26 Jan 2015

Midfielder: I'll be 'delighted' if €20m star quits LFC & signs for us. Let him go?

Liverpool star Mario Balotelli continues to be linked with a return to Serie A, and Lazio are the latest club to be linked with a move for the beleaguered striker. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers insists that the €20m summer-signing still has a future at Anfield, but his compatriot, Lucas Biglia, has encouraged Balotelli to quit LFC and return to Italy.

When asked over the weekend about the possibility of Lazio signing Balotelli, Biglia told reporters:

"We'd be delighted to play with him [Balotelli]. If he comes he would be very welcome."

Lazio are in a dire straits right now when it comes to strikers:

* Keita Balde hasn't scored a single goal in 375 minutes of pitch time this season.

* On Sunday, Filip Djordjevic broke his ankle during Lazio's 3-1 victory over AC Milan, which means he'll be out for a few months.

* Miroslav Klose is the only senior striker left in the squad, and he's 36 years old.

It all seems perfectly set-up for Balotelli, but according to Brendan Rodgers, the striker is still very much in his plans. He told reporters today:

"I've seen some bits this morning suggesting that's him [Balotelli] done here. That's not the case. If players work hard, and show intensity and focus, they have every chance of getting back in the side and staying there."

In any event, Lazio Chief Claudio Lotito doesn't seem interested, and in a recent interview, he seemed less than enthused about the possibility of signing Balotelli:

"Balotelli? We do not sell dreams, but solid reality [and] we want to keep the chemistry in the locker room".

As usual, it seems that Balotelli's reputation (for allegedly unsettling dressing rooms) goes before him, but beggars can't be choosers, and if Lazio desperately need a striker, then they may have no choice but to consider the Liverpool striker.

Liverpool fans certainly won't be sorry to see Balotelli leave. I recently conducted a site poll asking whether Liverpool should sell if the chance arises:

* 13270 visitors participated in the poll.
* 77% of participants voted for LFC to sell Balotelli.

Clearly, fans have little confidence in Balotelli, and I can't see that changing any time soon. I supported his signing but only because of the comparative bargain of a transfer fee, and if Rodgers decides to let him go in January, then so be it.

The brutal truth is that Liverpool won't miss him; Raheem Sterling has usurped Balotelli up-front, and with another striker almost certain to come in at some point (plus Sturridge to return) the Italian's chances of regular first-team football look set to rapidly dissipate.

Author:


25 comments:

  1. Balotelli was never going to work for us and was doomed to fail. The biggest problem I have with Balotelli is I don't really think he cares whether he's playing regularly or not. As long as he's making mega bucks and can live his celebrity lifestyle he doesn't seem too interested in the footballing side of things.
    Rodgers pretty much said he wasn't performing in training which is why he didn't make the squad for the last game and I feel he did unsettle our dressing room when he arrived at first. The players body language towards him on the pitch wasn't good anyway and vice versa.
    I say end the Balotelli experiment as soon as possible, if there's any takers that is which is a big if.

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  2. If he goes, who will come in and take his place? I don't see any real money coming our way for Balotelli in this transfer window. Might be a better option to let him go in the summer... with the potential for many games to come between now and the end of the season, I feel it would be risky to let him go without a replacement.

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  3. Away to Palace if we beat Notlob

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  4. Anna Kournakova he's not.

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  5. If we get by Bolton we'll have to sabotage the CP boot room with banana peels in hopes Dwight Gayle will slip on one and sprain an ankle. The little guy specializes in making us look bad.

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  6. Bolassie also loves to tear us a new one - uh oh

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  7. If we were to do a deal with Lazio, I'd hope we'd look at Balde, Felipe Anderson or maybe even de Vrij.

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  8. We don't need any new signings now that Johnson is staying. As BR would (will) say "it's lifted the dressing room it's like having a new signing"

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  9. Anyone with pace or strength will rip us!

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  10. Why did Rodgers feel the need to publicise Balotelli's training? I personally think Balotelli's style of football is nothing to do with graft but odd moments of magic. If he isn't producing he contributes very little. What happened to the Balotelli that ripped Germany & England? I think the battle is more psychological & I'm hoping Sturridge's natural exuberance & effervescence will rub off!

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  11. Waste of time from the get-go. Nuff said..........

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  12. what an outstanding comment, you're a real technician

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  13. don't think too far, we still have to work really hard to beat bolton, that's breath taking match i spouse........

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  14. he still young, still have much room to improve, just learn the liverpool style of play, adapt and sure he can do better...............

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  15. Mario can go if there is someone coming in to replace him, otherwise it's the same old story: You don't just go selling players who could contribute to your first team, no matter how they don't seem to have lived up to expectations. I agree to some extent that the experiment has failed but I don't see that we desperately need to sell him. Liverpool won't be a better team if Mario leaves and they'll lack depth in the squad. Rodgers can continue to work with the player and see if things can progress a bit further with regards his football education. He still has an incredible set of skills, it's just a question of applying them in a way that suits the team. I still hold out some hope that Mario can learn and become an effective player over the next few months, net himself a few goals and establish himself as a useful squad member.

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  16. You might be right but I doubt it will be at Anfield. See him back in Italy......or some place where a coach has the magic key to his wierd mind and soul........he is a combination of man and child......

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  17. Rodgers recently completed his OWLS so maybe he has a few spells to cast. I'd guess what is needed is the old "Suarezus Emulatus" or something like that.

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  18. Wow,


    Always top points awarded for muti Harry Potter references. Would our crack player committee meet in the chamber of secrets????

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  19. Go home lads, you're both clearly drunk... Or you've have eaten too many sweets and you'll give yourselves a tummy ache...

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  20. And another comment from an Italian club president suggesting Balotelli is a poor influence on the team spirit. But I guess all of those people are wrong and we were right to sign him.

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  21. Why? He's not even in the squad so what is there to replace? I say get him off the wage bill asap.

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  22. I agree. He's shown so much improvement over the past four years or so. It's bound to end up right. I think you're within a breath of a place on the transfer committee my friend ;-)

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  23. Next stop? Al Ahly. Where owners have more money than sense.

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  24. Everybody always mentions those 2 games when speaking about Balotelli. Name me one other game Balotelli has dominated?
    I must have missed these pieces of magic as well, he certainly hasn't produced any in a Liverpool shirt

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  25. The answer is simple here. "Yes" let him go. Use the money buy someone else.


    For some strange reason Balotelli got more of a chance to prove himself at Liverpool than did Andy Carroll. I think it is clear to everybody now that Balotelli is not the perfect replacement for Suarez. He is not even close in skill level to the person he replaced. The system Brendan wants to use does not play to Balotelli's strengths. Mario was surrounded by a team of top class players at City so when he didn't score goals others picked up the slack. The goals always came at Man City because many in the squad could take up the goal scoring responsibilities. This is not the same story at Liverpool. Lion share of all goals last season only came from two individuals. When Mario is not producing not a lot of others taking the goals scoring responsibilities.


    Mario's notariety and fame has simply come because of his conducts off the field and not necessary for his conduct on the field.


    He is a very one dimensional player who is very static in him movement. Defenders are have no problem marking him. Defenders had a hard time marking Suarez. I have no problem with Balotelli on the team but he should never be a first choice attacker.


    With Ricki Lambert on the team Liverpool already has a big target man for when Rodgers wants to employ long ball tactics. i suggest keeping either Balotelli or Lambert but not the two. They are too similar.


    Liverpool's success last season came from an attacking line up that was full of pace so that they could hit you back on the counter attack. A lot of counter attacking moves have died at the hands of Balotelli.


    Sturridge ultimately needs a pacey partner up top and that is not Balotelli.


    Yes he should go if someone can give us a decent offer.

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