Thursday 23 October 2014 11:49, UK
Graeme Souness has told Sky Sports News HQ he suspects Mario Balotelli does not "see the football picture".
The Liverpool striker has come in for criticism for his recent displays and risked angering the club's supporters by swapping shirts with Pepe at half-time during Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid.
Brendan Rodgers plans to "deal with" Balotelli for the shirt-swap, while Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports in the aftermath of the Real game he expects the £16m summer signing to be sold before next season.
Now another former Anfield hero has had his say, and Souness' concerns go beyond the perception of some critics that Balotelli simply lacks effort.
I'm just wondering if he doesn't see the picture and doesn't know when to move, when to stand still or what kind of movement to make
Souness told 'The Morning View': "I've been Balotelli's biggest critic, but I'm actually beginning to feel sorry for him. I'm actually wondering whether his lack of movement and lack of enthusiasm is because he's not seeing the football picture.
"If you look at him he looks like a really powerful, athletic young man and his movement is non-existent at times.
"It can't be a physical thing - he must do all the hard, physical training the rest of them do - I'm just wondering if he doesn't see the picture and doesn't know when to move, when to stand still or what kind of movement to make.
"A supporter turning up to see his team should be guaranteed that every player out there comes off exhausted. I've never seen Mario exhausted after a game and I'm just wondering - because there has to be a reason - is he not seeing the football pictue?
"It would be the easiest thing to put right - go out there, come off feeling absolutely knackered because you've given 100 percent. I never see him doing that."
Balotelli is yet to score in this season's Premier League, and Souness is unsure whether the Italian will get the chance to put that right against Hull on Saturday.
He said: "I think it's really, really difficult for anyone to say he should still be in that team.
"If you go back to the man he replaced - Luis Suarez - he was the exact opposite. He made other people play with his enthusiasm, non-stop movement, non-stop niggling, non-stop complaining.
"He's infectious. Other people would feel guilty about not trying as hard as him. You're never going to say that about Mario Balotelli."
