---
title: "Super Mario?"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/super-mario/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Bobby Vincent"
section: "Articles"
published: "2015-01-07T14:59:20Z"
modified: "2015-01-07T15:04:54Z"
---

# Super Mario?

Mario Balotelli. The man everybody seems to have an opinion about. Balotelli, Liverpool’s number 45, only arrived at Anfield in August last year. Already, his future is in major doubt at Liverpool. The Italian was always going to have a hard job at Liverpool, replacing the league’s best player in Luis Suarez is anything but easy. Balotelli was a player who arrived in England with a point to prove to everyone. Four clubs played for, three of them, huge clubs. Controversy seemed to follow him wherever he went and always seemed to have an impact on his performances. Liverpool, many believed was his last chance at a huge club.

My expectation of Mario Balotelli was someone whose technical ability is undoubtedly sublime; however, his work ethic and team work was something to be questioned and could prove to be a potential issue if he was to have a future at the Reds.

The reality, though, hasn’t been good at all. Many fans that were against the signing at the start, and many were, will feel as if their initial thoughts have been right all along. Balotelli has just two goals to his name, and is yet to open his account in the Premier League. This is despite the striker having the most shots out of any other player in the league (43), with a shot accuracy of 55%. (*Squawka*)

It’s strange with Balotelli. You never seem to know which Mario you’re going to get on the pitch. I’ve watched him sometimes and thought that people who claim he doesn’t work for the team must be deluded, because he’s putting everything he has into pressing, not very often, though. It doesn’t help him being up top on his own. The injury to Daniel Sturridge has seen mass amounts of pressure being put on the Italian’s shoulders. The only game the pair have played with each other, it was superb. The early signs were that they could be a successful partnership in the future. Good link-up play, understanding and pressing was almost reminiscent of the Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge partnership that exploded Liverpool into a title charge last season. I’m still very excited for the return of Daniel Sturridge, so we can see the two link-up again and for me, that will be the biggest indication to whether Mario Balotelli still has a future with Liverpool.

It seems absurd to say that I’ll reserve judgement on Balotelli until he has a partner (Sturridge), due to the amount of time he’s had on the pitch to prove himself, but I feel like he deserves a chance to prove himself with someone beside him, someone who can make good runs off him and benefit from his at times, quality hold-up play. At Manchester City, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko or Sergio Aguero would play up top with him to give him support. Despite all of the controversy at Manchester City, including training ground bust-ups, fireworks etc., Balotelli was excellent on his day. All of those times he’d have one of those three strikers with him to offer him support and movement to utilise Balotelli’s strengths. At the moment, it seems that Balotelli’s weaknesses are being utilised.

Is it too late for Balotelli to get his chance with Daniel Sturridge? Will he be shipped off in January, after an unsuccessful start to his Liverpool career? These questions will be answered in the next month. Balotelli may have shown enough of himself to Brendan Rodgers for the Northern Irishman to not even consider him for selection when Daniel Sturridge is back. Or, perhaps, Rodgers was impressed by what he saw when the two featured together at White Hart Lane, that he’s willing to give him a chance in a strike partnership and see if he flourishes. At £16m, it was always going to be a gamble. Will it prove to be successful in the long-term, or will Rodgers look beyond Super Mario in the future?