5 Sept 2014

Balotelli vs. Falcao: Who' s the better striker? LFC fans give their emphatic verdict

Like many LFC fans, I am massively excited about the signing of Mario Balotelli, but have Manchester United got a better deal with the acquisition of Colombia goal-machine Radamel Falcao?

In a poll earlier this week, I asked visitors to choose the best striker from a list of five: Sturridge, Balotelli, Falcao, Rooney, and RVP.

* 17600 people (approx) voted.

* 40% selected Falcao, and only 12% went for Balotelli.

Given Falcao's association with Manchester United, this is a rather surprising result, especially since fellow United strikers Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie placed even lower than Balotelli.

However, it appears, in this instance, that LFC fans have put aside their pro-Liverpool bias to genuinely go for the striker they believe to be the best. Indeed, Falcao surprisingly placed even higher than Daniel Sturridge, who gained 38% of the vote.

At this stage, even with his injury problems, I'd still take Sturridge over Falcao, but if given the choice, I wouldn't be averse to swapping Falcao for Balotelli.

Author:


53 comments:

  1. As a pure goalscorer then perhaps but if you consider goals and their all-round game, I reckon Suarez and Ibrahimovic are better.

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  2. I couldn't pick 2 either. I would have picked Falcao and RVP. Sturridge is excellent, but he hasn't shown the consistency of RVP.

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  3. Falcao is great and all but he will turn out like Torres. He had a really bad knee injury which is a career killer for a striker in his mould. A striker who relies mainly on bursts of pace.

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  4. Falcao is a world class player just like Di Maria is and Suarez was for Liverpool. I'm glad we bagged the 2 of them and looking forward to Man U's real starting 11 taking the field! Good luck Liverpool, it's gonna be a challenging season for you with the amount if soccer you gonna need to play.

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  5. Suarez is by far the best striker.
    Falcao might not even be the same player again after such a bad injury, but if he is, he's obviously going to be very good, depending on how he plays in the premier league of course.

    Porto
    Apps 51 Goals (41)

    Atlético Madrid
    Apps 68 Goals (52)

    Monaco
    Apps 20 Goals (11)


    You can see the injuries have effected him which is natural. Lucas was a beast before the same knee injury and now he's a bum.

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  6. We seem to have got a defence now too though. Can't say the same for Manu

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  7. Sturridge was the second highest goal scorer last season and RVP looks like he's nearly finished.

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  8. actually it's 14 goals in 23 appearances for Monaco

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  9. Falcao is one of the best and has astounding goalscoring stats.
    I would have taken falcao over balo if you asked me a month ago. But now I have to say it was the right decision to buy balo due to the following reasons-
    1. We would have had to pay 300000 per week to Falcao, whereas it is 100000 in case of balo.
    2. Falcao is on a loan deal, while balo is on a permanent deal.
    3. Falcao's loan deal is worth 12m, while balo's permanent deal is worth
    16m(a major bargain).
    4. Falcao has not played in the epl before, whereas balo is a proven pl goalscorer.
    5. He has just recovered from a serious injury, so I cannot bet on him to score goals(May turn out to be the next Torees).
    6. I wouldn't want a player(Falcao) who had his heart set on joining another club(Real Madrid) to sign for my club.

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  10. All in good time. The season is long and we have time. The last time I checked, a four man defense could also be beaten.

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  11. Man U's midfield was the problem not the defense. They weren't moving the ball forward fast enough last year or retaining possession. This led to the defense being exploited all too often. Yes liverpool have a much better defense than Uniteds but our midfield and attack is far better than last season. In a few months time United will be demolishing teams with this new team and if I was a Liverpool or Arsenal fan right now I'd be worried about that forth spot.

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  12. You are completely right bar one thing. Ballotelli would choose Real Madrid or more money over liverpool's offer every day of the week don't kid yourself.

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  13. Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot to select the option to allow more than one vote (!)

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  14. United's defense looks pretty poor to me. Arsenal can worry about 4th because Liverpool are aiming higher.

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  15. The poll numbers only show me that many voters still don't trust Balo not to self-detonate and bring down the team with him.

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  16. Not what Wikipedia says. I'm only counting league goals.

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  17. Falcao?...Two words...Arturo Vidal. Not a question of 'if,' only 'when.'

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  18. 5 out of 6 is not bad though!

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  19. Not If United miss out on champions league again.

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  20. Still it shows that Liverpool fans really rate Falcao (or Falcoa)

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  21. Yes, but Balo didn't "want" Real. I'm pretty sure Falcao was waiting for that bid that never came, and Balo just was going for the highest bidder.

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  22. Right now we're all waiting to see if the same Falcao that we saw at Atletico comes back from the injury. Even if it is he will be a short term success. Never worth the money

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  23. Sturridge has done well for 18 months. RVP played very well last season when he was fit and was very good for the 3 years previous.

    I think Sturridge will prove better this season, but I think RVP has proven himself better. He's been a 1-in-2 striker over the course of 300-odd club games and nearly 100 internationals.

    As I say, fair enough if you prefer Sturridge, he's obviously the future, but I just think that RVP is objectively more proven.

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  24. This is stupid. This is the worst blog on earth. Whoever runs it is a numpty. oh wait let me be correct 'is a numpty'.

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  25. I agree I wouldn't swap Studge for Falcao at all. Studge is technically sound a great goal scorer but also very hungry. I like his arrogance, not insinuating he is personally arrogant as he's proved he's a nice humble guy but the arrogance on the pitch that all great strikers have. His record is exceptional so far and he is still young enough to learn. I wouldn't mind Falcao at LFC but really Balo is 24 with great potential and something still to prove... Perfect for the make up of the team.

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  26. I think after his latest injury they'll steer clear of him

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  27. I rate Radamel Falcao as the best striker on the planet at finishing chances but his overall game isn't complete.Sometimes you forget he's on the pitch.Falcao's a predatory box striker who needs to be fed chances.He isn't the type of striker who creates for himself and doesn't get involved in build up play, but will put the finishing touches on slow possession football.Arsenal would've been the perfect PL club for him.
    Falcao was able to build and maintain a reputation for being a quality striker because Monaco, Atletico Madrid and Porto play football which suits him.Liverpool's system is our foundation for future success and only players who fit should be bought.

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  28. He only played two league games for Monaco since injury and scored in both

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  29. Van nistelrooy joined united on the back of same injury and look how that went

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  30. I want a poll on January signings. falcoa and shniderlin for me


    :)

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  31. Don't know when the vote was taken, but if I were to allocate 100% between the 5, it 'll be (Players at their peak) - RVP 38%, Falcao 35%, Balotelli 23%, Sturridge 12%, Rooney - 8%. Why Roony negative 8%? Because for that sort of performance he charges 300K/Week. He would have scored 0%, had he charged what he is worth in current market - that is 300K/Month.


    Falcao is a brilliant scorer, but RVP is special as an attacking threat over all. Neither Sturridge nor Balotelli 'll be prolific scorers, their best role is the support striker, but Sturridge looses lot of points for his selfishness. Also, at their brilliant best, only forward who probably can match RVP & Falcao individually in Mario Balotelli. He is always at the helm of negative topic, but when he gets into the task, Super Mario is unstoppable.

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  32. I think we're all understandably nervous. When I think about what it takes for a player to really change their mindset and how they approach the sport, I'm not super-confident that Balotelli can do it. His first game was promising but until we've gone through an entire season I don't think we'll be sure that he's truly capable of being the kind of player we need. We just need to look to Suarez for an example of how players can get better and yet those underlying mental issues not really ever go away.

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  33. I am very happy that we did not go for Falcao instead of Balotelli. Falcao might have talent but the simple fact is that he is a full fledged mercenary who will just jump ship wherever he sees the next best paycheck and that is one of the reasosn he has never played in CL football. If I am not mistaken, we enquired for Falcao but were told no because his ' heart was set on going to Madrid' and the next thing you know, he arrives at Carrington shaking hands with Ed Woodward. Only one reason for that and that is that the move to Real did not pan out and he just looked for the club offering him the most cash and went to it. Might be one of the best but not one of the finest players.

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  34. Falcao needs to prove his fitness and financially the year loan for him is a bit of a farce and he will now be playing in the most physical league in the world. One tackle and his knee could give in again.


    IMO we got the better deal with Balotelli and the he took a pay cut, apparently 50% which suggests that he is not here to screw us over.

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  35. balotelli wanted a move to arsenal before coming to us but was twice turned down by wenger. every player is a mercenary.

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  36. Is this even a question?

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  37. In saying that, Balotelli and Suarez are very different. Suarez obviously has some chemical imbalance in his brain; normal people just don't bite. IMO, Mario is an eccentric, emotional personality whose own road to maturity has been hampered by a gross amount of hype from when he first hit the scene, and massive wages. I don't think that those 2 factors combine well with his type of personality.


    I'm not super confident Mario can do it, but still confident.

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  38. IMO, a United top 4 finish will be at Arsenal's expense. Despite landing Sanchez, they had an average window which didn't have hallmarks of an ambitious team. Wenger's transfer policy seems to show this attitude of, "well, if all the planets align for us and we buy a superstar, then great. Otherwise, I can't be bothered'.

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  39. Love to know where you read this considering Balotelli's agent stated he had been talking to Liverpool for 3 months before he signed and that Liverpool were the only team they talked to.

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  40. 20mil 1 year loan deal for a player who is unproven at CL level and who has had a serious ACL injury or 16mil permanent signing of a player who is proven at every level



    Difficult one

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  41. Sturidge injued AGAIN - Now the decision not to go for Falcoa will HAUNT US for years = it was a once in a lifetime opportunity - we should have signed the Jamaican kid that plays for Newcastle at least - YOU ARE 100 per cent correct when you like me said we needed another striker -

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  42. After seeing Balo against Spurs I'm not holding my breath but have a sneaking feeling he'll do a job for us and will prove a bargain signing . I have serious doubts about Falcao and the fit at MU with RVP , Rooney et al ........ some big egos there ( apart from Van Girl ) and with Rooney now as captain ! Can't see him hitting the ground running and meanwhile his injury could cause probs. He will also be a marked man and defenders will go in hard on him .
    With Sturridge out now is the time for Borini to step up and put his money where his mouth is - he just might put in a real effort to prove his worth and could well fit in to the new set up . Also wouldn't it be a great opportunity for Lambo to come on and score his first goal at Anfield ?

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  43. Balotelli is not a proven player at any level

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  44. Really..

    So scoring goals in Serie A, Premiership, Euro 2012, World Cup 2014 and CL (is Inter Milan youngest ever player to score in the CL at the age of 18yrs old).

    At the age of 24 Balotelli has scored



    Inter Milan - 86 apps - 28 Goals
    Man City - 80 apps - 30 Goals
    AC Milan - 54 Apps - 30 Goals


    Italy - 33 apps - 13 goals.


    In regards to winner medals, he has
    3 Serie A,
    1 Coppa Italia,
    1 Supercoppa Italiana,
    1 UEFA Champions League,
    1 Premier League
    1 FA Cup


    He also has a UEFA European Football Championship runner up medal.


    Name any striker that at the 24 that can boast those kind of stats.


    Again, I am not saying Falco is a bad player, not at all, but he is 28 now and he has yet to play against the best defences in the world so with that in mind, and just having a ACL injury that required surgery, 20mil for a year loan is a hell of a lot of money,

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  45. 86 match 28 goals..
    80 game 30 goals....

    Not much different from Borini.. add to that his woeful assists record. He could hardly pass the ball a single time last match. Maximum of his goals have come from penalty and free kicks too.
    Looks like you have really bought into the Balotelli hype...

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  46. You are so so wrong....

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  47. I don't understand why you put all the players at their peak, when Sturridge and Balotelli are 24/25 respectively and are still growing as players. While it is arguable that at 31/29/28 RVP Roomy and Falcao have probably already showed their best work.
    Also Sturridge was better than all strikers bar Suarez last season in the premier league, but I do agree with you that Balotelli will come into his own at Liverpool, with a regular amount of controversy around him as our greatest strikers tens to do.

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  48. Borini's Career Record

    106 apps - 28 goals

    Balotelli Career Record



    223 apps - 88 Goals


    Yes.. very similar.

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  49. maintaining the ratio, Borini would have scored around 60 goals playing for inferior teams and his assists would exceed that of Balotelli easily.

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  50. I guess the issue is cost. Falcao came with a large loan fee, huge wage demands and the background threat that he would always want to go to Madrid. Liverpool have money from Suarez but paying a significant loan fee isn't always a good idea, not when the player could simply move on after one season. Balotelli is a risk but if he settles in and develops his game and his work ethic then he could be a great player for Liverpool for 5 years or more. Falcao would almost certainly not fill that kind of role and of course the truth is that he didn't want to come to play here anyway. He's obviously a talented player and I'm sure he'll do well for United, to a limited extent, but he was never a long term answer for Liverpool. In that sense Balotelli is probably the better option. In pure football terms and who is going to have the better league season over the next 10 months ... probably Falcao. But then United don't have a midfield so who knows what's going to happen. I wouldn't bet money on Falcao scoring more goals at United than Mario does at Liverpool.

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  51. @Jaimie K ..... any chance of an article on Manquillo? glen johnson gets alot of scrutiny and rightly so however i feel manquillo has slotted into the side perfectly and not been looked upon .. moreno had his bad moment in man city game and story wrote.. then scored a goal and had stories .. what about this forgotten man ... your thoughts ??

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  52. If Real Madrid came in for Balo tomorrow he'd be off. Fact is I think it's a poor point to make because if Messi had his heart set on a move to Juventus would you turn him down if you had the option of buying him?. So why would you turn down Falcao? I guarantee you that at least 50% of all players playing for there respected clubs at every level would rather be playing for somebody else, but they won't say so because it's their job. If the bullet point was angled in such away that it was asking the question who would you prefer Lambert or Falcao then this point would carry relevance.

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  53. I don't think Balottelli would go abroad by choice. The racism that is still prevelant in Europe is a big part of the reason why he was not totally happy in Italy. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty in England but nowhere near the ridiculous level of accepted prejudice in other places. Anyway, Falcao is quality as is Balottelli and both have differing questions as to whether they can perform - one physical and the other mental.

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