Wednesday, 1st October, 2014
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits that Mario Balotelli "needs to do more" in a red shirt.
Rodgers, who snapped Balotelli up from AC Milan for £16m in the summer, fielded the Italian in tonight's Champions League clash away at Swiss side Basel.
The striker was largely ineffective as Basel ran out 1-0 winners at St. Jakob Park, scoring in the 52nd minute from a corner.
Rodgers insists he is happy with Balotelli's work rate, but stressed the striker will be judged on how many goals he scores and how many chances he creates for his team-mates.
And at present he is coming up short.
relatedNewsStory
"He worked hard", Rodgers told Sky Sports when asked about Balotelli.
"He needs to do more, that's the simplicity of it.
"Mario will be judged on what he creates and scores – and he didn't score.
"But the boy is working hard", the Liverpool manager added.
Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.