Five Time European Champions vs Some Garbage Team from Madrid

If you're talking a 2 striker setup where both strikers stay on top and basically split the pitch... yeah it could work. But the issue with Balo is movement and decisions. They're both poor. It doesn't matter what system you play him in if he doesn't improve on those.

Red Alert wrote:

Arquitescu wrote: Even then he offers *bleep* all and went as far as to trade shirts with the opposition half time. I warned you about him.

He was pretty much alone in attack all day and was our only constant threat with Coutinho... we didn't look like scoring at all when he came off.

Bad enough he's getting scapegoated by all the knee jerking fools, but I expected you to have some leniency. He's not set the world alight granted, but he's not been THAT bad. Still have faith that he'll be world class in 2-3 years time. Just needs time to settle/adapt/develop in playing in an unorthodox role to him. LS7 was the same. Think Luis scored 15 league goals in around 40 games...

Hermano I am the last man supporting Balotelli as I did not support him when he came nor do I support him now as his time in Milan (not his performances) burn bridges with me. My point was to highlight even being out of position you would think a player of his talent would offer something yet he is too lackadaisical to do that.

I was the first to highlight that Mario is not and never will be a CF as he is better playing off a pillar in the form of Sturridge or a wide pacy AM (who was El Shaarawy creating for him) as he cannot lead a line nor take the brunt of being a reference point. That does not expose his limits as a very specialized player in Pazzini even leads the line. It means that if we want him to succeed, the staff must change the tactics in order to suit him as the same thing is happening with Llorente in Juventus.

I will not be lenient on him personally yet remain one of the few here on GL who still believe he has extraordinary talent to which he is not professional enough to bring through. Yes he has been scapegoated and hasn't been as bad as people make him out to be yet we need more from him out of position or not. He cannot be compared to Suarez given that Suarez only cared about winning, working for the team etc to which Mario seldom cares about.