Mario, time to say goodbye?

[pennypennytannerbob]

Mario stays for me please. Apart from his talent, which is the type I want to see and appreciate I see a young man with character, loads of it, and I like that. He is passionate because he wants to achieve things, I like that too. He isn't old or wise enough yet to know that you get your justice coldly not in the heat of a moment or in the glare of the camera, but he will learn. He will also learn that Talk Shite aren't interested in him per se, only controversy and therefore their ratings. When he donates £200 to this or that cause, he is being a decent human being, I like that. When he picks out another non-linear channel to slot the ball through and beyond the reach of another keeper, from outside the box, in to the bottom corner of the net... I like that every time. I like his back-heels that fox me every time. I like that one day he could join the special ones, and there are very few. Right at this moment fame and fortune have gone to his head, but that will wear off, experience will teach him, this feed-back will teach him. I believe he will get a 4 match ban, not because on the balance of probability I think he deserves it because he meant it but because he has been tried by the mob already and the noose is already dangling over the branch. Give him another (and another and another) break, it will be worth it. Alternatively... find him a good woman, I'm sure he'll be a great family man.

 

[Fame Monster]

How much was he signed for? About £25M? How many times has he performed like a £25M player? I'd say twice - against United at Old Trafford and against Stoke in the final. He had a decent game in the semi-final against United but nothing more than that. He looked better than he was because he was shite in every other game that season. Let's not forget the enormous amount of responsibility he must take for costing us a possible Europa League title. Even against Villa when he scored the hat-trick, he wasn't one of our better players.

He's improved a lot this season, started working harder, started getting on with the game more, but he's still a liability. His shot is his defining quality and a game-changing quality. However, that must be weighed against his idiocy which is equally game-changing, and has cost us much more than he's won us. He's a good player to have on the bench when we can't pass through teams but we all know he won't accept that like a professional.

Now all that's subjective. You might think he's been great every time he's played (I don't), you might think his escapades come before the good of City (I don't), you might think he's very quick (I don't), you might think he works hard (I don't), you might think his first touch and passing are world class (I don't), you might even think he's intelligent (I don't). These are points that can be argued over and over.

What you can't argue is that he has an atrocious disciplinary record and that he's had more fights with his team-mates than any other player. It won't be popular here, but I care more about the rest of the team than Balotelli. I think there's more than enough reasons to believe he's bad for team-spirit. However entertaining you might find the made up stories about him going to the library or whatever, if he's getting sent off and suspended every 6 weeks then he's going to seriously piss off the other players and the manager. I also think there's reason to believe that the other players and the manager care more about the success of City than Balotelli given his disappointment when Inter won one off the biggest games in their history and he started kicking off, and given that he refused to applaud the fans when we beat Newcastle because he was a substitute.

If you think City will be better in the long term if we keep Balotelli and just accept that he's going to cost us every now and again then that's fair enough. But if you think this is all the media's making then you've got your head in the sand. There is a problem and something needs to be done. Hopefully, he'll stop letting us down and come good but I can't see it. For that reason then, if Napoli offered £5M for him, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

 

[Marvin]

Steep learning curve. Someone else will reap the benefits if we were to sell him

He's growing as a player here, and can develop into one of the best in the world with our support

 

[razinho]

How much was he signed for? About £25M? How many times has he performed like a £25M player? I'd say twice - against United at Old Trafford and against Stoke in the final. He had a decent game in the semi-final against United but nothing more than that. He looked better than he was because he was shite in every other game that season. Let's not forget the enormous amount of responsibility he must take for costing us a possible Europa League title. Even against Villa when he scored the hat-trick, he wasn't one of our better players.

He's improved a lot this season, started working harder, started getting on with the game more, but he's still a liability. His shot is his defining quality and a game-changing quality. However, that must be weighed against his idiocy which is equally game-changing, and has cost us much more than he's won us. He's a good player to have on the bench when we can't pass through teams but we all know he won't accept that like a professional.

Now all that's subjective. You might think he's been great every time he's played (I don't), you might think his escapades come before the good of City (I don't), you might think he's very quick (I don't), you might think he works hard (I don't), you might think his first touch and passing are world class (I don't), you might even think he's intelligent (I don't). These are points that can be argued over and over.

What you can't argue is that he has an atrocious disciplinary record and that he's had more fights with his team-mates than any other player. It won't be popular here, but I care more about the rest of the team than Balotelli. I think there's more than enough reasons to believe he's bad for team-spirit. However entertaining you might find the made up stories about him going to the library or whatever, if he's getting sent off and suspended every 6 weeks then he's going to seriously piss off the other players and the manager. I also think there's reason to believe that the other players and the manager care more about the success of City than Balotelli given his disappointment when Inter won one off the biggest games in their history and he started kicking off, and given that he refused to applaud the fans when we beat Newcastle because he was a substitute.

If you think City will be better in the long term if we keep Balotelli and just accept that he's going to cost us every now and again then that's fair enough. But if you think this is all the media's making then you've got your head in the sand. There is a problem and something needs to be done. Hopefully, he'll stop letting us down and come good but I can't see it. For that reason then, if Napoli offered £5M for him, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

Probably why you'll never work in football!

 

[Jumanji]

Don't even bother.

Nashark hates Balotelli. He's the same that said Welbeck was better than Mario.

 

[King Geedorah]

How much was he signed for? About £25M? How many times has he performed like a £25M player?

£25M strikers score or assist in the big games when it matters.

Balo got the winner against Spurs, winner against Everton, assist for the winner against Arsenal, two opening goals + Evans sent off against United, opener against Chelsea, equaliser in Napoli, opener against Newcastle etc etc.

He is the only one of our current attackers playing close to their price tag imo.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

on sunday he fucked up.

Did he fuck, because if him we got all 3 points. Now maybe Dzeko or Aguero could step up for once in the games he's going to miss.

no he fucked up, he would have won us the game anyway as it happened in a seperate incident, but he didn't need to get himself a 4 match ban in the process, did he?

 

[me myself and i]

hes a constant time bomb, sorry but he needs to go this will only bring more problems in the city house hold, hes a huge liability and has not really done much for our football, simple as.. an unstable fool...

 

[mammyjam]

and this is the moment I quit bluemoon in disgust can't believe what i'm reading possibly the worst thread i've ever seen i can't even put into words...

mario stays and needs our support


i'm going to loose so much face when i come back bored

 

[yatesy94]

Not having another sturridge/chelsea whole saga again. Balotelli is a young world-class player and it's players like him that are the future of football and the future of Manchester City. He'll mature more with age I've no doubt about that.