Balotelli then.

[Moonchesteri]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-tagn3lB3I[/youtube]

[Mase]

Now Jo has gone is Balo the new 'whipping boy' then?

[shawzy]

been watchin it for a few times now, theres a sound of whistle, just as he got away from the galaxy player.
leave Mario alone, ffs.

Your right.There's definitely a whistle when he has the ball on the edge of the penalty area.

[johnny crossan]

c'est magnifique mais ce n'est pas le football

[mcfc1632]

been watchin it for a few times now, theres a sound of whistle, just as he got away from the galaxy player.
leave Mario alone, ffs.

Yeah - I have listened to it several times now and I think that is the case - in which case - storm in a tea cup - and free publicity

[kinkylola]

well then city staff should have had a word with the epsn announcers who pretty much bashed us and our players for the entire game. Including having stu holden (bolton / usa) as the color man giving his "opinions" of other professionals and of de jong (who broke holden's ankle/leg in a wc warmup game).

the fact is ... the usa is not a developing market for soccer fans. the people who like the game have already chosen a team to support. Chelsea,united, arsenal, pool, juve, real madrid, inter, barca ... these teams have all the support in the USA. if you want to be super pessimistic, we missed the boat by a long ways on garnering supporters in the USA. If you want to be less pessimistic you would say that the universal bashing we have received ever since the takeover from ESPN Soccernet (the only news site that most american's getting into the game will read), will have ensured that very few "pick up" city as "their team."

We'll prob get more supporters as a result of balotelli's antics because some people will always pick a team with the best nutters/assholes, because it suits their personality. That's why the Yankees have such a wide support base.

[kinkylola]

It's the bloody home of showboating....they love that shit in America

I can confirm this ... the NBA and NFL have ensured that showboating will be enshrined as a staple of american sport.

[kinkylola]

because of this i will be getting balotelli on my new home jersey.

[DoomMerchant]

well then city staff should have had a word with the epsn announcers who pretty much bashed us and our players for the entire game. Including having stu holden (bolton / usa) as the color man giving his "opinions" of other professionals and of de jong (who broke holden's ankle/leg in a wc warmup game).

the fact is ... the usa is not a developing market for soccer fans. the people who like the game have already chosen a team to support. Chelsea,united, arsenal, pool, juve, real madrid, inter, barca ... these teams have all the support in the USA. if you want to be super pessimistic, we missed the boat by a long ways on garnering supporters in the USA. If you want to be less pessimistic you would say that the universal bashing we have received ever since the takeover from ESPN Soccernet (the only news site that most american's getting into the game will read), will have ensured that very few "pick up" city as "their team."

We'll prob get more supporters as a result of balotelli's antics because some people will always pick a team with the best nutters/assholes, because it suits their personality. That's why the Yankees have such a wide support base.

if we win the league anytime soon it will reverse all the "logic" in your argument. While yr right on one hand, winning cures everything and our profile will be immense here in the states if we keep adding pots and titles over the next 5-10 years. it's inevitable if we're successful really.

Besides, we know that most of the fans of the "Artist formerly known as the Big 4" are so plastic it's not even funny. they're ripe, esp. as soon as their teams fall out of favour, etc

in fact, a conversation with a neighbor two weeks ago went something like this "I usually follow Man United, but a friend told me that Liverpool might be really good again this season, so i may follow them a bit this year as well." Says it all really i suppose.

cheers

[MR IMAINEROAD]

Thank God for Balotelli. There's sod all else happening today....

[kinkylola]

you're not wrong at all ... and winning certainly does cure almost everything. The difference I see however is that those other big 4 teams never get shat on the way we have in the press for the last 3/4 years since the takeover. Journalists make us out to be an abomination of the game, and they have already qualified any future success we have as undeserved and "bought." the other plastic 4 never had this going against them ... supporting them is noble and it makes you noble by default. We've had that taken away from us ... supporting us will never be that because of what the media said when it all started. Winning will change people's opinions of us, but we'll never be part of the "teams who deserve" to win. Not for at least 10 years of winning/being in contention to win. That's my opinion anyway.

[Crossie]

Im in the WRONG camp. Bobby should Balo was fucking about, Balo thought he was offside, the body language suggests the same, its Balo's fault for hearing/not hearing a whistle or whatever, but it was an innocent mistake.

I can see what Bob is trying to do, nip it in the bud for the season ahead, but he got it wrong imo.

[shawzy]

Half a million youtube hits in 1 fuckin hour? Approaching 1mill in total and the clueless comments to go with it.

[DoomMerchant]

Half a million youtube hits in 1 fuckin hour? Approaching 1mill in total and the clueless comments to go with it.

you can't buy that kind of pub. If he snares a brace against the welsh first week of the season he'll be on his way then.

mission accomplished.

cheers

[shawzy]

Half a million youtube hits in 1 fuckin hour? Approaching 1mill in total and the clueless comments to go with it.

you can't buy that kind of pub. If he snares a brace against the welsh first week of the season he'll be on his way then.

mission accomplished.

cheers

Too true bud...Hoping to see a more mature Mario this season.The one we saw at Wembley plz.

[Typical City]

He's an entertainer, a maverick, a genius and can do things others can't and with the right coaching will be a regular matchwinner. Unfortunately like all people blessed with that kind of talent he's a little tapped. Would united have got rid of cantona on the same grounds? Would they fuck. He's one of the reasons I pay my cash and I love it.

[phips]

the epsn announcers who pretty much bashed us and our players for the entire game. Including having stu holden (bolton / usa) as the color man giving his "opinions" of other professionals and of de jong (who broke holden's ankle/leg in a wc warmup game).

I don't know what ESPN broadcast you were watching but that wasnt Stu Holden....it sure looked like him but it wasnt.
But yes, those announcers were bloody awful and part of the reason why people think us americans are idiots.

[zuricity]

Whether it's 'Good' or 'Bad' publicity. It's keeping City on every Sports page. Everybody knows he should have shot at goal. If he had done so and got a booking or a telling off, he would have been slaughtered in the press.

The only complaint I have is that Roberto should have simply pulled him to the side of the pitch to give him an earwigging.

Thereafter, he could have substituted him at half time , so i'm not concerned about this at all. If anybody, I think Roberto over reacted.

However as we can clearly see, the pressure is on City, to get up to the top this season and it's going to be a cracking ride

[Kladze]

If anybody, I think Roberto over reacted.

Mancini is simply doing his level best to take a talent (whose talent we've actually seen all too little of) to a level and consistency which is necessary in the premier league and modern football.

And he's trying to take him there while also trying to create a team ethic.

[kinkylola]

the epsn announcers who pretty much bashed us and our players for the entire game. Including having stu holden (bolton / usa) as the color man giving his "opinions" of other professionals and of de jong (who broke holden's ankle/leg in a wc warmup game).

I don't know what ESPN broadcast you were watching but that wasnt Stu Holden....it sure looked like him but it wasnt.
But yes, those announcers were bloody awful and part of the reason why people think us americans are idiots.

you were right ... taylor twellman ... well that's even worse because he's just an mls star that can't cut it anywhere else.