Topic: Mario Balotelli

[SlowRap]

Thought that was another game where we could have used him. Sturridge isn't physically strong enough to hold the ball up and we needed that last night, Origi is still young and going through a little drought. 

[Elzar]

Thought that was another game where we could have used him. Sturridge isn't physically strong enough to hold the ball up and we needed that last night, Origi is still young and going through a little drought. 

[Redman0151]

Thought that was another game where we could have used him. Sturridge isn't physically strong enough to hold the ball up and we needed that last night, Origi is still young and going through a little drought. 

How often did he actually work hard and hold the ball up when he was here? There's a reason Klopp fucked him off ASAP, he'd never work in a Klopp system

[pyroparty]

Thought that was another game where we could have used him. Sturridge isn't physically strong enough to hold the ball up and we needed that last night, Origi is still young and going through a little drought.

Hahahaha

[Clayton Bigsby]

think we are being whooshed

[So… Howard Philips]

I have thought about this for a long time but never had the courage to ask: are you Clayton Bigsby, the author?

What's Bigsby written?

[Clayton Bigsby]

What's Bigsby written?

6 books, but only 4 were published
 

[mallin9]

6 books, but only 4 were published
 

Lol

[Kopenhagen]

Scored again.

7 goals in 6 apps (all comps).

[Gerry Attrick]

An Italy recall will surely be forthcoming.

[kcbworth]

First time weve sold a player recently that I retrospectively wish was a loan instead.

Edit: Actually Suso also

[deFacto please, you bastards]

First time weve sold a player recently that I retrospectively wish was a loan instead.

Edit: Actually Suso also

I don't. We had loaned him last year and he did the square root of fuck all. He's found his level in France. He was unimpressive in Italy and he doesn't have what it takes to succeed at this club.

[Party Phil]

First time weve sold a player recently that I retrospectively wish was a loan instead we'd never bought.

[Ken-Obi]

Edit: Actually Suso also

Time to move on mate, all of us did - except a few weirdos. We are all here to help if you need it.

[rowan_d]

Only problem with this not being a loan is that they'd have bought him for a decent wedge in the summer (if he'd have still had time on his contract)

Was never going to contribute to us, especially under Klopp. If he couldn't impress Rodgers sufficiently, his Liverpool career was ended the second Klopp signed with us.

[kcbworth]

(Re Suso) Time to move on mate, all of us did - except a few weirdos. We are all here to help if you need it.

Yeah. Sad to see him gone, but I can deal with it... mostly sad we didn't get a fee for him. Ah well

[Barneylfc∗]

Yeah. Sad to see him gone, but I can deal with it... mostly sad we didn't get a fee for him. Ah well

Has Suso done anything of note since he left? Neither him nor Balotelli could cut the mustard at Liverpool, so how good they are doing no isn't really relevant. Hell, even Aspas looks like a striker at Celta these days.

[B0151?]

I think you can probably criticize the decision to loan him back to Milan, given they were keen to shift him to us when they did it seemed a bit daft they'd be prepared to splash back out on him (or that he'd do well enough for that to happen). Never loan to an Italian club if you want a fee after is probably a solid principle.

It's easy to criticize without knowing the details though (would Mario only accept a loan back to Milan, was anyone else even interested)

The disaster at Milan was also probably the only thing that could have made him step down to a club like Nice too

[Kopenhagen]

Has Suso done anything of note since he left? Neither him nor Balotelli could cut the mustard at Liverpool, so how good they are doing no isn't really relevant. Hell, even Aspas looks like a striker at Celta these days.

He looked like a decent striker at Celta before we bought him - that's precisely why we bought him.

[Chalky Boots]

Has Suso done anything of note since he left? Neither him nor Balotelli could cut the mustard at Liverpool, so how good they are doing no isn't really relevant. Hell, even Aspas looks like a striker at Celta these days.

Suso is becoming quite an important player for Milan now but neither him nor Balotelli would fit in to this group. Mario in particular I don't see what he could offer that isn't already at the club. If you want a player to conjure up a piece of magic, there's Sturridge, if you need someone to hold the ball up and run the channels, there's Origi and both do those things better than Balotelli. As for Firmino,well..he does basically everything.

It's nice he's doing well over there but at the same time he still hasn't yet shown anything like the kind of genius of Zlatan and Ben Arfa in that league last season.

[007.lankyguy]

Balotelli doesn't press or interchange in the way that Klopp has developed our attack to. He was never going to get a place in this team.

[plura]

7 goals in 9 matches, who would have thought would happen. But yeah like someone will say soon enough it's just the French league.

[El Lobo]

7 goals in 9 matches, who would have thought would happen. But yeah like someone will say soon enough it's just the French league.

Well....yeah.

[Johnny B. Goode]

Well....yeah.

It's not like he scored loads in the Italian league before as well...

Balotelli is a very talented player who had a rough 2 seasons due to myriad factors, the full extent of which we will never know. He definitely has what it takes to be a class forward, but it doesn't make we were wrong to offload him when we did.

[Historical Fool]

It's not like he scored loads in the Italian league before as well...

Balotelli is a very talented player who had a rough 2 seasons due to myriad factors, the full extent of which we will never know. He definitely has what it takes to be a class forward, but it doesn't make we were wrong to offload him when we did.

Agree. He's stayed out of this thread so far I suspect in respect of fellow posters, but this is well balanced and I hope he reads it.

[CraigDS]

He definitely has what it takes to be a class forward

Footballing ability wise, without question. Mentally though? I'm really not sure he does, it's the one thing he has never really shown he consistently has.

[B0151?]

It's not like he scored loads in the Italian league before as well...

Balotelli is a very talented player who had a rough 2 seasons due to myriad factors, the full extent of which we will never know. He definitely has what it takes to be a class forward, but it doesn't make we were wrong to offload him when we did.

He didn't score loads in Italy though really. For the teams he was playing for he scored a pretty average amount I'd say, with a large portion of them set-piece goals. He's not shite but he's not a top player either.

His best scoring season in Italy, the season before us, his general play was so poor that Milan were keen to let him go and the fans were made up to see him out the door (from what I read).

[ToneLa]

Balotelli doesn't press or interchange in the way that Klopp has developed our attack to. He was never going to get a place in this team.

If Studge is on the bench I don't think Mario would even make the first team

[Redman0151]

It's not like he scored loads in the Italian league before as well...

Balotelli is a very talented player who had a rough 2 seasons due to myriad factors, the full extent of which we will never know. He definitely has what it takes to be a class forward, but it doesn't make we were wrong to offload him when we did.

He scored 15 open play goals in 54 games for Milan. The other 15 were penalties and free kicks, not to mention him being on the pitch reduced the output of the other attacking players at Milan. He's never been a clinical striker on the level that his hype implies, and the rest of his game is nowhere near enough to make up for it

[Redman0151]

If Studge is on the bench I don't think Mario would even make the first team

He wouldn't have even made the U23 team when Ings was fit

[BRdispatch05]

Well....yeah.

[SwordInYourGut]

Footballing ability wise, without question. Mentally though? I'm really not sure he does, it's the one thing he has never really shown he consistently has.

Does he? Everyone keeps saying this, but I just don't see it. He has never been prolific and doesn't have the pace or the movement of a truly top class striker.

[Historical Fool]

And I take back what I said about him staying out of this thread.

Playing down his own ability though, that's a good one. Must be trolling.

[Graeme]

Balotelli on Ballon d'Or...

But if I had a good year, without injury and focused, I think it's not impossible for me to win.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11822/10688701/mario-balotelli-targets-ballon-dor-award-but-rules-out-liverpool-return

[Dench57]

Playing really well this season. We should've given him more time.

[gatcliffe]

Playing really well this season. We should've given him more time.

Never fitted the profile that Jurgen wants from a player far too lazy and poor movement off the ball.

[El Lobo]

Playing really well this season. We should've given him more time.

Absolutely.

If we had Balotelli and Sakho in the team this season we'd probably be top.

[gatcliffe]

Absolutely.

If we had Balotelli and Sakho in the team this season we'd probably be top.

What do you mean probably ? It would be for certain we would be top with those 2 in the side.

[Zlen]

Absolutely.

If we had Balotelli and Sakho in the team this season we'd probably be top.

We would be ten points ahead.
Twenty if we had Suso as well.

[BarryCrocker]

We would be ten points ahead.
Twenty if we had Suso as well.

And if he had Aspas we'd have the most goals scored from corners.