Topic: Welcome to Liverpool - Mario Balotelli

[-Willo-]

Still can't get over it, got beat by City but I'm still smiling because we've just signed Mario Balotelli.

Balotelli at Liverpool. Really doesn't make sense... In a good way.

Biggest 'name' signing in absolute yonks.

[ShayGuevara]

well who has an avatar of something they don't like? 

Who said I don't like him? I find him pretty funny. Just don't think he's the answer for us and am really surprised by the signing.

[The Las]

Will Balotelli chase the ball down like his life depends on it? Will Balotelli train like his life depends on it?

Ive yet to see in his career any of these traits.

Goals you say? We shall see.

Sturridge could form something of a brotherhood though...thats my only hope!

[Grobbelrevell]

Yes,  but can he/will he press?

This is one of my major worries with Mario, as Carra also highlighted last night. Forget ability for a second, what you got with Suarez at a very basic level was unbelievable workrate and desire, which formed a key part of a team centred around intensity and pressure.

Will Mario Balotelli bring anything resembling the same? From what i've seen and read i'm really not sure, but if he doesn't then that could be a problem for us in that regard.

Time will tell I guess. I can't see Rodgers accomodating passengers in that regard though*.


*Gerrard aside, although he is of course a special case.

[Chakan]

This is one of my major worries with Mario, as Carra also highlighted last night. Forget ability for a second, what you got with Suarez at a very basic level was unbelievable workrate and desire, which formed a key part of a team centred around intensity and pressure.

Will Mario Balotelli bring anything resembling the same? From what i've seen and read i'm really not sure, but if he doesn't then that could be a problem for us in that regard.

Time will tell I guess. I can't see Rodgers accomodating passengers in that regard though*.


*Gerrard aside, although he is of course a special case.

What other forward in the world does that to the level of Suarez?

[Notfromaroundhere]

Forget about what Suarez did. It's completely irrelevant to us now. It's not about replicating last season - it's about looking at what you are left with after the player leaves, and see how you can improve it. Which we have done by signing Balotelli.

The way people talk about him you'd think he's just sitting on his arse in front of goal, waiting for the ball to land at his feet. Which isn't the case. He's just economical in his defending and chooses his moments to press, like Sturridge and most other strikers do. It's mostly about reducing the passing options for the defender in possession.

[Samie]

He's going to be starting on Sunday with Daniel I think.  Can't wait wouldn't be surprised if he scored a worldie in the first few minutes. 

[HarryLabrador]

Premier League: Liverpool's Jordan Henderson happy Mario Balotelli signed
Last Updated: 26/08/14 4:24pm
 
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is relishing the prospect of playing in the same team as Mario Balotelli following the striker’s arrival at Anfield.

The 24-year-old’s £16m transfer from AC Milan was completed on Monday and he could make his debut against Tottenham at White Hart Lane next weekend.

Balotelli watched his new team lose 3-1 against one of his former clubs, Manchester City, last night, and he appeared in the away dressing room to greet his new team-mates before the match.

"I think everybody is looking forward to working with him,” Henderson said.

"He is a very talented player and a very big player coming into the club. Hopefully he can give us a big lift and play some part in the next game.

"He was in the dressing room wishing everyone luck. It was good to see him. Hopefully he can get a good week's training under his belt and be ready for Sunday."

Liverpool started well against City and had the better of the first half until defensive errors allowed Stevan Jovetic to smash the home side into the lead just before the break.

City then took complete control after the break with Jovetic adding a fine second and Sergio Aguero coming off the bench for a superb third.

Substitute Rickie Lambert forced in an 83rd-minute consolation off Pablo Zabaleta, but City had firmly underlined their superiority by that point.

Henderson reckons Liverpool were unfortunate not to get more from the match, though, but he believes the team can bounce back at Tottenham.

The 24-year-old said: "Before they scored I felt we were in control of the game, especially dominating possession of the ball, so going in 1-0 at half-time was hard to take.

"Unfortunately they scored a couple more - it deflated us, but we kept going, kept fighting. You saw that with Rickie's goal, and then he had another chance. It could have been a different story.

"We will keep going. We had chances. We are always going to create chances with the players we have got.

"We have just got to work in training on the things we need to work on and look forward to the next game."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9441313/premier-league-liverpools-jordan-henderson-happy-mario-balotelli-signed

[kavah]

Will he make it into the puma all time XI ?

[royhendo]

Did he sing Nessum Dorma? 

Feckin right and he did!

[Fiasco]

Admittedly I wasn't keen on him at all. Not because of his ability as a player but all the nonsense that he comes with. But now he's here I'm genuinely excited. I think he's a good lad, he's got massive potential yet he's still very experienced. I can't wait to see him play for us.

[Lord Roger Hunt]

He's going to be starting on Sunday with Daniel I think.  Can't wait wouldn't be surprised if he scored a worldie in the first few minutes. 

Hmmm, I'm not so sure.   I think he'll partner Lallana with either Sturridge or Balotelli as BR needs real energy in closing down the space and I don't think the S+B partnership provides that.  But we shall see...

[vicgill]

Will Balotelli chase the ball down like his life depends on it? Will Balotelli train like his life depends on it?

Ive yet to see in his career any of these traits.

Goals you say? We shall see.

Sturridge could form something of a brotherhood though...thats my only hope!

don't worry if that's your only hope, you can always top yourself if it doesn't work out

[Solomon Grundy]

It wouldn't surprised me to see Mario play on the left of the front 3 in a 4-3-3 formation. Which is a position he is very familiar with.

[TheTeflonJohn]

Will he make it into the puma all time XI ?

Is that Robert Pires on the left on midfield there?

[Solomon Grundy]

Is that Robert Pires on the left on midfield there?

Yes.

[Elzar]

Just seen the video of him refusing to speak to THAT newspaper when he was in Italy.

Good on you Mario.

[jets red 44]

This news just made my day. A quality striker with attitude. Him and Sturridge will make a great duo.
                             
                         Mario...Mario...Mario........

[Upinsmoke]

don't worry if that's your only hope, you can always top yourself if it doesn't work out

 

[Mamadou]

in the last two years, he did just one "CRAZY" thing,he filled that football album with his pictures

crazy shit eh, what a nutter

[Arcadian]

He's gonna sell some kits like.

[Armless Joe Gambino]

Mad bastard has different coloured boots/ no shin guards and a BA Baracas haircut...can't be having that, the guy is a lunatic and obviously hasn't learnt his lesson, get rid!!!

Seriously though, it's going to be tough for him to stay out of the headlines. We all know what the press are like and with the majority hoping he messes up his every move will be reported on in one way or the other. More likely the other and in a bad light.

It's a big ask for a twenty-four year old with history, I sincerly hope he can prove his doubters wrong.

He could score 30 goals before Christmas and it would still be a case of but it's Balotelli...this is going to take time, a lot of time to wipe the slate clean. The possibilty of him becoming a loved by all  footballer in England are small even microscopic due to the relentless onslaught of negative press reporting of days gone by recently. Mistakes are made by all of us but all of us are not Mario Balotelli, our mistakes generally go relatively unnoticed, not the case for our new number 45.

It takes a big man to carry on regardless while facing attack after attack on your person - sad but true but basically everyone but us (not even all of us! Shameful that) are hoping he fails - not a lot of people could live with that.

I'll give it a week or two and we will be seeing Mario smiling in photographs, that's good enough for me and the rest of the world can simply fuck off. 

[Twitter.com]

Rodgers: Balotelli could face Tottenham


Brendan Rodgers expects to be able to call on the services of new signing Mario Balotelli for Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool completed a deal for the Italy striker on Monday afternoon, though confirmation arrived too late for him to figure against Manchester City.

However, Balotelli's Reds debut could come at White Hart Lane this weekend.

Speaking after the 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, Rodgers told Liverpoolfc.com: "I think by the weekend [he'll be ready to feature].

"He's been into pre-season and he's played three 45-minute games. He might not be up to full match speed, but he's looking fit.

"We've done some analysis on him. The medical and sports science team have worked with him already and he's in very, very good condition.

"He's in to work and he'll be available for the squad for the weekend."


http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/169601-rodgers-balotelli-could-face-tottenham

[Bastion Of Invincibility]

The team last season was built around Suarez, the quick passing, movement and interchange will be difficult to replicate without that godlike player able to literally play THROUGH defenders. I hope Rodgers can adapt again and force our team to play more like City,  especially now we have competent fullbacks in Manquillo and Moreno. As good as we were,  we didn't play  with much width.  Now that Mario Barwuah Balotelli is here, we have a genuine target man,  someone we can hopefully cross the ball to and bypass some of the congestion in the middle of the park. Sturidge will need to sacrifice his game a bit,  but as the last two games have shown,  he's  more comfortable  drifting in and around the inside right channel.

[Twitter.com]

Mario just posted this on his instagram:



made by: https://twitter.com/UKILFC

Great graphics designer.

[Twitter.com]

Mario and Micah Richards were friends during Mario's time at City so I think Daniel won't have problem with him. They're both friends with rapper Drake too.

[elpistolero7]

I think he'll get on well with Sturridge. He tends to get on well with his teammates. Zabaleta has come out and said they missed him after he left as he was a great bloke to have in the dressing room.

I think the responsibility of being a "senior" player here along with the supportive nature of Rodgers will do Balotelli a lot of good.

To come on and score the winner vs Spurs. Another Why Always Me t-shirt. It'll be bedlam. 

[Twitter.com]

Not again hahaha

[Not that Gareth]

It's like his evil nemesis

[Zoomers]

Hahhahaha for fucks sake Mario

[Funky_Gibbons]

 

Gotta love him.....

[Caston]

Bib trouble again? 

[Funky_Gibbons]

Here he is disrupting the team spirit again.

[Caston]

Here he is disrupting the team spirit again.

Already fouling our own players

[Twitter.com]

Already fouling our own players

REVENGE!

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/watch?v=63fUFG89AQg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/watch?v=63fUFG89AQg</a>

[JustDan]

 

Conquer the bib, conquer the world!

[gazzalfc]

Look at him. What a terrible influence he's having on the team. What a poor attitude and work rate.

He's destroying the team dynamic.

Poor signing. Rodgers out!!!

[Twitter.com]

KOLO / KOLO KOLO / KOLO KOLO / KOLO KOLO TOURE
BALO / BALO BALO / BALO BALO / BALO BALOTELLI
 

[robertobaggio37]

Awww that's really cute. Nice to see lads having fun, team spirit is vital.

[Buck Pete]

Brilliant

Gotta love Kolo