Balotelli remains Liverpool's focal point ahead of Real Madrid clash
LONDON --
Midway through the first half of Liverpool's fortunate victory at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, Mario Balotelli took a knock in jumping for a header with Richard Dunne. He bent over on the halfway line, one hand to his ear, as QPR launched an attack that ended with Leroy Fer clipping the top of the bar. What was telling was the reaction of Brendan Rodgers. Perhaps Balotelli was unlucky that he happened to be the closest player, or perhaps the Liverpool manager really was furious with him in particular, but Rodgers berated him, a full-on, neck-bulging, eye-popping, tie-flapping tirade. "I was frustrated a lot during the game," Rodgers said when pressed on the incident.
And no doubt he was during the disjointed, strangely flat performance against the Barclays Premier League's bottom side. But as Liverpool prepare to face the far greater challenge of Real Madrid (live, FOX Sports 1, Wednesday, 2 p.m. ET), there can be little doubt that Balotelli's form is a major concern.
It's not only that Balotelli's single goal so far this season came against Ludogorets in the UEFA Champions League, but it is that his confidence is so palpably low. Against QPR, he blazed over an open goal from eight yards out and, on at least two occasions, chose to shoot from unlikely positions when he had passing options to better-placed teammates. In Europe's top five leagues this season, only one player has had as many shots as him this season -- Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 15 times.
"It'll drop for the boy," Rodgers insisted. "The most important thing to me is his work rate. He's working really hard. It'll drop for him. He's seen as a direct replacement to Luis [Suarez]. I've said before, Luis is irreplaceable, a real world-class talent. That's not what's being asked of Mario. He's a great boy, I've enjoyed working with him. He wants to be better. He's a completely different player to Luis."
Balotelli isn't being asked to be a world-class talent? Presumably that's not quite what Rodgers meant, although he then awkwardly compounded his condemnation by saying Balotelli "is really focusing on making sure that he is concentrating and preparing right." It's a confused formulation that raises all sorts of questions. But it's that moment in the first half that sticks in the mind: Balotelli has historically not reacted well to public criticism.
After Balotelli's debut in the 3-0 win at Tottenham, where he played well despite missing two good chances, Rodgers spoke of how he had got Balotelli to defend corners for the first time in his career. A statement that created the image of a stern but avuncular leader cajoling the wayward and indulged star to his way of doing things. That story always felt a little uncomfortable, the idea Balotelli had never, as Rodgers claimed, defended a corner is nonsensical.
Rodgers, of course, is right that Balotelli is not a like-for-like replacement for Suarez. He's bigger and, while probably at least as quick, less energetic. He offers an aerial option, but his movement is less imaginative -- if he moves at all. Rodgers may have praised his work rate, but there were signs against QPR of the frustrated, diffident Balotelli at the tail-end of his Manchester City career.
The real oddity is that Liverpool's success last season was rooted in the collective, the pace on the counter of perfectly interlinking units. It's hard to see how somebody so willfully individualistic as Balotelli fits into that. Given that three weeks before Liverpool did sign him, Rodgers was adamant Balotelli would not be joining the club. It's hard not to wonder how much he really wanted him in the first place. For a fee of $26 million, he probably was worth a gamble but, although there is still time to turn it around, it's increasingly looking like one that has failed.
Despite his stylistic differences to Suarez, Balotelli is still charged with leading the offensive line with greater responsibility thrust on him by the injury to Daniel Sturridge. Liverpool last season struggled defensively and those flaws covered by the fact it was so potent going forward. Now, the defensive issues remains but with far fewer goals; 13 scored and 12 conceded in eight league games this season, as opposed to 101 scored and 50 conceded in 38 games last season.
It was in an attempt to add stability that Rodgers "flipped the triangle" in midfield in the first half on Sunday, using Emre Can and Jordan Henderson in front of the back four with Steven Gerrard behind Balotelli. The result was a staid 0-0 at halftime, so he flipped it back. With Gerrard holding, Liverpool scored three and conceded two. The lack of balance is a major concern.
Real Madrid, it could be argued, face similar concerns. They have awesome attacking power, even without one of their injured stars in Gareth Bale. The sale of Xabi Alonso in the summer has raised concerns that they will struggle at the back against teams that can compete with them in midfield, something exposed in the defeats to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid in La Liga. But with Liverpool's sluggishness this season, those weaknesses may not be an issue on Wednesday.