Mario Balotelli has started to provide an answer to his critics, although he was still involved in some controversial incidents during Liverpool's dramatic 2-1 Capital One Cup victory over Swansea at Anfield last night.
One was an off-the-ball confrontation with Swansea's ex-Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey towards the end of the game and another came pre-match when it briefly reported that Balotelli was sent away from a warm-up exercise by Reds coach Mike Marsh.
Liverpool assistant manager Colin Pascoe stressed there had been no issue between the pair and that Balotelli had in fact sustained a minor injury.
He said: "Mario was sent in because he sort of twisted his studs in the ground.
"He felt something in his knee. We had to assess him. But he is fine - he only went in as a precaution."
Reds striker Balotelli helped turn the fourth-round tie in his side's favour after coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute, prodding in an equaliser seven minutes later to cancel out Marvin Emnes' fine 65th-minute strike for the visitors.
Referee Keith Stroud subsequently sent off Swansea's Federico Fernandez for a challenge on Philippe Coutinho in stoppage time before Dejan Lovren sealed Liverpool's quarter-final spot at the death with a 95th-minute header.
Balotelli's goal was only his second for the Merseysiders and first in nine games, and Pascoe said the Italy international had got his "just rewards" after working hard in training.
He added: "It (the goal) is great for Mario. He wants to work all the time.
"He is still a young lad, a tremendous talent and that is what he wants to work on - his movement, his finishing."
But Swans boss Garry Monk was left fuming once again and his verdict on the Fernandez incident was that it was "clearly not a red card" - Pascoe also said he felt a sending off was not warranted.
The Swansea manager said: "I have seen it back a number of times. If anything, the Liverpool player's foot is higher than ours.
"How he saw that as a red card... but Keith is a good referee, hopefully he will see sense and rescind it for us."
Monk feels his team have been victims of a host of incorrect decisions by officials this term.
He was recently contacted by the Football Association after branding referee Michael Oliver's decision to award a penalty to Stoke, following what he called a "blatant dive" by Victor Moses "disgraceful" and "disgusting", before adding: "He (Moses) has cheated the ref and then the ref's cheated us."
He also had strong words for referees' chief Mike Riley on that occasion, and is set to speak to him about his latest grievances later this week.
"We can add this (Fernandez's red card) to the list," Monk said.
"'Hopefully these decisions will stop happening but, if not, we do it the hard way.
"I am not here to have a go at referees' decisions, but it's being proven week after week I am not talking rubbish, I am talking sense."
