the hard working, aggressive centre forward that Brendan seems to want? Unlikely.
Will Balotelli be a Liverpool player at the start of next season? Who knows?
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