Sitting on Henman Hill/Murray Mount watching Nadal lose on the 28 June I checked my phone just for an update on the Italy v Germany semi final. To my shock I realised that Germany were loosing, and that Super Mario had scored both the goals. In my mind I thought that this could be the moment that Balotelli had craved for all his life, a point where he realised he could kick on without his issues. I probably was wrong to think this.
Just a few months before I had been watching him against Arsenal in a 1-0 loss for City, here he was sent off for a few bad tackles. Following this match it seemed Man City had blown their chance of winning the league and it was down to Balotelli being stupid. Mancini had stated that he was done with him and that he would definitely not play for the last six games of the season.
Roberto Mancini seems to have an all most fatherly bond with Balotelli, this being that some times he is upset with him but always takes him back. Many people may call him stupid for constantly protecting a disruptive player, especially added to the fact the Mourinho could not control him. I have to give Mancini a bit of credit here, I think he has actually done a good job with him. This being that some people are uncontrollable, and Balotelli definitely fits this description.
It seems to me an outsider that Balotelli is a big kid, the kid who never was popular. Mancini is the father, the only person who could have a slight affect on him. The fact that his parents pretty much left him to go live with other people and him suffering many illnesses as a child means that his childhood must have been very sad. This could be a reason why he is now acting out being a spoilt brat, chucking money everywhere and causing headlines for the wrong reasons.
On the pitch Balotelli is a good player, one who has the potential to be great. This is because he has a bit of pace, power, a calm finisher and has a bit of skill. It is often overlooked that he is still a young player, having just turned 22 in August. In my opinion that is the only reason why Mancini entertains him at Manchester City. I think that by getting rid of a player like Mario Balotelli would be a mistake, as he is still young that he could realise his mistakes and change. As long as Mancini is there I think there is always a chance for the better Balotelli to come out. Manchester City have a big squad so therefore could carry him for a bit, possibly give him to the age of 24 to see if he does actually mature. If he does they have one heck of a striker on their hands.
This probably will not happen, as rumours have resurfaced that Balotelli will leave in January. If he does leave now he could change his ways as I have earlier suggested or he could go totally off the rails. This would be a real shame, but I guess it has happened to many good players before him. Alex Ferguson stated after the red card against Arsenal that he would have sold Balotelli if he was his player. This is big for me, as he has tamed people like Cantona in the past. So if the two best man managers (Ferguson and Mourinho) don't want him then it does not look good for Balotelli does it. If Mancini does change him then he will have in my eyes done a great job.
No comments:
Post a Comment