Mario Balotelli

[BloodIsBlue 291]

What on earth have short legs to do with worldclass goals ?

By your logic Messi never scores such goals or only by chance?

I just trust taller people to take penalties that is all. You used a terrible example as Messi has missed a lot of penalties, I'd say about 10 but I'm lazy to dig for the right answer. Penalites and left footed play are clearly Messi's weakness if he does have any.

[sutro 1,026]

I just trust taller people to take penalties that is all. You used a terrible example as Messi has missed a lot of penalties, I'd say about 10 but I'm lazy to dig for the right answer. Penalites and left footed play are clearly Messi's weakness if he does have any.

I tought you were talking about shots in general, not only pk's , my bad sorry.

But to me pk's are not only about the shot quality, there's a big mental factor also, Hazard is the perfect prove for that.

He's shots are not always perfect placed but he just keep watching at the keeper and wait with his shot till the keeper moved and then take the other side, short or long legs dont matter in this case but its very effective

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Just get him in... He'd be perfect.

[BloodIsBlue 291]

I tought you were talking about shots in general, not only pk's , my bad sorry.

But to me pk's are not only about the shot quality, there's a big mental factor also, Hazard is the perfect prove for that.

He's shots are not always perfect placed but he just keep watching at the keeper and wait with his shot till the keeper moved and then take the other side, short or long legs dont matter in this case but its very effective

Messi's longshot goals have only come just outside the box and there may only be a handful. You can look at athletic build players like Bale and CR7 who have scored a decent number or corkers in their time. They firstly have longer and heavier legs which gives you more inertia, and the extra length of their leg means their foot is moving faster (if shorter-taller player's hips and knees rotate at the same angular speed). I'm not saying a shorter player can't launch bombasos, I remember Roberto Carlos, it's just that it's a bit more effortless for the longer legs.

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

Id say that Balo is a wild card like David Luiz.

Has a lot of potential but even with the best manager, Mourinho things might not work out.

50 50 chance, but if the price is right it's worth a decent risk.

Cause when we bough David Luiz he had a lot of potential, and so far has not really fulfill his greatness with us, but we can sell him to Barcelona...if rumors are true.

The clash of the wildcards!

[sherry33 234]

Hope he can mature like suarez has. That's the only thing separating him from getting to the next level. I have a feeling he's one of the strikers on jose's list.

I just hope Balotelli is above Costa on Jose's list...

[didierforever 7,349]

I just hope Balotelli is above Costa on Jose's list...

Cavani> balo> mandzukic> costa

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Balotelli's the kind of player that could make a fuss about even the smallest of details.For example I remember him having a heated arguement with Kolarov over a freekick as well as him throwing his toys out of the pram when Milito stepped up to take a penalty instead of him.Add that to a number of training ground bust ups with his team-mates and manager and I get really confused about this transfer.The thing is he is the man at Milan penalties,freekicks etc everything he has first dibs on but that wont be the case over here and I have my doubts over how he'll go a whole season without causing controversy.Still if Jose's thinks he is the man for us then I'll trust him and hope for the best.

[cadenza666 221]

Jose Mourinho didn't say he wants to sign Mario Balotelli or Rafa Varane

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/gossip-squash--jose-mourinho-didn-t-say-he-wants-to-sign-mario-balotelli-or-rafa-varane-190705110.html

[Barbara 15,149]

Urgh.....in theory, he should definitely be in the conversation but I still have the same reservations over him that I have over Luiz when it comes to the mental side of the game. But if Jose thinks he can mentor/father him then I'd be behind such a move.

He's older, he's engaged and he's just recently acknowledged paternity of a young daughter (maybe not as quickly as he should have but it's a start). At some point the penny has to drop that he's got these tremendous gifts and with a little maturity he could be one of the best players in the world. I just want to see him smile a bit and lose that chip off his shoulder. Look at someone like Eden who actually seems to enjoy playing football.

He'll be 24 at the start of next season and if he were to join us we would be his fourth top European club...not many players get to bounce around these big teams for an entire career. Off the top of my head I can think of only Ibrahimovich and Anelka and the latter is now plying his trade in West Brom.

If he wants to play for us then he has to give everything to Mourinho....but Jose and the club can give him a place to belong for the next 7 years.

As a player it probably goes without saying that he'd be perfect for us IF he applied himself. Strong, skilful, good with his back to goal, can break with speed, can link up with wide players and can even play wide himself. But there's a reason he'd be available for what would in all likelihood be a fair price.

Have said it before, if he's available we need to grab him ASAP. I feel he's mature enough to be the number one striker for someone like us now and his talents are obvious, exactly the sort of striker we need. He can also easily play with Lukaku, just put him out on the wing.

There are only two strikers I'd sign ahead of him and they both aren't available (Benzema and Cavani).

Hope he can mature like suarez has. That's the only thing separating him from getting to the next level. I have a feeling he's one of the strikers on jose's list.

I think Mario is the one who may have done the first contact now.

He's older, he's more mature, and wiser, and he must know he won't flourish under anyone else as he will under José, if he can flourish at all under someone else. He's a special kid and he needs some special attention because I feel he's a bit fragile emotionally. Yes, mentally he isn't too strong, just like Luiz isn't, but I think they have completely different issues. Mario needs guidance and a father figure to help him and reach him out. Luiz needs some slaps in the back of his head

Also, Thomas, why do you think Benzema is out of reach? I'm not completely sold that RM won't sell him. Perez is crazy.

Jose Mourinho didn't say he wants to sign Mario Balotelli or Rafa Varane

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/gossip-squash--jose-mourinho-didn-t-say-he-wants-to-sign-mario-balotelli-or-rafa-varane-190705110.html

neither has he said he doesn't

It's always a mind game with Mourinho when it comes to transfer rumors.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Also, Thomas, why do you think Benzema is out of reach? I'm not completely sold that RM won't sell him. Perez is crazy.

Well logic says that Real won't sell Karim, but you're right, Perez is crazy. Wouldn't surprise me if he did end up selling Benzema, and would love it if we were the ones that benefitted from that.

[Eligius 121]

Well logic says that Real won't sell Karim, but you're right, Perez is crazy. Wouldn't surprise me if he did end up selling Benzema, and would love it if we were the ones that benefitted from that.

Perez is crazy indeed. However, unless Suarez goes to Madrid, Benzema to Chelsea or any other squad is not possible.

[cosmicway 1,246]

Balotelli was great guns in Ukraine the year before.

I saw a little of AC Milan this season and they were a sad spectacle to watch. But maybe the team does n't do justice to the player.

[Waterfall 893]

I'm more interested in him than ever before. Ba's showed some glimpses for us, and Balotelli is capable of playing that kind of role (AND much more). Sometimes you need a player who can create something out of nothing and Balotelli can do that much better than Costa. If we can have a strike-force of Balotelli, Costa and Lukaku, I think we'll win some trophies.

[iseah100 5,612]

I'm more interested in him than ever before. Ba's showed some glimpses for us, and Balotelli is capable of playing that kind of role (AND much more). Sometimes you need a player who can create something out of nothing and Balotelli can do that much better than Costa. If we can have a strike-force of Balotelli, Costa and Lukaku, I think we'll win some trophies.

Balotelli needs to stay farrrrr away from Stamford Bridge. He has rifts with all of his managers.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Milan will 100% sell him in the summer. This is also the reason they haven't included him in the presentation pics of next season's kit.

Reports in Italy suggest that Galliani will only look to recoup his money - €21.5m he payed to City plus the money he spent on Balotelli's wages so far, €6m. It is said he will accept any amount in the region of €28-30m.

Monaco and Galatasaray are the first two clubs interested in him.

[Kieran. 6,317]

He's my second choice this summer behind Cavani. I wouldn't be upset with Costa though.

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

Milan will 100% sell him in the summer. This is also the reason they haven't included him in the presentation pics of next season's kit.

Reports in Italy suggest that Galliani will only look to recoup his money - €21.5m he payed to City plus the money he spent on Balotelli's wages so far, €6m. It is said he will accept any amount in the region of €28-30m.

Monaco and Galatasaray are the first two clubs interested in him.

Meh, they sold Zlatan for 21M IIRC. I reckon we could get him for less than 28M. For around 20M it would be very good business... But a transfer for him will always have me skeptical. It could be great... Or it could go wrong.