Time For Super Mario To Worry
10 December 2012
Mario Balotelli seems to be running out of chances at Manchester City, after manager Roberto Mancini warned the striker to start “worrying about his job.”
Balotelli was entrusted with attacking Manchester United’s dicey defence in the derby over the weekend.
But he was withdrawn with City trailing 2-0 after a performance which was neither here nor there, and Mancini appears to have grown frustrated with his unpredictable compatriot.
In seasons past, it was ‘Super’ Mario’s attitude and behaviour that vexed Mancini.
But now, troublingly for the young hit-man, it is his below-par form which has seen him fall out of favour with City’s baffled gaffer.
And with the Premier League’s richest club now openly eyeing a string of high-profile January transfer targets, Mancini says it is now time for Balotelli to come to the party.
"I love Mario but it is important for him to start to think about his job,” Mancini said after Sunday’s feisty derby ended with City licking their wounds.
"He has everything to play well but he can't continue to play like today. We wanted more from him.
"When you have a player that has Mario's quality, you cannot understand why he continues to throw it out of the window. It is incredible.
"I have seen players in my life with fantastic quality. But in the end, they did nothing. I don't want Mario to finish like these players. It would be bad for him."
Meanwhile, hindsight emphatically proves that Mancini was wrong to bench former United cult hero Carlos Tevez for misfiring Mario. But the Italian defended his rationale for the decision.
"It is easy to say after the game. I thought Mario could create problems for them,” he said.
“He is young and runs quickly - when you decide before the game this is what you think."
comments
@tondi, It's not even about cleaning up his act. Mario has the big mouth of Zlatan, the off-field antics of Best, Tevez, Cantona, Maradona & Ronaldiho and the ego of Ginola but the difference between him and all those guys is that they proved their worth on the field. They keep saying it's because he's young but even Rooney had issues when he was younger but he always performed.
Submitted by: Mandridster_United
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 19:54:11
Dz baloteli guy is jst ovaratd....MXM 4RM HS FUNNY ACIDANTS I WASNT IMPRESD.IN A SOKA GAME U EITHER GO BG OR GO HME .BALOTELI IS TALENTD BT LES HARDWORK,GTS EITHER HE PULS UP HS Socks or shp owt
Submitted by: LEEROY246
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 19:16:22
Balotelli mst be relesed coz wt he's doing he's causing da team always,mancin mst release dis supermario
Submitted by: Gerrard_Eve
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 16:37:18
This guy is really a waste of time. How many chances has Mancini given him to prove his worth. Mancini has stood by this boy for a very long time. He must be losing his patience on him. Mario should really clean up his act or he is going to regret it. Yeah, he has been through some s****t in his life but he must start thinking about his future.
Submitted by: tondi23
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 16:30:20
Mario is a disappointment and a complete waste of time. I've been watching him for the last 3 years and he has not improved one bit or even attempted to add a new dimention to his game. He is not worth all the trouble. All this hype around him is because of his potential but he is reaching the age where potential has to turn into substance and I don't see it.
Submitted by: Mandridster_United
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 16:14:58
This boy needs to grow up and he almost cost City their tittle last season.He has to get his act together or else he will lose everything
Submitted by: Eliassellom
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 15:20:59
Arsenal has bigger troubles and SM would not see eye to eye with AV
Submitted by: Mnune
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 13:37:34
Arsenal shld get dis super mario..blv m, he nids 2b trustd. He cn do more!
Submitted by: Toughj
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 12:49:59
He is more an troublesome boy than a player, maybe the mix of black and Italian from his childhood is haunting him, get you act together broer
Submitted by: netshiro
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 11:16:44
Mario is good but doesn't take his job seriously.. Tevez is a soldier you can't go on war without!! Dzeko works very hard to please Mancini.. Aguero is something else, he runs perfect off the ball. With the ball also.. He's strong, he can head regardless of the height. He can shoot on-target..
Submitted by: Itumeleng Aaron
Date: 10 December 2012, Time: 10:59:13