Despite making a return to England with much fanfare, Mario Balotelli has really failed to set Anfield alight.
The 24-year-old Italian was sold to the Premier League runners-up this summer as a replacement for talismanic attacker Luis Suarez, but has yet to fully find his footing and has just one solitary strike to his name thus far during the team's 2-1 win over Eastern European outfit Ludogorets in Champions League action earlier this month.
However, the Reds succumbed to a disappointing 1-0 reversal against a highly resolute Basel, with the Swiss side frustrating their opponents for large parts of the match and fans took to Twitter to express their disgust with the performances thus far from the Azzurri star:
As for Mario, I've never seen a Liverpool striker put in this many lazy performances since joining. Gambled and lost on him.
— Kevin O S LFC_ (@kevosullivan07) October 1, 2014
Wish we had paid that £16M on Wellbeck instead of Balotelli !
— Paul LFC (@shawofit) October 1, 2014
People describe #Balotelli as a 'flawed genius' - must be his IQ they refer to as it sure as hell isn't football. #LFC
— Macers (@Macers2005) October 1, 2014
I was undecided on Balotelli & hoped that the buzz about him was true. He's been poor & miles away from the world class player ppl say he is
— Jay (@Jay82_LFC) October 1, 2014
Replacing Suarez with Balotelli...kept all of the ego, none of the impact.
— Jon (@JonWilmot44) October 1, 2014
He certainly won't endear himself even more to the traveling crowd, after snubbing them yet again as he stomped off the field following his substitution...despite Brendan Rodgers attempting to downplay the situation.
Frustrated: Rodgers cuts an irriated figure on the sideline as a move again breaks down
Dejected: Balotelli hangs his head as he slinks off the pitch following a disappointing performance
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