Mario Mario Mario

Mario Balotelli delivered a somewhat bizarre performance at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon that only served to provide a minor distraction from a supurb Arsenal victory. Balotelli is a genuine enigma and can be sure to stay in the thoughts of British observers for many years to come. Sadly it seems clear that we will not see the best of super Mario on these shores, however no matter how good or bad his performances are, he is guaranteed box office.




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So how good is Mario Balotelli? In recent days many observers have suggested that he has a detrimental effect on team mates and he is a clown on the pitch. It is worth noting that Balotelli has scored 17 goals in 31 games this season for Manchester City, if Jermain Defoe had the same output for Spurs then would he be received with such derision or be lauded for having an excellent season?

Short sighted pundits, media and the public are quick to dismiss Balotelli as a clown and useless, however there can be no doubt about his ability and potential. I believe it is foolish to judge any single person who is 21 years old, of course he is going to play more games and not only improve, but mature on and off the pitch as well. It is a game of expectations, those in football understand just how good Balotelli is and what he could achieve in the game, hence the disappointment when he is seen to not be interested when he was on the pitch at the Emirates Stadium. It would be wise to remember that the worst of Balotelli is still far greater than the vast majority who represent their respective clubs in the Premier League.



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His performance on Sunday was odd and reminded me of when I played a game on a freezing, cold, wet Tuesday evening and I did not want to be on the pitch. I was not interested in the game and ended up feigning an injury so I could come off and get warm again. Balotelli is paid a fortune and the public will quite rightly demand he works very hard for all the money. However in the world of Balotelli where he has everything he has ever wanted, what more is there for him to do? I suspect he has already 'made it' in his eyes and whether he works hard on the pitch or not, it holds little consequence. Our attachments to our football teams and not always mirrored by those who represent them. Our love of football is not always shared by those who play the game.

I hope super Mario will fulfill his footballing potential, if he is does then we will all witness one of the very best players in the world. As it stands however Balotelli is an enigma and a beautiful one at that.

Is football dead?

I should hope not seeing as this is the first article on my new football blog. The question was originally posed on a message board I often access and at the time I believed it to be a fundamentally idiotic thing for someone to say. I admit my thoughts were somewhat biased due to an irrational hatred for one of the regular posters on the site and I dismissed it out of hand. I went to the length of replying to the gentleman named ‘jack is the truth’ snappily outlining the fact I thought it was a meaningless concept whilst also having a sly dig at him. Feedback from other members of the site outlined that they thought the subject had some merit and they engaged with the idea. It did not leave me cherry faced however as I am generally open minded and decided to think more deeply about the argument.

The point Jack was trying to establish was simply that there are no longer the strength of players who existed in Zidane’s era. The backdrop of his whole argument was to supply further evidence to his senseless claims that Lionel Messi is not the outstanding footballer who everyone can see play week in week out. Jack firmly believes that Messi is only made to look good by his team mates (who he also has suggested are not as good as everyone makes out in previous messages on the message board). The thing is with Jack, he loves Mourinho, therefore he now loves Real Madrid, he therefore hates Barcelona and all who represent them. Jack then takes to the internet to spout his views much to the annoyance of people like me. I am the man who sits down in front of his laptop in his free time, reading football message boards, football blogs, sport sections of national newspapers seeking opinions of people who I agree with, and people who I disagree with, people like Jack. I focus my time on arguing my points as if it is my moment in the sun, as if I am definitively correct in my opinion. I know what you are thinking, Jack and I are not so different and this is true. This brings me back to the original title of this entry however, is football dead? Certainly not.



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It does not matter if the players are not as good as a generation ago, if they ran faster, were stronger, or they were more technical. It does not make any difference as football, like any sport, it is the game of the people. Someone like Jack can not understand this as he views something like football only to suit his personality and his opinion, he does not see the people in the stands, generations of families supporting a team with gloriously limited success in its history, for example; Scunthorpe, Leyton Orient, Barnsley, he does not see the pitch side announcer proclaiming words of passion, he does not see the chefs, the waitresses, the police on horses, he does not see the curiously odd moments like a squirrel running on the pitch in a Champions League Semi Final at Highbury Stadium. He does not see the passion of the people, the anticipation for the big game, the collective hurt, upset, despair, joy and he does not see the connection with something you really shouldn’t have any connection with at all. Jack views football as players on the pitch and if the best of which are not as good as what they were before then football is rubbish, abhorrent and indeed dead.

My thoughts are football will never die as it lives in the hearts of men, women and children. Football represents escapism from everyday life, football represents hope and brings the world closer together through a collective spirit. Football is a language spoken by millions upon millions. Football is more than just the players on the pitch and how good they are. Football is about community.