Goodbye Mario? (merged)

[didactic]

In the Guardian

'Mario Balotelli will fly to Milan on Wednesday to complete his transfer from Manchester City as new details emerge of why Roberto Mancini decided it was futile to continue believing the striker would stop letting him down.

Mancini's patience finally snapped because of the events leading to the late and dangerous challenge on Scott Sinclair that led to the embarrassing series of photographs showing City's manager grappling with Balotelli at the club's training ground on 3 January.

Twenty-five minutes before that training session, Mancini had summoned Balotelli for a heart-to-heart in which he tried to convince the player that he still believed in him and was certain he could be one of the key players in a successful title defence. "This is your chance – don't waste it," he told the Italy international.

What followed was so reckless that it convinced Mancini he was fighting a lost cause and that the colleagues who had advised him to give up on Balotelli were correct. His anger was evident for all to see in the pictures of the flashpoint.

Mancini still has strong reservations about letting Balotelli go without having a replacement lined up, preferring an end-of-season deal rather than leaving City with only three established strikers. Privately, however, he had accepted a club with City's ambitions could no longer afford to carry someone so unpredictable.

The only reason he had said he wanted to give Balotelli another chance, or "100 more chances", was an old managerial trick based on City being aware that advertising he was available would drive down the transfer fee. Behind the scenes, all the relevant people have been making plans for his departure for the past fortnight. It is understood the transfer to Milan is worth £17m, rising to £19.5m depending on how Balotelli does at San Siro.

Mancini, it has also emerged, had told Balotelli that he should think about changing the company he was keeping in his social life. Mancini did not think it was so bad when his own son, Andrea, lived in Manchester but the nature of Balotelli's hangers-on has increasingly become a concern. He had also told the player he should travel to Italy to spend time with his baby girl as part of leading a more grown-up lifestyle. To Mancini's dismay, he came away believing the 22-year-old was not particularly willing to listen to his advice.

Until 3 January, however, Mancini had been willing to forgive Balotelli for his erratic form and recurring ability to attract headlines for the wrong reasons, retaining his faith in the striker despite him playing an increasingly peripheral part this season, with only one Premier League goal.

Elsewhere, there has been a feeling behind the scenes at City for over a year now that the club would be better off off-loading someone who was underperforming so regularly and bringing in a superior replacement. Mancini is an admirer of the Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and a summer move is possible.'

And this s your seventh post? You are either a journalist trying to milk this or a rag either way you can fuck off. Ill take the ban he is gone and us true blues wish him well stop storing shit.

 

[KillieMitch]

In the Guardian

'Mario Balotelli will fly to Milan on Wednesday to complete his transfer from Manchester City as new details emerge of why Roberto Mancini decided it was futile to continue believing the striker would stop letting him down.

Mancini's patience finally snapped because of the events leading to the late and dangerous challenge on Scott Sinclair that led to the embarrassing series of photographs showing City's manager grappling with Balotelli at the club's training ground on 3 January.

Twenty-five minutes before that training session, Mancini had summoned Balotelli for a heart-to-heart in which he tried to convince the player that he still believed in him and was certain he could be one of the key players in a successful title defence. "This is your chance – don't waste it," he told the Italy international.

What followed was so reckless that it convinced Mancini he was fighting a lost cause and that the colleagues who had advised him to give up on Balotelli were correct. His anger was evident for all to see in the pictures of the flashpoint.

Mancini still has strong reservations about letting Balotelli go without having a replacement lined up, preferring an end-of-season deal rather than leaving City with only three established strikers. Privately, however, he had accepted a club with City's ambitions could no longer afford to carry someone so unpredictable.

The only reason he had said he wanted to give Balotelli another chance, or "100 more chances", was an old managerial trick based on City being aware that advertising he was available would drive down the transfer fee. Behind the scenes, all the relevant people have been making plans for his departure for the past fortnight. It is understood the transfer to Milan is worth £17m, rising to £19.5m depending on how Balotelli does at San Siro.

Mancini, it has also emerged, had told Balotelli that he should think about changing the company he was keeping in his social life. Mancini did not think it was so bad when his own son, Andrea, lived in Manchester but the nature of Balotelli's hangers-on has increasingly become a concern. He had also told the player he should travel to Italy to spend time with his baby girl as part of leading a more grown-up lifestyle. To Mancini's dismay, he came away believing the 22-year-old was not particularly willing to listen to his advice.

Until 3 January, however, Mancini had been willing to forgive Balotelli for his erratic form and recurring ability to attract headlines for the wrong reasons, retaining his faith in the striker despite him playing an increasingly peripheral part this season, with only one Premier League goal.

Elsewhere, there has been a feeling behind the scenes at City for over a year now that the club would be better off off-loading someone who was underperforming so regularly and bringing in a superior replacement. Mancini is an admirer of the Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and a summer move is possible.'

And this s your seventh post? You are either a journalist trying to milk this or a rag either way you can fuck off. Ill take the ban he is gone and us true blues wish him well stop storing shit.

Not my intention to stir shit - big fan of Balotelli and sad to see him go. Usually just read on here but thought I'd add to the debate. Apologies.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

In the Guardian

'Mario Balotelli will fly to Milan on Wednesday to complete his transfer from Manchester City as new details emerge of why Roberto Mancini decided it was futile to continue believing the striker would stop letting him down.

Mancini's patience finally snapped because of the events leading to the late and dangerous challenge on Scott Sinclair that led to the embarrassing series of photographs showing City's manager grappling with Balotelli at the club's training ground on 3 January.

Twenty-five minutes before that training session, Mancini had summoned Balotelli for a heart-to-heart in which he tried to convince the player that he still believed in him and was certain he could be one of the key players in a successful title defence. "This is your chance – don't waste it," he told the Italy international.

What followed was so reckless that it convinced Mancini he was fighting a lost cause and that the colleagues who had advised him to give up on Balotelli were correct. His anger was evident for all to see in the pictures of the flashpoint.

Mancini still has strong reservations about letting Balotelli go without having a replacement lined up, preferring an end-of-season deal rather than leaving City with only three established strikers. Privately, however, he had accepted a club with City's ambitions could no longer afford to carry someone so unpredictable.

The only reason he had said he wanted to give Balotelli another chance, or "100 more chances", was an old managerial trick based on City being aware that advertising he was available would drive down the transfer fee. Behind the scenes, all the relevant people have been making plans for his departure for the past fortnight. It is understood the transfer to Milan is worth £17m, rising to £19.5m depending on how Balotelli does at San Siro.

Mancini, it has also emerged, had told Balotelli that he should think about changing the company he was keeping in his social life. Mancini did not think it was so bad when his own son, Andrea, lived in Manchester but the nature of Balotelli's hangers-on has increasingly become a concern. He had also told the player he should travel to Italy to spend time with his baby girl as part of leading a more grown-up lifestyle. To Mancini's dismay, he came away believing the 22-year-old was not particularly willing to listen to his advice.

Until 3 January, however, Mancini had been willing to forgive Balotelli for his erratic form and recurring ability to attract headlines for the wrong reasons, retaining his faith in the striker despite him playing an increasingly peripheral part this season, with only one Premier League goal.

Elsewhere, there has been a feeling behind the scenes at City for over a year now that the club would be better off off-loading someone who was underperforming so regularly and bringing in a superior replacement. Mancini is an admirer of the Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and a summer move is possible.'

And this s your seventh post? You are either a journalist trying to milk this or a rag either way you can fuck off. Ill take the ban he is gone and us true blues wish him well stop storing shit.

Not my intention to stir shit - big fan of Balotelli and sad to see him go. Usually just read on here but thought I'd add to the debate. Apologies.

You've got fuck all to apologise for mate.

 

[Bilboblue]

I'm going to miss Mario.

Really miss him.

He was a loon, but he was our loon.

Yes, it is the right time to say goodbye to the enigma, but it's going to feel weird to see him another teams shirt, albeit overseas.

I wish him good luck, firstly to have a great career at the team he loves, and secondly to sort his personal life out, he so obviously has many many demons.

 

[cleavers]

It is also time for me to say goodbye to all blues. Although I had quarrels with someone about Mario, the insights of the fans in this site taught me so much. I know that we have none opportunities to persuade others of opposite views but I must say the performance of the team in this new season until now made the problem of lack of ambitions and professions in the club more and more obvious. If ManCity wants to gain big name in the history, these issues instead of managers and players must be solved. Farewell and Good Luck!

Bye Mario, good luck.

 

[thedogsbollocks]

It is also time for me to say goodbye to all blues. Although I had quarrels with someone about Mario, the insights of the fans in this site taught me so much. I know that we have none opportunities to persuade others of opposite views but I must say the performance of the team in this new season until now made the problem of lack of ambitions and professions in the club more and more obvious. If ManCity wants to gain big name in the history, these issues instead of managers and players must be solved. Farewell and Good Luck!

Intriguing post.

you joined in 2010 when Mario signed for us and have made just 3 posts since then and are now saying goodbye ?.


If it is you Mario all the best mate,thanks for the memories and i am sure all genuine City fans wish you good luck.We all follow your career i am sure.

 

[coulsonblue]

They're all slagging him off tomorrow in what is really their last chance to take a swipe.

Ian Ladyman claiming Balotelli is "mentally weak". Surely that's the one thing he's not.

 

[MSP]

I find it amusing that on the same day its revealed Mario is leaving Dzeko comes on to make a difference against the team bottom of the league and sends a goal scoring opportunity out for a throw in!

Lol, he created only two chances we had in his time on the pitch.

 

[lostmyhouseski]

guttered. Hope Mario goes on to be one the best players in the world.

part of me still thinks that if he was english everyone would be lauding over him. Wonder who the media will go after now?

Good luck Mario!

 

[Why Always Ste]

Definitely... if Mario was English and was going abroad the media and fan alike would have nothing but praise for him with every excuse in the book for his time of negativity.

Quality player who will work his Ass off for AC....

 

[ws01]

Admittedly I am tinged with a bit of sadness over his departure considering his persona and cult following, but this is 100% the right move.

Credit to management as well for pulling off a decent deal despite all of his troubles/woeful form.

 

[Pam]

Admittedly I am tinged with a bit of sadness over his departure considering his persona and cult following, but this is 100% the right move.

Credit to management as well for pulling off a decent deal despite all of his troubles/woeful form.

So weakening the squad is deserving of credit? No it isn't.

 

[citymad]

Definitely... if Mario was English and was going abroad the media and fan alike would have nothing but praise for him with every excuse in the book for his time of negativity.

Quality player who will work his Ass off for AC....

Question is why didn't he work his arse off for us ?

 

[andyhinch]

I've always been a bit middle of road and I've got splitters in my arse to prove it, come on Did's show your balls and come for a drink, I don't bite

 

[ws01]

Admittedly I am tinged with a bit of sadness over his departure considering his persona and cult following, but this is 100% the right move.

Credit to management as well for pulling off a decent deal despite all of his troubles/woeful form.

So weakening the squad is deserving of credit? No it isn't.

Getting a decent fee where you'd think we'd usually get dudded is deserving of credit, especially considering his volatility, his form and his eyes firmly on Milan the entire time. Frankly, I think they're wasting their money.

I hardly think it's weakening the squad when he hardly plays and when he does contributes nothing.

 

[Pam]

Admittedly I am tinged with a bit of sadness over his departure considering his persona and cult following, but this is 100% the right move.

Credit to management as well for pulling off a decent deal despite all of his troubles/woeful form.

So weakening the squad is deserving of credit? No it isn't.

Getting a decent fee where you'd think we'd usually get dudded is deserving of credit, especially considering his volatility, his form and his eyes firmly on Milan the entire time. Frankly, I think they're wasting their money.

I hardly think it's weakening the squad when he hardly plays and when he does contributes nothing.

Because there was every chance he would run into a bit of form and now we only have three strikers until the end of the season. What harm would there have been in keeping him until the summer?

 

[ws01]

So weakening the squad is deserving of credit? No it isn't.

Getting a decent fee where you'd think we'd usually get dudded is deserving of credit, especially considering his volatility, his form and his eyes firmly on Milan the entire time. Frankly, I think they're wasting their money.

I hardly think it's weakening the squad when he hardly plays and when he does contributes nothing.

Because there was every chance he would run into a bit of form and now we only have three strikers until the end of the season. What harm would there have been in keeping him until the summer?

Meh. For a someone stuck in his current situation I'd snap the hand off the first person who presented me with a good deal.

We're out of Europe plus hopefully Guidetti to look forward to, I think we'll be fine.

 

[Damanino]

Good decision, we could sell him right after Euros maybe getting little bit better fee for him and spend that amount (with saving Rodwell's fee...) on a striker that scores goals.

He did nothing since August, an odd goal maybe two, Lopes did the same for us and he only had a few minutes vs Watford.

Mancini can feel sorry, but I dont care, he brought him here, he knew him exactly, still was surprised how hard is to handle him. And he couldnt get the best out of him. At least we got back most of his price.

We wont be as lucky with some another Mancini signings like Dzeko, Nasri, or Kolarov especially if we decide to sell them.

There were rumours about Txiki and Soriano want Balo out, well if it is true the did well, got a good fee, big wage off the list.
Hope they will have a huge impact on incoming transfers in the summer. Trust them more than Marwood and probably they wont go for players like average British overpriced ones.

Balotelli was always a gamble, it didnt pay off, we moved on getting back the most of the money we gambled here.

Out of 3 of Mancini's Serie A signings only Nastasic seems to be paid off.
Kolarov, Balo are/were totally benchwarmers these days, bought very expensive and on big wages.

 

[Bunk]

Glad to see him leave. Never wanted him to join us in the first place, I knew it wouldn't work out. He's been a royal pain in the ass for every team he's played for and very rarely produces the ability on the pitch that everyone seems so convinced that he has.

 

[Pam]

Glad to see him leave. Never wanted him to join us in the first place, I knew it wouldn't work out. He's been a royal pain in the ass for every team he's played for and very rarely produces the ability on the pitch that everyone seems so convinced that he has.

I agree but I now want us to sign David Villa this minute.