THIS TIME, IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT MARIO

Rodgers is desperate to avoid repeat of Balotelli circus at City

BRENDAN Rodgers will not allow the subject of Mario Balotelli to jeopardise Liverpool’s progress as he insisted there would not be a weekly show about the striker.

The Liverpool manager, who tomorrow takes charge of his 100th game for the club at Tottenham, had a glimpse of what the future could hold at Melwood yesterday when his press conference was dominated by questions about Balotelli.

Roberto Mancini, when in charge of Manchester City, once famously asked ‘why always Mario?’ when a succession of conferences began with inquisitions about the Italy striker. But Rodgers has no intention of allowing something similar to happen on Merseyside.

Balotelli has made a positive impression during his first week at the club, particularly on the training field where Rodgers says his ‘power, pace and strength’ have shown that he is ready to be involved at some point at White Hart Lane.

But there is no way Rodgers, who prides himself on the hard-working environment that has been established at Anfield, intends to become caught up in a circus and he has made it clear he will give short-shrift if the 24-year- old is dominating the agenda.

‘Mario wants to prove how much he loves this country,’ said Rodgers, whose squad has been boosted by the return to fitness of £23.7million midfielder Adam Lallana. ‘He left as a young guy a couple of years ago but he now really appreciates it.

‘I have spoken at length to Mario since he has been here. He is definitely a mature boy. He is very, very bright. I think he now feels that it is time to show the type of player he is. Everyone knows his quality and we have seen it this week in training.

‘We have seen the sheer power and pace and the touch that he has. He wants to score goals and I think he wants to do it consistently now. That is why we are working really hard on his football. This won’t be the Mario Balotelli show for the press every week.

‘He is going to be treated the same as every player here, that’s for sure. A repeat of what happened at City won’t happen here. It’s a different style. We have different conditions at Liverpool. You have to behave yourself in a certain way. Simple.’ If Balotelli’s arrival at Anfield was a surprise, the former AC Milan forward has been quickly welcomed into the fold and captain Steven Gerrard (below) has urged him to seize the opportunity and carve a place for himself alongside Liverpool’s striking legends.

‘He has certainly got the talent and the ability to keep the trend going at Liverpool for top frontmen,’ said Gerrard, speaking at an adidas event in London. ‘You go back and there was Hunt, Keegan and Toshack to Dalglish and Rush, Fowler, Owen, Torres and Suarez. All the names are there.

‘Suarez has gone now so Mario and Daniel Sturridge have got to keep that tradition going. That is the position the fans cling on to. If they start well and start scoring goals, there is a massive army waiting to show them so much adulation. I have told him that.’

If Liverpool beat Tottenham, Rodgers’ win percentage for 100 games would be second only to Kenny Dalglish and, as he reflected on his two seasons in charge, the Northern Irishman picked one match out as being more significant than the rest.

‘That very first one against FC Gomel in a Europa League qualifier,’ he said. ‘It’s life, isn’t it? You always remember the first time for most things. It meant a lot because I was coming into a huge club with a lot of responsibility.’ Steven Gerrard was speaking at the new adidas #PredatorInstinct Live event. To join the conversation follow @ adidasUK # PredatorInstinct or visit www.adidas.co.uk/predator