So it seems like Mario Balotelli can do nothing right, again! The Italian international striker has hit the headlines for swapping shirts with Pepe at half-time as Liverpool were losing 3-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of the phenomena of swapping shirts during the break but it’s been creeping into European football for a few years now. This isn’t the first time nor will it be the last time we will see it either. Obviously Brendan Rodgers and possibly Steven Gerrard will pull Balotelli aside and point out to him that its severely frowned upon at Anfield. That should be a start and end of the matter.

Now let me add that I think Mario was wrong in swapping shirts with an opponent at that time, especially with his team three down and in a position where fans could see the exchange taking place. But it didn’t cost his team those three goals and it isn’t really the biggest headline of the night.

But the problem is, the media love to have a bit of Balo controversy in their pages. They were at it even before his summer transfer from Milan to Liverpool could be completed. Stating that the English club had inserted a good behaviour clause into the twenty-four year old’s contract (a fact his agent has denied). The press have also went to former managers and getting their opinion on Balotelli often going with the headline about this being ‘His last chance!’.

Now the £16m man hasn’t had the best of starts since moving to Anfield. He hasn’t gelled into the system or scored the required amount of goals. But surely he needs time to settle in at a new club. His fourth in four years!

He had a miserable summer with some of his own nation blaming him for his countries failures at the World Cup in Brazil. Plus his boyhood club AC Milan sold him and he once again had to leave Italy for England (a country he has had concerns about in the past).

At Liverpool the whole squad have been poor by last seasons standards. They have brought in a number of new players and no longer have talisman Luis Suarez to rely on. They have also missed the scoring exploits of Daniel Sturridge, who has been injured much of this campaign. So even more pressure has been heaped on Mario’s shoulders. But it can’t be the Italians fault that the teams defence has been leaky this term.

Now obviously Mario has to improve with his all round game play. He also needs to start getting amongst the goals.

But can that happen when all those around him struggle? Can it happen whilst he gets the blame for every little wrongdoing?

I doubt it.

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool players and the ‘Reds’ faithful need to back Mario Balotelli and show him their full support. If you go down the road of making him the scapegoat, then how can you expect anything better from him?

Posted on October 23rd, 2014 by scott
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