LIVERPOOL MANAGER BRENDAN Rodgers has called for a greater contribution from Mario Balotelli after the Reds’ 1-0 defeat by Basel.
The Premier League club were beaten by a second-half strike by Marco Streller in a Champions League game in which the visitors failed to significantly threaten the Swiss outfit in front of goal.
Advertisement
Balotelli has scored just once since arriving from AC Milan this summer and the Liverpool boss wants more from his investment. “[He] worked hard, needs to do more,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“That’s the simplicity of it. Mario will be judged on what he creates and what he scores and he didn’t score.
“But the boy is trying, he is working hard.”
The Reds boss, meanwhile, refused to criticise Raheem Sterling, who also struggled to test the Basel back line.
He added: “I think [Sterling]‘s gaining lots of experience. He’s still a young player. He worked very hard tonight, he obviously had a task on his hands on that side of the field and he got into some real good positions.
“Unfortunately he obviously had the goal disallowed in the first half and got himself just offside for that and, as I said, he was unfortunate.
“He had a great combination on the edge of the box, got in and his touch just got away from him but that’s something that he’s learning from. He’s still only 19 and he’s an exceptional talent.”
Balotelli needs to do more, says Brendan Rodgers
LIVERPOOL MANAGER BRENDAN Rodgers has called for a greater contribution from Mario Balotelli after the Reds’ 1-0 defeat by Basel.
The Premier League club were beaten by a second-half strike by Marco Streller in a Champions League game in which the visitors failed to significantly threaten the Swiss outfit in front of goal.
Balotelli has scored just once since arriving from AC Milan this summer and the Liverpool boss wants more from his investment. “[He] worked hard, needs to do more,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“That’s the simplicity of it. Mario will be judged on what he creates and what he scores and he didn’t score.
“But the boy is trying, he is working hard.”
The Reds boss, meanwhile, refused to criticise Raheem Sterling, who also struggled to test the Basel back line.
He added: “I think [Sterling]‘s gaining lots of experience. He’s still a young player. He worked very hard tonight, he obviously had a task on his hands on that side of the field and he got into some real good positions.
“Unfortunately he obviously had the goal disallowed in the first half and got himself just offside for that and, as I said, he was unfortunate.
“He had a great combination on the edge of the box, got in and his touch just got away from him but that’s something that he’s learning from. He’s still only 19 and he’s an exceptional talent.”
Danny Welbeck scored a hat-trick for Arsenal tonight>
Gerard Pique admits he was (and still is) terrified of Roy Keane>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
1-0 Brendan Rodgers All-Ireland Senior HC Barclays Premier League UEFA Champions League Disappointment Mario Balotelli Basel Liverpool