Inhaling helium, swapping shirts at half-time and just one goal in almost 700 minutes. How have things deteriorated so quickly?

It’s been almost two months since Mario Balotelli’s transfer from Milan to Liverpool was confirmed for £16m but after scoring just once in 698 minutes on the pitch, things could not really have gone any worse for the Italy striker since his return to England.

Feted as the man who could replace Luis Suárez as the spearhead of Brendan Rodgers’ attack, Balotelli’s decision to swap shirts with the Real Madrid defender Pepe at half-time of Wednesday night’s Champions League match at Anfield represented a new nadir for his time on Merseyside.

Rodgers’ post-match comments hinted at the depth of frustration that the former Manchester City player has provoked, with some pundits already calling on the Liverpool manager to wash his hands of him. But how did things deteriorate so quickly?

25 August – signs for Liverpool

Balotelli’s arrival for £16m was welcomed by Liverpool’s record scorer Ian Rush, who felt that his partnership with Daniel Sturridge had the potential to flourish. Having posted a message on his Instagram account thanking Milan supporters and promising to “make you all proud going forward”, he was in the Etihad crowd for Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City that evening.

A lacklustre performance against the reigning champions gave credence to Rodgers’ assessment that his signing was a “calculated risk” worth taking, an opinion most Liverpool supporters would have agreed with at the time.

“Whether Balotelli is deficient in the brains department or not, signing him was a no-brainer for Rodgers,” wrote the Mirror’s Brian Reade. “The truth is that no-one, not even Balotelli, knows how this move will pan out.

“To his legion of critics, the Italian maverick’s signing smacks of desperation, but an attack shorn of such a special talent as Suárez has left Rodgers in desperate need of inspiration.”

Mario Balotelli’s struggles in front of goal have been well documented.

27 August – settling in

After tales of breaking curfews and setting off fireworks in his bathroom during his spell at City, it didn’t take long for the Balotelli media circus to swing into action, with The Sun reporting that Liverpool’s new signing had been enjoying afternoon tea during his stay at Manchester’s Lowry Hotel.

Fans seemed taken by their new signing as well, with Liverpool’s chief executive Ian Ayre boasting that the club had sold £50,000’s worth of Mario Balotelli shirts on the day he joined.

Mario Balotelli (@FinallyMario) Good morning everybody! I m going to training ! :-) work hard , play hard! 👊

31 August – Liverpool debut

Thrown in at the deep end for Liverpool’s trip to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane, Balotelli worked hard before being replaced after 61 minutes in an encouraging 3-0 win for the visitors.

“The reality that Rodgers even coaxed a performance of impressive work-rate from the £16m arrival from Milan also bodes well,” wrote Dominic Fifield of this parish. “Balotelli’s radar was uncharacteristically awry in front of goal but his composure in the six-yard box will return.”

Liverpool’s captain, Steven Gerrard, was even more impressed. “If he plays like that every game he will continue to improve under a manager like Brendan Rodgers and he could be the difference between whether we compete or not.”

16 September – first goal

Described as “anonymous” by the BBC as Liverpool went down 1-0 to Aston Villa on his Anfield debut, his goal nine minutes from time against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets showed a glimpse of his talent. “He showed a lot of strength and it bounced to him,” says Paul Merson on Sky Sports. “Nice touch and a great finish with the outside of the foot. That is what he is brought for. He is a good finisher.”

Mario Balotelli celebrates his only goal for Liverpool. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

After a fire caused major damage the week before, staff at Manchester Dogs’ Home are convinced a five-figure donation has come from Balotelli, who volunteered at the charity during his time at City. “Mario owns a dog but it was in quarantine in Italy so he used to come and walk all the dogs at the dogs’ home,” said spokeswoman Jane Smith. “We can’t yet confirm whether he made a donation but he is known as a big dog lover so it would make sense.”

20 September – the leap

Paired with Fabio Borini up front for Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham the evening before, it is a shambolic defensive display which attracts most criticism. Balotelli’s leap to evade Raheem Sterling’s shot to make the score 2-1 is his biggest contribution as Photoshoppers around the globe fill their boots.

Watching Manchester United’s 5-3 defeat against Leicester the next day, police investigate allegations of racial abuse after Balotelli tweets: “Man Utd...LOL”.

Mario Balotelli (@FinallyMario) Man utd ... LOL

27 September – Mersey misery

After filming himself inhaling helium before singing Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool, Balotelli also unveiled a new black and gold haircut in preparation for his first Merseyside derby. Things didn’t quite go to plan on the pitch though, with the striker’s failure to make it 2-0 from close range just after Steven Gerrard’s opener eventually coming back to haunt his team when Phil Jagielka equalised in injury-time.

“More hot air than hot finishing,” was the assessment of The Independent’s Ian Herbert. “The video footage which surfaced this week of Mario Balotelli singing Liverpool chants with a mouthful of helium somehow epitomised what he tends to bring to a club. “

4 October – turning sour

Another lacklustre display in the Champions League defeat in Basel saw the pressure rise on the Italian. Having admitted that “Mario was the one right at the very end who was available for that [price]”, Rodgers’ own faith in his new striker also appeared to be wavering after criticising him for not scoring enough.

That was confirmed when Balotelli was left out of the team to face West Brom at Anfield, eventually replacing Rickie Lambert in the 64th minute in a nervy 2-1 victory.

19 October – the miss

Left out of Italy’s squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Balotelli’s acknowledgement that he was “desperate” for a first league goal showed he cared at least. “I need to get in the box more. I don’t do it enough, but it is something I am working to try to do more. I have never been a real, out-and-out striker – I have always been someone who goes around the pitch, you know?”

All those good intentions were blown away in a matter of seconds against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road though as he blazed the ball way over with the open goal gaping. “To be bitterly honest Mario Balotelli is a waste of space at the minute. He is just not a team player,” reflected former Liverpool midfielder Jimmy Case.

22 October – getting shirty

Defended again by his manager “for not being Luis Suárez” in the aftermath of the QPR game, Balotelli once more failed to rise to the occasion against European champions Real Madrid and was hauled off at the break with his side already 3-0 down. The decision to swap shirts with Pepe has already led to the Liverpool Echo demanding an apology with the Telegraph’s Paul Hayward accusing the 24-year-old of “constructing his own private universe, away from toil, away from engagement with his colleagues, free of passion and intensity. Against Real Madrid (against QPR for that matter), a striker simply cannot afford to stand around like Mr Micawber, hoping something will turn up.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mario Balotelli’s decision to swap shirts with Pepe has been heavily criticised. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

But at least someone is still willing to stand up for him. “I’d still start Balotelli at the weekend,” tweeted Michael Owen on Thursday. “I’m not a big fan of his but he has more class than most. Harsh to put all the blame on him.”