Football Focus

[Undisputedtruth]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think City's downfall was

> Mancini's faith in Balotelli who is obviously not

> used to the concept of a team game.

Balotelli is hardly the main reason for City's downfall. Mathematically, Balotelli may have cost his team five points with his two red cards. But they are currently eight points behind. The real downfall for City is their away form consisting of five defeats. Therefore the team must take responsibility as a whole. Fantastic home record though.

Balotelli was unlucky to be sent off in his first red card this season, so hopefully Mancini will detract his knee jerk comment.

[Otta]

Balotelli was a disgrace today, and City would be better off without him, however good he may be.

[Undisputedtruth]

Balotelli is an Angel compared to Suarez!

Balotelli is still a young player who will mature like Rooney did.

ETA: BlueRevolution - can you thinkof a reason to why City perform badly in away games?

[Alan Medic]

Balotelli has shown no sign of maturing over the last three years. What he has done to team morale at City would be interesting to know. SAF would not have put up with it that's for sure.

[Otta]

Grow up UDT, we're not talking about Suarez, and I'm not sure how you can compare.

Whatever you may think of Suarez, he is not a liability every time you play him, which Balotelli clearly is.

[red devil]

Does anyone else get the impression that Mancini is hanging Balotelli out to dry in order to save his own skin?

For me the buck stops with the manager, he picks the team, if Balotelli is such a liability why play him in the first place?

Although his candour makes good headlines, Mancini needs to learn to keep his thoughts to himself and deal with problems in-house and stop publicly slating his players.

[Undisputedtruth]

The media is having a field of a day by having a go at Balotelli. Sadly, the don't know any betters are lapping it up like there is no tomorrow.

There is no evidence whatsoever Balotelli is bad for team morale. Look at Man City home record, it's near immaculate with only a draw as a blemish. Next see Balotelli's strike rate, impressive hey?

Would Sir Alex Ferguson put up with Balotelli? Well he did with Rooney. Beckham and Rooney were liabilities to England buy they were still picked.

 

[StraferJack]

I'd say the sight of his team mates trooping past him as he lay injured at half time is, if not proof, indicative of some major team issues

Reports of bust ups in the dressing room after the game as well

[Parkdrive]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Does anyone else get the impression that Mancini

> is hanging Balotelli out to dry in order to save

> his own skin?

> For me the buck stops with the manager, he picks

> the team, if Balotelli is such a liability why

> play him in the first place?

> Although his candour makes good headlines, Mancini

> needs to learn to keep his thoughts to himself and

> deal with problems in-house and stop publicly

> slating his players.

To be fair to Mancini, he isn't the first, and I'm sure he won't be the last manager to stand by a wayward player. George Graham did with Merson and Adams, Matt Busby did it with Best, Ferguson did with Cantona, Rooney and Ferdinand. Unfortunately the manger can't control what happens once a player gets on to the pitch. Viera was red carded on many occasions in his first year at Arsenal, but turned out be probably the best player in his position in Europe, if not the world, at his peak. I'm not trying to defend Balotelli, but I think we should cut Mancini a bit of slack. If he didn't castigate Balotelli, I'm sure he'd still get slaughtered. I feel for the guy, and still think he's a decent manager.

[Otta]

You might say that SJ, but that is because, like me, you don't know any better.

UDT on the other hand, he knows!

[Annette Curtain]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Balotelli was a disgrace today, and City would be

> better off without him, however good he may be.

Agree (with bells on)

He's a liability for sure. And he could easily have ended another players career with that nasty trick yesterday

Sadly though "on the ball" he's a fantastic player, off it he's an utter c-nut

Get rid of i'd say

NETTE

[Otta]

Just had another look at Mancini's comments, and I think he was trying to send a clear message to the player to sort it out.

No manager wants to sell a player of that quality, but there is only so much you can put up with.

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just had another look at Mancini's comments, and I

> think he was trying to send a clear message to the

> player to sort it out.

...so why can't he say that in private to the the player?

PD, I agree there's nothing wrong with a manager sticking by a player, but it's how the manager goes about it that matters. I don't recall any of the examples you cite being played out in the public domain by the respective managers.

Mancini has shown appalling man management skils, and not just with Balotelli, there was also the whole Tevez saga and a similar public slating of Adam Johnson.

[Otta]

He may well have tried a quiet word for all we know, perhaps he feels that doing it public is his last option (especially when the player seems to crave the spotlight so much).

I really don't think Mqncini deserves to be criticised over the Tevez saga, the player wants away, and made his feelings about as public as possible.

[Undisputedtruth]

Arsenal deserved the win yesterday. Even if Balotelli stayed on, city were unlikely to get a result.

Also Balotelli has scored more goals than Carroll & Suarez combined together in the premiership. Remember, Balotelli is only 21 and as yet to hit his peak.

For the record, I don't put SJ in the don't know any better camp.

I also agree with RD's assessment of Mancini's man management skills. You rarely see SAF criticising his players in public.

[Parkdrive]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> He may well have tried a quiet word for all we

> know, perhaps he feels that doing it public is his

> last option (especially when the player seems to

> crave the spotlight so much).

>

> I really don't think Mqncini deserves to be

> criticised over the Tevez saga, the player wants

> away, and made his feelings about as public as

> possible.

I agree, if Tevez wanted to act like a cnut there's not a lot Mancini could do to prevent it. As you say, we have no way of knowing what has gone on behind closed doors. Look at the way Anelka acted when he wanted away from Arsenal, there was very little Wenger could have done to make him stay. He could have insisted that he had a legally binding contract, but that would have poisoned the dressing room, alternatively he could have let him rot in the reserves, instead he cashed in on a valuable asset. I genuinely hope Mancini stays, and that the oil rich arabs don't put in place a revolving door manager process like the one at CSKA Fulham.

[Otta]

Also Balotelli has scored more goals than Carroll & Suarez combined together in the premiership. Remember, Balotelli is only 21 and as yet to hit his peak.

You really do seem to have an unhealthy obssession with Liverpool players, did one of them turn you down when you came on to them or something?

Seriously UDT, telling me Liverpool have been shit this season is not going to hurt my feelings, I'll be the first to agree. But no one except you is talking about Liverpool.

Also, NO ONE has questioned Balotelli's skills as a player, you are not telling us anything we don't already know about that. It's his temprament that is in question, not his skill.

For the record, I don't put SJ in the don't know any better camp.

Do you know what, he will be so pleased top hear that. You've probably made his Easter.

[Undisputedtruth]

No Otta, I'm not at all obsessive about Liverpool. They are not worth my time. It's your siege mentality, typical to many Liverpool fans, that makes you think that non-Liverpool fans somehow are obsessive about Liverpool. I'd say get over it.

I merely using Liverpool strikers as a camparison to Balotelli's record. I can't think of many clubs who have wasted spent ?70m on forwards with a total return of just 11 goals.

I never said anyone had questioned Balotelli's skills. You did. All what I'm saying is that Balotelli is going to get better in terms of physique, technique and maturity. Can't say the same with Carroll as he's older than Balotelli.

[Alan Medic]

If he is as divisive as he apparently is (remember the free kick against Sunderland), then who is going to want to sign him UDT? He can have all the skills in the world (which he hasn't)but noone to play with. His career is on a slippery slope before it's even got going. I think Mancini's post match interview was tinged with sadness. 'He's a good guy' he said, almost as if it was his adopted son he was talking about.

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I really don't think Mqncini deserves to be

> criticised over the Tevez saga, the player wants

> away, and made his feelings about as public as

> possible.

Do you think Fergie would have welcomed Tevez back with such open arms after a 5 month 'golfing break'?

What we've witnessed is that Citeh has a number of individuals with no team ethic, and that is down to Mancini...I hope he stays too PD ;-)

Anyway, whoever manages them is going to have deal with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, that should be fun to watch...

Last year, they announced a record loss of ?197m.

Under UEFA?s new Financial Fair Play rules their losses have to be trimmed to ?36m over this season and the next.

[El Pibe]

Sorry UDT, otta is far from having a siege mentality and has often been the first to criticise Liverpool or hold his hands up and say fair enough.

It was you who decided to bring a number of Liverpool comparisons in this discussion on Balotelli.

In this you are quite simply wrong.

In the wider context of the discussion I can honestly say I can't give a flying toss. The histrionics of a bunch of overpaid idiots has ceased to have any relevance or interest to me.

[Razors]

Come on Chelsea - 4th place calling!

[Parkdrive]

Razors Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Come on Chelsea - 4th place calling!

Player fell over his own feet and ref gives a pen, shocking. CSKA Fulham have been second best throughout, and if Chavski think they can turn over Barca, they should remember the old saying, never confuse confidence with ability!! I saw Ashley Young con the ref. And as I write this Fulham have scored!! Thye have been the better team all night.

[Jah Lush]

Bloody Tottenham Hotspur!

[Parkdrive]

CSKA Fulham drop to 6th and Torres looks like a steal at only ?50 million. B)