Mario Balotelli is still awaiting his first Premier League goal after a run of indifferent form…
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has been told to ‘shape up’ by manager Brendan Rodgers, who has been unimpressed by the amount of effort the Italian has been putting in during training. The forward was left-out of Saturday’s FA Cup draw with Bolton, which finished 0-0.
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“He knows exactly what is required to be in this squad before he can be in the team,” said Rodgers, who was quoted by BBC Sport. “I am judging it every day in training – Mario is exactly the same as every other player, there is no special treatment for anyone.
“Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert are working tirelessly in training and when they go on they have contributed and young Jordan Rossiter, on the bench today, has been brilliant in training and I have to judge it on that.
“If you want to contribute you have to be at it every single day in training in order to be in the squad on matchday. It is difficult for him [Balotelli] but he knows the level of [where] this team is at.
“You see the aggression in our pressing and if you can’t do that you are not going to be a part of what this team is trying to achieve. We had an hour or so yesterday chatting and he understands where he is at.”
Of course, Balotelli is not the only Premier League player struggling to impress this season. Here’s the full list of top flight stars that we think need to improve:
10) Radamel Falcao (Manchester United)
So much was expected of the Colombian at Old Trafford this season, but he’s struggled for both form and fitness. He’s struggled to justify his huge wages or the potential transfer fee United would have to pay to take him permanently from Monaco.
SEE ALSO: Brendan Rodgers tells Mario Balotelli how to get back in the Liverpool lineup
9) Andre Schurrle (Chelsea)
The German World Cup winner has been unable to hold down a regular first-team spot at Stamford Bridge so far this season. While he has often impressed coming off the bench, Jose Mourinho expects more from such a big-money signing.
8) Brown Ideye (West Bromwich Albion)
Has failed to justify Albion’s club record transfer fee, which they spent on him at the start of the season. His impact in games has been limited, while he’s often found himself in the shadows of Saido Berahino.
7) Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea City)
Gomis has scored just one league goal so far this season and must step things up following the departure of Wilfried Bony to Manchester City. He’s been a bit-part player so far, but this his chance to prove he deserves to be starting regularly.
6) Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
It seems harsh to blame the Belgian – back from a long-term injury – for Villa’s scoring problems, but the Belgian in the one world class attacking player the club have and he needs to be doing much more for his ailing side.
5) Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)
Another Belgian, another under-performing player. Mignolet was dropped in favour of Brad Jones earlier this season, but has won his place back after an injury to the Australian. His form has improved in recent weeks, but he still has plenty of work to do.
4) Roberto Soldado (Tottenham Hotspur)
The £26m Spaniard only has one Premier League goal to his name so far this season. His horror miss against Burnley in the FA Cup earlier this month summed up his current plight and you have to wonder when his North London nightmare will come to an end.
3) Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)
The Premier League’s golden glove winner last season, but the under-performing Pole has been dropped in favour of David Ospina in recent weeks. With the Colombian making a decent start to life as the Gunners stopper, Szczesny’s days at the club could be numbered.
2) Fernando (Manchester City)
The summer signing has been poor this season, with a series of costly high-profile mistake. His most recent comedy of errors came in the FA Cup match against Middlesbrough on Saturday, when City fell to a shock 2-0 defeat.
1) Mario Balotelli (Liverpool)
He can’t buy a goal on the field, while his off the field issues have continued to haunt him with a series of high profile incidents, including a controversial social media post. The recent question marks over his lack of effort could be the final nail in the coffin, according to reports in the Daily Express.