Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has labelled striker Mario Balotelli as a ‘total waste of time’ as he continues to struggle in his first season at Anfield, reports the Daily Express.
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The Italian has scored just four times in 25 appearances during this campaign, and has found himself struggling for game time since Daniel Sturridge returned from injury. This has been during a season that has been largely disappointing for the Reds, and they look set to fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The BBC pundit isn’t happy with this, and thinks manager Brendan Rodgers’ attempts to entice a performance out of the 24-year-old are a complete waste of his energy.
He said: “We have scored barely half the amount of Premier League goals as last season, although that’s easily explained by considering how many games Sturridge has played this season and the loss of Luis Suarez. As for the other strikers, Mario Balotelli has been a total waste of time in terms of attempting to cajole and encourage him to perform, while Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert barely feature.”
Next up for the Merseyside club are Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup quarter final replay. After losing to Arsenal 4-1 on Saturday to leave their top four chances in tatters this game could define their season.