No sulks or strops as Mario stays on his best behaviour
AT EVERY turn there was a test for Mario Balotelli’s temperament at White Hart Lane.
As usual he struggled with the warm-up bibs and when Liverpool finally got under way he was almost cut in half by Eric Dier.
Modelling his flame-red No 45 shirt for the first time since his £16million move from AC Milan, Balotelli passed them all. Good for him.
On another day, in another shirt, he would have had a sulk when Dier sized him up and went through him with a vicious, two-footed lunge 24 minutes into Balotelli’s debut. No booking. No reaction.
He was entitled to say something, to turn to referee Phil Dowd to demand an explanation when Dier got away with it scot-free.
This was Balotelli on his best behaviour, doing everything asked of him by his manager and teammates as Liverpool romped to an impressive 3-0 victory.
His day ended in the 61st minute when his lungs gave up and he reluctantly trudged towards the dug- out to be replaced by Lazar Markovic.
‘Well done son,’ mouthed Rodgers as Balotelli raised the obligatory high-five with his new manager and headed for the bench. This was a promising debut.
‘He could be the difference as to whether we can compete,’ Rodgers later said.
By then Liverpool’s work here in the Barclays Premier League was done after tearing Tottenham apart with a bracing performance. Balotelli has already asked to take the penalties but there was never any question of Gerrard relinquishing that responsibility when Joe Allen’s shirt was tugged by disaster-man Dier.
Gerrard scored his 43rd spot kick for Liverpool, breaking the record set by the great Danish midfielder Jan Molby. Balotelli was one of the first to congratulate him. That’s maturity.
‘He asked me who was on the penalties – he’s scored 26 and only missed one – but Steven Gerrard is the penalty taker I nominated when I came in,’ said Rodgers.
Balotelli’s Liverpool debut was about integration, to learn his role alongside Daniel Sturridge.
Liverpool were eye-catching here, far better than they were when they lost 3- 1 at the Etihad against defending champions Manchester City last Monday.
When Rodgers reviews the tape of this game, he will be impressed with Balotelli. He worked hard and did the dirty work. Yes, he should have scored, notably when Raheem Sterling found him with a cross in the opening minutes. Hugo Lloris saved and Balotelli dabbed the rebound wide. Next time it will be in the back of the net.
Then there is the unseen side, carrying out tactical instructions for the benefit of his team. When Tottenham won their first corner of the game midway through the first half, he ran at three-quarter pace to make sure he was back to mark Younes Kaboul. Impressive stuff.
‘For the first time in his life, he marked at a corner — seriously,’ claimed Rodgers. ‘He’s an international player who has won three titles in Italy – a league title, the Champions League — and we were doing corners in training and he said: “I don’t mark at corners”. Well, he does now.
‘He had a great header today. Treat him like an adult and it’ll bring the best out of him.’
To be part of this team, to stitch himself into one of the best teams to watch in English football right now, he will need to retain that dis- cipline. He had the right attitude here, that’s for sure.
Balotelli is already part of the Liverpool family, sitting neatly into the environment Rodgers has created for this expressive team.
‘He’s already changed the music in the dressing room and he’s on the back of the bus pulling the strings,’ joked Gerrard. That will always be Balotelli’s way.
This was a decent start for the Italy striker, particularly after being overlooked by the national team for Thursday’s friendly against Holland and the European Championship qualifier in Norway.
Under Cesare Prandelli, Balotelli had someone to protect him. The new manager, Antonio Conte, sees it differently. Perhaps, when Balotelli settles into a routine of life at Liverpool and starts knocking in the goals at club level, he will wear the shirt of the Azzurri again. We know he has the quality.
‘He has a big point to prove and people are waiting to see whether he takes to Liverpool,’ added Gerrard. ‘He certainly has the talent. We will have to wait and see whether he behaves himself and performs. That’s what everyone is waiting for.’
At White Hart Lane, he didn’t put a foot out of place.