Manchester City: Shouldn't Mad Mario leave his insanity off the pitch?
Look, I love Mario Balotelli. I love his rumoured connections with the Mafia, I love his spending sprees on tramps, I love the fact that he brings drama and amusement to our game when I hear about how he launched tomatoes at Serie A managers back in his days as an Inter Milan footballer. But there can be no defence of his actions on Sunday. The Italian is often described as zany and wacky but the responsibility on his shoulders after his vicious stamp must not be taken away simply because he’s a bit nuts and is enthralling.
It was an unnecessary act of silliness. There are cult heroes in the form of (supposedly) giving homeless men money, and then there are times when reprimand is needed. The line between deliciously enigmatic and then stupid – and actually nasty – must be drawn, and frowns must be made. It’s consistency and while Balotelli is amusing, his belligerent and unsightly stamp on the carefully tousled hair of Scott ‘Schoolboy’ Parker must be condemned just as a player without Mario’s entertaining backstory would be rightfully condemned.
For the attitude problem is not as obvious as before but still blatently there. When someone challenges him you just never know what to expect: he can lash out or square up to someone for no reason. He is often described as ‘getting better’ with his attitude but while that is all well and good, it doesn’t really solve anything when he remains relapsing every time he looks to have overcome his silliness, does it? It’s still waiting to be provoked: he was lucky yesterday but his luck will run out. And it will cost City.
In order to not let his team and talent down, he would do well to leave his spontaneity off the pitch. When it remains on the pitch, his impetuousness and ‘character’ is a liability in such important occasions like yesterday. Perhaps that is selfish or silly of me, to expect him to remain brilliant off-field yet keep his head on it.
But City will soon be winning trophies like turd attracts flies: with gloriously talented players such as Silva, Aguero, Kompany et al: all 25 or under, and with City having such a bloated wallet, he can be part of a massively successful movement. But if he is a clog in this massive project, he must and will be stamped out and replaced. And Balotelli must know that himself. With nine goals in fifteen Premier League appearances the Italian should be lapping up his chance at such a growing institution. Yet the question mark still hangs, and he will lose his chance if backtracks are consistently made, like his Sunday stamp or squaring up to Charlie Adam in the League Cup semi final.
Balotelli has a wonderful cult allure. But he must be remembered as having both that and a fulfilled football career. Because that is what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s not just about shouting ‘Rooney! Rooney!’ at the ‘lady’ who had extra-marital affairs with Wayne. It’s not just about being loved and cherished for having lost your marbles somewhere along the line. Those things and that acknowledgement and fascination surrounding him should be seen as an extra helping on top of the main dish: football.
It’s football where Mario should make his mark, it’s football where Mario Balotelli – a man who has been talked and fawned over for years – can prove his worth to the sport and win trophies, and succeed in his individual aims as well as Manchester City’s. Football success will ultimately (or at least probably) be seen as more fulfilling than being known as a bit of a head-case. His immortality will survive as he continues to walk into college toilets and amuse us, but he can butter the other side of his bread as well. Right now, it remains plain – plain because of unreliability and impetuousness in the form of silly incidents just like vicious, unmitigated attacks on a player who meant him no harm.
He was born with two talents: to be amusing, and to play football. If he can merge those two together, the dividends would be glorious.
If he cuts the on-pitch insanity and skulduggery, and manages to stop himself being a liability for City in such important fixtures, Mario can succeed and bring meaning to an imminently successful club. When you use the word ‘if’ with Balotelli you are never quite sure what to expect. But we know what we should expect. Separate you’re insane worlds of illogic, Mario, and come good in a game you can take by the scruff of its neck. In the words of the big, bad, brutal Jim McDonald from Coronation Street: catch ‘yerself on!
