Why Mario Balotelli Is Under Most Pressure for Liverpool After Win over Swansea
Liverpool ended the year on a high on Monday night with a shining, fluid attacking display in their 4-1 victory at home to Swansea City, and summer signing Mario Balotelli will find himself under great pressure if he is to now impose himself on manager Brendan Rodgers.
An opening goal from left wing-back Alberto Moreno, a brace from Adam Lallana and a compounding own goal from former Red Jonjo Shelvey saw Liverpool on their way.
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Gylfi Sigurdsson's second-half consolation will have done little to appease Swansea boss Garry Monk.
Liverpool now sit eighth in the Premier League table after leapfrogging the Swans and, despite this relatively lowly new-year placing, Rodgers will be encouraged by his side's growing brilliance.
Absent throughout this, however, is summer signing Balotelli.
Limited to a 10-minute cameo at Anfield on Monday, the pressure will be on Balotelli to force his way into Rodgers' long-term thinking.
Intensity and Pressure
Prior to Liverpool's previous victory—a tight 1-0 win away to Burnley on Boxing Day—Rodgers outlined just why Balotelli is gracing his substitutes' bench after a return from injury.
Rodgers claimed, per Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo, that "working with Mario, we’ve seen that he is someone who is better in and around the box. That level of pressing and intensity is not part of his game."
The manager continued: "We are at our best when our game is aggressive. We’ve had to adapt this year, in terms of how we’ve had to play, because of personnel."
Finally, Rodgers added: "We’ve tried to find the solution to get back that intensity and that tempo, and I think we’ve seen that. It’s key for us, that aggressive pressure at the top end of the field. It gives us the platform to go on and dominate the ball."
These qualities are clearly far from what the manager believes Balotelli has shown so far for the Reds.
Having previously described the striker as a "calculated risk," per Andy Hunter of the Guardian, it seems that this risk hasn't paid off for Rodgers.
Against Swansea on Monday, Liverpool's intensity, pressure and positive aggression was clear to see, and it was perhaps unsurprising that this came without Balotelli in the side.
Liverpool vs. Swansea City
Rodgers will be wise to not call it a comeback just yet, but at Anfield on Monday Liverpool played with the swagger and intelligence that so hallmarked their successful 2013/14 season.
Key to this is Rodgers' switch to a 3-4-2-1 system, with a central defensive trio of Emre Can, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho absorbing any Swansea pressure, and the Reds' midfield then given license to swarm.
Ahead of this defence, wing-backs Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno operated functionally in their respective roles, shuttling from defence to attack with ease—this is evidence by Moreno's opening goal.
Back to their brilliant best, Liverpool's bravado was accentuated by Philippe Coutinho, whose return to form was aided at Anfield by the excellent support of Lallana and Raheem Sterling.
During pre-season, Rodgers spoke of the importance of Coutinho to his system, identifying him as Liverpool's "brain," and "the one that gets the team ticking, gets the movement in front of the ball," per LiverpoolFC.com.
The No. 10's display at Anfield on Monday perfectly outlined just why his manager holds so much stock in him.
With 75 touches of the ball, Coutinho was Liverpool's busiest player, and having made 54 passes was also the most influential of Rodgers' attacking charges.
Providing an intelligent flourish with remarkable consistency, Coutinho's astute flick in the build-up to Lallana's second goal is a testament to his masterful performance.
"That backheel pass by Coutinho was absolutely brilliant pic.twitter.com/nf2ePVJSmH
— MostarLFC (@MostarLFC) December 29, 2014"
Furthermore, Coutinho epitomised Rodgers' requisite intensity, winning four tackles.
Only Lallana and Manquillo won more of any player on Monday.
Fluid, cohesive and devastating at its peak, Liverpool's system thrived within this intensive system, and it was no surprise that Balotelli cut a sombre figure when he was finally introduced on 83 minutes, replacing Sterling as Liverpool's lone centre-forward.
Rodgers recently declared that "if the team is going to need [Balotelli] from the bench then it’s something he would have to become adjusted to," per Hunter for the Guardian.
Liverpool's display on Monday, aided by one effervescent strike option, will solidify that role for the Italian.
Raheem Sterling
That striker was, naturally, Sterling: Liverpool's most cherished young talent.
Rodgers promoted Sterling's suitability to his recent forward role in the 3-4-2-1 system at Liverpool last week, per Ian Whittell of The Telegraph.
The manager claimed: "You’ve other players who are out-and-out number nines but as [Sterling’s] career matures I think he will show he’s got that ability. I think you’ll see Raheem’s numbers improve and improve as his career goes on.”
Rodgers continued: "His outcome last year in terms of goals and assists is probably where it’s at—up and around between 10 and 15 is a very good return for him."
Clearly, Rodgers sees a prolific striker in Sterling; the No. 31 is Liverpool's joint-highest scorer with four league goals so far this season, while Balotelli is yet to find the net on the domestic stage.
Sterling wasn't at his most effective on Monday night, quite possibly due to a fatigue onset by the Liverpool-high 1,627 minutes played in the Premier League this season.
Nevertheless, the converted striker's movement is the closest Liverpool have at present to the currently injured Daniel Sturridge, and this was crucial to the side's success against Swansea.
And despite this tiring display, Sterling still managed five shots on goal, benefiting from Coutinho's creativity.
When Balotelli was introduced it was stark how marked a downturn Liverpool's attacking spark underwent.
The No. 45 lacks the movement and, as outlined, the intensity of a striker such as Sterling who, at 20 years old, outshines the £16 million summer signing.
With Sturridge likely returning to the side in the new year, Rodgers has much to look forward to after a hugely encouraging Monday-night display at Anfield.
Liverpool may well be back, but it may come at the expense of Mario Balotelli. The pressure is now on the striker to find his role at the club as the January transfer window looms.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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