Mario Balotelli

[BlueTG]

Harsh. And I'm sure Roberto Mancini thinks better of him than this too.

May be so, but no other top manager took a punt on him.

“But he had potential” isn’t an argument in favour of his apparent abilities. Adel Taarabt apparently had potential to be a world beater, but he was just shite.

 

[Vienna_70]

Average player. Nothing more to it. He never had the talent or application to make the superstar tag happen. His passing was average, his teamwork was shite, his discipline was a problem, his hold up play average, his skill with the ball average, he wasn’t outstandingly fast, he wasn’t exactly prolific and his career total as a striker is pretty average. He could take a mean penalty and his finishing was alright.

Lovely bloke, mad man, but I remember watching him 7 times out of 10 and thinking “wtf is he doing”.

Mario had the talent, but not the application.

The other qualities you mention all come through application.

 

[Zubrman]

Carlton Pogbad likes to think he's Balotelli but he ain't as he's got shit hair-do's, is shite and does cringingly awful dances on social media.

Balo wore a knitted chicken hat with style.

 

[flyer]

Don't know how true this is but we did the tour a few weeks ago and the tour guy started talking about Mario. He had to go to London for some official do or whatever and this bloke asked Mario how he was getting down to the venue. Mario says he's ordered a taxi, and the tour guy said fine, but your own car is brilliant, it's a shame you aren't going in that. Mario says 'oh, I am going in my car I just don't know the way, and I can't follow the satnav, so I've hired the taxi and I'll follow him.

 

[nixmith2]

He starts off well everywhere he goes, once he loses his focus the plot goes.

Could have been a true world superstar but has just made loads of money & wasted his talent.

"Mr Best.... where did it all go wrong?"

 

[blue b4 the moon]

"Mr Best.... where did it all go wrong?"

I know that was in my mind when I made the post.

 

[bluebanana83]

Did he only have one assist in the 2011-12 season? or is that a myth?

yeah but it was worth a million

 

[flook]

Weaves in goal ;-)

nope john burridge, used to sleep in his goalie gloves apparently

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

nope john burridge, used to sleep in his goalie gloves apparently

And watch telly in them as well.

 

[toddluvzgta]

He was better 'n Yaya! Who was that goalie that tried to freak him out and after he'd buried it Mario just folded his arms and stared at him! We'd never have won as much if Mario had stayed but there was always summat gonna happen - like a sending off, a pen, an outrageous goal!

Weidenfeller

 

[Fame Monster]

Mario, in my view was the most talented player we have had since the takeover, if you could combine him and Zabba into one player you would have the best player ever........ or Buster Phillips

Sorry but that is ridiculous.

 

[inchy14]

True

False, it was his shot that was saved and Silva scored the rebound unless the keeper was given the assist.

 

[KS55]

He had all the brilliance of a firework display.

 

[Ric]

Another classic Balotelli anecdote:

 

[Chi-town blues]

Another classic Balotelli anecdote:

 

[bluealf]

False, it was his shot that was saved and Silva scored the rebound unless the keeper was given the assist.

if the keeper saves a shot the player who shot doesn't get an assist

 

[MCFC Wirral]

Mario, in my view was the most talented player we have had since the takeover, if you could combine him and Zabba into one player you would have the best player ever........ or Buster Phillips

You’d surely combine him with another striker? A worker like Tevez or Bellamy.

No other manager aside from Mancini would’ve dared bring him in. Still, FC Sion.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

Balotelli had everything - height, pace, power, skills and an ice cold ability to finish. By rights, he should've been one of the best in Europe.

However I could've written the same about Adebayor and plenty of other forwards. They have God-given abilities but as soon as they get to a certain level they seem to just stop wanting to be the best. In all honesty, the difference between the likes of Balotelli and Aguero/Tevez wasn't great but mentally the latter had something he'd never had.

My biggest fear with Balotelli when we let him go was Ferguson would take him on and make him into a Cantona type player for them. He had the ability but was just wasn't top class in the end as the rest of his career showed.

 

[KS55]

Thousands of players have the talent but only a few the mentality.
A friend of mine was head and shoulders above his contemporaries in athletics, beating internationals with ease at junior level. He then discovered booze and women. You know the rest.

 

[eversince 76]

Balotelli had everything - height, pace, power, skills and an ice cold ability to finish. By rights, he should've been one of the best in Europe.

However I could've written the same about Adebayor and plenty of other forwards. They have God-given abilities but as soon as they get to a certain level they seem to just stop wanting to be the best. In all honesty, the difference between the likes of Balotelli and Aguero/Tevez wasn't great but mentally the latter had something he'd never had.

My biggest fear with Balotelli when we let him go was Ferguson would take him on and make him into a Cantona type player for them. He had the ability but was just wasn't top class in the end as the rest of his career showed.

I will never mention Tevez nor Balotelli in the same breath as Aguero.