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AC Milan and the Balotelli Effect

  By O-Posts Team | March 20, 2013 - 17:05 | , ,
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Just 46 days into his career with the Rossoneri and the effect that Mario Balotelli has had on the club is clear.

Following his arrival in Italy, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said that the move for Balotelli was “a dream that has been realized [and] a transfer that everyone wanted; the club, the president and the fans.”

That dream got off to a fairytale start with Balotelli producing a match winning brace against Udinese, a win which lifted Milan above rivals Inter in the table at the time.

Balotelli scored in the next two games for AC Milan, including a stunning 30-yard free kick against Parma to maintain the Rossoneri’s resurgent push up the league. That strike at the San Siro proved enough to match Oliver Bierhoff’s record of four goals in three matches, but the Italy international has since kicked on.

Balotelli came off the bench to add to his tally with another goal against Genoa in only his fifth appearance for the club, whilst last weekend’s brace against Palermo took the controversial striker’s tally to seven goals in six games in Serie A.

Balotelli’s arrival has coincided with AC Milan’s unbeaten run in the league, which has seen five wins in just seven games, but the effect of ‘Super Mario’ has not been universally positive.

After hitting 15 goals prior to Balotelli’s arrival in January, Italian striker Stephan El Shaarawy has managed just one goal in the league since the controversial striker’s move from Manchester City.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy.... contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy…. contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

The ‘Pharaoh’ has lost his place at the pinnacle of the Rossoneri attack, with both Balotelli and Gianpaolo Pazzini now favoured ahead of El Shaarawy in the centre of the AC Milan attack.

The competition for places up front is something which Massimiliano Allegri will have to manage carefully, but Il Faraone will likely find himself more frequently positioned either side of a central striker, with the striker’s work rate and energy considerably higher than that of the enigmatic Balotelli.

With Mario Balotelli in the side, the Rossoneri have yet to look back and AC Milan’s hopes of a second place finish seem possible based on their form in 2013. Fixtures against Fiorentina, Napoli and Juventus next month make April a huge time of the year for the Rossoneri.

How Milan manage Balotelli over the next four years could prove crucial, especially given the striker’s unmanageability in the past, but should Balotelli mature in his ways and add a higher level of work rate and determination to his game, then the effect of Mario may be long felt at the San Siro.

 

Jonathan Day is a leading football analyst who specialises in European and Premier League football. Jonathan currently writes for Sportingly Better, a football betting blog that offers free football tips and betting predictions. Follow Sportingly Better on Twitter or add them on Facebook for all the latest betting tips.

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AC Milan: The Rossoneri make point with rivals as bright future beckons

  By O-Posts Team | February 25, 2013 - 20:46 | , , ,
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There was a feeling after the final whistle went on the stalemate Milan derby in the San Siro on Sunday night that it was AC who secured the moral victory. A dominant display, only bearing the fruit of Stephen El Shaarawy’s first half strike, that was repelled only by a string of good saves by Samir Handanovic in the Inter goal, could have been construed that, had the match taken place in a boxing ring, Massimiliano Allegri’s side would have won on points.

It does indeed point to a bright future. Gone have the old guard that seemed to have been clinging on at the San Siro through sentiment only. Gattuso, Seedorf, Van Bommel, Nesta and Zambrotta have all passed while 35 year old club captain Massimo Ambrosini and 38 year old centre-half Mario Yepes have both been used sparingly. It is indicative of the age-shift that Phillipe Mexes, at the age of 30, was the oldest outfield player in Milan’s line-up that drew with Inter on Sunday.

The transition has not just been limited to the elder citizens, as Alberto Aquilani, Djamel Mesbah, Urby Emmanuelson, and Maxi Lopez had all outlasted their stay, while the high-profile exits of Alexandre Pato, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Antonio Cassano had threatened to subject the club to a spell of regression.

Allegri, who has managed to fend of the struggles promised by their drastic upheaval, now points to the likes of Mattia De Sciglio, Kevin Constant, M’baye Niang and the Barcelona youth product Bojan Krkic to light the way forward.

To deal with the departures, Milan bought effectively over the summer months, bringing in Zapata, Francisco Acerbi and Nigel De Jong, all for fees of around £3 million, while Giampaolo Pazzini arrived for €7 million as part as the deal taking Cassano to Inter. The Italian striker has gone on to score 10 goals.

Riccardo Montolivo, who impressed in last year’s European Championships with Italy, joined on a free together with Sulley Muntari to bolster the midfield, while Allegri also invested in the future, spending just £2 million on the talented 18 year old Niang and loaning in Bojan from Roma with an option to buy him at the end of the season.

After the summer of refurbishment, the season did not start well for Allegri who only managed to win 2 of his first 8 matches to leave Milan peering over their shoulder in the bottom half of Serie A. Now, things are very much on an upward curve as the Rossoneri have lost just 2 of their last 18 matches to position them third, a point ahead of Lazio and rivals Inter as the chase for the final Champions League qualification spot begins to heat up.

It is not only the league form that is cause for optimism, but their recent 2-0 win over Barcelona in the second round of the Champions League which puts them on the brink of progressing to the quarter-finals of a competition they have not won since 2007. It is these results and proficient performances that have Milan running on the ominous momentum of eight matches unbeaten since the turn of the year.

It is a side that stays true to Allegri’s 4-3-3, using the vibrant movement of Pazzini, El Shaarawy and now Mario Balotelli in attack, ahead of the combative midfield of Antonio Nocerino and Ricardo Montolivo who can win the ball back and move it forward quickly. Either Ambrosini or De Jong are appointed to anchor the midfield, offering experience in protecting a defence that has shipped just six goals in their last eight games and provided the solid foundation to the victory over Messi, Iniesta and co. last week.

The quality is not just restricted to their starting eleven as, going deeper to reserve, Allegri can call on the energy and work-rate of Ghanians Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng, the two scorers vs Barcelona, in midfield, the versatility of Daniele Bonera and Kevin Constant in defence and the lightning pace of young M’Baye Niang when defences have been worn down late on. It is testament to the strength in depth at Allegri’s disposal that the quality of Robinho and the strong experience of Mathieu Flamini have just been afforded a handful of appearances.

With such strength in all areas of the squad, the 45 year old coach can order a high level of pressing, key to winning the ball and initiating attacks in the opponent’s half, without concern of his players tiring. Should Allegri turn to the bench, he is assured there is always quality available on it, a huge advantage in a league that now allows twelve substitutes.

It is the recent upturn in form that will have painted the long-term in a lustrous shade of red and black, the Scudetto looks out of reach this season as it head back into the hands of Juventus, but Allegri’s well-rounded squad are beginning to show the promise that it will not be long before they are competing for the championship again.

The form of 20 year old El Shaarawy, who has hit 16 goals this term, in tandem with 22 year old Balotelli, who has had the impact of 4 goals from his first 4 games since joining in January, will hint that another era of league dominance, replicating the success of the 1990′s Milan, could also be in the pipeline if the young Italian strike force can produce the future their precocious talents suggest.

If they can finish the job against Barcelona in two week’s time, perhaps the focus of finishing in the Champions League places of Serie A may shift over to actually winning the competition for the first time in six years, but Allegri will be cautious enough to keep that as a long-term aim for a job that has been under-mined by a plethora of player-changes and the most volatile of transitional periods.

It is those conclusions that all connected with the Rossoneri would have taken from the 1-1 draw with Inter on Sunday evening, that it is still a work in progress and it is beginning to power in the right direction.

For Allegri, who has recently summarised the turnaround most effectively with “we are now able to aim for targets that until recently has seemed out of reach”. After his travails of the summer, that is a remarkable achievement in itself.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Match Preview: The Derby Della Madonnina

  By O-Posts Team | February 24, 2013 - 15:50 | , , ,
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It is possibly the greatest crosstown derby in the World. Although the Derby della Mole (Turin derby–Juve v Torino), the Derby della Lanterna (Genoa-Samp) and the Derby della Cupolone (Roma-Lazio) will argue against this. But the Milan derby arguably draws the most crowd outside of Italy. The duel contested by the two Milanese clubs INTER and AC Milan is upon us yet again four months after the first. This time, things have changed drastically.

Fortunes have reversed tremendously and Inter are the new Milan somewhat haven  won just 1 of their last 5 Serie A games. They were 13 points ahead of Milan a couple of weeks ago but now find themselves one point and 2 places adrift of their city rivals. Both come into this game in high spirits after their European adventure.

Milan claimed the biggest scalp in modern football, defying the odds to silence ALMIGHTY BARCELONA 2-0 at the Meazza. Inter were in no mood to dole out gifts either, putting CFR CLUJ to the sword in Romania. 3-0 it ended and 5-0 on aggregate. Milan still have to go to the Nou Camp for the return leg v the Blaugrana.

Coach Max Allegri is a man reformed. The former Cagliari tactician has completely revitalised AC Milan in the last two months. Much so that if the Italian League began 15 games ago, the Diavolo would be sitting comfortably on top of the pile and not Juventus. Such as been the phenomenal nature of their upturn in form. The purchase of long time fan and ex-Inter striker Mario Balotelli from Manchester City has coincided with the upsurge.

Super Mario’s electric start to life as a Rossoneri was never doubted but the speed at which it has kicked off has been breathtaking, The bad boy of world football has struck four times in 3 games so far. A superb return. His penalty reputation has reamained undaunted. 18 of 18 is obviously the best conversion rate in the history of football.

Stephan El Shaarawy, affectionately called II Faraone, has been a revelation to say the least. His 15 Serie A goals have contributed to the explosive form Milan are currently enjoying. Aside penalties, he is the highest goal scorer in the SERIE A. El Matador Cavani has scored 18 including 4 spot-kicks.

In the absence of Tonio Nocerino, Nigel de Jong and Mathieu Flamini, Sulley Muntari, Max Ambrosini and Ricco Montolivo have been excellent in the middle of the pack. Ask Xavi, Fabregas and Busquets.  Allegri has also unearthed a new gem in recent weeks. M’baye Niang, the summer capture from Caen has been worthy of praise.

His contributions have been noteworthy and telling. When he came on against Barca in midweek, he ran the Barcelona rearguard ragged and tormented Jordi Alba countless times. Although he has yet to register a Serie A goal, his strike v Reggina in the Coppa Italia made him the 2nd youngest scorer in Milan’s history at 17 years 350 days (6 days to his 18th birthday). He has had his fair share of disciplinary problems, but his talent is undoubtedly there for all to see.

At the back, Philippe Mexes can be erratic and slow to react sometimes. Nevertheless, his partnership with Christian Zapata has flourished in recent games. Should it continue, Milan will go places they never dreamt of when the season started. Bereft of Ibra, MVB, Pippo Inzaghi, Seedorf, Gattuso, Nesta, etc, the team was expected to struggle and struggle they did at the beginning. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and the signs are glaring.

Mattia De Sciglio has been plagued by niggling injuries of late, but he is an interesting prospect. Constant has been exceptional at left back and showed it in midweek. Abate flatters to deceive and frustrates at the same time. Milan have to cope with him as he is the best option they have at right back. I personally don’t rate him.

Internazionale Milano sacked the likes of Gian Piero Gasperini, Claudio ‘the Tinkerman’ Ranieri and Rafa Benitez finally handing coaching duties to Primavera coach, Andrea Stramaccioni. He steadied the ship, but couldn’t qualify the Nerazzurri for the Champions League and finally had to make do with a place in the Europa League. They have made their mark in the competition, recently qualifying for the Round of 16 to face English side, Spurs.

In the Serie A, they were flying at first, firing on all cylinders. All of a sudden, the team collapsed. From Scudetto contenders, they have regressed rapidly and are fighting to qualify for the Champions League. The players have consistently backed the young and inexperienced manager. Even owner, the Don Massimo Moratti has been unequivocal in his defence and confidence of the troubled manager.

The likes of El Talentino d’Bari Cassano, Rodrigo Palacio, Tomasso Rocchi, Mateo Kovacic, Freddy Guarin (initially on loan from Porto), Walter Gargano (on loan from Napoli), Alvaro Pereira, etc were brought in to bring back the Scudetto to the Gentile. Cassano was lured from City rivals, AC Milan in a swap that included Pazzini going the other way.

Walter ‘II Muro’ Samuel is not going to feature in the match, Milan will be extremely delighted with that. The ‘Wall’ has never lost (100%) a game v the red, black and white and scored a 4th minute winner when both sides met in October. Andrea Ranocchia is also unavailable which means Chivu will partner Juan Jesus in defence. Not what Inter would have wished for.

But wishes are not horses. There’s no shortage of greatness in midfield. The superhuman Javier Zanetti, leader of the Interisiti can play there, although he will play either right or left back depending on where Nagatomo is going to start from. Esteban Cambiasso can be relied upon any time. His man marking, hard tackling abilities cannot be questioned.

The bald headed Argentine shackled Xavi, Messi and the rest of the Catalan gang three years ago when Inter went on win the Champions League. He has come up big on various occasions in his career and is not afraid of the elite stage. Freddy Guarin has scored some important goals from attacking midfield. His double v Cluj ensured Inter’s passage into the next round. He is expected to provide the needed spark from that position.

Mateo Kovacic was brought in to replace the departed Sneijder (Gala) and Coutinho (Liverpool). The teenager who pinpoints Robert Prosinecki as his idol, is something of a marvel who might go on to become an even better player than the aforementioned Croat.

It is in attack that the Nerazzurri have a big problem. El Principe Milito is out for the season with a serious knee injury suffered in the first leg of the Europa League R32 match v Cluj. The Argentine whose two goals won them the UCL in 2010, is Inter’s highest goal scorer this season and was central to Inter’s defeat of Juventus which effectively ended their 49 match League unbeaten run a few months ago. He’ll be sorely missed. Inter have Cassano and Palacio to lead the line nonetheless…none of them is DIEGO MILITO with all due respect.

If the Rossoneri can earn a win against Inter, it will round off one of the most memorable weeks in Berlusconi’s 27 year reign as President of the outfit. A win v Barcelona and Inter Milan in the space of four days is the stuff of good dreams. It will do a lot to their mental capability and give them that air of invincibility all great teams need to succeed.

This game is of immense importance as it a battle of who gets the 3rd and final Champions League place. Berlusconi, Galliani and Allegri are looking beyond the number three spot anyways. The new objective is to try and win the Championship. Something that was inconceivable at the beginning of the season when the team was almost fretting with relegation staring in its face.

Inter must do well tonight to take away the agony of the 4-1 humbling by the Viola last time out. The Serbia-Montenegro duo of Ljajic-Jovetic scored a brace each to condemn the team to a 4-1 loss and further dent their hopes of finishing among the top 3 at the end of the season. II Aeroplanino’s men were in the mood that day. It will be interesting to see how the Curva and Ultras are going to handle the Cassano-Balotelli situation.

Both prodigal sons, Cassano left Milan for Inter and Balotelli is now lining up for the arch-rivals of the club who made him the footballer that he is today. Loyalty has been dead and buried in Football long ago. We can’t wait for the drama to start and when it does, trust me it will be nerve racking and pulsating. Let’s have it.

 

Probable Lineups–

INTER  MILAN—> Handanovic, Zanetti, Chivu, Juan, Nagatomo, Cambiasso, Kuzmanovic, Kovacic, Guarin, Cassano-Palacio

AC MILAN——> Abbiati, Abate, Mexes, Zapata, Constant, Muntari, Montolivo, Ambrosini, Balotelli, Niang, El Shaarawy.

 

Some sumptuous battles today.

 

Written by Ohiskaka Eboreime

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Mario Balotelli: The Marmite of Football

  By O-Posts Team | February 3, 2013 - 16:10 | , , , , , , ,
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Mario Balotelli can be described as the ‘Marmite’ of football. You either love him or you hate him. It’s incredible to think that he is still only 22 years old. In a short period of time he has won the Premier league title with Manchester City and was part of Jose Mourinho’s treble winning Inter Milan side.

After a turbulent two years at Manchester City which saw him have countless falling-outs with manager Roberto Mancini and problems off the pitch such as allegedly throwing darts at the Manchester City youth team because ‘he was bored’ and being allergic to grass. Mancini always seemed to have faith in him and was described as being ‘sad’ when this transfer was set in motion.

At the end of the day you have to admire the efforts of Mancini to get Balotelli concentrating on his football. Even the great Jose Mourinho has described Mario as, ‘unmanageable’ during his two years at Inter.

This could be the fresh start Mario Balotelli needs, his transfer from Manchester City to AC Milan could be his last chance to make himself a footballing legend for the right reasons. There is no doubt that AC Milan is one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. They used to produce the best teams in European football which were made up of the icons of attacking football such as; Marco Van Basten, Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi to name a few.

However, this current Milan squad is a long way off the great teams of the past. This season has been particularly bad for the Rosseneri; they were hovering around the relegation area for the first few weeks.

This could be put down to the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the summer. That hole in attack would be difficult for any team to fill. The emergence of Stephan El Shaarawy has made the departure seem less apparent but in the end a team the size of Milan must be challenging for the title with a Champions League spot the bare minimum.

Milan has confirmed the signing of Mario Balotelli for £19.5m on a four year deal. The potential for this attack for both Milan and the Italian national team is exciting, especially with Mario’s performance at the recent European Championships.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri now has the task of choosing between five strikers; Stephan El Shaarawy, Bojan, Giampaolo Pazzini, Robinho and now Balotelli. One formation that has been spoken about is a 4-3-3 which is unusual for Milan of late with the three pronged attack of El Shaarawy/Balotelli/Robinho. This obviously has the potential to be the best in Italy.

With Nigel De Jong out for the season and Urby Emanuelson surprisingly sent on loan to Fulham for the rest of the season, Milan, on paper, still have enough fire power to push on this season, with Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ricardo Montolivo and the emergence of M’Baye Niang more than capable of controlling a midfield of three. Milan could even try the ever growing 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 formations that many teams in Italy are incorporating now.

Massimiliano Allegri has had problems in the past with the man management of his players with reported bust ups with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pippo Inzaghi. If Mario Balotelli doesn’t concentrate on his football and causes problems like he has in the past, the already under fire boss could have his work cut out for him as he has probably never had to manage a player like Balotelli.

I personally hope that Mario Balotelli does make it at Milan. Their team is rebuilding and are definitely boasting the best young talent in Italy at the moment. He has already scored for Milan during their 10-0 mauling of Darfo Boario who sit in the 4th division in Italy.

His return sparked a riot within the Milan Ultra’s so it’s safe to say the Mario Balotelli era at AC Milan has begun.

 

Written by Tom French

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Mario Balotelli: Good deal for the Rossoneri?

  By O-Posts Team | January 31, 2013 - 16:29 | , , , , ,
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AC Milan and Premier League champions Manchester City have agreed a deal for striker Mario Balotelli. A fee of £19 million plus add-ons (possibly including a bet on March madness or two) will see the 22 year old return to the San Siro, but representing the red and black of Milan.

Life long fan Balotelli had previously expressed desire to one day join the Rossoneri and is scheduled to undergo a medical tomorrow morning and sign a four and a half year contract. Milan Sporting Director Umberto Gandini conformed on twitter:

“Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow [Wednesday] in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed.”

Earlier in the season, owner Silvio Berlusconi labelled the former Inter Star as “rotten apple”, but has since apologized and funded for the move for Balotelli.

Balotelli signed for City in the summer of 2010 in a deal that cost City £24 Million. He began his City career well and had his most prolific season in the 2011-2012 season, scoring 17 goals.

However due to disciplinary issues, background bust ups and a dip in form which has seen the Italian net only three times this season, he found himself fourth choice behind Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko and Boss Roberto Mancini had decided to cut his loses and £175,000 off the City wage bill.

Although enduring many problems during his spell at the Etihad, Balotelli captivated the football world through his spectacular goals, cheeky gestures, suspensions and also his talent. While it is clear Balotelli has a knack of disregarding the rules, his talent and ability must not be underestimated.

There is a reason he was bought for £24 million, four league titles, the Champions League, three domestic cups and won Golden Boy of the Year 2010. The move will come as a success for all parties involved.

Balotelli gets his dream move, whilst AC Milan have a signed player of his quality for a reasonable price. Manchester City have received extra funds for the club and can continue running the club without the disruption of Mario and his antics.

 

Written by Farhan Daw

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Super Mario to AC Milan: Wishing all the best to the Balotelli circus

  By O-Posts Team | January 29, 2013 - 22:37 | , , , , , , ,
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So he’s gone then. Mario Balotelli has called time on his two and a half years at Manchester City that have been marred by petulance and stories of lunacy that have split opinion.

Roberto Mancini thought he could see through the simmering idiocy long enough to get the best out of his striker, but a training ground bust-up at the start of December proved to be the crescendo of his ill-fated time in England as the manager finally admits defeat in his quest to discover the Italian’s best which he has frustratingly shown mere glimpses of.

Balotelli has played just 25 minutes of football since tempers over-spilled on that day in Carrington as Mancini has condemned him to the bench, but AC Milan have come to the striker’s rescue with a four and a half year deal and a £17 million fee.

Balotelli has reportedly taken a pay-cut to escape his troubles at City and to join the club he has apparently supported since he was a boy, it is a deal that has taken a lot of compromise but it’s the best solution to the working relationship between manager and player at Eastlands that had appears to have reached impasse.

Balotelli’s nature for rebellion that can be a threat to any manager’s attempt to create a harmonious side now becomes the problem of Massimo Allegri who is no stranger to working on rocky ground, having steered Milan through the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva last summer to leave them sitting six points off third midway through a season of transition.

Balotelli becomes the latest addition to the Rosseneri revolution and will link up with Alexander Pato and another precocious talent in Stephen El-Shaarawry, a combination that has the potential to be a very dangerous partnership indeed.

As Italy manager Cesare Prandelli will testify, Balotelli has the raw talent in abundance after witnessing his dismissal of Germany in Euro 2012. Mancini knows of his quality too, but drove himself crazy trying to persuade the striker to produce it on a consistent basis.

Underneath all the stories of madness that followed him off the field that had caricatured him as something of a cult figure for the neutral in search of light-hearted entertainment lay the most frustrating element of all, that he could betray such gifted talent to exist to be this aggravated, isolated soul who asked “why always me?”.

Perhaps he will find a happier environment in Milan and become, under the guise of Allegri, become the player Mancini had always billed him to be. His last spell in Serie A was as turbulent as his one in England as the relationship between him the huge ego of Jose Mourinho was doomed to failure.

Perhaps he will find a more settled ground from which to show his ability and produce more of the performances that saw him score twice at Old Trafford, or become the man of the match in the FA Cup final of 2011 that have been, infuriatingly for his former boss, a rarity.

He has been delightful for the neutral with his adventures off the field but now, at the age of 22, many would hope the process of maturity follows him to the San Siro so he can blossom into a favourite for the neutral on the field too.

In the parting words of Mancini, “he can become one of the best players in Europe”, let’s hope, for the sake of misguided talent, that isn’t just a prophecy tarred with blind faith.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Mario Balotelli: Could Roberto Mancini get one more chance to prove he was right all along?

  By O-Posts Team | January 23, 2013 - 19:24 | , , , , ,
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Speculation of Mario Balotelli’s possible move from Manchester City to AC Milan this month has been illuminated by stories of the striker mysteriously giving up his highly expensive rented property in Cheshire and inspiring an Italian hip-hop artist to write a song about the pitfalls of native citizenship.

There have been no stories of mass-philanthropy at petrol stations or schools, but indication all the same of the slapstick nature that has followed the character during his time in Manchester that maybe coming to an end.

For somebody who tested Jose Mourinho’s patience to the extreme upon his emergence with Inter Milan and possessed enough lack of wit to appear on national television wearing the shirt of their bitter city rivals, the £24 million move to Manchester City in the August of 2010 as Inter finally gave up on the attacker’s eccentricities and passed him on to his first Internazionale coach and mentor Roberto Mancini, was never going to be the smoothest of rides.

Two years and six months later, Balotelli is rumoured to be on his way back to Milan with his reputation for the petulant, unreliable and utmost frustrating well and truly installed. 27 yellow cards have been picked up at Manchester City and four reds, the most costly one being the scissor tackle that threatened to derail his side’s title chase with defeat at Arsenal last April.

Despite the wretched indiscipline that, just like Mourinho, has driven Roberto Mancini to the edges of his faith in his apparent talent that looked to have finally broken during a training ground fight in December, the manager still appears to hold support for his prodigy whose agent has claimed that any January move is unlikely.

“I’m not interested in negotiating with anyone” says Mino Raiola, “Mario stays at City,” which may go someway to delighting Mancini who, as some are quick to point out, has never voiced a desire to sell the player and is said to be the only member of the City hierarchy to still hold patience in the 22 year old despite ironically being the one who Balotelli has let down the most.

Too often there hasn’t been the ruthless efficiency in-front of goal that adorned Euro 2012 and neither has there been too many moments to replicate the “why always me?” motif of his two-goal inspiration in the 1-6 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford. Instead the more everlasting images have been Mancini furiously reacting on the touchline to another misdemeanour, withdrawing him immediately after a needless back-heel in a pre-season friendly and from a woeful display in this season’s Manchester derby.

It was his inclusion in that game that indicated Mancini’s relentless mission to siphon the best out of Balotelli, which he has chosen to just restrict to mere glimpses, and what initially sparked Mancini to pay out the £24 million fee 2 years ago. City are seeking to recuperate £31 million for the striker, an extortionate ask when it is considered the frequency of which the Italian has proved an encumbrance to his employers.

Adriano Galliani, AC Milan’s vice-president, has said his side are eager to sign the troublesome player and expressed a willingness to negotiate, while Silvio Berlusconi has been entirely negative towards the projected move, conflicting reports that show in microcosm how much the enigmatic striker splits opinion.

Any opinion that is, apart from Roberto Mancini’s which remains completely unswayed on what his man can eventually offer to Manchester City once his shoddy attitude stops betraying the talent he possesses.

Aside from the misadventures and the comedy that has incurred his time with City, a return of 30 goals from 75 is a modest total from two years in east Manchester where he has played a significant role in a period of incredible success; he was man of the match in the FA Cup final win over Stoke in 2011 whilst as well as twenty goals last season, his measured pass to provide Sergio Aguero for his last gasp goal that sealed City’s first ever league title would have achieved him immortality in City’s history despite the infuriating underbelly of this chapter of his young career.

Balotelli has played just 31 minutes of football since that erroneous decision to field him in the derby at the start of December, but as City once again go in pursuit of their neighbours for a successive Premier League title, his services could well be needed again as he currently sits on the bench awaiting a possible shot at redemption.

If Milan’s interest passes in this window without action, as is looking increasingly likely, it will give Mancini another 5 months to launch one last desperate attempt to give the striker a chance to prove he was worth the trouble all along.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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