Mario Balotelli is no stranger to the headlines, but last season it was for all the wrong reasons. His lack of goals (including a measly one in the league) has seen him bare a lot of flak from the Kop, but the Italian still has a lot to give, and maybe magic Mario just needs a little faith to come good.
At former side AC Milan, Balo netted 30 goals in 54 games, and established himself as a fan favourite and a welcome member of the squad. Watching over old videos of his Milan days, and the man we see in the 45 shirt oozes confidence; hammering in shots from 30 yards and being an absolute menace in the box. So what happened?
At AC, Balotelli was surrounded by a squad that fitted his playing style. He demanded the ball, and delivered when he received it. Kaká, fellow Italian Andrea Poli and Robinho were behind him and provided essential creativity that opened up space for Mario to move into and make the most of his time on the ball. AC Milan formed around Balotelli and moulded the squad around his often aggressive/often lazy approach to attacking.
And this is where the problem started.
At Anfield, where the Reds were still living firmly in the shadow of narrowly missing out on the Premier League title, Luis Suarez had firmly left a lasting impression with his 31 goals in one season. Daniel Sturridge also impressed with his 21, and perhaps it was this incredible goal scoring ability, that led us to really feel the heat last season. Luis and Danny disintegrated defences. They literally humiliated defenders and left teams a shadow of their former selves, and it was a sight that Liverpool fans relished. Unfortunately, but understandably, our success has also been part of our downfall.
Luis Suarez was the best player in the league, and when he left for sunnier climates, it left a lasting and painful wound on the face of our strike force. Sturridge began a crippling run of injuries, essentially leaving him out of the squad altogether for the whole season, and Rodgers was left with the urgent task of replacing the irreplaceable.
Rickie Lambert, the Saints man who slotted 106 goals in 207 appearances, was drafted in after scoring 13 times in the 13/14 season. However, he seemed to leave his ability back in the striped shirt as he hasn’t really managed to gel into the squad at all. With two goals to his Anfield tally in 25 appearances, big Rickie left a lot to be desired to the wanting Reds.
Balotelli was brought in at the same time for the princely sum of £16 million, and many fans expected the Italian to recreate the hallowed scenes of 13/14 by bursting holes in nets around the country. This assumption was not unexpected, but massively unfair. Balotelli, as much as he is a showman, is a team player, and relies (perhaps too much at times) on his team to either provide the ball or create space for him to manipulate. At Liverpool, we didn’t form around him at all. Instead, we wanted him to chase the ball with Suarez aggression and float back into midfield when required.
Looking at our own midfield, I rate Adam Lallana highly, he’s a solid attacking midfielder who isn’t afraid to have a shot on goal and get stuck in, but he isn’t a player that suits Balotelli’s style. Gerrard, despite his ability to be a confident box to box midfielder, didn’t seem to take well to the idea of having to provide balls on a ten pence piece. The little magician Coutinho was suited better to the Italian’s style, but I think it’s far-fetched to dream for a team of little Phils (but boy, do we dream), although hopefully the addition of Roberto Firmino will give our midfield more imagination and creativity.
Markovic, while proving to be a confident winger with pace and a keen awareness of the pitch, lacked the experience to understand how to adapt to a certain individual’s playing style. Despite this, I’m eager to see what Lazar does next season, and I think he can really come into his own. Raheem Sterling’s blistering pace opened up plenty of space, but in the wrong areas, and often pushed defenders deep into the box, hindering Mario’s ability to finish with the clinical style he used at Milan.
If it isn’t evident already, I’m a fan of Mario Balotelli, and I’m hoping that he stays for the upcoming season. Given his run of form, it’s unlikely that many serious offers will rise to the surface of the transfer boiling pot. Lazio showed interest, but demanded the Reds pay his wages if he moved, and Fiorentina also tested the waters recently, but both failed to make formal serious bids.
With new signing James Milner (who will be well aware of Balo’s style after their time at City together) hopefully adding some much needed chemistry into the mix, as well as all-but-confirmed arrival Christian Benteke, there is still plenty of time for him to shine. Benteke would provide the muscle, and Mario the magic, like football’s very own Dick and Dom, I could certainly see these two causing a stir on the pitch come August.
Give the man a second chance, and he’ll give us what we want. Why always him?
