Mario Balotelli

[TheDrowningMan]

Southall strikes me as someone who enjoys beans on his fry up. Lots of them. He looks like he's got a good fart in him.

When Southall farts, the world listens.

[magicrat]

I'm convinced he's going to be boss, the fans will give him a level of adulation he's never experienced before, and will be backed to the hilt almost regardless of what he does, he'll with thrive and fulfill his potential. 

That's naive imo. He doesn't in reality start with a clean slate in exactly the same way as Suarez doesn't come free of baggage for Barca, 

This guy will be a real fucking handful and lets not pretend he will cut out all the shit or that his previous managers were utter wank and couldn't handle the lad. Rodgers is good at man management that's a given but he's not a miracle worker. He just about got a handle on Suarez and his footballing genius ensured we came out on the right side . Balotelli is not Suarez and whilst they may be great moments and goals I question whether he will be worth the hassle . Massively high maintenance and disruptive in a squad were we are already trying to bed in lots of new faces. After chewing it over for a couple of days I'm with Souness on this and think we shouldn't have signed him . If there was no one else then Etoo'd on a years contract would have been better and look towards the Jan window.

I hope I'm wrong.  

[billypilgrimnz]

I don't see it working out. But lets hope I'm wrong. I don't mind being wrong.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

He didnt get sent off in the 46th minute, it was mid way through the second half of the game. So it is false.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/champions-league/6244609/Rubin-Kazan-1-Inter-Milan-1-match-report.html

It's not false, it's just souped up a bit.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I predict Evertonians will dub him "Balosmelly".

[Iceman]

Fuck the grauniad manc lovers. We are spending Shane Long money on a World Class goalscorer and all of a sudden his signing will define Brendan's whole career? Utter nonsense. Fucking clickbait, expro's looking for some nag money bollocks. If he's shite we sell him. End of. The only career being defined is Balotelli's. He's the one in the last chance saloon so we have nothing to lose. Especially when the alternative was most likely Bony for 20m+.

[Iceman]

No way is BR going to allow one player to fuck up the team mentality of the group. We've seen his ruthlessness so I have no worries about him allowing Balotelli to disrupt anything. He will probably get the lad playing as he's never done before if past results are any indicator.

[TheDrowningMan]

After chewing it over for a couple of days I'm with Souness on this and think we shouldn't have signed him . 

 

At least if Souness disapproves we know Balotelli more likely than not possesses the skill and attitude to succeed here.

[magicrat]

At least if Souness disapproves we know Balotelli more likely than not possesses the skill and attitude to succeed here.

I am no massive Souness fan but he isn't a complete idiot as some would make out

[TheDrowningMan]

I am no massive Souness fan but he isn't a complete idiot as some would make out

 

As a judge of a new signing, I'm not sure I can think of any worse. 

[Phoenix]

As a judge of a new signing, I'm not sure I can think of any worse. 

 

The guy who signed Razor Ruddock. Torben Piechnik and Istvan Kozma

 

Forgot about Julian Dicks

Edited August 24, 2014 by Phoenix

[TheDrowningMan]

The guy who signed Razor Ruddock. Torben Piechnik and Istvan Kozma

 

Forgot about Julian Dicks

 

Don't forget the astute decision to hand actual Premier League playing time to a bloke who pretended to be George Weah's cousin.

 

Or Paul Stewart.

[Anubis]

it's not a false anecdote - I heard it from Mourinho the other day.

 

I read somewhere Eto'o actually played in the game and Balotelli wasn't sent off until the 60th minute. So false in the sense Mourinho lied.

 

EDIT: Sorry, see others dealt with it.

[Chocoholic]

I don't get this 'Balotelli will be a massive risk to team spirit' shite, I really don't.

 

Anywhere he's been, he's always had a good relationship with team-mates and team spirit has never been an issue, as far as I could see. The problems have all been to do with his own game performances and with his fractious relationships with the respective managers  - Mancini twice and Maureen - then a succession of managers at AC Milan, which although it may not be described as fractious, lack of continuity has not allowed any kind of stable relationship. Mourinho's record of relationships with players is well known and Mancini never got a grip on the egos that ended up bigger than his own at Man City.

 

That said, that same lack of continuity has not stopped him scoring 34 in 50 for them.

 

As I see it, and many more here, our squad is far too together with a mindset and environment established and continually fostered by Rodgers, to allow one maverick personality come in and upset. Once again, I'll refer to the fact that he's always had a good relationship with team-mates and the fact that he's coming in knowing he's not going to be able to rock too many boats for the good of his own career.

 

Leadership throughout the squad will be a key factor in helping him settle and know that he just has to play football, and not be having to live up to some star biulling that he may have previously felt the pressure of. He will have plenty of mentors, not least Brendan, himself, to help him fit in to what is a very dynamic squad.

 

If he can take that on board, a more relaxed (if there is such a thing) Ballotelli will just play football like he can and as a result, enjoy the adulation of a body of fans like he's never had before. We can only hope that this mutual love affair, if it takes hold, can help him become the player he's always promised to be, and we go on to great things enjoy him at his best.

 

Long Live Love.

[magicrat]

As a judge of a new signing, I'm not sure I can think of any worse.  

I hope you're right and I'm wrong but I don't think we should have signed Balotelli but as they say he's our nutter now, I would  however like to know why Brendan has changed his opinion leaving aside the seemingly knock down price, He wont be cheap if he's a fuck up

[Trumo]

With Balotelli, the biggest problem is not his ability but his frequent lack of application. People will throw his goalscoring and goals-per-game stats at you but that doesn't tell you the whole story. The coaches he's fallen out with have massive egos themselves, but some of their despair must be based on Balotelli's lack of application at times. If a coach can get him to apply himself and his abilities consistently, they'll have a true world beater on their hands. If Rodgers can get that from him at Liverpool, all the well-meaning, generally harmless madcap off-field antics would be tolerable to an extent as they wouldn't define him as much as they have in his career to date.

 

Obviously at every club he's played for, he's been in a professional environment, but he hasn't as yet been at a club where the professional environment has been so carefully blended with a genuine unity of spirit and family feel. It remains to be seen whether that is the key to unlocking his potential to the fullest.

[TheHowieLama]

 I would  however like to know why Brendan has changed his opinion leaving aside the seemingly knock down price, He wont be cheap if he's a fuck up

 

Assuming Rodgers was being 100% truthful at the time, all we need to do is leave aside the reason, thats all then huh?

 

He will be cheap if he is a fuck up - we will sell on to Russia or Turkey and at most lose a couple mil

[TheHowieLama]

If he scores 1 in 2 he can take every other game off, i give him permission - we have other options. In fact he can sit on the bench in that fur coat if he wants.

[old skool tom]

songs please......

 

mancs 20 times tune

 

mario,mario balotelli

now in liverpool red he plays

mario mario balotelli

(cant think of last line)

 

 

ooooooh stick you tune......

whooooo scores goals for me and you,Balotelli

[J-V]

I don't know what's worse the song or that you know the "Mancs 20 times" song whatever that is.

[Bjornebye]

I don't see it working out. But lets hope I'm wrong. I don't mind being wrong.

Otherwise you would be one un-happy camper

[Jairzinho]

If he scores 1 in 2 he can take every other game off, i give him permission - we have other options. In fact he can sit on the bench in that fur coat if he wants.

We should make it the game he doesn't score in. Job done, scores a goal a game.

[Tony Moanero]

Neville Southall is boss. Great goalkeeper.

[moof]

He's a prick

 

Edit: fat nev, that is.

[Adebisi]

I heard Mario is already causing mayhem in Liverpool. Apparently he's bought all the blue coloured jelly and food dye in tesco and put it all in the bin just so some poor dying Everton fan couldn't have an Everton themed desert for his (probably) last birthday. 

The guy is a fucking disgrace. I heard someone today, an Everton fan I believe but who he supports isn't important, anyway he suggested any carry on from Balotelli and we should get points deducted and I'm inclined to agree with him. He's bad to the bone.