Football
Mike Whalley 9y

Brendan Rodgers: Paul Ince wrong about Mario Balotelli, Liverpool spirit

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has dismissed Paul Ince's claims of dressing room unrest at Anfield as "totally untrue."

Ince, who played for the Reds between 1997 and 1999, said on Monday that he believes striker Mario Balotelli is ruining team spirit and the club should sell him as soon as possible.

"I just watched him play yesterday [Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester United] and he plays for himself," Ince said in an interview with talkSPORT. "You can see the frustration in the other players. There was a time when he could have put another player in but he didn't.

"It seems like people are frightened to say something to him in case he goes the other way."

The former England captain added that he felt there was "a lack of spirit" in Rodgers' side, who are 11th in the Premier League after winning six out of 16 matches.

Balotelli's long-term future at Anfield is in doubt just four months after he signed a three-year contract, having arrived from AC Milan in a 16 million-pound summer deal.

But Rodgers insisted rumours of disharmony at Anfield were unfounded, pointing to the influence of captain Steven Gerrard in maintaining team spirit.

He said: "Our dressing room is very strong. We're very fortunate that we've got a captain who's a strong leader in the dressing room.

"That's something that's been very important in my time here, that spirit. I hear one or two bits and pieces that have been said about unrest. It's totally untrue." 

Balotelli returned after six matches out with a groin injury to appear as a half-time substitute for Adam Lallana as Liverpool lost at Old Trafford at the weekend.

Ince -- a former Premier League manager at Blackburn Rovers -- suggested the 24-year-old striker was a disruptive influence.

Balotelli's groin problem has not cleared up completely, making him a doubt for Wednesday's Capital One Cup quarterfinal at Championship leaders Bournemouth.

Rodgers stopped short of defending the Italy international at a news conference on Tuesday, but did pledge to get the best out of him "while he's here at the club." 

The manager said: "There are lots of opinions about Liverpool. Paul's someone I respect. He was a wonderful player and he's managed himself, so he knows the pressures of management. He's given his opinion.

"Mario's here as a Liverpool player. As the manager, I need to work to try to maximise what I can get out of the player. That's the same with every single player. While he's here at the club, that's all I'll ever concentrate on."

Rodgers has accepted that Liverpool's performances so far this season have been below expectations, but is adamant they will improve.

He said: "Of course we're not happy that we're not winning games. These are competitive players. A lot of them nearly won the league last season, so they are competitive, and they won't be happy with losing.

"But the spirit in the group is very, very strong. That's one of the reasons I believe that, once we get that confidence back through winning games and performing well, we'll go into the second half of the season and be much better."

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