Balotelli in 5 years

[Blue Hefner]

Playing for Fenabache or some team in Russia.

Lets have it right, if he wasn't a City player no one on here would give a monkey's about him. He's bang average and will find his level eventually and it won't be at a particulateley high level

 

[Pigeonho]

Playing for Fenabache or some team in Russia.

Lets have it right, if he wasn't a City player no one on here would give a monkey's about him. He's bang average and will find his level eventually and it won't be at a particulateley high level

Something else i've said before now as well. Infact if he played for United he would be nothing more than a laughing stock on here.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Dunno, but there's gonna be a helluva lotta fireworks lit over the next five years.

 

[Skashion]

This should just be merged with the main Balotelli thread as it's no different from the shit that is routinely chatted about him every single day, even when he hasn't played and there's loads of other things to focus on.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I think what will prevent Balotelli being what many believe he is capable of is that he doesn't want it enough.

All great players have desire in abundance.

It's bizarre as I was thinking about the 6-1 in the night as I couldn't sleep so watched the goals on my phone. The effort and desire he put in, in that game was outstanding. I'm talking about everything there too, looking interested, being first to celebrate, commitment, effort, determination - he was a beast. That was 14 months ago though and other than the Italy/Germany game and possibly one or two others, I can't think of a performance which comes even close to half of that one. Sure, players can't perform like that all the time but with Balotelli there are dozens of games where he looks anything like that player and that is his overriding problem. He will never snap out of that either in my view. As serious answer for the OP would be one of 3 things:

1. In a rich league full of shit like China as a 'star' player
2. Out of the game completely
3. In an average team in the Italian league

He absolutely definitely will not be the player people have almost needed him to be at times. He is in the bracket of average-good players, with a bracket of good players above that, world class players above that and of course the Messi/Ronaldo bracket topping the lot. He just isn't as good as people think, and never will be, not consistently enough to be in that world class bracket anyway.

His biggest asset is his upper body strength which is freakish for someone of his build. I do not think he realises this, or more to the point, utilises this to anything like a sufficient degree.

If he were to harness this weapon effectively then he would be able to impose himself on defenders, like Drogba did in his pomp. To do this, however, you need to have desire and an acceptance that you are going to be hurt several times in a game. He has been in this country long enough now to learn these things and appears to have failed to appreciate what is required for him to make the most of the talents at his disposal.

Centre halves should be intimidated by him. It is hard to see how this is possible when he goes down, and stays down, at the most innocuous of challenges.

Comparing him to Messi or Ronaldo is foolish imo, but he has the capability to stand alongside some of the great physical centre forwards of recent years. In order to do this he needs to develop a degree of courage which hasn't materialised so far, and at 22 you have to say that is becoming an increasingly unlikely possibility.

 

[MSP]

This should just be merged with the main Balotelli thread as it's no different from the shit that is routinely chatted about him every single day, even when he hasn't played and there's loads of other things to focus on.

Agree. There's too many similar threads about many subjects right now. At least 3 where Mourinho stuff is discussed, after some time you can't remember where you wrote what :)

I'm still shocked how you're still not sick of Balo though :)

 

[Pigeonho]

I think what will prevent Balotelli being what many believe he is capable of is that he doesn't want it enough.

All great players have desire in abundance.

It's bizarre as I was thinking about the 6-1 in the night as I couldn't sleep so watched the goals on my phone. The effort and desire he put in, in that game was outstanding. I'm talking about everything there too, looking interested, being first to celebrate, commitment, effort, determination - he was a beast. That was 14 months ago though and other than the Italy/Germany game and possibly one or two others, I can't think of a performance which comes even close to half of that one. Sure, players can't perform like that all the time but with Balotelli there are dozens of games where he looks anything like that player and that is his overriding problem. He will never snap out of that either in my view. As serious answer for the OP would be one of 3 things:

1. In a rich league full of shit like China as a 'star' player
2. Out of the game completely
3. In an average team in the Italian league

He absolutely definitely will not be the player people have almost needed him to be at times. He is in the bracket of average-good players, with a bracket of good players above that, world class players above that and of course the Messi/Ronaldo bracket topping the lot. He just isn't as good as people think, and never will be, not consistently enough to be in that world class bracket anyway.

His biggest asset is his upper body strength which is freakish for someone of his build. I do not think he realises this, or more to the point, utilises this to anything like a sufficient degree.

If he were to harness this weapon effectively then he would be able to impose himself on defenders, like Drogba did in his pomp. To do this, however, you need to have desire and and acceptance that you are going to be hurt several times in a game. He has been in this country long enough now to learn these things and appears to have failed to appreciate what is required for him to make the most of the talents at his disposal.

Centre halves should be intimidated by him. It is hard to see how this is possible when he goes down, and stays down, at the most innocuous of challenges.

Comparing him to Messi or Ronaldo is foolish imo, but he has the capability to stand alongside some of the great physical centre forwards of recent years. In order to do this he needs to develop a degree of courage which hasn't materialised so far, and at 22 you have to say that is becoming an increasingly unlikely possibility.

Wasn't comparing mate, just showing the brackets of player out there, and those two obviously top the tree.

 

[M19Blu]

Missing sitters in Serie B and still thinking that a crazy hair-do means you are a world class talent.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

It's bizarre as I was thinking about the 6-1 in the night as I couldn't sleep so watched the goals on my phone. The effort and desire he put in, in that game was outstanding. I'm talking about everything there too, looking interested, being first to celebrate, commitment, effort, determination - he was a beast. That was 14 months ago though and other than the Italy/Germany game and possibly one or two others, I can't think of a performance which comes even close to half of that one. Sure, players can't perform like that all the time but with Balotelli there are dozens of games where he looks anything like that player and that is his overriding problem. He will never snap out of that either in my view. As serious answer for the OP would be one of 3 things:

1. In a rich league full of shit like China as a 'star' player
2. Out of the game completely
3. In an average team in the Italian league

He absolutely definitely will not be the player people have almost needed him to be at times. He is in the bracket of average-good players, with a bracket of good players above that, world class players above that and of course the Messi/Ronaldo bracket topping the lot. He just isn't as good as people think, and never will be, not consistently enough to be in that world class bracket anyway.

His biggest asset is his upper body strength which is freakish for someone of his build. I do not think he realises this, or more to the point, utilises this to anything like a sufficient degree.

If he were to harness this weapon effectively then he would be able to impose himself on defenders, like Drogba did in his pomp. To do this, however, you need to have desire and and acceptance that you are going to be hurt several times in a game. He has been in this country long enough now to learn these things and appears to have failed to appreciate what is required for him to make the most of the talents at his disposal.

Centre halves should be intimidated by him. It is hard to see how this is possible when he goes down, and stays down, at the most innocuous of challenges.

Comparing him to Messi or Ronaldo is foolish imo, but he has the capability to stand alongside some of the great physical centre forwards of recent years. In order to do this he needs to develop a degree of courage which hasn't materialised so far, and at 22 you have to say that is becoming an increasingly unlikely possibility.

Wasn't comparing mate, just showing the brackets of player out there, and those two obviously top the tree.

I know. It was more of a general point, partly brought about by stuff that Mario has said himself tbf.

 

[davymcfc]

He will be doing reasonably well in Italy.