Tuesday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Manchester City closing in on £35m Inter misfit Mario Balotelli
Manchester City officials will arrive in Italy today to close the £35million deal on Inter 's Mario Balotelli.
Today's Corriere Dello Sport and Gazzetta Dello Sport said this week it would be 'Ciao' for Balotelli, 19, as he swapped the San Siro for Eastlands.
It would see the Italian Under-21 striker link up with his friend Roberto Mancini who launched his career and Fiorentina boss Sinisa Mihajlovic encouraged the player to make the move.
I know of a house near Liverpool that's vacant: Inter boss Rafa Benitez braces Mario Balotelli for a move to Manchester
Mihajlovic, who was Mancini's No 2 at Inter, said: 'I would be delighted if Balotelli joined my old friend Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. With Roberto he will do better than he did with (Jose) Mourinho.'
Pastures new? Mario Balotelli won't be an Inter player much longer
Balotelli had a fractious relationship with Mourinho and the two often clashed on the training pitch and as a result he was often on the bench.
Italian newspapers said the stumbling blocks were Balotelli's wages and his 'fiery reputation.'
Balotelli's agent Mairo Raiola is said to be looking at a £4m a year four year deal and said: 'It's not just City who are after Balotelli - there are other clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea.'
Inter's president Massimo Moratti has already said that he is looking for a 'decent price' on Balotelli and wants £40m but are expected to accept City's offer as new Inter boss Rafa Benitez has already earmarked the money for Liverpool's Javier Mascherano.
Balotelli enraged Inter fans last season whn during the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona he flung his shirt on the ground after he was booed.
In May police were called in to investigate after Balotelli noticed that bolts on the wheels of his car had been loosened and which Raiola said could have led to him 'being killed.'

Agent claims Manchester City interest in Didier Drogba
The agent of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says that he has spoken to Manchester City and that there may be "surprises" over the Ivory Coast star's future.
Didier Drogba's agent Thierno Seydi explicitly stated to Radio Monte Carlo that he has spoken to Manchester City about the striker who has been an enormous success at Chelsea since a 2004 move from Marseille.
Seydi said, "Today he's at Chelsea. Maybe there will be surprises before August 31.
"I haven't spoken to just anybody. The only contact I've had directly was with Manchester City . But getting Drogba out of Chelsea is not an easy task because he has all the conditions he needs to flourish there.
"At his age I can no longer hide the financial aspect.
"The club that want Didier will have to meet the price."
Manchester City have already signed David Silva , Jerome Boateng and Yaya Toure so far this summer, but the capture of Drogba would not only be an enormous surprise but also an huge coup for Roberto Mancini.
32-year-old Drogba finished as last season's top scorer in the Premier League, netting a total of 32 goals for Chelsea last season.

Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely is enjoying his time with Manchester City's senior squad on their tour of the US.
The 19 year-old striker tasted Premiership action last season against Burnley.
“The tour is a great experience for me,” Nimely told City's website, “and I am really grateful that the management chose me to come along. Training with such great players is a privilege and I am enjoying it so much.
“I feel have made massive improvements, every day that I go out to train with players like Adebayor or Tevez I learn from them. The coaches all the staff here are always full advice too, so it's good for me.
“I’m not intimidated by the kinds of players we have, it's all part of the learning process for me. The older guys are very encouraging to all the younger players, and we all enjoy it even more because of that.
“When I came over the squad last season I was very surprised how the rest of the squad accepted me, and as well as encouraging me it helped motivate me. That has to be good.”

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is refusing to give up on his dream move to Barcelona but may be forced to submit an official transfer request to force his exit from the Emirates. Daily Mail

Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano says he may remain in Spain, despite a summer of speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League. the Sun

West Ham remain in the hunt for Nice striker Loic Remy, but may face competition from Liverpool for the £12m-rated player. the Sun

Alternatively, West Ham have turned their attention to Rosario Central's Argentine striker Milton Caraglio. Daily Mirror

Newcastle United are keen to sign Saint-Etienne's 23-year-old centre back Yohan Benalouane. Daily Mail

Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma, 18, is set to join German side Wolfsburg, who are managed by former England boss Steve McClaren, on a season-long loan deal. Daily Mirror

Birmingham have been approached about a deal for Monterrey's Chile striker Humberto Suazo and have expressed interest in Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme, who is a free agent. Daily Mail

David James will open talks with Celtic after Portsmouth withdrew their contract offer for the 39-year-old England goalkeeper.Daily Mail

Fulham manager-elect Martin Jol is eager to bring Tottenham striker Robbie Keane to Craven Cottage after being promised a £20m transfer kitty by club owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Daily Mail

Middlesbrough's French midfielder Didier Digard is ready to sign for French side Nice in a permanent cut-price deal. Daily Mirror

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is set to table a £10m bid for Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady. Daily Mirror

Marlon Harewood has been offered a two-year deal at Glasgow Rangers. The striker is a free agent after leaving Aston Villa. Daily Mirror

OTHER BOLLOX
Newcastle's Joey Barton claims he is "as good as anyone in the country", including fellow midfielders Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and Chelsea's Frank Lampard. Daily Mail

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson insists he is not concerned that he has not heard from Javier Mascherano since trying to contact the midfielder last week. The Argentina captain is still on holiday after his World Cup exploits and is not due to return for pre-season training for another week. Independent

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson still believes striker Dimitar Berbatov is the right man for Manchester United, despite the Bulgarian failing to impress last season. the Sun

Midfielder Paul Scholes says reclaiming the Premier League title is Manchester United's top priority next season, over success in the Champions League. Daily Mirror

Tottenham may have become the first Premier League team to ban vuvuzelas from their ground, but top-flight new-boys Blackpool have asked fans to bring the instrument to games. Daily Mail

[john@staustell]

Italian newspapers said the stumbling blocks were Balotelli's wages and his 'fiery reputation.'

Can just see Marwood and Cook sitting round the table now - "If you can tone down this reputation 10% Mr Balotelli we have a deal".

[AlpsMaster]

Thanks Chinners.

I always appreciate your ... ;-)

[ant london]

I'm looking forward to seeing Super Mario at Eastlands.....I have had a feeling this would happen since it was first mooted and nothing has changed in that regard

He sounds like a proper head the ball.....I am tickled to see/hear about him in action.

He has a tough task on his hands though to impress us even more than his predecessors who have joined City from Serie A and been instant hits.......Corradi, Dabo, Bianchi, Bojinov, Vieira....ahhhh multo buono!

[kinkylola]

i really want balotelli as well ... He is a genuine prospect. Also a head case ... but I love head cases and I think mancini can get the best out of him, they got on very well while mancini was at inter, mancini brought him up through the ranks at inter.

Head cases, imo, are the most likely to turn into superstars ... they're also very likely to burn out. I'm not talking about greedy cunts like sturrdige, but real head cases ... balotelli (cantona) and others. Thin line between genius and insanity they say.

[ant london]

Head cases, imo, are the most likely to turn into superstars ... they're also very likely to burn out. I'm not talking about greedy cunts like sturrdige, but real head cases ... balotelli (cantona) and others. Thin line between genius and insanity they say.

Agree with all of that

High risk but potentially high reward

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Head cases, imo, are the most likely to turn into superstars ... they're also very likely to burn out. I'm not talking about greedy cunts like sturrdige, but real head cases ... balotelli (cantona) and others. Thin line between genius and insanity they say.

Agree with all of that

High risk but potentially high reward

Then again, it's exactly these kind of gambles that cost managers their jobs.

[ant london]

Head cases, imo, are the most likely to turn into superstars ... they're also very likely to burn out. I'm not talking about greedy cunts like sturrdige, but real head cases ... balotelli (cantona) and others. Thin line between genius and insanity they say.

Agree with all of that

High risk but potentially high reward

Then again, it's exactly these kind of gambles that cost managers their jobs.

Exactly, that's why I want it to happen

Upheaval....that's what we need

[Fish111]

I quite enjoy looking at Chinners bollox every day.

[Mase]

Head cases, imo, are the most likely to turn into superstars ... they're also very likely to burn out. I'm not talking about greedy cunts like sturrdige, but real head cases ... balotelli (cantona) and others. Thin line between genius and insanity they say.

Agree with all of that

High risk but potentially high reward

Unfortunately you just have to look across the road at their ‘King’ to see when the risk pays off.

[Ted Hughes]

Is Sinisa Mihajlovic the Italian Harry Redknapp? I bet there's loads of Inter fans going "what the fuck's it got to do with him?" etc.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Regarding Balotelli, if we are going to sign him (and I hope we don't) then considering he isn't exactly loved in Milan and manager seems all too eager to get rid, we need to play hardball on this transfer fee. We have all the aces here imo, he wants to leave, manager doesn't want to keep him, fans don't like him, he comes with a reputation, so we should be looking at price max15m. to even consider spending 40m on a player that has never showed anything but glimpses of top RAW talent would be outrageous especially considering the circumstances.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Regarding Balotelli, if we are going to sign him (and I hope we don't) then considering he isn't exactly loved in Milan and manager seems all too eager to get rid, we need to play hardball on this transfer fee. We have all the aces here imo, he wants to leave, manager doesn't want to keep him, fans don't like him, he comes with a reputation, so we should be looking at price max15m. to even consider spending 40m on a player that has never showed anything but glimpses of top RAW talent would be outrageous especially considering the circumstances.

But Inter have come out publicly and said they wont let him go for less than £35m? They must like him.

And he was already labeled as nutter before last season!

Balotelli's disciplinary problems and difficult relationship with Mourinho continued in the 2009–10 season. In November, Inter drew 1–1 against Roma and Mourinho criticized his players, even going as far as saying that Balotelli "came close to a zero rating".[25] The young striker again incurred the wrath of Juve fans in the heated Derby d'Italia away encounter with Juventus on 5 December 2009 which Inter lost 2–1. When he was elbowed by Juve midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder, he fell on the pitch clutching his face and was promptly booked while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked a fiery altercation between teammate Thiago Motta and Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.[26][27] The falling-out between player and manager reached its peak in the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea, after the young striker was not called-up following an altercation with Mourinho.[28] The youngster was then criticized by several senior players such as captain Javier Zanetti[29] and veteran defender Marco Materazzi as well as his own agent.[30] in the wake of Inter's 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge, London. In March, he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported a Milan (Inter's crosstown rivals) jersey on the Italian show Striscia la Notizia.[31]

In the wake of recent tense situation, Balotelli released a statement of apology in Internazionale's official website, that reads:

“ "I am sorry for the situation that has been created recently. I am the first person who has suffered because I adore football and I want to play, and now I am waiting in silence so I can return to being useful to my team. I want to put the past behind me, look to the future and concentrate on the upcoming commitments and make myself ready."
Mario Balotelli[32]
”

After being frozen out of the team due to the situation, Balotelli was recalled to the squad for the match against Bologna and he marked his return with a goal in a 3–0 win.[33] However, he once again caused controversy in a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on 20 April, as he threw his jersey on the ground after the final whistle, in response to Inter fans who had booed him to criticize his poor performance;[34] his reaction, which caused notable disappointment among fans, teammates and football pundits, was succeeded by an attempt by a small group of supporters to physically attack Balotelli after the end of the game.[35]

After such events, Balotelli was excluded from a string of games, including the second leg of the Champions League semifinal versus Barcelona, but was successively featured in the remaining two matches of the Italian league that led Inter to win its 18th national title, as well as the fifth one in a row.

Now why do I think Inter actually like the money more than the player? We are in Roque Santa Cruz situation here again and NEED to show the world that we are not homers EVEN if our manager likes the player in question. We are STILL going to weight pro's and con's reasonably.

[Ted Hughes]

Mancini knows Balotelli much better than us & if we're trusting him to run the team, we probably need to trust his judgement on this one too. He must know about his personality & his potential & seems to think he can handle both.

I think those who have posted about the great whisky sodden sorcerer from the theatre of memories signing headcases & them becoming top players have a good point. No doubt he'd have Balotelli if he could. We'll just have to hope it all works out & Balo the Baloon thrives at City.

[Ted Hughes]

Added guest bollox: From the 'Mail'.

'Robinho in bust-up with Santos team-mate but on-loan Manchester City forward has no chip on his shoulder
By Ashley Gray Last updated at 10:20 AM on 20th July 2010


Robinho has escaped punishment for a training ground bust-up with a Santos team-mate.
The 26-year-old Manchester City forward, on loan at the Sao Paulo club until August 5, was involved in an incident with midfielder Wesley at the Rei Pele complex on Saturday.
It is claimed Wesley's mobile phone was broken, which led to the 23-year-old retaliating by damaging Robinho's car.

Both players denied there was a problem following Santos's 1-0 defeat by Fluminense on Sunday, but club president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro last night admitted there had been an incident. However, Ribeiro played down the spat and said neither player would be disciplined.

'In a group of young people it is natural that sometimes there are jokes that are not accepted by each other.
'But it was an insignificant episode, so much so that they played together (on Sunday) and passed the ball to each other.

'It was more or less like you imagine a couple discussing the crispness of french fries. It is not a marital crisis. There is no need for separation.'

Scare: Robinho has been forced to step up security around his home
It is not the only unrest at Santos. Promising 18-year striker Neymar - a target for Chelsea and West Ham - had to be calmed by coach Dorival Junior after complaining about being substituted in Thursday's derby defeat by Palmeiras.

Meanwhile, Robinho has doubled the number of bodyguards who protect him and his family in Santos to 12 after detailed pictures of his home were leaked and found their way on to the internet.

The photographs had been taken for a insurance company to evaluate his property, but security has now been stepped up.

Robinho's worst fear is the repeat of his mother Marina being kidnapped in 2004 and held captive for 41 days.




Robbie also missed an open net from 2 ft.

Time to move on again?

[Wooders]

Its quite easy though for an amiable 16 year old to turn into a 19 year old dicknose though

however, either inter think we're dozy cunts with more money than sense or they reckon he's got massive potential and want to keep hold of him

[BobKowalski]

Now why do I think Inter actually like the money more than the player? We are in Roque Santa Cruz situation here again and NEED to show the world that we are not homers EVEN if our manager likes the player in question. We are STILL going to weight pro's and con's reasonably.

I agree NQDP. And I think its a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a 19 year old who is supposed to be a nutcase. But it just seems to be publicised at the moment that Inter wont part way for less than £35m, if thats the case then Id love to see what they'd do if we were to pull out of the whole transfer. They'd be lumbered with him then, unless the rags could get some cash together.

I don't think there is any serious interest outside of us to be honest and there is a possibility that it is not just about Balotelli but Maicon as well. Inter would be happy with a large chunk of cash for these two to allow Rafa to add to the squad.

Balotelli could be a superstar or a trainwreck but sod it at least it won't be dull.

[kinkylola]

Balotelli could be a superstar or a trainwreck but sod it at least it won't be dull.

Exactly! it's like boning the crazy chick ... you don't do it cuz it's a safe bet, you do it to live!!!

CHOOSE BALOTELLI, CHOOSE LIFE.

[CitizenYank]

Balotelli could be a superstar or a trainwreck but sod it at least it won't be dull.

Exactly! it's like boning the crazy chick ... you don't do it cuz it's a safe bet, you do it to live!!!

CHOOSE BALOTELLI, CHOOSE LIFE.

Yeah but when you start screwing the crazy bitch, she may fall for you and then you may fight and have a falling out and the
then she locks herself in her room and tells you she's going to.....

CHOOSE JO, SAVE 25 MILL ;)

[ant london]

CHOOSE JO, SAVE 25 MILL ;)

I just almost spat my brew!

Honestly, I'd prefer us to play this Joe up front than the one we already own (coked up Taffie legend that he is)