When Liverpool lost Luis Suarez during the summer and they went with AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli as the Uruguayan’s replacement – another big player who carries his own set of big problems and baggage, yet has the potential to be a star striker for the Merseyside outfit.
It looks like nothing more than a panic buy from Brendan Rodgers. Some of his decision making has been somewhat questionable on the back of a season where they came the closest they have for years to winning that ever elusive Premier League title. The type of player that Rodgers should have been targeting should’ve been someone who would add extra quality to the squad rather than just increasing the numbers for the sake of it.
Despite signing a number of top players this summer, there was still a void left by Suarez’s departure to Barcelona and the only thing that could have pleased the Anfield faithful was a big name, who would’ve been tasked with replicating the Uruguayan’s quality. Rodgers had a number of options to fill that void, though. One of which was Swansea City’s Wilfried Bony. But why go for someone like Wilfried Bony when you can have Super Mario?
Perhaps the Kopites would have turned their noses up at an ‘average’ signing after failing to notice the previous six or so that walked through the transfer window’s revolving door at Anfield. A marquee signing or two always hides the real issues under the carpet and puts a smile on everyone’s face. Just ask Louis van Gaal over at Manchester United. He was branded a hero when he captured his new found team of Galacticos. Oh wait, he is still struggling to stop goals leaking in because he forgot to buy some decent defenders.
Not that Liverpool have any sort of issues anywhere near as big as their rivals, I am simply pointing out the obvious fact that marquee signings are not always the answer. A lot of you will argue that Balotelli is a great player of great ability who can score a lot of goals and will be an excellent addition to the team. Look at what wonders he worked over in Milan. Look at how greatly skilful he is when he is at the top of his game, and what about that spell he had at Manchester City, where he captured the hearts of the English nation with his goal scoring record and his great personality.
Yes- I will give him some of that- he has bag full of skill and goals in him. A tremendous talent without a shadow of a doubt. I am one of the first people to defend him when I see online trolls doing what they do best and trolling the poor chap. Despite a bad attitude, silly behaviour and being oh so easy to wind up, the guy’s heart is in the right place and I think he is a big softy underneath the hard exterior. The guy isn’t intentionally bad at all! But he is a liability. If the likes of Jose Mourinho cannot tame him then what hope does Rodgers have?
I guess he is experienced in dealing with problematic players, with having to manage Mr Suarez and his outrageously poor discipline record but surely after losing him to Barcelona the last thing Liverpool needed was to get another wildcard? At least Suarez scored a lot of goals for them! Balotelli, as good as he can be when he wants to, simply will not replace the goals tally that is missing from Suarez’ departure.
Wilfried Bony should have been looked at as a possible transfer. Not as exciting a marquee signing as Mario, granted. However the guy was doing well for Swansea City and scored an impressive tally of 16 goals in 38 games for the South Wales club. Always the true professional and never making the headlines, he knows where the goal is and plays best in a system devised by the Liverpool manager himself during his time in charge of the Welsh side. What more perfect a match could there possibly be to replace the goals they are going to miss from the Uruguayan’s departure?
Bony would fit in so well to Liverpool’s current team and style of play. His goal tally would have gone through the roof, without a shadow of a doubt. And he would have none of the baggage that comes with Balotelli.
The Italian was the obvious choice for Rodgers, but the wrong choice nevertheless and only time will tell how costly this poor transfer window will be for the title chasing Liverpool, but if they want to mount another serious challenge they need to avoid any further panic buying and think about who they want to sign a bit more next time.
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