Ballotelli sending off at Arsenal

[abu13]

Anyone else wondered about why Mancini decided to keep him on when it was obvious what was coming? i discussed this with a Rag yesterday and i thought maybe this was a cop out for Mancini.

How would Mario have reacted to being dropped for Tevez for the run in? the fact he got sent off and banned saved Mancini from having to make a big decision.

just a thought.

 

[moomba]

Nah, don't think he would do that.

Personally I thought at the time that Mario did well after a ridiculous first half to keep his cool in the second. Then he went and ruined it all. I can only think Mancini challenged him, and was let down by him.

 

[Skashion]

He got sent off on purpose so he could get a transfer. Next question.

 

[Dubai Blue]

So Mancini purposely scuppered our chances of winning the Premiership so that he could use Tevez in the final few games of a league we effectively had no chance of winning after the Arsenal result?

No chance.

 

[quiet_riot]

He had £100 on Mario being sent off in the far east betting markets

 

[Damocles]

Because he was our only attacking threat and our most in form striker?

 

[salfordblues]

Because he was our only attacking threat and our most in form striker?

This. Yes it was a risk, but we weren't exaclty carving out chance after chance. If we were ever going to get anything from that game it was going to have to be a moment of magic and Balo was our best hope for this.

 

[1.618034]

It was plainly Mancini giving him his last chance to either impress or implode.

A very risky tactic though, obviously.

But tbf to Mancini he didn't seem to know about his challenge on Song until after the game, so it can't be said that that was a factor... For everyone who did see it then it would've been far more obvious that he was near the edge.

Who knows whether the decision to persist with him has paid off or not? Time will tell. But for sure the problems at Arsenal and before that were down to more than just Mario. There was a wider malaise that seems to have passed. Again, we'll see...

 

[Corky]

The same thing happened at liverpool, you could tell what was going to happen within a few minutes of him coming on. I thought he was subbing him with Dzecko, however it was a different player and he was sent off a minute later.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Blessing in disguise. We have been much better since that.