text: Can Rickie Lambert sue for restraint of trade? Brendan Rodgers has killed off Lambert's career and you've got to feel sorry for the player. You can't blame him for joining Liverpool – why would he turn that down? At the time he was a confident striker – playing regularly in the Premier League and scoring goals for Southampton. He'd just been to a World Cup. Rickie Lambert has scarcely been given a chance since joining Liverpool despite their striking problems . Brendan Rodgers' decision to ignore Lambert, in favour of Mario Balotelli, is completely illogical . This time last year Lambert was about to play at a World Cup for England but his stock has fallen since . For Rodgers to ignore him when they have desperately needed goals is illogical. I'm well aware Lambert isn't Luis Suarez, I know he's not a world-class striker. Lambert missed out on Saturday at West Brom because of a hip injury but it must have been gutting for him to see Mario Balotelli get yet another chance. The England striker played 90 minutes 20 times last season, made 31 starts, and unlike any Liverpool player in the scoring charts this season, easily got into double figures. Contrast that with this campaign when in terms of Premier League minutes on the pitch Lambert has played the equivalent of roughly six-and-a-half games. Lambert has enjoyed the opportunity to score for his boyhood team but he deserves more football . When he has started in the Premier League or Champions League, Lambert and Liverpool have impressed . On his first Premier League start for Liverpool he scored, and when he played 90 minutes in four consecutive games he scored in the first game, Liverpool won the next two, and drew the fourth. And then he was dropped again and hasn't started since. Meanwhile, Balotelli regularly gets more time on the pitch, and regularly fails to deliver. He has to go down as Liverpool's worst-ever signing – at least the club won a trophy when Andy Carroll was at Anfield. How come Balotelli got more time on the pitch at Wembley last weekend than Lambert? And what about Saturday? Balotelli was hopeless yet again. Whether you watch his performance or check the stats, he was useless – not for the first time this season. Ultimately it'd be wrong to suggest Lambert was going to be the man to spearhead Liverpool's charge to the title and a Champions League challenge. But to be so underused in a season when Daniel Sturridge has been missing for so long, and Balotelli has been ineffective, is inexplicable. Balotelli, no matter which way you look at it, has been useless, and Lambert should be picked ahead of him . Balotelli was given more time on the pitch than Lambert in Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Villa . Lambert scored 20 goals for Southampton - he may not be world class, but he is better than the alternatives . Lambert should have joined Aston Villa in January. But he found out about the move just a few hours before the transfer window closed and chose to stay. Rodgers told Lambert that he didn't want him to go. Why say that and then not bother using him? Nobody can ever take away the fact that Lambert has scored for his boyhood club Liverpool in the Premier League and the Champions League. And Lambert is the kind of guy who will treasure those special moments and keep them close to his heart. But he's lost his England place and his reputation as a Premier League striker has been seriously undermined by Rodgers and Liverpool this season.
target: Rickie Lambert has barely played since joining from Southampton .
  Brendan Rodgers' decision to continue with Mario Balotelli is illogical .
  Balotelli has to go down as Liverpool's worst-ever signing .
  Lambert may not be world class but he deserves better than this .
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