On Sunday evening, as Mario Balotelli was clean through on goal against LA Galaxy, several things must’ve crossed his mind in a split-second: do I slide it past the keeper; blast it, play it across goal to my team-mate, or… If you visit any football site regularly, you know which option he chose: pirouette on the ball and back-heel it at goal. Unluckily for the Italian, he missed. He was subsequently dragged off a the next opportunity and giving a very, very public dressing down by Roberto Mancini and lambasted by any pressman that believes the ‘beautiful game’ deserves respect.
According to Paul Parker, Manchester City should get him on the transfer list and out of the club ASAP. Funny, that; this is the same Paul Parker who thinks that Diego Maradona is still the greatest player in the world and would no doubt tell you that it was his ability (and bottle) to do the things ordinary footballers wouldn’t or couldn’t do that lifted him above the mere mortal. Yet, as Balotelli is a young scamp, with a chequered career already there is no leeway for him. He tries one trick, in a pointless pre-season friendly and he is accused of showing disrespect. To whom? LA Galaxy? Their fans? David Beckham? I thought the whole point of football, particularly friendlies, was to entertain the paying customer, to show the fans something they don’t see every day?
Which brings me to why this concerns Liverpool: we now have several players that have a bit of character. Perhaps not the kind of character that Balotelli is so fond of showing off but in the likes of Suarez and Carroll we have players that aren’t afraid to try something different; who don’t think that towing the line is the way to get by in football.
Suarez, more than any of these players, has more in common with Balotelli. He has some very murky moments lingering in his past: that handball in the 2010 World Cup, the ‘cannibalism’ of an opponents shoulder which meant he was still serving a 7 match ban right up to the point that Liverpool signed him. Even after signing us, we’ve seen enough in his first few months as a Red to know that he’s more than likely going to see his fair share of yellow cards while his with us and, no doubt, a couple of reds as well.
saw this on citys newsnow and thought what does this article have about it that concerns city, ive read it and i have to say its one of the best ive read on the balotelli ‘case’ and i completely agree with everything said.
nice point.makes a change from the useless jibberish thats more common to these pages….’ahem D Tully….
Good read. Watched Suarez in the Copa America and very glad he’s “ours” warts and all.