• Premier League

Balotelli told he needs consistency

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has called on Mario Balotelli to improve his consistency, but does not believe his summer signing can be compared to the departed Luis Suarez.

Suarez emerged as one of the world's leading players at Liverpool before he joined Barcelona for £75 million in July, with Balotelli hailed by some as replacement for the departed Uruguayan at Anfield.

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Yet Rodgers has moved to take some of the pressure of Balotelli's shoulders by insisting he should not be viewed as the goalscorer who needs to fill Suarez's shoes at Liverpool.

"I think Mario is potentially world class," Rodgers said. "You can't compare Suarez and him, but Mario is coming in as an international striker and he's a talent, no doubt.

"Suarez elevated himself at this club, that was clear. He wasn't world class when he came in but when he left to go to Barcelona he had put himself in that bracket.

"He did that because of his consistency in scoring goals and keeping his performance level high. World class is about being at the highest level consistently, being at that level in your game consistently. That's what takes you there.

"There is no comparison between the two as players. Luis was brilliant for me in his time here and developed to become a player who consistently delivered in terms of scoring and creating.

"Mario is different. He's got a lot of experience for 24, he has come here as an established international, so for him it is about being quality consistently. That is what can elevate him to that level."

Balotelli has yet to score in the Premier League for Liverpool and he will look to get off the mark in this weekend's Merseyside derby.

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