In a week where Mario Balotelli has hit the headlines once again for his on pitch antics, questions have again been raised as to whether the Manchester City forward will begin to mature into the player which he is undoubtedly capable of being. Whilst it is easy to focus on the controversy that seems to permanently surround Balotelli, it is his footballing talent and potential which led Roberto Mancini to splash out around £25 million to bring his former player to Eastlands. Since his move from Inter Milan however, the Italian has for the most part failed to repay the faith shown in him by his current manager, with recent events suggesting that even Mancini’s patience may now be wearing thin.
One thing, which even his most vocal critics would be hard pushed to deny, is Balotelli’s raw footballing talent. Handed his Inter Milan debut at the age of 17 shortly followed by winning his first cap for Italy, the reigning world cup holders at the time, at just 19, Balotelli was very quickly identified as a potential world superstar. Described by Carlo Ancelotti as a ‘crazy talent’, with great close control, goal scoring and dribbling ability coupled with pace and power, on form Balotelli is a handful for any defender.
Form as well as fitness however is something which the 20 year old has failed to maintain during his time with City. A spate of injuries, and self-induced suspensions, last season limited him to just 17 league appearances, as Balotelli was unable to help Manchester City mount a serious title challenge. As the season wore on however, Balotelli’s influence grew markedly, culminating in him playing a key role in ending City’s 35-year wait for silverware by beating Stoke in the FA Cup final.
Arguably, it was playing as a lone striker which brought out some of his most committed and best performances last season, particularly against United in the FA Cup Semi-Final. Carlos Tevez’s injury led Mancini to hand Balotelli more responsibility in leading the attack, something which he clearly responded to. Having been deployed on the flanks for most of his career to date, his performances raised questions about whether he could be even more effective in a central role as the lone striker or playing off the front man.
With Carlos Tevez looking likely to stay at Eastlands, Sergio Aguero potentially joining Edin Dzeko to strengthen City’s strking department, along with Mancini’s tendency to play only 1 up front, it seems unlikely that Balotelli will be deployed in a central role next season.
It is important therefore that Balotelli secures a starting spot in one of City’s wide positions and starts the season positively, delivering some consistent performances. Equally important is for Balotelli to show the commitment, which his manager, the City fans and his fellow Manchester City players expect from him. Jose Mourinho famously questioned Balotelli’s effort in training during his time at Inter Milan and some Manchester City players may well be growing increasingly frustrated by their teammate. A lack of application may also lead to the seemingly ruthless Roberto Mancini sidelining Balotelli in the same way as Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy have been cast aside.
There would be no shortage of takers if that were to be the case, but what Balotelli really needs now is stability and time to develop. At just 20, he has a long and potentially glittering career ahead of him but continued fall-outs and transfers could lead to Balotelli never delivering on his talent, drawing potential comparisons with fellow countryman Antonio Cassano who has endured a troubled career.
It will be interesting to see how Balotelli develops next season in the Premier League and whether he can help City to seriously contend for the title. It would be great to see headlines around Balotelli’s brilliance and talent interspersed into the inevitable controversy that follows him.
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