It is a fine summer's day on the 21st of August. With ten days remaining of the transfer window, Brendan's Liverpool are yet to replace the outgoing icon that is Luis Suarez, resulting into a number of reds fans developing the jitters. And then the news broke, fabricating mass hysteria amongst the 'Twitter-sphere' and news channels worldwide.
Now, let us keep it relatively brief and succinct; approximately 80-90 % of reds fans were left in an extremely optimistic mood following this deal (with the price tag of 15 million being the major reason). The remainder, which consisted mostly of football critics and Mario Balotelli haters would have questioned the move entirely and understood the microscopic price tag forked out was due to the simple fact that, to say it abruptly, 'nobody else wanted him'.
Two months and a half later, we sit her looking at our beloved football club placed in the bottom half of the table, with the majority of Liverpool fans already calling for the Italian to be sold once the January market re-opens in the New Year. Therefore, with all this being said, what in God's name has gone so wrong for Super Mario?
Lack of Quality Support Up-Front
Daniel Sturridge, one of the Premier League's deadliest of strikers last season, has endured an exceptionally disjointed league campaign thus far, one that has been echoed and escalated into the performances of our new signing Balotelli. Sturridge and Balotelli have played a mere one game together thus far. Guessed which match it was already? Yes, Tottenham 0-3 Liverpool, one of our most (and only), convincing of performances in these past eleven matches. One can argue that Brendan does possess a couple of back-up centre forwards within the squad in Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini. However, are they of Liverpool FC quality? Do they possess the skill and eye for goal identical to Daniel Sturridge? No, although Brendan has not made it any easier for them to, a point which I will further discuss in my next paragraph.
Is Brendan Being Naive?
Fabio Borini, a man who I once thought Rodgers regarded quite highly, has been treated relatively unfairly by the boss of late. As we have previously witnessed with performances against Madrid and Swansea, the 23 year old seems to be improving game by game. Is Brendan conscious of this factor, does he witness the same 'die hard' Fabio Borini that we do at Melwood, or is the bosses trust in Mario indestructible? It seems to me that Rodgers is trying ever so hard to defend his own transfer policy; whereas the majority of his summer signings have somewhat failed him so far, he reckons Super Mario will prove to be the shining light in the bottomless pit of darkness. When will Brendan give in to reason and hand Mario's Italian counterpart a stint in the starting eleven? Surely not when it is too late and the Northern Irishman finds himself on the brink of being terminated from the club?
Can Any Manager in World Football Change His Attitude?
"If anyone can manage Mario Balotelli, it is Brendan Rodgers"
This quote was conjured by myself following our capture of the forward, and one that has been reverberated by many a reds fan. I now glance at the given quote whilst beginning to slightly question my reasoning behind it. The 24 year old looks disinterested each and every time he touches a football pitch. Simple. Should Mario have pursued a different career, one that involves strolling around a grassy area whilst complaining every five to ten minutes? Possibly, then again Liverpool have paid 15 million pounds, and whilst Brendan Rodgers remains patient with the enigma, then so will I. The mere fact that past managers such as Mourinho, Prandelli, and Mancini have all 'given up' on Mario still worries me to the present day.
Will Sturridge's Return Boost Mario's Confidence to Push On?
There is no reason why it should not, and these facts alone remain my
one and only hope regarding Balotelli and the red of Liverpool. Balotelli's debut at Spurs was arguably the forward's strongest of performances in a red shirt, and let us face it, having Sturridge rather than Lambert alongside you will undoubtedly boost one's confidence levels on the pitch. With this being said however, there remains a couple of niggling doubts in my head;
Are we going to get the same Sturridge back, or will the Englishman struggle to find the form he possessed prior to his injury? Will Daniel and Mario click with immediate effect and start to bang in the goals, or will the tension between the duo reach boiling point if they fail to kick start a solid partnership promptly?
Mario Balotelli is Not an 'Out-And-Out' Centre Forward!
On a serious note, whenever the line ups are announced prior to kick off, and Balotelli's name is shown solely and amongst no other forward players, I am left fuming and enraged at the decision taken by the manager. Not once has the option to start Balotelli as the lone striker come to any prevail. That is because, quite simply, he is not a centre-forward. The Italian is extremely deficient at timing his runs into the box and gets caught offside far too many times, a trait that should be part and parcel of a centre-forwards game.
On top of this, Balotelli seems to get isolated for large sections of matches he starts as the lone front man. The 24 year old does not possess the creativity of a Luis Suarez, someone who could make something happen out of nothing. This is where the introduction of Sturridge will unquestionably aid the Italian, much similar to the 'SAS' partnership, where one found it hard to cope without the other.
Now, Brendan is privileged enough to be able to welcome Sturridge back into his squad plans for the reds' upcoming match in less than a fortnight, thus providing the abolishment of the 'Balotelli as a lone striker' with immediate effect.
If Balo is Sold, Who Will Replace?
Thus begins the lengthy discussions regarding the troubles the January transfer window brings along with it. First problem being that it will be an extremely difficult task to find a club of which will fork out the similar amount of 15 million pounds Brendan paid for Balotelli. Secondly, it will be an even more challenging mission to replace the Italian for a world class striker, especially in a time like January, where professional players seem focused on seeing out the remainder of the current campaign. Then again, one can get fortunate in January (Luis Suarez being a prime example), whilst on the contrast, one can get no so lucky indeed. (A certain 35 million pound Geordie comes to mind).
Here are my two options if Brendan does opt to go down this route:
Marco Reus (25, Att. Midfielder/Winger, B. Dortmund)
The only optimism I can conjure up for this deal to go through is the fact that Reus' parent club, Dortmund, are currently rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga. As hard as it is to believe, Klopp's side have endured a torrid league campaign thus far, and a cheeky bid for Reus come January could tempt the Dortmund boss into selling. Will Brendan fork out the 40 + million required to lure the German in? Although I reckon he is worth every penny, it is highly unlikely Rodgers would squander that high amount of money.
Saido Berahino (21, Striker, West Brom)
The English forward has sustained an exceptional season with the so-called league minnows West Brom, which has accumulated into the 21 year old netting seven times in nine appearances so far. The price tag being touted about is 25 million, and this is where I seem to become disheartened slightly. Berahino is a promising talent, however paying 20 million pounds on unproven talent has returned to bite us on numerous occasions in the past, and I do not reckon that this signing would prove any different. An extremely promising player though, nonetheless.
Now, as I have begged the question within the given title, I will therefore give my personal response. No, I do not believe selling Balotelli in January is the way forward for this football club. Not so soon, NOT YET. We are yet to witness the Italian endure a long stint alongside our Englishman, and selling a player four months after forking out 15 million pounds for him is nowhere near the 'Liverpool Way' of going about one's business.
However, (and I stress my point on this), IF our new signing resumes his current predicament and the goals fail to arrive, there will no doubt be a market stall with the name 'Mario Balotelli - For Sale' etched across it come summer time. My question is; Who will want to sign the troublesome Italian if his time on Merseyside fails? A disappointment at Manchester City, Inter, AC Milan, and then Liverpool. A mid-table team may take a gamble with him, nothing above that certainly.
Liverpool FC IS the last chance salon for Super Mario.... Let us hope we get to witness this side of the Italian's game whilst wearing the red of Liverpool for years' to come:
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YNWA
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