The Italy international has endured a slow start to
life back in the Premier League; what's going wrong, and is there any
hope of improvement?
It is no longer news that Mario Balotelli is yet to score a Premier League goal for Liverpool since arriving from AC Milan on a deal worth €20m at the end of the transfer window. The Italy international has made eight starts and one substitute appearance, but has neither a goal nor an assist to his name.
Liverpool fans are beginning to ask the question, “Just how long can he continue with this misfiring form?”
As the matches pass without improvement, more and more questions and pressure are being heaped upon the former Manchester City man. Will he ever get it right?
Liverpool were in full search for a striker in the last summer window.
Specifically, they wanted one who would replace Luis Suarez, who was sold to FC Barcelona for a whopping sum of £75m.
Mario appeared as the last option to Brendan Rodgers, after Loic Remy's deal had fallen through. While the striker has pedigree, Rodgers’s selection was a questionable one.
His debut would have been against his former club; Manchester City, but the haste in which he was signed did not see him registered in time. Balotelli watched from the stands as his new side lost to his former employers.
With the look on his face then, one could probably imagine him as 'the messiah' in Liverpool's frontline; scoring goals from every possible angle and assisting as much as he could. Surely, he wished he could have played against City that night.
The chance to play finally came against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Amidst boos and cheers, Balo started on a promising note but his tempo decreased as the game unravelled. The closest he was to scoring was his header that hit the bar in the first half.
Balotelli | Frustration upon frustration
Since then, his performances in the red warrior jersey leave much to be desired.
So far so bad, his only goal for Liverpool was in the Champions League against the mighty Ludogorets. He had since then blasted several golden opportunities wide of the mark, including would-be match-winners against Everton and Queens Park Rangers.
His failings are told through the stats.
It is remarkable that despite not scoring in the Premier League, he has attempted an average of 3.9 shots-per-game in the top flight. Putting this into context, only two players in the top flight take more shots-per-game, and they (Sergio Aguero and Graziano Pelle) have scored 12 and six goals respectively.
As mentioned above, Balotelli is not proving himself to be some kind of Emile Heskey figure who, even though he wasn’t scoring himself, could point to an ability to improve those around him.
The Italian has contributed no assists, averages less than one key pass-per-game and averages less than 19 passes-per-match. Putting that into context, Diego Costa, another summer recruit to the EPL, averages two key passes-per-match and manages upwards of 26 passes-per-game.
Super Mario's poor start at Liverpool could have been attributed to the typical struggles of moving to a new country and a new leage, but the Italian is no stranger to the English football, having played at Manchester City from August 2010 to January 2013.
At City, it didn't take him much time to settle, even as a 20-year-old.
Rodgers | Questions asked about the manager's summer decision-making
Now more mature, and with more playing time under his belt, Balotelli’s problems remain his loss of form and his attitude.
While Rodgers has introduced many new faces into the Liverpool squad this summer, it remains to be seen whether Balotelli can adapt and integrate into the tight mentality fostered at the club last year. The Reds made a charge for the Premier League title on the back of an excellent team unity, and it’s hard to see the high-profile forward mucking in with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen.
Perhaps his issues with the Italian national side must also be considered. The relationship between the player and the new Azzurri boss Antonio Conte has not been excellent. As explained by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mario is a kind of player who places talent and class ahead of commitment. Little wonder, perhaps, that he has previously been snubbed for international duties by Conte.
If there was anything to change about Mario Balotelli, it has to be his form, his attitude and state of mind. 'Life after Suarez' with Balotelli at Liverpool, has been uninspiring, unimpressive, uninteresting and unproductive.
How long will Liverpool fans have to wait?
Will Rodgers shop for another replacement in January? Only time will tell.
For ‘Super’ Mario Balotelli, he needs to begin to take the opportunities that come his way quickly. Failure to do this, and the Premier League may not be seeing much more of the one-time wonderkid.
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