Why always Mario Balotelli? Liverpool are also to blame

Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli

Phew! Mario Balotelli makes headlines once again. Exasperating, disappointing, troublesome – these are some of the words used to describe him. The question arises: why only him? Let’s face the actual question: is it only his fault, or is the support cast of Liverpool to blame as well?

There has been a mindless barrage of questions aimed at him, questioning his potential. But in a game of football, which involves teamwork, a manager is only as good as his players and a striker only as good as the supply that is provided. It is a lethal concoction of questionable tactics, a shirt swapping fiasco and obviously Mario being Mario that has led to this uncomfortable situation.

Liverpool’s tactics should be questioned

Let’s start with the tactics first; the lack of a dominating midfield is where the blame lies. Of all the attacking riches, Steven Gerrard has been used more than required. Plainly speaking, most of the games have passed by him and Jordan Henderson, the willing runner, has also suffered.

While Gerrard can ping passes around, there needs to be reliable support around him. The Pirlo position is possible in Serie A, where the game moves at a much slower pace. In the Premier League, where the game is much faster, Gerrard needs to be protected so as to make that pass. The problems in defence and midfield were overshadowed last season by the amount of goals Liverpool scored, but the high tempo and high pressing game takes a toll on a lot of players.

You don’t have to look any further than the teams of Athletic Bilbao and Borussia Dortmund where the pressing game leaves the players jaded. Add to that the fixture schedule and internationals, and you have players who are in serious danger of fading out, especially in the second half of the game.

As for the defence, the less said the better. Dejan Lovren was brought in to stabilize the defence and Daniel Agger was let go. But certain decisions taken by the Croat have been mind-numbing, and also have been found wanting when it comes to the quicker movements of the players. Reliability in the air has been questioned as well, and Simon Mignolet’s inconsistency in goal has been punished ruthlessly.

Is Balotelli just a scapegoat?

Secondly, Balotelli’s form has been questioned along with his temperament. The needless shirt-swapping has left everyone stumped, and led to some anger among fans. Everyone found it disrespectful, and Balotelli was arguably in the wrong the here. But Barney Ronay in the Guardian writes about the collective responsibility of the team to defend, and how the shirt-swapping fiasco just took everyone’s mind off Liverpool’s defensive frailties which were exposed and punished by Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.

To say that Balotelli has not been working hard is shifting blame and making him a scapegoat. The Italian is a player who doesn’t run between the lines; he is more of a hold-up centre forward. Given the space and time, he can blast a cannon of a shot.

Mario Balotelli Liverpool Real Madrid

Lastly, when Rodgers was asked about Balotelli, his answer was that he is a “calculated risk”. The blame game should stop here and Rodgers has to focus on making use of the talent available. The risks were known to everyone and it is the duty of the club and fans to be patient as well.

There is a firm belief in Rodgers that he can improve attacking players, but the pressure of Champions League and the amount of money invested in the squad are wearing him out.

Channelling your resources to get the best out of the squad is imperative to the success of Liverpool, or rather of any team. The vision to build a squad is there, and the players are present, but it is the vision that is important. Winning matches changes equations and even though Liverpool have been putting in underwhelming performances, they still lie fifth in the table, behind only on goal difference.

In the Champions League, a return of three points from their first three games is not as disastrous as it looks. And with three more games to play, there is still hope. Come December end, a more apt picture will begin to develop, and hopefully Balotelli lights up Anfied (not with firecrackers, of course).

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Edited by Staff Editor