October 2014 Football/Fútbol Discussion: The 'Super' Mario Balotelli Appreciation Thread

[Kyle]

Liverpool was great once Coutinho and Lambert came on. Balotelli continues to look disinterested - he was Balotelling, as I have started to say.

[PorkChop]

Agreed, much better performance from Balotelli but at the moment, that's a flash in the pan. He needs to show he can consistently turn up and score goals, and he's been doing neither all season.

Liverpool will probably look to sign a striker in January as he's been so disappointing. Can almost guarantee he'll be gone by the summer too, and I wouldn't be surprised if he never returns to English football afterwards.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Some tremendous positives to take from today.

First half was excellent barring the goal our play deserved. Defensively, I felt we got better but not completely secure but Smalling-Rojo didn't do too badly and Rafael (how he went through 80mins without getting another booking IDK!) continued his form and Shaw I thought had his best game. Heatmaps showed he got further down the field than Rafael and he made some defensive tackles going back aswell.

Fellaini had his best game following on from Monday. He didn't give the ball away, tried to drive forward, and chipped in with his defensive work. I guess Moyes going is a good thing for him. He's not associated with a manager who was struggling and is now proving himself again and it was his presence in the box that helped for the equaliser.

Mata was disappointing. He's struggling to assert himself and for next week, I'd keep the same side (maybe Jones for Smalling) but bring in Rooney for Mata and possibly Falcao for RVP depending on how the former has recovered from his knock.

There was more balance in the team I thought. Hence the shoe-horning in of all the attacking talents doesn't do us many favours against big teams. Januzaj was efficient and more productive and as I said, would be content to keep the majority of the team for City. They'll turn up for us no doubt but luckily, they aren't in the sort of form (home or away) when we lost to them last September at the Etihad.

[PorkChop]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... tment.html

What the fuck? "The club have bought an acre of land at the rear of Villa Park in order to grow vegetables for the club's chefs to then feed the players with the fresh produce. Youngsters at the club will be given the opportunity to become chefs and - as part of their daily routines - are expected to grow vegetables."

Pictures of Jack Grealish posing with carrots

[PorkChop]

Terrible, terrible result for Villa. Like, what the fuck even was that performance.

Great to see that Paul Lambert signed a new four year deal the other day, really positive news after performances like tonight's. I hope Roy Keane fucking rips into the team in the dressing room - Villa's defence were abysmal.

Fuck everything.

[prophet]

Feel for you mate, I thought Villa actually looked good for the first 20. Austin's goal came against the run of play but that gave QPR the confidence they needed and kicked Villa in the nuts. Since Lambert signed his new deal you've played 5 lost 5 which again is really unusual but Benteke is back now and that can only be a good thing for you in the long haul.

Must admit I couldn't help but laugh when Joe Cole came on and he looked absolutely fucking knackered 2 minutes later when the cameras cut back to him. Like, what the fuck does he even do in training to look so tired?

[AkydefGoldberg]

Wayne Rooney a doubt for City game with an injury. Curse of Carrington continues. FFS.

Forgotten Lambert had signed a new deal. Keane's probably gutted this run has come after PL signed a new deal otherwise he'd have a crack at the top job.

[PorkChop]

Joe Cole is just hilariously bad these days. Incredible that he was once considered England's best and started for Chelsea each week. It wasn't even that long ago.

He looks to be about a stone overweight now, and has the pace and cardio of a brick. Injuries (along with fast food and a pint or two) have ruined him.

[Romo]

Tom "I turned down Inter to be educated at Hull" Ince is set to join Nottingham Forest on loan

[PorkChop]

Tom "I turned down Inter to be educated at Hull" Ince is set to join Nottingham Forest on loan

looool

[AkydefGoldberg]

He's hardly played at Hull and not heard he has been injured but Hull haven't done badly without him.

A shame he buckled and rejected Inter for Hull, another loan move.

[PorkChop]

Odds of Lambert being sacked have been slashed from 40-1 to 6-1... even though he signed a new contract like a month ago. Anyone who puts money on that is a fool - no way will Lerner pay him off, not even if we lost our next 10.

[AkydefGoldberg]

^Only hope is Lerner sells to a new owner who gets rid of Lambert.

In 44 days since Villa last scored, Keane's got rid of his big beard and started to growing another one!

How is Cleviesta doing so far at Villa Porky?

[PorkChop]

Cleverley's been alright actually, there's been some talk of Villa signing him in January and I wouldn't complain at all if that happened. Everton will probably reignite their interest in him though.

He definitely became a scapegoat at United but he's decent in a team like Villa. Seems to be very positive in attack, good passing, works at a fast pace - very different from the performances he put in at United. I'd be quite disappointed if we don't sign him permanently tbh.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Cleverley's been alright actually, there's been some talk of Villa signing him in January and I wouldn't complain at all if that happened. Everton will probably reignite their interest in him though.

He definitely became a scapegoat at United but he's decent in a team like Villa. Seems to be very positive in attack, good passing, works at a fast pace - very different from the performances he put in at United. I'd be quite disappointed if we don't sign him permanently tbh.

Hmm, good. Hope we can get some money in but think he'll go on a free.

I always wonder had he not got injured at the start of the 2011 season whether he'd have not become the figure of fun he became. Then, he was playing, going forward and joining attacks then got injured at Bolton. Then it was difficult for him to escape the focus playing at United has. Always felt he'd do better at anywhere other than United.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Just a heads up to you all. If Mark Clattenburg refs a game involving your team and you find he's letting lots of fouls go, no bookings, no stoppages then you know it's due to one thing. He's in a rush to see Ed Sheeran in concert after the game!

Hilarious but hope he gets fucked over for talking to Warnock in his car when he should have talked in the presence of his assistants. He looks like one of those refs that if you're player, you'd love to "accidentally" tackle him in a game just to give it to him. Pompous knob.

[Romo]

Mangala may be a front runner for worst signing of the season, he has been utter dogshite for City!

[PorkChop]

Sky Sports currently have a "Who is the better striker?" poll between Aguero and Van Persie.

How is this even a contest? Van Persie has declined horribly season after season since leaving Arsenal. It's hard to think that he's just turned 31, as he looks terrible this season - he has absolutely no pace, doesn't look interested and has barely got on the goal trail at all - he's only scored three goals this season (he's only scored one more than Gabriel Agbonlahor, despite making twice the amount of appearances). If I was watching Van Persie for the first time, you could honestly convince me he's 36.

Aguero is the joint top scorer in the league so far, with triple the amount of goals that Van Persie has. He's younger, faster, and generally better in every facet of the game. At 26, he's arguably not even in his prime yet - he could go on like this for another few years. Right now he's probably the best striker in the world.

What a ridiculous poll.

[PorkChop]

Two things - just seen the Balotelli/Shelvey incident...

Also, Alexander Tonev who's on loan at Celtic from Villa has been banned for 7 games after racially abusing an Aberdeen player. Can almost guarantee he's sold or released in the summer - he's quite possibly the worst player I've seen in a Villa shirt in my lifetime and the club aren't going to want a racist playing for them. Put your house on it that he's gone this summer.

[AkydefGoldberg]

I wish Balotelli had landed one on Shelvey's chin, the bald knob. Dines off the good long range goal he scores once in a while.