Buck Rodgers Needs Action Plan

A season at Watford, maybe another at Reading, before taking up the vacancy at Swansea for a similar length of time, hardly prepares anyone for the hot seat at Anfield. No matter how much of a talent or fast-tracker one is destined to be. Or feted by a fickle media as the next greatest thing in the Premier League. 

On such a flimsy apprenticeship Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers may very easily perish and find life in the lower ranks of the game less captivating. Not unlike Andre Villas-Boas who was unable to step out from the shadows of Jose Mourinho’s backroom team and hold his own as manager at either Chelsea or Spurs. Now plying his trade at Zenit St Petersburg.

Although older managers never employed the silken PR skills of the current crop. One has to believe they were scarred by the game’s less romantic experiences and more hardened than some of those in place today. Who invent philosophies as lasting as match day pies. That when analysed are little more than sound bites. In that sense Rodgers is a classic and creating his own parody material with quotes that leave David Colemanballs in the cheap seats. 

Now faced with a week of bad results any investigation at Anfield will enjoy respite due to the international break. Allowing one hopes the management team to gather themselves. 

However it is hard to avoid the harsh truth that the merits of last season were earned on the back of the sublime skills of Luis Suarez and with most title challengers battling on a number of fronts in Champions League or FA Cup. While Liverpool had nothing but the Premier League to focus on. Able to rest players and avail of plentiful recovery time with fewer midweek matches. A year further on the supposed progress at Liverpool last year is not very visible. 

Complicated by the poor spending of the £80M harnessed from Suarez’s move to Barcelona and the acquisition of Mario Balotelli. A players that has yet to find any job security since he was first on trial at Barcelona in 2006. Failing at Manchester City with Robert Mancini, falling out of favour at Inter Milan with the treble winning manager of the day, Jose Mourinho; and not being retained at AC Milan beyond a season and a bit. Not to mention some of the off field activities that attract unwarranted attention. 

Questioning very strongly Rodgers decision to bring Balotelli to Liverpool. However well-intentioned the motives of the Liverpool manager. Not helped by ten days where Liverpool lost to Newcastle United away and suffered another defeat at home to Chelsea. 

Those matches either side of a Champions League visit to Real Madrid where Rodgers rested Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerard, Jordan Henderson, Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho from his starting line-up. A meeting that came on the back of the first leg at Anfield where the Reds went down by three goals to nil. 

A decision that Rodgers argued was about resting players ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea. Insisting that: "I didn't rest players for Saturday. I picked a team that I thought could get a result. The players that came in were excellent and we were unfortunate not to get a result."

Whatever the reasons the boos at Anfield on Saturday suggest that without result Rodgers home spun philosophy on the game will not be enough to meet the dreams of the fans. Nor the ambitions US owners potentially. Or indeed equal the lengthy history ingrained at Anfield with the club still no closer to ending the 25 year League title drought. With the fielding of a weakened side at the Santiago Bernabeu midweek seen as sacrilege by some. Particularly at a club that made a habit of winning the European Cups in the past. The last of which was won in 2005 in Istanbul against AC Milan. 

Drawing a reaction also from one of the clubs legends John Toshack. A striker in his day who also managed Real Madrid on two occasions.

"I still think there's a dark cloud hanging over Anfield from what happened," Toshack told the BBC. "They went so close after being so long without winning that championship.

“I still think there's a bit of a hangover there. It's a bitter pill to swallow for them. Liverpool really are going through a bit of a dodgy spell.

On the return from the international break Liverpool face Crystal Palace away, have Stoke City at home; then Leicester city away before the visit of Sunderland. Offering twelve valuable points before they face Manchester United on December 14th and then travel to Arsenal. 

Which depending on the results, might have the Liverpool boss wishing he was indeed Buck Rodgers and living in the 25th Century

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Balotelli Dedicates Double to Mother

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Mario Balotelli's two goals fired Italy into the Euro 2012 final - then he dedicated the double to his adoptive mum.

Balotelli's first-half brace was enough to secure a 2-1 win over Germany in Warsaw, and book a showdown with champions Spain on Sunday.

And at the final whistle, the Manchester City star embraced Silvia, who brought him up from the age of two after he was born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants.

'After the game, when I went to my mum I said "these goals are for you",' he said.

'I waited for this moment for so long and I wanted to make my mum happy. Tonight was the most beautiful of my life - but I hope that this Sunday is even better.'

Balotelli broke the deadlock when he rose to power home Antonio Cassano's 20th-minute cross.

is second was a belter, striding clear of the Germany defence to collect Riccardo Montolivo's superb through ball before blasting an unstoppable shot past Manuel Neuer.

It took Balotelli to three goals for the tournament and he is now favourite to win the coveted Golden Boot prize.

'In the final I hope to make it four,' he said. 'I will try to score another goal but in football you can do that a lot and still never score. Sometimes you need a bit of luck.'

He was quick to heap praise on his team-mates for their contribution to his performance, which surprisingly was not enough to secure the man-of-the-match prize, which went to playmaker Andrea Pirlo.

'These two goals are really important,' he said. 'The first one was a really amazing pass from Antonio Cassano and then it was easy. 

'The second one was a great pass from Montolivo, normally I shoot in the other corner but I went for the near post.'

Italy have already drawn once with Spain at the start of the tournament.

Mario Penalty Gets City Points

Mario Balotelli fired home from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of added time as Manchester City edged out Tottenham in a five-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium.

Spurs looked set to become the first side to deny Roberto Mancini's league leaders victory on their own turf in the Premier League until Ledley King was penalised for pulling down Balotelli and the Italian substitute stepped up to beat Brad Friedel.

The previously unremarkable contest burst into life with an astonishing spell of four goals in 10 second-half minutes, beginning when David Silva's precision defence-splitting pass was lashed home first time beyond Friedel by Samir Nasri (56).

Moments later the home fans were in raptures when Nasri's corner from left was flicked on by Edin Dzeko at the near post and bundled into the net by Joleon Lescott as he fell over under pressure from Scott Parker.

But Spurs immediately responded as Younes Kaboul's long ball out of defence was badly dealt with by young centre-back Stefan Savic, allowing Jermain Defoe to burst clear, round Joe Hart and roll home.

And then Gareth Bale, who was linked with an staggering £150million switch to City in the Sunday papers, levelled in stunning fashion as he swept home Aaron Lennon's pass across the edge of the box with a curling first-time finish that gave Hart not a prayer.

Defoe came within inches of securing a last-gasp victory when Savic gave the ball away again, but the striker was unable to turn Bale's pass into the empty net at the far post with the goal gaping, before King's blunder handed all the headlines to Balotelli, who was earlier fortunate to avoid sanction for clashing with Scott Parker.

The victory piles the pressure on City's rivals, who are all playing catch-up, with Spurs now eight points adrift of top spot.

Bale threatened on a couple of occasions, and should have made more of the position he found himself in when he checked inside James Milner's sliding tackle.

But Tottenham did not force Hart into a meaningful save in the opening 45 minutes, Parker and Kaboul both firing well wide with long-range efforts.

It took City some time to get going, and even then they were only a sporadic threat. However, in Sergio Aguero they had the game's most obvious first goalscorer.

The club record £38million front-man has looked tired in recent games as he attempted to shoulder the goalscoring burden. Here though, he excelled.

Having had Dzeko nick the ball off his foot when he was lining up a shot at Wigan on Monday, the South American must have been dismayed when the same team-mate got in the way of his efforts to turn home Silva's cutback.

Aguero's best opportunity came not long afterwards. In attempting to pass their way out of a tight spot by the touchline, Spurs only ended up getting themselves into trouble as Micah Richards thundered into Parker to seize possession.

Richards strode on into the box, then squared for Aguero, whose shot was superbly turned away by Friedel.

Of the millions of pounds splashed out last summer - and with more set to follow in the last nine days of this transfer window - the signing of a 40-year-old American may turn out to be the most astute.

Silva also fired across the face of Friedel's goal - but it was in the second half that the action started in earnest.

In truth, though it ended with a spectacular equaliser from Bale, City boss Mancini would have been disappointed with the four-goal burst in the space of 10 minutes because it saw his side toss away a winning position.

City took the lead thanks to Silva's brilliant through-ball, which coincided perfectly with Nasri's dash from the left touchline that went completely unchecked even though it took him through the heart of the visitors' defence. The former Arsenal man has his critics but the shot which beat Friedel was blistering and gave the American no chance.

On their next attack, City doubled their advantage as Lescott first stood on Nasri's corner, then, from barely a yard, somehow sent the ball trundling over the line as he fell.

It should have been all over. That it wasn't was due to Savic's bizarre attempt to reach Hart with a 50-yard back header that succeeded only in letting in Defoe, who rounded Hart, then turned the ball into an empty net.

Bale's blockbuster came five minutes later, one of those goals a keeper can only shrug their shoulders at being beaten by, the Welshman's brilliant first-time curling effort from Lennon's square pass finding the roof of Hart's net.

The goal frenzy triggered the arrival of Balotelli, who had already been shown the yellow card when he tangled with Parker, the initial contact accidental, the second when his boot caught the head of his prone opponent far less easy to excuse.

That he should remain on the pitch was a matter for Spurs to reflect on as the Italian coolly converted his penalty to delight the City fans.

Balotelli In Trouble at LA Galaxy

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli paid the price for attempting to score with an audacious trick shot against the LA Galaxy when he was immediately withdrawn from Sunday's friendly by manager Roberto Mancini after just 30 minutes.

The controversial Italian, who scored the first goal of the match from the penalty spot, attempted an outrageous pirouette and backheel that dribbled harmlessly wide after he was put clean through with only the goalkeeper to beat.

A furious Mancini immediately signalled for substitute James Milner to replace Balotelli, who confronted the coach before taking his seat on the bench.

"I think that we need to always be professional, always serious and for me in that case, Mario wasn't and for this I changed him," Mancini told reporters.

"To take him off the pitch after 30 minutes is punishment enough for him. In football, you should be serious always. If you have a chance to score, you score.

"For me, it's finished now. I hope that he learns an important lesson.

"I don't think its easy to leave the pitch after 30 minutes, but if one player has good behavior, plays for the team, plays strong, plays serious... they can stay on the pitch for 90 minutes. If not, they can come with me on the bench."

The volatile Balotelli has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons including multiple red cards and incidents off the field during his first season with Manchester City.

His latest misdemeanour is reminiscent of UAE player Theyab Awana, whose backheeled spot kick against Lebanon last week was watched by millions on YouTube but attracted negative headlines after accusations he had displayed a lack of respect. 

Awana, who was sent on as a replacement, was also withdrawn immediately after he cheekily scored from the spot late on in the 7-2 friendly win.

"Everybody's seen it, it wasn't a great action and the coach took a decision to take him off. That's a decision that's been made and that's a statement that the group is behind him," City midfielder Nigel de Jong said.

"If you get in front of the goal you have to score. He knows that as well. I hope he learns from this moment and that we continue to be stronger as a group."

City went on to win on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in normal time.