i wouldn't start him, Sturridge needs game time to get sharpness and 100% match fit. I would bring him on after 70 minutes if all is going to plan......if BR chooses to bring on Lambert instead then Ballo is defo toast!!
FA Cup - Mark Lawrenson: Mario Balotelli 'an absolute waste of time' BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has described Mario Balotelli as an “absolute waste of time” in an attack on the Liverpool striker https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news...-balotelli-absolute-waste-084126305--sow.html
Lawro is right (for once) even if his timing is off. Criticising MB after 20 odd minutes against Blackburn where he did little wrong was a bit bizarre but ultimately Lawro has a point. He's been a waste of time, wages and a place in the squad. Rare glimpses of talent are not enough at this level. Whether or not he is forgotten about is up to the player himself. No doubt he can carry on dawdling through life and he'll still never be short of a club who wants a bit of media coverage or a few shirt sales but it is looking increasingly likely that he has no future at Anfield. Rodgers doesn't trust him at the moment and any manager aiming for the top of such a tough league needs a squad of players he can rely on every single week not just once in a blue moon (no Man City pun intended). It's a shame to see talented lads cruise through life and not fulfil their potential but he certainly isn't the first or last to be guilty of that. I still think he was worth a punt given the situation we left ourselves in in the summer but a punt it certainly was and a total punt he's certainly turned out to be.
I'm not sure what Mario has done wrong recently - been effective every time he has come off the bench over the past few years. I can't find too many fans criticising Sturridge for his 'work rate' and attitude.
Liverpool's Mario Balotelli happy to be 'back' at AC Milan please log in to view this image . Mario Balotelli said it was "a pleasure to be back" as he paid his former AC Milan teammates a visit on Tuesday. The Italian used one of the two days granted by Liverpool team by coach Brendan Rodgers for a visit to Milanello, posting a picture of him with former teammate Stephan El Shaarawy on Instagram, saying: "Milan, what a pleasure it is to see you all," adding a heart at the end of his message. Balotelli left the Rossoneri last summer, but has struggled to make an impact with the Reds. The 24-year-old has not started a Premier League game since Nov. 8, while solitary top-flight goal in his second spell in England came only last month. Despite netting the winner against Tottenham Hotspur, he has still struggled for consistent minutes in the side, although he did come off the substitutes' bench in the FA Cup quarterfinal tie with Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, a game in which he did not enhance his reputation according to BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson. "Forget about Mario Balotelli," the former Liverpool defender said. "He is an absolute waste of time. He shouldn't be anywhere near this team. I can see why Brendan Rodgers threw him on today as he might just create something, but 99 times out of 100, he will let you down." Balotelli enjoyed the best spells of his career in Milan, netting 30 goals in 54 appearances for AC Milan having risen to fame at city rivals Inter, with whom he scored 28 in 86. Although he scored 14 Serie A goals last season, Milan sold him last summer as part of a cost-cutting exercise at the Italian club. In 2012, they sold defender Thiago Silva and forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain without spending big on replacements. Milan failed to qualify for Europe when they finished eighth last season and are currently 10th in Serie A and unlikely to catch the top six again. http://www.espnfc.com/ac-milan/story/2342166/liverpool-mario-balotelli-happy-to-be-back-at-ac-milan
Mario Balotelli attacks his critics in bizarre video on Instagram Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has taken to Instagram to launch a bizarre attack on his critics. The Italy international posted a video this evening, responding to the avalanche of criticism he has been subjected to since his move to Anfield last summer. The £16 million signing has endured a largely disastrous spell on Merseyside and has been out of first team contention for much of 2015. He missed the 1-0 win over Swansea on Monday due to illness. In the video, Balotelli looks directly into the camera and says: "Do you know me? Did you ever talk to me, personally? "Do you know what I've been through in my life? You just saw me play football on the pitch. Man, shut up." Balotelli is widely expected to leave Liverpool this summer, with Brendan Rodgers having publicly criticised his work-rate and attitude.
Ha saw this and thought it was amusing at the time. But he has a point. Has he done silly things - yes. Has he actually done anything serious i.e. cheating on his wife, beating kids up etc? - no. He will always get criticism throughout his career - he's done nothing wrong at LFC but still gets criticised.
Yep, at HT - Lee Dixon and co mentioned during the interval but apart from that, not really seen or read anythign about that incident since. In my opinion - that's the right reaction. It's a non-story and further evidence as how some players are reported on in this countrty.
