With Mario Balotelli poised to join Liverpool for £16 million (Dh97.4m), Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front beIN Sports Premier League coverage, offer their take on the return of the temperamental Italian and the weekend’s fixtures.
Andy Gray: Brendan Rodgers is seriously concerned about his lack of cover and choice at the top end of the pitch now that Luis Suarez has gone. If something happens to Daniel Sturridge, where do they go?
They might be able to cover for two or three weeks but if it was eight weeks, who will they look to? It’ll be an interesting ride and I can absolutely see where Brendan’s coming from, and what they have now got is an extra body in that area of the pitch.
With the price, considering Liverpool paid £22m for Adam Lallana and Shane Long’s move to Southampton for £12m, and the fact they’re signing an international footballer there are plenty of plusses. It’s just whether or not he behaves himself.
People say he’s matured but he will get wound up on the football pitch because that is his nature. His nature is not to turn the other cheek or bite his tongue, his nature is to combat aggression with aggression, which is often to his detriment.
There have been many more experienced managers than Rodgers that have had Balotelli and not been able to cope with him.
Richard Keys: Whenever I see these things happening it takes me back to a conversation I had with Graham Taylor once, who said of people such as Balotelli, “they never change.”
Every different manager that buys them, every coach that works with them expects that they can bring something to the party, it doesn’t happen.
I hope Brendan knows exactly what he’s getting himself into and I hope it works out but I just have a fear it’s not going to, because these things don’t tend to.
The major difference between Luis Suarez and Balotelli is that, although Suarez is high maintenance, you knew you would get 100 per cent out of him all the time. Balotelli at his best is brilliant, but you don’t see it often enough.
Once you start making special arrangements and treating players differently you’ve got a problem. AC Milan were desperate to get rid of him – £16m looks a very cheap £16m – but what happens in a fortnight’s time when he’s banging on the manager’s door because he’s not starting?
MAN CITY v LIVERPOOL
AG: I thought Liverpool against Southampton were a bit like the start of last season. When they go one-nil up and they don’t get a second they can get twitchy.
Second-half Southampton pushed further up, squeezed them a bit higher up the pitch and grabbed the game by the scruff the neck. I know Liverpool played really well at the Etihad last year but from what I’ve seen in the opening week and with Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta potentially starting, I fancy City in a big game. 2-1.
RK: City and Chelsea were the best two sides for me last weekend. I thought City were very smooth. It looked like they had been playing all summer, they were easy on the eye, they were effective and looked very comfortable. 2-1.
CHELSEA LEICESTER
AG: Only complacency from Chelsea will be their undoing. They were terrific for 45 minutes against Burnley, won the game and then took their foot off the gas and were never in danger of losing the game.
They’re beginning to look more like a Jose Mourinho side. 2-0 Chelsea, it’s a very popular scoreline for Mourinho’s teams.
RK: I think Chelsea will get to three and then call it a day. Cesc Fabregas was brilliant at Burnley, but then that’s no surprise, and Diego Costa looked terrific. It didn’t surprise me to see them playing so well. 3-0.
SUNDERLAND v MAN UNITED
AG: We don’t know if Robin van Persie will play, we don’t know if he’s going to play three or four at the back, will Marcos Rojo start? There are quite a few questions to be answered by Louis van Gaal.
But I think it’ll be tough for Sunderland because United got beat last week. I fancy United to go there and do a job but it’s not going to be a classic match. 1-2.
RK: The Stadium of Light will be jumping, it’s the sort of game that Sunderland will get up for and I’m not sure van Gaal knows exactly what he’s trying to do yet.
Last year I said United were eight players short. Have they bought exactly who they’ve wanted? I’m not sure. Have they missed out on better players? Absolutely.
It was arrogant, not just of van Gaal, but everybody else to think because he was there everything would be fine. We saw last week how far away they are and I see a long uncomfortable spell for United. 1-0.
EVERTON v ARSENAL
AG: I was a little worried about my old club during pre-season. Everton struggled to get results and, yes, they signed Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku but they were there last year.
All the teams around them have bigger, better squads and have added to them. They haven’t moved forward and I just hope it’s not a case of them standing still.
Arsenal have always enjoyed going to Goodison Park, they got thumped there 3-0 last season but most of the time they enjoy playing there and they often go there with a good result. 1-1.
RK: Arsenal are better than we saw midweek, they got the job done and they’ll win the second leg. Arsene Wenger says they’re not quite ready and that was evident last week but it’s a place they like to go and play usually. 2-2.
CRYSTAL PALACE v WEST HAM
AG: As soon as West Ham go away from Upton Park they relax a little bit more and they become harder to play against. But I thought Palace were terrific against Arsenal. They took them to the wire and deserved to share the points. 1-0.
RK: I’m going to go West Ham simply because there’s more stability there than at Palace. They’re better on the road and this just might suit them. 0-1.
TOTTENHAM v QPR
AG: Harry Redknapp will want his return to be a happy one but I don’t see it. Spurs were a little fortunate last week but they’ll have a little bit too much quality. 2-0.
RK: I don’t think Redknapp can go back there with too much hope. I think Tottenham will win quite comfortably. 3-1.
ASTON VILLA v NEWCASTLE
AG: Villa seem nervous, anxious and frightened when they play at home. Until they win three or four games on the bounce they’ll always have that nagging doubt. Newcastle were impressive in the second half against Man City. 2-2.
RK: Villa didn’t look overly good at Stoke and long-term I think they’re going to have a struggle. 0-2.
SOUTHAMPTON v WEST BROM
AG: I was really impressed by Southampton at Anfield. They’ve changed slightly under Ronald Koeman but a lot of things they did, they did well last year: closing down, working hard and moving the ball well. 3-1.
RK: Southampton really had a go at Liverpool and should have been winning by the time Sturridge scored. 2-1.
SWANSEA v BURNLEY
AG: I can’t believe after beating United that Swansea would trip up. Garry Monk is going to have his team bang on it and he’ll have them very aware that last weekend’s result will count for nothing if they lose against Burnley. 2-0.
RK: Burnley are in a for real rough ride. They’ll work hard and Sean Dyche is a great manager but they shouldn’t have too much expectation. It’s perfect for Swansea having won last week. They’ve got the tools to follow that up. 3-1.
HULL v STOKE
AG: You certainly wouldn’t be opening the curtains to watch this. Either team would take a 1-0 victory and because of that I’m going for a 1-1 draw.
RK: Hull would win this on a normal weekend but Europe might kill them this season so I’ll go 1-1.
