Anfield boss opts for unusual defence of misfiring forward.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has moved to support under-performing striker Mario Balotelli by stating that the Italian international is not seen as a replacement for Luis Suarez according to Goal.com.
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Balotelli moved to Anfield in a £16m deal over the summer but has struggled to impress and is still yet to register his first Premier League goal for the club and had something of a nightmare display against QPR on Sunday.
Rodgers insists that Balotell is a ‘different’ player to Suarez;
“It’ll drop for the boy,” he told reporters. “The most important thing to me is his work rate. He’s working really hard. It’ll drop for him.
“He’s seen as a direct replacement to Luis (Suarez), I’ve said before, Luis is irreplaceable, a real world class talent. That’s not what’s being asked of Mario. He’s a great boy, I’ve enjoyed working with him. He wants to be better. He’s a completely different player to Luis.”
Not sure this is the best way to defend Balotelli, essentially stating that Liverpool fans shouldn’t expect too much from the former Man City and AC Milan man.