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The Italy international striker missed a host of chances as the Reds were held by Everton in the Merseyside derby despite having gone 1-0 up in the second half.
They gave Mario Balotelli a standing ovation here at Anfield when he was replaced late on by Rickie Lambert. It was the type of substitution that willed the clock down. Liverpool were 1-0 up and eking out the type of win which has been unforthcoming to them so far this season.
Balotelli had played his part in winning the free kick which gave Steven Gerrard the chance to curl his side into the lead. That must have been what the Anfield faithful had in mind when they applauded the Italian off because had they truly considered his contribution they might have had a different opinion. Balotelli was the man who could have put Liverpool 1-0 up in the first half and the man who should have put them 2-0 ahead in the second.
Raheem Sterling is the type of supplier who deserves a striker on his own level but he does not have that at Anfield currently. His shimmy to the byline and cross, just after Gerrard's goal, yielded a chance for Balotelli he must have been dreaming about.
Meeting the cross, it appeared to be more difficult to miss than score. Balotelli is the man, however, who prefers that option. He met the ball full on and in it went... to the stand via the crossbar. It looked as though Tim Howard had got a touch but he should not have given the American goalkeeper any chance from that range.
The truth is Everton ruffled Balotelli's feathers from the get-go with Tony Hibbert and Gareth Barry targeting him for favourable treatment. That got his back up and drew out something approaching endeavour on his part.
That was enough for the crowd. A shift. From asking each other just how many Suarez had scored so far that season to applauding a centre forward for putting in a shift, it's been a chastening experience for Liverpool fans so far this season.
Balotelli remains content to play only his own game. He had to be told to make a run at one stage by Adam Lallana so he could pass him the ball. His default mode of operation when receiving the ball is to fashion a shooting chance whether that serves the team well or not. There is obviously an integration process when it comes to joining a new team but there is nothing in Balotelli's track record to suggest that he has any notion of fitting in to this team. Moreover, they will be expected to adapt to him.
"He needs to focus on the game," Rodgers said after the game. "I made that point beforehand. Emotions are high and it can be difficult. He looked like he could get a goal and was disappointed he didn’t score. As long as he is working hard in those areas he will get goals."
It's a shame for Liverpool as the men in behind Balotelli were excellent. Lallana and his England colleagues Sterling and Jordan Henderson demonstrated again why Roy Hodgson is so fond of picking players from this club. From Lallana there were signs that he was beginning to deal with the "weight of the jersey", as Brendan Rodgers would put it, with an accomplished display full of accurate passing an inventiveness.
Sterling was their creator in chief while Henderson again busied himself around the midfield. They do well to protect the ailing Steven Gerrard, whose only contribution today was the free-kick, exquisite as it was. He is no longer a 90 minute man, make no mistake, but his influence and leadership remain valuable for Rodgers.
Liverpool's poor start continues and it won't be long until it develops into a poor season if they are not careful. This was the type of game they would have gone on to win 4-0 last season, which indeed they did, but here the final moments were fraught with tension as if they knew that the clock had to run out because nothing they did in the closing stages suggested they were in control of the result. Seven points from six games and only two wins means that they are languishing at the wrong end.
While this may have been only Everton's sixth point, it will be received gratefully. Roberto Martinez spoke afterwards of this game being a catalyst for change in their season as it will give the players belief in their abilities and their methods. It was sweet vindication for Martinez, too, in his continued trust in captain Phil Jagielka. Even the most myopic of Everton fans would have to admit Jagielka had played badly in the early part of the season but his all-round display, capped with a brilliant goal was a timely return to form. There are two Evertons - the wildly chaotic outfit who ship goals by the dozen at home and the more considered team who excel away from home and play with aplomb.
They will be the happier of the two sides after derby day. Martinez wonders what might have been if that Balotelli-earned free kick had not been given while Rodgers is surely pondering the effect the Italian is yet to have on Liverpool's season - for better or worse.
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