It’s all too easy to lay into Brendan Rodgers, isn’t it?

Well, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he propelled Liverpool closer to the Premier League title than any coach in over a decade and took Swansea City all the way to the first division. Then again, he did bring Rickie Lambert to Anfield.

Nevertheless, the Northen Irishman has won himself some fans this week with an absolutely brilliant comment aimed at one of his ex-players. It’s good to see he’s looking back on his poorer Liverpool decisions with good humour.

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Inspired comment

You should always take the performance of a Celtic manager with a pinch of salt, there’s no doubt about it. After all, while Scottish football has a number of positives and draws, competitivity isn’t one of them.

However, Rodgers has elevated Celtic’s recent success to new heights and their dominance has never been clearer. Besides, it’s not a case of whether you win the league or not, it’s how early and emphatically you achieve it.

Consequently, in spite of the disappointment in Europe, the ex-Liverpool boss can feel rather smug. A 27-point lead in the SPL and treble-winning trajectory certainly spells out a successful season.

As a result, it was cause for celebration at the club’s Player of the Year awards on Sunday. Scott Sinclair proved the main beneficiary in bagging two gongs – the players’ player of the year and overall club player of the year.

Meanwhile, Moussa Dembele scooped the award for top scorer and Kieran Tierney was given the nod as the academy player of the year.

However, perhaps what was most entertaining was the Q&A session between Hoops fans and Rodgers. The 44-year-old was even busting out a few jokes or two.

When one supporter asked Rodgers who the best player he had ever coached was, he responded with a brilliant answer. The exchanged can be seen below:

Mario Balotelli, that’s right.

The Italian proved a somewhat questionable signing at the time and it’s difficult to find a shred of positivity about his spell at Anfield. It’s good to see Rodgers poking a bit of fun at himself for making the signing in the first place, though.

Four goals in 26 appearances for the club proves somewhat underwhelming and especially when you consider just one came in the league.

Resurgence in France

That being said, we shouldn’t give Balotelli too much stick considering his resurgence with Nice in Ligue 1. Believe it or not, the Italian looks to be back to his best and showcasing the quality we know that he can offer.

The 26-year-old has an impressive record of 16 goals in 26 appearances this season and has filled the void left by Hatem Ben Arfa with absolute ease.

He reasserted that fact last when his neat left footed finish secured a crucial victory over Paris Saint-Germain. It saw Nice consolidate their position in third and give AS Monaco an almighty leg-up towards the title.

If nothing else, Balotelli will be back in the Champions League whether he stays in France or is snapped up by a bigger club. Therefore, Rodgers could be made to eat his words if the two are reunited in Europe again next season.

Do you think Mario Balotelli deserves another shot in the Premier League? Have YOUR say in the comment box below