Mario Balotelli [On the Road to Ballon d'or)

[captainfog]

Because he keeps being asked why he's not playing him?

He's been ill and injured recently, not dropped. Even if he had just been dropped from the squad you don't have to answer every question truthfully. Show a bit of thought.

He's got a motor mouth and talks with out engaging brain. Been the same since he's been here.

[captainfog]

Not sure what Rodgers is supposed to have done wrong here.

He's not slagging Balo off, he's just answered a question about why he's not in the team.
If there's a message in there about him needing to fall in with the team ethic, then that's fine. That's not throwing him under a bus, at all.

Balo's come under fire from every manager he's worked under. So who would that suggest is the real '****house' here?

Obviously not Rodgers fault. Its probably down to the pitch or lack of training time or something.

[Mark79]

Obviously not Rodgers fault. Its probably down to the pitch or lack of training time or something.

Not a whole lot of sense in that reply.

[captainfog]

Not a whole lot of sense in that reply.

It was a sarcastic reply involving the other two of Rodgers favourite excuses.

[dom9]

He's been ill and injured recently, not dropped. Even if he had just been dropped from the squad you don't have to answer every question truthfully. Show a bit of thought.

He's got a motor mouth and talks with out engaging brain. Been the same since he's been here.

I dunno. I'm finding it refreshing. Footballers seem to live under different management rules to the rest of us. Constantly mollicodled. **** em. A bit of honesty is fine with me.

[Mark79]

It was a sarcastic reply involving the other two of Rodgers favourite excuses.

Yeah I got that much

The training time one was bizarre. But he's hardly alone as far as managers coming out with bull**** excuses goes. They all do it. Didn't Fergie once blame the colour of his team's kit?

Neither are really connected to his handling of Balo though.

[captainfog]

I dunno. I'm finding it refreshing. Footballers seem to live under different management rules to the rest of us. Constantly mollicodled. **** em. A bit of honesty is fine with me.

If you underperformed at work, your boss wouldn't lean out of the window with a megaphone and tell everyone who's within earshot that you're crap. It's dealt with in private, just like it should be done with at football clubs.

[Mark79]

I dunno. I'm finding it refreshing. Footballers seem to live under different management rules to the rest of us. Constantly mollicodled. **** em. A bit of honesty is fine with me.

And in this particular case something obviously needs to be done.
Saying nothing and letting Balo carry on the way he is definitely isn't going to work for anyone.

[ChesterDave]

If you underperformed at work, your boss wouldn't lean out of the window with a megaphone and tell everyone who's within earshot that you're crap. It's dealt with in private, just like it should be done with at football clubs.

Footballers however, are a massively valuable asset that the club invests millions of pounds in. If you consistently put in half arsed effort in a normal everyday job you are likely to find yourself unemployed before long.

Some footballers know they can carry on putting in a half arsed effort because their employer can't afford to cut them loose and write off the millions of pounds tied up in their asset/player.

They also get paid a ****ing **** load of money so if they are going to be a lazy prick and take the piss out of the fans that pay their wages with ticket sales and merchandise purchases they should be called out for it publicly so those fans know exactly what they are like.

Shame the ****ers into pulling their fingers out.

[dom9]

If you underperformed at work, your boss wouldn't lean out of the window with a megaphone and tell everyone who's within earshot that you're crap. It's dealt with in private, just like it should be done with at football clubs.

You've clearly never worked for me.

[captainfog]

Footballers however, are a massively valuable asset that the club invests millions of pounds in. If you consistently put in half arsed effort in a normal everyday job you are likely to find yourself unemployed before long.

Some footballers know they can carry on putting in a half arsed effort because their employer can't afford to cut them loose and write off the millions of pounds tied up in their asset/player.

They also get paid a ****ing **** load of money so if they are going to be a lazy prick and take the piss out of the fans that pay their wages with ticket sales and merchandise purchases they should be called out for it publicly so those fans know exactly what they are like.

Shame the ****ers into pulling their fingers out.

If it was just once then maybe I could understand it, but its been pretty relentless. Its doubly odd because when he's played he's put more effort in than I've ever seen from him before. The problem has not been effort, its been ability. We should never have signed him. Rodgers seems to criticising him for not having attributes that he has never before displayed. If you want a different style of player then why sign him. Its like buying a rake and then moaning it doesn't cut grass very well.

Rodgers is either playing politics because he didnt want to sign him and is using his balo criticisms as a way of having a go at the comittee or he's just an idiot. I suspect its the former and if so he's being a prick.

Earlier in the season it was also a distraction to talk about rather than our awful form.

[McDermotX]

I do think it's a bit odd that Mario is consistently being talked about by Rodgers surrounding games that he's not involved in etc etc

But I'm gonna give Brendan the benefit of the doubt, and suggest a lot of his comments are a direct result of repeated questions from the media briefs directly around Balotelli.

It's obvious he doesn't rate him, so it can seem as though there is a targeted attempt to put focus on the player's shortcomings etc, but I suspect it's not as deliberate as it appears. Should probably use a bit more tact though.

Because he keeps being asked why he's not playing him?

My God !

Its almost like you didn't bother with the rest of the post. What with it only being an inch or so below.

[dom9]

My God !

Its almost like you didn't bother with the rest of the post. What with it only being an inch or so below.

Well, I was answering your question.

[Buzzo]

If it was just once then maybe I could understand it, but its been pretty relentless. Its doubly odd because when he's played he's put more effort in than I've ever seen from him before. The problem has not been effort, its been ability. We should never have signed him. Rodgers seems to criticising him for not having attributes that he has never before displayed. If you want a different style of player then why sign him. Its like buying a rake and then moaning it doesn't cut grass very well.

Rodgers is either playing politics because he didnt want to sign him and is using his balo criticisms as a way of having a go at the comittee or he's just an idiot. I suspect its the former and if so he's being a prick.

Earlier in the season it was also a distraction to talk about rather than our awful form.

it is certainly an uneven management style. It's not like everyone else has been awesome this season either. Borini puts in loads of 'effort' he's just not that good, and countless others have at times under performed. Balotelli has ability. I will be interested to see the Spurs formation in action again, easily his best game. Where he was not the main centre forward, but his movement off Sturridge meant he had lots of chances. Might have been a different story if one if them had gone in.

[McDermotX]

Well, I was answering your question.

What question ?

There's not one question there, only an observation and an opinion on why these Balotelli stories keep coming to the fore.

But enough of this.......let's get back to Rodgers.....the prick ****house !