• Premier League

Balotelli just like Cantona, says Bruce

Mario Balotelli has endured a difficult start to life at Liverpool, but Hull manager Steve Bruce has offered the fiery Italian a generous comparison to Eric Cantona.

Balotelli is yet to find the net in seven Premier League games since his £16 million move from AC Milan, while Cantona had notched four in the same period. But it's Balotelli's body language that led to Bruce's comments.

Following Hull's 0-0 draw at Anfield, Bruce was asked what he thought of Balotelli. He said: "Cantona was big, but let me tell you, he was a maverick but the dressing room accepted him straight away.

Mario Balotelli's goal drought continued against Hull on Saturday © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Injuries threatening Sturridge's rise to the top
  
• News: Rodgers praises Balotelli work-rate
  
• News: Aguero misses Balotelli at City
  
• News: Police investigate claim Balotelli 'threatened' woman
  

"He was a bit different. But he was also dedicated. Balotelli has been unfairly criticised, in my opinion, because he has got this look he doesn't care. That's always part of his make-up, it's easy to pick on because of his body language.

"When you sign someone like Mario, you understand, a bit like me taking Hatem Ben Arfa, there's a lot of nonsense written about them. You take them, and the one thing they ain't going to do is change.

"You have to find a way of getting the best out of them without changing them."

Balotelli's team-mate Martin Skrtel has also leapt to his defence.

Balotelli, who has not scored a Premier League goal since November 2012, when he was a Manchester City player, had an injury-time chance to earn Liverpool victory in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Hull but failed to make contact with the ball.

And defender Skrtel said: "He is working hard and showed some good moments. Unfortunately we couldn't score the goal. I feel sorry for him.

"He is working hard in training, he is working hard in the game. He just hasn't got the goals. We just believe in him. We will be supporting him and just hope he will start scoring goals."

Balotelli's only goal so far for Liverpool came against Ludogorets in the Champions League and he has struck just once in 11 games.

Slovakia international Skrtel was part of a Liverpool defence who prevented the opposition from scoring for the first time since August's 3-0 win at Tottenham.

He added: "It's nice to get a clean sheet but we didn't get the three points, so that's not good enough. We played football for the points. We could have won [against Hull] and it's disappointing."

The Liverpool back four and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet have been criticised in recent weeks and Skrtel said: "It is normal when you are conceding goals that the back four and the keeper will always be the first to be blamed.

"We fixed it today, we got a clean sheet, but we couldn't get the three points. So, I would have preferred to win 5-4 and get three points than draw 0-0 and get a point."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd