Mario Balotelli Labelled a 'Waste of Time' by Liverpool Legend Mark Lawrenson

Former Liverpool defender and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has labelled Mario Balotelli a "waste of time" after watching the Italian striker fail to impact the Reds' 0-0 FA Cup draw with Blackburn on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers threw Balotelli on with half an hour remaining in search of a goal, but his arrival didn't help matters. He hit the target with one of his two shots, completed 66.7 percent of his passes and managed just 12 touches in a centre-forward's role, per WhoScored.com.

This wastefulness has been typical of his season. Lawrenson expects the player to almost certainly let his team-mates down, reported by Richard Arrowsmith of the Daily Mail:

"Forget about Mario Balotelli," said Lawrenson. "He is an absolute waste of time. He shouldn't be anywhere near this team. I can see why Brendan Rodgers threw him on today as he might just create something, but 99 times out of 100 he will let you down."

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Although Balotelli's reputation preceded him before he arrived at Anfield during the summer, many Liverpool supporters rightfully gave him the benefit of the doubt. At 24 years old, this could have been the move that finally kickstarted his career toward greatness. He is undoubtedly talented—many will point back to his two-goal destruction of Germany at Euro 2012—but his output remains volatile.

Balotelli's performance against Blackburn provided a snapshot of his career with the Reds. He found space easy enough in front of the opposition's defence, but appeared more likely to blaze over from outside the box than to pass and move into the area. He knows how to hold the ball up, yet lacks the tactical nuance to make the best of his presence closer to the goalkeeper.

B/R UK's Alex Dimond previously suggested Liverpool could regret not strengthening their attacking options during January:

The former Manchester City man has scored four goals this season, failing to notch more than one in any competition so far. He scored the Premier League winner against Tottenham, but other than that, his most remarkable success was a penalty he stole from vice-captain Jordan Henderson in the Europa League first leg against Besiktas.

Granted, he scored the spot-kick, but this moment highlighted an individual who fails to promote the improving team-ethic of Brendan Rodgers' side. Captain Steven Gerrard suggested Balotelli showed "disrespect" to Henderson, per BBC Sport, a comment which many would agree with.

While Rodgers has tried to fit the striker in from the bench in recent times, the Northern Irish manager previously pushed him out of the side with a switch to 3-4-2-1. Liverpool's change of fortune has seen them roll on unbeaten inside 90 minutes since December, largely without Balotelli in the team.

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Lawrenson's comments may seem harsh, but Balotelli is an obviously talented player who has made a career out of under-performing.

Liverpool took a chance on him when many others wouldn't have bothered. There's always the sense he's one goal away from turning things around, but then again, this feeling has followed him since he burst onto the scene with Inter Milan nearly eight years ago.