Brendan Rodgers Hints Mario Balotelli Wasn't Top Target, Hails Divock Origi

Brendan Rodgers believes he took a "calculated gamble" when signing Mario Balotelli, and has suggested the out-of-form Italian striker wasn't at the top of his transfer wishes during the summer.

Balotelli has hit just one goal in six games for Liverpool, per WhoScored.com. He continues to waste possession by shooting from range and is yet to continuously hassle the opposition into surrendering the ball, an attribute Rodgers' team are built on.

The manager isn't shying away from admitting his new signing hasn't settled well, as reported by Dominic King of the Daily Mail:

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I think in terms of goals, he needs to improve. It is as simple as that. Any striker — not just him — is judged on his goals and the number of assists he makes. At this moment, he has not hit the numbers he will have wanted.

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Rodgers admitted Balotelli wasn't his first choice and said his "attempts for other strikers" simply "didn't materialise," per David Maddock of the Mirror. He confirmed "it left us right at the end of the window with a decision" to make, which ultimately forced the club into concluding their attacking options were too "light."

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The boss insisted he prioritised "availability and affordability" when trying to land an extra forward, saying, "Mario was the one right at the very end who was available for that."

The Northern Irishman acknowledged there is plenty of "work" to complete in order to make Balotelli a team player, as the English press begins to circle on an individual who appeared totally disinterested during Tuesday's Champions League loss to Basel, per 101 Great Goals:

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher is unimpressed with Balotelli's early displays for the club. "If there's one word that I'd never use to sum Balotelli up is sacrifice," said Carragher, per the Daily Mail's Chris Waugh. The striker's lack of interest in the team was confirmed by Squawka:

Rodgers found it necessary to mention Divock Origi—who he signed during the summer but subsequently loaned back to Lille—when discussing Balotelli's form. The manager believes Origi "will be world-class" and noted a number of qualities currently missing from Balotelli's game, per King:

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He has everything — the speed, the profile and so on. But we couldn’t bring him in now and that was unfortunate because he can run in behind, he can keep the ball, press and run but that was part of the deal. There were very few top-class forwards who were available. Mario was a calculated gamble we had to try and work with.

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Once again, the manager's comments don't exactly inspire confidence in Balotelli. Let's not forgot Rodgers "categorically" denied he would sign the former Milan striker before going back on his word, per the Press Association and via The Guardian. One has to wonder whether Balotelli would be at Anfield if Origi was able to represent Liverpool this season.

The emerging Belgian has enjoyed a fantastic start to the current campaign, scoring four and assisting one across eight performances in Ligue 1 and the Europa League, per WhoScored.com. He is playing mature, industrious football at 19 and has the potential to become a Premier League star, as highlighted with his exploits at the World Cup.

Origi likes to bring team-mates into play and has the energy to explode beyond players, something Balotelli lacks at the current time. Rodgers could have easily defended the latter ahead of his side's clash with West Brom on Saturday, but instead confirmed he sees what everybody else can see.

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Balotelli will score goals for Liverpool and remains a favourite to net against the Baggies. His general demeanour, work-rate and attitude is more likely to diminish his game than a failure to hit the back of the net in the long-term.

It's unsurprising to see his credentials judged so quickly, as there's no denying the conspicuousness of Balotelli's position in such a hard-working team. Rodgers' assessment lets the player know he needs to buck his displays up with haste, and the mention of Origi underlines how much competition awaits on the horizon for the player.

It wouldn't be unlike Balotelli to silence the critics with a goal against West Brom before fading once more, summing up a player who never looks destined to deliver on his tremendous potential.