Fabio Borini's Jury Still out Despite Liverpool Striker's Feeling of Vindication

Fabio Borini appeared to suggest this week that he was right to stay at Liverpool and fight for his place—but many may feel the Italian striker still has some way to go in proving his credentials on Merseyside.

Borini turned down offers of permanent moves to Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers in the summer, as per Gerard Brand of the Daily Mail. He opted instead to remain at Anfield and prove his worth after a season on-loan at the Stadium of Light.

Seven appearances this season so far and the 23-year-old has suggested to Phil Reade of LiverpoolFC.com that his decision to stay was the right one:

"

I think that when I was called upon to play, I did well against Real Madrid or against Chelsea, when we were down and we needed to chase the game.

Against Newcastle, we were at 0-0 and we needed to change the game. So it's not an easy way to get in, but it's good to be involved and I hope I get more [chances].

In training I work hard every day, so I've got the game rhythm every day. So it's easy for me to get into the game, like I showed against Swansea. I had been out for six weeks and then I came in and played 90 minutes and was fine.

"

Borini's enthusiasm and bravery to stay at Liverpool is admirable—a bold move in a summer in which two strikers were brought into the club and all eyes turned to how the team would react to Luis Suarez's departure.

Furthermore, his desire to succeed on the pitch is ferocious—athletically covering all areas of the pitch in an attempt to be fully involved in the game.

That sort of infectious attitude is most welcome at Liverpool under their run of poor form right now, but hunger and desire only get you so far in football. Ultimately Borini's ability to perform at the highest level will be under scrutiny at Liverpool.

His 140 minutes of Premier League football this season have resulted in little outcome of any substance—no goals, just two chances created, a 37 percent average duels won record and a shot accuracy of 40 percent based on only five shots, according to Squawka.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

His lack of tangible contribution to games hasn't been without want of trying, and Borini's task of redemption at Liverpool is made all the harder in Brendan Rodgers' hugely under-performing side.

The fire in Borini to prove his critics and the club wrong could bide him more time, but his positive energy to progress Liverpool's game and his work with the attackers around him need to have a finished product—and Liverpool are yet to see that.

Rather than a rejuvenated and effective performance, Borini's gallivanting around the pitch merely adds to Liverpool's desperation with nothing to show for it.  

Take out that hunger to succeed and Borini has offered very little to change Rodgers' mind— as he's arguably only getting his chance to impress due to Daniel Sturridge's back-to-back injuries.

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Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert this season. #LFC pic.twitter.com/10Mb69KVJx

— Football Centre (@FootbaIlCentre) November 3, 2014"

On Sturridge's imminent return and Liverpool's lack of ammunition in Borini, Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert, former defender and now football pundit Jamie Carragher told talkSPORT: "You don’t want to put too much pressure on him [Sturridge], but it looks like it is down to him because there is not much else there at the moment."

Carragher is right—there is little to shout about from any of the trio, and with Borini having been first in, signed when Rodgers came to the club in the summer of 2012, it could be a case of the Italian being first out when the January transfer window comes about.