• Premier League

Rodgers defends under-fire Balotelli

ESPN staff
October 20, 2014
Liverpool's Mario Balotelli vies with Mauricio Isla of Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Sunday © Getty Images
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Brendan Rodgers defended Mario Balotelli after the striker once again failed to find the net in Liverpool's 3-2 win over QPR on Sunday, saying he is trying his best

Rodgers insisted Balotelli has not been signed to replace last season's leading scorer Luis Suarez, who departed Anfield for Barcelona this summer.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers berates Mario Balotelli © Getty Images
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Having joined Rodgers' team from AC Milan in a £16 million deal in August, Balotelli has only scored one goal in his first nine matches in a Liverpool shirt - falling far short of Suarez, who finished last season as the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals.

Rodgers insists, however, that his striker is a "different" player to Suarez and that it's only a matter of time before the goals start flooding in.

"The guy is doing his best and working really hard and it is not dropping for him," Rodgers said. "It'll drop for the boy.

"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."

Liverpool next face title-holders Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Rodgers' side have taken three points from a possible six so far as they make their return to Europe's elite competition for the first time in five years.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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