He is trying harder to be a team player

All forwards are selfish to a point – they wouldn’t be strikers if they weren’t and how fans can have the cheek to call Balotelli selfish when Daniel Sturridge is hailed as the second coming of Christ is ludicrous.

At times, you can criticise Balotelli for his lack of team play but he is improving and does a much better job tracking back and defending than he has previously. Given Liverpool are still fans of the space never scored marking system, or as Rodgers and Rafa know it, zonal marking, you cannot really blame the forward for goals like the one Chelsea scored against the Reds.

As for the penalty in the first leg of the Besiktas tie, would you ask a chef from your local pub or Gordon Ramsey for cooking lessons?