29 Jan 2015

Agent insists: LFC star is worth '€70m' & will 'leave Liverpool' if a club pays that fee

Beleaguered Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli continues to be linked with an early Liverpool exit, but according to his Agent, it will take a record transfer bid for the Italian to quit Anfield.

In November, a Tutto Mercato exclusive claimed that Mino Raiola - Balotelli's agent - is working behind the scenes to secure for the Italian a transfer to Napoli.

Italian newspaper Il Messaggero then reported (in January) that Raiola is trying to persuade LFC to loan Balotelli to Serie A.

Well, when asked today about the possibility of Balotelli leaving before the transfer window shuts, Raiola dismissed the idea, but seemed to suggest that the 'insecure' striker's value has skyrocketed since his move to Anfield. He told La Gazetta dello Sport:

"The plan is to continue at Anfield. I saw him Monday and told him: 'You have a four-year contract and I won't bring you away. Either you leave Liverpool for €60-€70m, or you'll die there".

€70m for Balotelli? In a Seinfeldian bizarro-world, perhaps, but in the real world, there's absolutely no chance of Liverpool achieving anywhere near that kind of figure.

The Reds will probably struggle to make back Balotelli's €20m transfer fee, and after his latest flop, I can't see any club - especially in cash-strapped serie A - paying more than £12m for the Italian.

Balotelli hasn't (yet) delivered for Liverpool, but his constant hounding by the press is an absolute joke, and unlike Luis Suarez, none of it is (IMO) self-inflicted. The only thing Balotelli is guilty of is not scoring/creating goals on a regular basis, and that needs to be rectified.

Hopefully, when Daniel Sturridge returns, Brendan Rodgers will play Balotelli as a slightly kore withdrawn striker in a front two, which is self-confessed favoured position. If Balotelli is still firing blanks after a run of games in his preferred role, then it'll be time to think seriously about selling.

It's nice to dream, though. Imagine if Liverpool somehow managed to persuade another club to pay €70m for Balotelli. It'd be glorious daylight robbery at its finest, and would almost make up for the Andy Carroll fiasco.

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78 comments:

  1. I think Balotelli told his agent he wanted to leave, cause I don't see why else his agent would have to tell him that he's not bringing him away.

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  2. Balloteli to die at Liverpool?No chance,any bidder for more than 15 M?Mayb if his perfomance climbs the ladder.But opinion aside i have a feeling by next season he will be nowhre near Liverpool

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  3. He looked promising on Tuesday night. It seems to me Rodgers is managing him well, ie forcing him to train hard to force his way into the team. I just hope we don't write him off before he gets the chance to really show us what he's capable of, because there is one hell of a footballer hiding in there. He has to produce though, but if you consider how Henderson has turned his career around at Anfield, perhaps Mario can too.

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  4. Balotelli may aswell go on big brother, he's never a footballler

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  5. None of it is self inflicted?? Really???

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  6. Now is the time for Balotelli to prove his worth. We have a lot oftough fixtures coming up, Sturridge is coming back, players will be tired so it is the perfect time for him to step in. I would play him for the West Ham game with Borini and rest Coutinho who has played a lot of games recently. If things do not go to plan, we have Sturridge and Coutinho to call on.

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  7. I think his agent meant that Balotelli should develop into a world class player and should only leave when he reach that level and some other top club is willing to pay top money. if he cannot develop at Liverpool...his career is pretty much dead.

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  8. He linked up well with sturridge a few times against Tottenham so there's hope with the two of them playing together,but really ,the man was supposed to be one of the best and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's relying on studge to get him playing

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  9. Since he's been at LFC, what's he done to himself besides not score goals?

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  10. Really there are no indications that he is not good for the team...


    When he comes on as a sub he is running in like someone is chasing him, real determination. And he shakes the hand of the guy who comes out.


    It wasn't him who stood on the left flank 3 minutes after he came on, standing still like he just got off the space shuttle.


    It wasn't him who passed the ball to Chelsea player like he couldn't be bothered to work his way out.


    It wasn't him that turnd his BACK to the player he was told to mark on a free kick.


    It wasn't him who tried the impossible shot that is inappropriate on the training pitch when we desperately needed a goal.


    It wasn't him, and it wasn't Shaggy... Damn...

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  11. What has he done to bring the intense scrutiny on outside of what Jaime suggested which I will agree is a major issue. A striker is meant to score and create goals. Look back at the tottenham game which from my memory is the only game those 2 played in the same team. He did quite a good job and got into good positions and I see that happening again. I have not seen him in the headlines outside of the stupid post he made about Super Mario and his reputation is what is causing the fuss with fans and media alike. I don't believe the goal against chelsea was his fault and I feel if he gets a run of games with Sturridge and Sterling up front that he can turn things around. I am not sure he will get that chance however. Regardless, I think things are looking up I just wish we used January to do something about our goalkeeping situation. Mignolet wasn't terrible but how long that lasts who knows and he needs to be pushed IMO to continue this run of form.

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  12. When he comes on as a sub he is running in like someone is chasing him, real determination? And he shakes the hand of the guy who comes out?

    It wasn't him who stood on the left flank 3 minutes after he came on, standing still like he just got off the space shuttle?

    It wasn't him who passed the ball to Chelsea player like he couldn't be bothered to work his way out?

    It wasn't him that turnd his BACK to the player he was told to mark on a free kick?
    It wasn't him who tried the impossible shot that is inappropriate on the training pitch when we desperately needed a goal.?


    and this is not him making the wrong, and by the way selfish decision?

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  13. The social media one I get.


    And the only "playboy lifestyle" thing I've heard about is him attending a boxing match in London the night before a game (one in which he wasn't playing).


    But other than that, I'm not sure I understand what he's done at Liverpool off-the-field.

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  14. the comments here are ridiculous and fuelled by Jamie's fickle mind, seriously man you try mislead people all the time. its like reading a tabloid rag that prints lies to keep people interested. The agents comments as pointed out above are not saying Mario is leaving or looking to leave as the headline would leave you believe, he effectively said Mario is in the last chance saloon. Also Jamie ur about half a day late most people have read the article on a respectable site that doesn't print lies. Frustrating when people spin crap about the club.

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  15. Damn.. I have to work, i'll come back tommorow to this. but nooooo....

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  16. Instagram...

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  17. Throughout Balotelli's entire career he's been far more famous for his off field antics than for anything he's done on the pitch. He's a pop star not a footballer. He's never, EVER performed with any consistency at any club he's been at and they all couldn't get rid of him quickly enough.
    Every single club and manager he's played for have had pretty much nothing but bad things to say about all aspects of the guy, from personality, to attitude, to application in training, his off field antics and by far the most important one - he very rarely, if ever performs on the pitch!

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  18. I swear Mario's agent is really some Romainian gangster or somethong similar, the bloke even has ideas of running FIFA, so it would make sense... The only way €70m and Mario are going to be connected, is if all LFC fans put toghether a fund to pay someone to take Mario off our hands...

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  19. I'dbe hugely suprised if he wasn't playing in one of the lower Italian leagues before too long, no sane club/manager would take a chance on a guy who clearly couldn't give a shit.. Likes the money, hates the work.

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  20. Of all the people in the world Jaimie became an apologist...

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  21. And he's not the only one!

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  22. When he comes on as a sub he is running in like someone is chasing him, real determination. And he shakes the hand of the guy who comes out.

    -- He did press and he did shake the hand of the player subbing out.

    It wasn't him who stood on the left flank 3 minutes after he came on, standing still like he just got off the space shuttle.

    -- Watch Sterling at the same time.

    It wasn't him who passed the ball to Chelsea player like he couldn't be bothered to work his way out.

    -- Made a poor pass. Indefensible. But he's not the only one.

    It wasn't him that turnd his BACK to the player he was told to mark on a free kick.


    -- It was Johnson's man to mark. And if it was supposed to be Mario marking Ivanovic, then that's an even bigger issue.

    It wasn't him who tried the impossible shot that is inappropriate on the training pitch when we desperately needed a goal.
    -- Add him to the list of Gerrard, Lambert, etc.

    The point here is everything that Mario is criticized for, others did the exact same thing and weren't criticized. Everything Mario does is embellished because people don't like him. And when he's not scoring goals, he's not giving people a chance to like him if they don't already.


    On the bright side... he hasn't bitten anyone yet. There's a glass half full approach, right? Right??!?

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  23. Not much really, but he clearly loves living the playboy lifestyle; nothing wrong with that in itself but it exposes him to ridicule I suppose, particularly when he's giving poor performances on the pitch. I wish he could just keep his head down and more importantly, stay the hell away from social media.

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  24. Really there are no indications that he is not good for the team...

    When he comes on as a sub he is running in like someone is chasing him, real determination. And he shakes the hand of the guy who comes out.

    It wasn't him who stood on the left flank 3 minutes after he came on, standing still like he just got off the space shuttle.

    It wasn't him who passed the ball to Chelsea player like he couldn't be bothered to work his way out.

    It wasn't him that turnd his BACK to the player he was told to mark on a free kick.

    It wasn't him who tried the impossible shot that is inappropriate on the training pitch when we desperately needed a goal.

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  25. A striker needs to put himself in goalscoring positions first, and Mario appears to put himself as far away from goalscoring positions as possible.. Hell why bother looking to buy Lavezzi, we might aswell use Balotelli as a winger, he is often found standing around on the side of the pitch while the game goes on around him.

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  26. Am I the only one that notuices how half arsed he is when it comes to his control of the ball, awareness of better placed teammates, his sulking, his refusal to apply himself, shoot responsibly, ensure he's positioned properly etc etc...

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  27. No you're not...

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  28. I agree, but I think some just love him no matter what, today is all about the personna rather than the work, he's a celebrity children and idiotic children can adore, you can't speak to those people... Mario is like Marmite, you eother love him por hate him, no matter, much like Marmite, he has no substance.

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  29. That's exactly what he meant

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  30. I think it's a case where he's not the only culprit.


    I've never claimed he's been perfect here.


    My only point is that his faults are highlighted much more than others who do the exact same thing.


    In my opinion, the one area in particular I agree with you on is awareness of better placed teammates. I think Mario is trying to shoot too much and he should move the ball quicker.


    I think it's a simple case of he's not suited to the quick pass and move style. And that's one of the reasons why he hasn't played, and Sterling has.

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  31. 70m Italian lira maybe (135,538,873,517.05 Italian lira = 70m euro at last exch rate). Gonna be a job to decide who to drop to fit Studge in, never mind trying to fit Balo in as well.

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  32. The frustrating thing though is that he looks like he has the ability to be a superstar but just doesn't get stuck in and then tries to do too much on his own

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  33. I agree with you. In fact, contrary to what some people think of him, he's probably pressing too much to get the weight off his shoulders.


    He knows that this is his last real chance. If he doesn't do anything remotely satisfactory here, there's a good chance his career will be ruined because why would anyone else take a chance.

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  34. Again, you are strictly focusing on the past and what others have said about him not what he has actually done at Liverpool. I am not arguing what he has done at other teams but at Liverpool I do not see him as a cancer nor do I think he has done anything to merit this aggressive hatred and media attention. I think he has done a lot to mature and change who he is and how he has acted while at Liverpool. The old Mario likely would have quit or done something to completely take him out of the team selection by now. Brendan Rodgers only complaint from what I have read is he needs to press more to fit our style of play. I have yet to hear him say anything like you have mentioned. Please correct me if I am wrong. Also, the rest of the team escapes "daily controversy" because folks similar to yourself are stuck in the past.



    I 100% agree that his performances on the pitch leave something to be desired but as Jaime has pointed out all season, he was playing as a lone striker when this is not his ideal position. So, he has been adapting for some time to a new position, role and team and will again need to with Sturridge coming back. I never understood the signing but I am not going to write him off just because he has had some past issues.

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  35. Don't worry, we are not buying anybody. I do not agree that he has not put himself in goalscoring positions either. I have seen countless chances wasted by him in fantastic positions. There could be more but I am less concerned about him getting into scoring positions and more concerned with his actual finishing and his tendency to stay on the ball in crowded areas without passing to relieve the pressure. As I just said, I never understood the signing but it is clear to me that many have never given him a fair chance to succeed. His agent just explained the situation perfectly. Time will tell and I hope for LFC's sake that he is scoring and working with both Sturridge and Sterling to create a devastating front line.

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  36. "Other players avoid daily controversy because people like you are stuck in the past..."
    That doesn't even make sense. What have I got to do with the rest of the Liverpool squad managing to keep out of trouble?
    Ok so, so far Rodgers has all but said he's not been performing in training hence his omission from the squad. He is petulant in every single game he plays. He has almost 3 times as many yellow cards as he does goals for us. There was his Instagram fiasco, the body language between him and the rest of the team isn't good at all and oh yea, he's been crap and despite being hopeless, he doesn't even do the bare minimum which is put a shift in.
    All these things are current issues, not things from the past and they are why I have a problem with him

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  37. His agent also said that he hasn't done what's been asked of him at Liverpool so he's been left out

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  38. Let me explain it to you. You just wrote an entire comment about his past and your entire argument was predicated on the past and what he has done in the past. Because of this, every action he makes is analyzed and criticized relentlessly, fair or unfair. No matter what he does, you will always bring up and dwell on his past.

    What was today's controversy if you don't mind me asking?

    The most recent response was the first time you explained why you feel he is a problem at LFC so it is nice to see you have legitimate reasons for not liking him. I am not arguing he has performed at LFC because he has not. I am just saying focus on his time here, not elsewhere.

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  39. I'm sure you can't be bothered to trawl through old articles from the time we signed Mario but if you could you would see at the time I said much the same as you - that I was against the signing because I didn't think he was the right player for us but I would give him a chance. Thats what my last comment was about mate. I have focused on his time here and he has been found wanting in every department.
    I agree that you can't solely focus on his past but you can't discount it either. It would be the same if we signed a Joey Barton for example or Ravel Morrison. You might be prepared to give them a chance but you can't discount what they are historically like. Balotelli has been a consistent under-performer his entire career and he has shown nothing in his time with us to suggest that's going to change any time soon

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  40. It can be harsh but he is a name that sells papers (or so they think). But his all round performances have been poor.

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  41. Total fantasy.......................should have never been signed. Crap transfer policy and execution. All the rest is BS>>>>>>>>>>>>

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  42. I cannot argue with that. I would say give him until the end of the season and if more of the same then he has to go if anybody will take him at that point. I just don't think the small body of work he has put in is enough to completely write him off but if on the field issues persist, he must move on to a situation that is better suited to his style and we need to bring in another attacker that is better suited to our style. Instead of a desperation signing in mid August because the other options decided to go elsewhere. Without CL football, that is gonna be even tougher.

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  43. I fully agree with that. He has basically 3 full months to prove what he is worth and hopefully he will have a full strike force to help get him and LFC where they need to be. I have serious doubts as well but I am not going to write him off completely until he has at least had a full season at LFC.


    YNWA!!!

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  44. I think most people see that. But like with all players we like and dislike we see what we want to see. I don't dislike Mario the person just Mario the player.

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  45. I think your right. Think Berbatov. But he backed it up a lot more than Balotelli does. Don't back up your that style and what are you?

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  46. He wasn't even that good in that game tbh mate.

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  47. Yep! your right, occassionally he has found himself in glorious positions, and your right to point them out, though you'll understand the ease with which I find myself forgetting happening so rarely like....

    I think the real issue with peoples lack of faith in him comes down to his on field persona, he does himself no favours...I'm of the opinion that all players must be given a chance, hence why I stuck by Marko so stringently, but Mario will forever confound me...

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  48. He has an entourage who accompany him at every training session and wherever he goes apparently.

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  49. He also said Mario and Rodgers disagree on some technical matters. Mario wants to be Mario and we need something else.

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  50. I can't argue there, he's a magnet for criticism.. But I have mentioned things about others that drive me insane, mainly Coutinho shooting all the time, he can hit a player from 60 yards with an inch perfect pass, but put him infront of goal and he scuffs the ball wide almost always, then there is this need to try and take on every man infront of him when a simple pass would be more beneficial, Sterling has the same issue, but they are young and wiling to learn..

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  51. Wow! forced to train, sounds promising! chance to really show us what he can do? what have the last few months been all about?
    Hendo was always a hard worker, and thats the big difference here, Mario just doesn't cae enough, he is his own worst enemy...

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  52. I would agree. I think he's funny... when he's playing for somebody else

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  53. My problem with Mario especially when he first signed wasn't that he wasn't working. It seemed like he was. He was just working stupid. He stays still when he should be moving, he will press on his own but when we have more players in an area he won't press. He takes the wrong options in shooting and passing like 7 out of 10 times at least. He won't occupy defenders through running but (again especially when he first signed) he would track back. I just don't think he has a good football brain. Like Shelvey if your a club who he is one of your best players he is worth building a team around but otherwise he is near useless.

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  54. I would love a romantic turnaround story but I can't see it. I don't think he has the will or the nous for it.

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  55. His agent is making a joke. I like the guy, he seems to care about the player and he actually speaks sensibly about the situation. It's good to hear that even his agent recognises that Mario has things to learn and that he's currently learning them at Liverpool. It makes me think that maybe if the player continues to show the right attitude and work hard, always trying to improve, then there is a place for him in the team in the long term.

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  56. I'm with you on this. Mario is showing the right signs, the right attitude. He's not sulking in a corner, he's accepting the reality that it's up to him to prove himself and do what the team needs him to do.

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  57. I just saw something that makes me think that it wasn't his fault that Ivanovic sored. No more than Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson. Probably Rodgers too, The positions we took up didn't make sense. Costa ran in front of Balotelli and according to Caragher in zonal marking you attack the zone in front of you. Henderson had lost Costa, Lucas was not aware of Costa behind him. Gerrard was nowhere near any danger. We had two players marking three. That was Mourinho getting his men to beat ours. There was no organisation of the defence and I think one reason for that was Sakho not being on the pitch, We were not so bad from other free kicks.

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  58. I think there is a fine line there and it involves all kinds of things like confidence and simply knowing what his role in the team is. Naturally gifted players don't always have a good insight into their own talents, they can be very instinctive. To me Mario is supremely talented but he's never had a proper football education. When you can do the things he can do you don't necessarily need it, certainly at a junior level. I would guess that managers have tried but ultimately just let him go out there and express himself naturally. Rodgers is not that kind of manager and he's determined to get Mario to learn and be an intelligent, hard-working, team-orientated footballer. It's not that he's not trying but it all seems totally alien to the player and I'm not surprised it's taking him a long time to adjust. It will take time for these lessons to sink in and become a part of his instincts, if they ever do at all. But if they do I think we might end up with a very very good player. The core set of skills he shows are, at times, just incredible, and he can do some things easily that very few other players can do at all.

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  59. I'll put it to you this way...


    Markovic, Lallana, Lovren... each was brought in for more money individually yet all seem to have less expectations than Mario.


    Balotelli was bought for less and should not be considered one of our best players. He hasn't proven himself to be one. Truthfully, our biggest problem has been Sturridge out. It's affected everything else like a domino.

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  60. Interesting... I googled it and found one instance where he let friends into melwood and met up with friends one time the night before a game where they stayed out in the hotel lobby.


    Not agreeing with it but it's a far cry from every training session and wherever he goes.

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  61. Believe me my criticism of Adam was the same as my criticism for Balotelli. Although he really was lazy. Or unfit.

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  62. But Charlie Adam's corners are worth 10m alone!

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  63. God and I remember people repeating that as if Fergie was serious. Like that meant more than his actual performances.

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  64. Markovic and Lallana have performed better and were both absent at the beginning of the season for different reasons. And expectation was high. The criticism Markovic got was astounding considering he was barely playing. If you perform then that criticism goes away. With Balo it picks up pace with every dour performance. Lovren is pretty much a right off. Just that he is not as interesting as Mario.

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  65. fair does. That one was pretty much third hand information. Chris Bascomb had said something and I heard it form someone else. Chinese whispers I suppose.

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  66. We will lose money on him just like every other team since he left Inter. THAT you can take to the bank.

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  67. I believe clubs get rid of players far to soon ! Liverpool should have held on to Andy Carroll for another season Give Balotelli a fair chance , most properly a bit longer than normal as it seems like its more the Media that is crucifying him .

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  68. Everything Mario does is embellished because he obviously has loads of talent but he puts in less than 100% effort in games and that's obvious.
    The minimum any supporter should be able to expect is effort and players showing an obvious desire to play for a top club.

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  69. - If our front line had pressed last season like he does, we would have been 5th. The shake I meant all his sub on games, and it is not about the shake per se, it is about the attitude- that doesn't seem like a team spirit.


    Watch Sterling who's been a lone striker vs best defence in the wold for the last 100 minutes?!?


    It is not abot the poor pass, again it is the attitude- looks like he can't be bothered. His abilities are much better than what he did- had he thought about it and made an effort that ball would've finished on the other flank and maybe back to Migs- but he can't be bothered unless it is a heel pass or goal scoring opportunity.


    Agree he should not be the one marking the most dangerous man at free kicks and that others blew it too- but he was told to and just walked 5 yards not caring.


    No, Gerrard is skipper and he's done that(saving our arses 154 times so he has the right to do it, and neither him nor Lambert tried to score FROM DEAD ANGLE when they had a CLEAR CHANCE of crossing the ball to the guy who is our best man for headers.


    Had you read my posts back when he came, you would know I actually like him and think he could win the golden ball with his talent, but will end up as a could have been. And I don't like our players floping just to be right on internet in front of people I do not, and will not ever know, trust me.
    I am not English nor I have been to Liverpool or UK for that matter, but this club means so much to me. I understand that all those players banging on their chest and pointing to the Kop when they score do not love the club and the city as much as I or you do, but much more is required from a player than Mario gives for me to say I respect him being Liverpool player. And it is not goals assist per game... I'd take Suarez approach kinda player with 3 goals per season over Balotelli scoring 15 in a heartbeat.

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  70. I think everyone knew Fergie was joking except for Comolli and Kenny.

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  71. No mate unfortunately I had a debate or two on other websites about Adam and they seemed to take it as gospel. I worry about us as a species sometimes.

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  72. If you recall reports from when he was about to sign for Liverpool, Jay Jay, that entourage is actually inflicted on Mario by LFC itself to ensure he doesn't throw darts or or whatever they ostensibly fear he might do. It's not an entourage of groupies to make him feel like a celebrity.

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  73. And that's why I think we should keep him.

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