Mario Balotelli Liverpool Rift Reported as Players Question Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool's apparent problems with misfit striker Mario Balotelli aren't going away. The Italy international's performances have been mostly dire since he signed for the Reds this summer, and now Brendan Rodgers is reportedly coming under fire.

Several Liverpool players have already had enough, according to Sunday People writer Neil Moxley:

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Fed-up Liverpool stars have rounded on boss Brendan Rodgers for favouritism towards goal-shy striker Mario Balotelli.

Reds players are angry that the Italian is in the team no matter how poorly he plays—and have even sent a senior Kop star to see Rodgers about it.

There is a feeling in the dressing room the boss has gone overboard with Balotelli—playing him until he breaks his duck in the Premier League.

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On Monday, BBC's Ben Smith reported Rodgers' position "is not under immediate threat despite the club's poor start to the season."

Somewhere out there in modern football's ether, Roberto Mancini sympathises with Anfield gaffer Rodgers' plight. Mancini encountered the same resistance during much of Balotelli's stint with Premier League rivals Manchester City.

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It's not difficult, or even unreasonable, to understand how and why the temperamental striker irks team-mates. Balotelli has never been noted for being a particularly hard worker, especially in training.

A player who saunters through training before delivering little on the pitch will always fall foul of his team-mates. Said team-mates will soon start to believe that the unused deputy who puts in the work but earns little reward deserves his chance instead.

Of course, it's not easy to identify that deserving, or at least capable, deputy at Liverpool. The Merseyside club is sorely missing the pace and efficiency offered by natural finisher Daniel Sturridge.

He is currently sidelined until the new year, something that could increase Rodgers' reliance on Balotelli. Towering ex-Southampton target man Rickie Lambert is the kind of try-hard hero who usually wins the hearts of fans.

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However, it's difficult to believe the 32-year-old could fire enough goals to lift Liverpool from 11th in the Premier League, as well as helping the club negotiate a UEFA Champions League campaign.

There are currently conflicting reports regarding Lambert's role. According to Carl Markham of the Press Association (h/t Daily Mail), Rodgers recently hinted he might use Lambert more often:

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That was one of the reasons we brought in the likes of Rickie. He is a talented footballer but he gives you a different option of playing in a different way.

When he is in the team you have to ensure you get crosses into the box and get service for him, but it is the job of the manager to analyse that and pick what is the best structure in the game to get you a result.

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But those claims are in stark contrast to those made by Sunday Express reporter Izzy Horsefield. She suggested Lambert wants a return to Southampton and a loan is possible depending on Liverpool's pursuit of other targets, including West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino.

However, Balotelli was pictured at the Nathan Cleverly-Tony Bellew fight in Liverpool, just hours before the Reds face Crystal Palace in London, per Mail Online writer Rajvir Rai. That could be a cue that Rodgers intends to, at least temporarily, take Balotelli out of the firing line.

Certainly, the eve of a crucial game at the site where Liverpool blew a three-goal lead to lose the chance to win last season's Premier League title appeared to have done nothing to dampen Balotelli's spirits.

He took time to meet Joe Calzaghe, as the former boxer noted on his official Twitter account:

What's more likely is that Rodgers persists with his Balotelli experiment a little longer. After all, there's no denying the frustrating 24-year-old's natural ability.

Balotelli has the pace, power and technical guile to be a dominant force in the Premier League. The question is, how much does he want it?

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Or perhaps the question ought to be how long can Rodgers afford to wait? He's already had to endure too much criticism regarding Balotelli's demeanour and attitude.

Back in October, BT Sport's Ian Darke wrote for ESPN FC how several Liverpool players felt Balotelli wasn't a team player:

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Mario Balotelli has been on Merseyside for only a few weeks and already he has found himself out of the Liverpool and Italy teams. Sources have told me that some of his team-mates at Anfield are none too impressed by his individualistic approach.

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With a season floundering, Rodgers may not have the time to wait for Balotelli to decide he actually wants to make a go of his time at Liverpool.