5 Reasons Why Mario Balotelli Should Stay and Fight for His Place at Liverpool
The writing has seemingly been on the wall for £16 million Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli since his summer arrival from AC Milan, but why should the Italian choose to stay and fight for his place on Merseyside?
Balotelli has made just 14 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, despite being fit for the majority of the season.
On signing the striker, manager Brendan Rodgers told the club's official website: "This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here.
"There is no doubting Mario's ability; he is a world-class talent and someone who, for such a young age, has vast experience of playing at the very highest level.
"I am looking forward to working with him and helping him learn more, improve and progress as a player."
This progress has failed to materialise under Rodgers, and the Daily Mail (h/t James Whaling of the Mirror) last week linked the striker with a summer move away from Liverpool.
Of course, Balotelli can choose to stay, but why should he do so?
Here are five reasons why Balotelli should stay and fight for his place at Liverpool, rounding off with a frank evaluation of his reputation.
Signs of Improvement
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For much of the season, Balotelli's debut for the club—in August's 3-0 victory away to Tottenham Hotspur—appeared to be his Liverpool zenith.
He linked up encouragingly with Daniel Sturridge, and the Reds ran rampant, with goals from Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard and Alberto Moreno sealing the three points.
After that, and with Sturridge imminently suffering a major injury, Balotelli struggled for consistency.
In recent months, however, there have been small signs of improvement in the 24-year-old, kicking off, fittingly, with his first Premier League goal in the reverse fixture against Spurs at Anfield in February.
Following this, Balotelli's introduction alongside Sturridge at half-time in the Reds' Valentine's Day win away to Crystal Palace allowed Adam Lallana the space to convert the winner; another substitute's appearance, and goal, came in Liverpool's midweek win at home to Besiktas in the Europa League.
Since then, Balotelli has been offered just 137 minutes of football in a month—he is showing signs of improvement but is perhaps not being given the requisite game time to harness this.
Not Everyone Shines in Their 1st Season
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On the announcement of Balotelli's signing, Rodgers outlined the striker's arrival as the beginning of somewhat of a developmental project.
"I believe we have the infrastructure, culture and environment to get the best out of him and help him achieve his true potential," Rodgers said. "We are a strong group here, committed to hard work and he will benefit from being around it."
Despite his high transfer fee, this seems far from intending to suggest Liverpool had signed the finished product.
This is true of many players—not everyone shines in their first season with a new club.
Balotelli's predecessor, Luis Suarez, is the perfect example.
On his BBC Sport-reported £22.7 million signing from Ajax in January 2011, Suarez joined a Kenny Dalglish-led Liverpool with a enhanced, post-World Cup reputation.
But in terms of direct contribution, Suarez scored four goals and made three assists in 13 league games; it wasn't until Rodgers took the reins that the Uruguayan began scoring so freely, with 54 goals in 66 league appearances under the Ulsterman.
Suarez was offered his bedding-in period, perhaps Balotelli will thrive after his?
Daniel Sturridge's Unreliable Fitness
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According to statistical analyst Andrew Beasley, via Twitter, Balotelli's strike partner Sturridge has suffered an injury every 4.6 games he has featured in for Liverpool.
This season, Sturridge has made just 11 Premier League appearances, and his latest injury could see him miss most of April's fixtures, according to Sky Sports, although more recent reports via David Maddock of the Mirror suggest he may be asked to "play through [the] pain barrier."
Either way, the striker's unreliable fitness is a considerable issue for the Reds, and Balotelli could look to capitalise on this.
Balotelli would represent a relative constant for Rodgers in Sturridge's absence, providing he can find consistency in his output.
There Is Proof of Redemption Through Hard Work Under Rodgers
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Few would begrudge Balotelli giving up at the first opportunity, given the striker's lack of game time, but this is a relatively familiar situation for Liverpool supporters since Rodgers' reign began.
A prime example is the Reds' vice-captain, Jordan Henderson.
Henderson was offered as part of a swap deal for Fulham striker Clint Dempsey back in 2012, as reported by Neil Moxley of the Mail, with Rodgers short a centre-forward following the departure of Andy Carroll.
However, Henderson's decision was resolute, with his words relayed by The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe: "I worked really had to come to a club like Liverpool and I didn’t want to leave in a hurry. I want to stay at Liverpool for as long as I can. I want to keep fighting for my place and I told the manager that. I said I wanted to stay and keep fighting because I believe I can get into the team."
Two seasons on and Henderson has now amassed 131 appearances for the Reds and is one of Rodgers' key players.
There is proof of redemption through hard work under Rodgers at Liverpool, and Balotelli should use this as inspiration—although "hard work" is the operative phrase here.
Who Else Will Give Him as Big an Opportunity?
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When Balotelli arrived at Liverpool, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville told Monday Night Football that this was the striker's "last chance" at a big club.
"This is his last chance at what you would call a big club and he has got to deliver," Neville opined, while his colleague and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher agreed: "There’s a reason he costs [just] £16 million and has moved so often within his career already. That is a problem for Liverpool."
This is seemingly a threat recognised by Balotelli's agent, Mino Raiola, back in January, as quotes relayed by the Guardian attest.
"I saw him on Monday and said: ‘You’ve got a [long] contract and I’m not taking you away. Either you leave Liverpool for €60m or €70m and I win the bet or you die there'," Raiola claimed.
"The real Mario has the ability to be the best in the world but not the character. And this phase at Liverpool is the most important lesson he has had...there’s no sense in asking whether Liverpool is the right place: it’s the only place."
There is a palpable feeling that, if Balotelli is to be branded a failure at Liverpool, he will struggle to move on to a club with a similar reputation.
This can be perfectly outlined by January reports via Matthew Amalfitano, writing for GianlucaDiMarzio.com, that Serie A relegation candidates Parma had looked into bringing the striker in on loan.
If Balotelli leaves Liverpool, who else will give him as big an opportunity?
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
