Mario, time to say goodbye?

[SWP's back]

HE. IS. 21. YEARS. OLD.

Missing the point of the thread Bob.

His discipline is better than Rooney's at 21 but Rooney is not the media target Balotelli is. TH is asking if Balo's position is becoming untenable due to the witchhunt aimed his way.

It seem's unlikely that will change. Balotelli gets a booking every game for his first mis-timed tackle. There IS an agenda against him and it may be too entrenched for him to succeed here.

Personally, I say keep him and support him in the strongest terms.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

Look at the lads eyes: he's just a boy. With all the bravado in the world and an unbelievable potential talent, I really see someone who is quite insecure and unsure and in some ways scared. That's why he does a lot of what he does.

What I want to see is Mario become a man but i want that to happen with City. He's shown glimpses here and there. He's shown he can handle pressure in some situations (penalties). He's shown he can be an absolute asset and automatic starter, in small doses. He wont show these things fully until he grows into a man and I really don't want to see him do that with anyone else.

I love Mario. I find all the things that come with him funny and entertaining but I love him because he's a scared boy with an unusual background. He makes me want to know him, put my arm around him and tell him how great he will be and that everything will be alright.

Mario could be a fantastic footballer and a City legend. We all saw how the exact same person became a nutter in Paul Gascoine. Mario is like anreincarnation of Gazza. It would be great if Gazza could talk to Mario! There weren't enough people telling Gazza the truth in his life. Same with Mario. He needs telling off and disciplining whenever possible and appropriate, and telling he's loved whenever possible and appropriate.

 

[glossop is blue]

No way. Back him 100%. Stick with him through this rough patch. Show him the love next time he plays, and reap the benefits for many years to come. Has the talent and the right manager to become a legend here if we stick together and stick two fingers up to all the jealous wankers getting on his case.

We've got to give him at least another season. Also before the start of next season when referees go to each club we should be saying about the shitty yellow cards he's been getting. We all know other big players from other teams don't get them so why should Mario!

 

[scottchorlton]

I can understand where TH is coming from, but no. He stays. I said before he arrived we can't afford to not have him. Three points on Sunday proved that. Fuck the FA, Arry, Parker etc

Yeah, totally get where TH is coming from, thing is, as much as i am a fan of Balotelli, i am a bigger fan of Manchester City - maybe he could go on to flourish as a player more elsewhere, but how would that benefit us?

As much as i love the guy and want him to become one of the worlds greats, if it isnt in a City shirt, i couldnt care less. Selfish??? Hell Yeah!!!

City comes first!! Balotelli MUST stay!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Haven't read the whole thread, in fact I've only read the first and last pages but my two penneth;

1- His age. Whatever anyone says he can and will learn to deal with things. Imo, despite Sunday, this season has already been a huge improvement. He was sent off wrongly against Liverpool and may be suspended wrongly here too. I understand this is part of the problem but he has been only partly to blame for the games he has and will miss. If he improves as much next year as he has next he'll be well on the way to behaving more like a normal player.

2- His improvement on the field and his match winning ability. He has turned into a real important player for us to the point that when he doesn't start we are considered to be under strength. That's for a guy who is 21! I understand again that part of the problem is that he will miss too many games if always suspended but he is worth the risk, for now, based on what he has done on the pitch this season.

3- Mancini. The best thing about this is that Mancini as a player was as close to Balotelli as anyone has been over the past couple of decades. At the moment Mancini feels like the refs and the FA are against City and especially Balotelli but what would be best for everyone is if Mancini forgets all that and concentrates on looking after Mario. He more than anyone needs to get into the mind of the man because if he can't, no-one will. I would give it another season at least to see if Mancini can handle him even better than he already has.

4- The FA and refs. They cannot be allowed to dictate who we sign and sell. The comments by Poll absolutely disgusted me and confirmed all my fears about referee's. The FA are completely and utterly lacking in any kind of continuity and fairness. We should be creating a siege mentality against them and let them not that, whilst Balotelli is far from innocent, we will not allow there to be one rule for one and one for another. It is unacceptable that a club like ours would consider selling one of their best players because he isn't treated fairly. Would Fergie have sold Cantona?

Excellent post. I can see both sides of the Balo argument but I tend to fall more on the side of what you've posted above. The only caveat being that I don't like people holding up the likes of Cuntona and Rooney as examples. I don't want that kind of liability in our dressing room. Mario has changed for the better and his attitude has improved. In fact, prior to his injury I was beginning to think he'd really turned a corner.

Sometimes I think that when he's not played for a while, he's so frustrated that he's not played that he brings this extra aggression out onto the pitch when he does finally get on which is unnecessary.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

HE. IS. 21. YEARS. OLD.

Missing the point of the thread Bob.

His discipline is better than Rooney's at 21 but Rooney is not the media target Balotelli is. TH is asking if Balo's position is becoming untenable due to the witchhunt aimed his way.

It seem's unlikely that will change. Balotelli gets a booking every game for his first mis-timed tackle. There IS an agenda against him and it may be too entrenched for him to succeed here.

Personally, I say keep him and support him in the strongest terms.

It's not often something is completely untenable. The day Mario becomes a man will be the day he and City beat this shit that is coming his way.

We have to keep fighting! Never ever give up!

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Yes because having so many posts determines if you understand a thread or not...

you attention seeker

Leave it out mate - you clearly haven't understood the thread. He asks a valid question - is Mario's reputation making his position at the club untenable?

I have understood the question and i have disagreed and so have a lot of other posters in this thread,isn't that what a forum is all about?
but because its "tolmie's hairdoo" he's obviously always correct i suppose...

That's right, cite and hide behind other posters, safety in numbers and all that, that's what cowards and bullies tend to do.

You have not offered an opinion, you simply said you disagreed, without qualifying it, as others have also not done.

No need to make me out to be no more than another blue poster, trying to spark a relevant debate and being interested in other people's opinions.

So it's okay to defend one of our players, yet feel the need to tar a fellow blue?

Question for you - do you think the owners and Mancini will be happy about this latest situation?

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Question for you - do you think the owners and Mancini will be happy about this latest situation?

Haha - a question I asked earlier.

You can bet your bottom dollar that discussions very like this are taking place between the top brass now. I bet Mancini is livid with him.

 

[crystal_mais]

Haven't read the whole thread, in fact I've only read the first and last pages but my two penneth;

1- His age. Whatever anyone says he can and will learn to deal with things. Imo, despite Sunday, this season has already been a huge improvement. He was sent off wrongly against Liverpool and may be suspended wrongly here too. I understand this is part of the problem but he has been only partly to blame for the games he has and will miss. If he improves as much next year as he has next he'll be well on the way to behaving more like a normal player.

2- His improvement on the field and his match winning ability. He has turned into a real important player for us to the point that when he doesn't start we are considered to be under strength. That's for a guy who is 21! I understand again that part of the problem is that he will miss too many games if always suspended but he is worth the risk, for now, based on what he has done on the pitch this season.

3- Mancini. The best thing about this is that Mancini as a player was as close to Balotelli as anyone has been over the past couple of decades. At the moment Mancini feels like the refs and the FA are against City and especially Balotelli but what would be best for everyone is if Mancini forgets all that and concentrates on looking after Mario. He more than anyone needs to get into the mind of the man because if he can't, no-one will. I would give it another season at least to see if Mancini can handle him even better than he already has.

4- The FA and refs. They cannot be allowed to dictate who we sign and sell. The comments by Poll absolutely disgusted me and confirmed all my fears about referee's. The FA are completely and utterly lacking in any kind of continuity and fairness. We should be creating a siege mentality against them and let them not that, whilst Balotelli is far from innocent, we will not allow there to be one rule for one and one for another. It is unacceptable that a club like ours would consider selling one of their best players because he isn't treated fairly. Would Fergie have sold Cantona?

Excellent post. I can see both sides of the Balo argument but I tend to fall more on the side of what you've posted above. The only caveat being that I don't like people holding up the likes of Cuntona and Rooney as examples. I don't want that kind of liability in our dressing room. Mario has changed for the better and his attitude has improved. In fact, prior to his injury I was beginning to think he'd really turned a corner.

Sometimes I think that when he's not played for a while, he's so frustrated that he's not played that he brings this extra aggression out onto the pitch when he does finally get on which is unnecessary.

You maybe onto something there on the "not played for a while and aggresion point", Just a quick question on the back of that Billy.

Is there then a challenge there for squad rotation?
Is there a liability if he is being rotated?

 

[unlikelyfan19]

Look at the lads eyes: he's just a boy. With all the bravado in the world and an unbelievable potential talent, I really see someone who is quite insecure and unsure and in some ways scared. That's why he does a lot of what he does.

What I want to see is Mario become a man but i want that to happen with City. He's shown glimpses here and there. He's shown he can handle pressure in some situations (penalties). He's shown he can be an absolute asset and automatic starter, in small doses. He wont show these things fully until he grows into a man and I really don't want to see him do that with anyone else.

I love Mario. I find all the things that come with him funny and entertaining but I love him because he's a scared boy with an unusual background. He makes me want to know him, put my arm around him and tell him how great he will be and that everything will be alright.

Mario could be a fantastic footballer and a City legend. We all saw how the exact same person became a nutter in Paul Gascoine. Mario is like anreincarnation of Gazza. It would be great if Gazza could talk to Mario! There weren't enough people telling Gazza the truth in his life. Same with Mario. He needs telling off and disciplining whenever possible and appropriate, and telling he's loved whenever possible and appropriate.

Love this