Mario

[southern softy]

With his strike rate, we can't get rid just yet.
Too volatile to play in important games. He also doesn't contribute enough when things get difficult.
But he needs to be given another season to prove himself.

[MR IMAINEROAD]

Keep him and he'll be a world class player next year. Great talent and character. An asset to our club

This.

Don't let's sacrifice entertainment on the alter of success.

[MR IMAINEROAD]

Ill just alter alter to altar.

Thank you

[Im_Spartacus]

Keep him and he'll be a world class player next year. Great talent and character. An asset to our club

People were saying that last season too.

And next year

And the year after

[PeterParker]

I think Bobby will want him out. If you ask me, imho he lost every last drop of confidence that he had in him and he won't give him another season.

The problem is that we are stuck with him. No one wants to buy him and that is because of his constant scandals, so we have a bit of an issue here. I am convinced that the only club who will try buy him will be Anzhi (while PSG and Milan don't look that interested) so we could have another Adebayor type of problem.

I am sorry to say, but Mario will never grow up.

[bigblue]

Keep him and he'll be a world class player next year. Great talent and character. An asset to our club

People were saying that last season too.

And next year

And the year after

He had a big improvement this year, lost it a bit in the end, but was fucked over by some biased calls against him. I think Mancini not playing him for the rest of the season will get his head on straight.

The reality is that if he does come good (consistent, disciplined) - there are very few defenders who can stop him. In most of the games he's played this season, he's bee fouled constantly because the defender is either too slow or weak to deal with him. He adds another option to our team, and without his goals this season we wouldn't be in our current position.

His teammates seem to love him (Yaya like a brother), and there are clear signs that he's improving. Look at the overall trend, not the most recent occurrence. And he's still only 21.

[Im_Spartacus]

He had a big improvement this year, lost it a bit in the end, but was fucked over by some biased calls against him. I think Mancini not playing him for the rest of the season will get his head on straight.

The reality is that if he does come good (consistent, disciplined) - there are very few defenders who can stop him. In most of the games he's played this season, he's bee fouled constantly because the defender is either too slow or weak to deal with him. He adds another option to our team, and without his goals this season we wouldn't be in our current position.

His teammates seem to love him (Yaya like a brother), and there are clear signs that he's improving. Look at the overall trend, not the most recent occurrence. And he's still only 21.

Biased calls?

Which ones, jesus christ mate he has committed gbh twice this season and is lucky not have had an extended ban from the fa.

How many of his goals this season were penalties by the way? This guy is hype over substance. I see zero, and i mean absolutely zero on the pitch from him other than a poor attitude and an ability to score penalties.

Its coming upto his 3rd season, and its make or break time because if mancini gets rid, balo hasnt got a cat in hells chance under another manager, and he will end up going the same way as all the other uber talented and hyped (yet fatally flawed) youngsters. He will drift from club to club until he gives up age 30

[bigblue]

This guy is hype over substance. I see zero, and i mean absolutely zero on the pitch from him other than a poor attitude and an ability to score penalties.

You're fucking blind and as bad as a rag for saying shit like that. Off the top of my head: shouldn't have been sent off vs liverpool, the retroactive ban from spurs was crap (the ref was staring at it and he was crucified by the media).

His goal vs everton @ home got us 3 points. His 2 goals vs the rags opened the floodgates. 17 goals from 31 games!!!!!!!!

Fuck off ya cunt

[littlebig]

I'd be willing to keep as fourth choice striker, he is still very young. He'll need a lot of minding though.
Maybe Tevez taking him under his wing could really help him along, give him some focus outside his own expectations for himself. As crazy as Carlos being a mentor to anybody seems it could just work.
The obvious drawbacks are his media magnet status and his unsettling of the squad as a whole. I'd be willing to trust roberto on this one

[Im_Spartacus]

This guy is hype over substance. I see zero, and i mean absolutely zero on the pitch from him other than a poor attitude and an ability to score penalties.

You're fucking blind and as bad as a rag for saying shit like that. Off the top of my head: shouldn't have been sent off vs liverpool, the retroactive ban from spurs was crap (the ref was staring at it and he was crucified by the media).

His goal vs everton @ home got us 3 points. His 2 goals vs the rags opened the floodgates. 17 goals from 31 games!!!!!!!!

Fuck off ya cunt

No need for the personals, but looking through your post history, it seems thats your thing when you disagree with someone

He is a fucking centre forward, his job is to score goals, so don't act like he is doing us a fucking favour when he does score them.

No, he shouldn't have been sent off vs Liverpool, but he should have been banned for a very long time for the tackle in the Arsenal game, and I don't give a fuck what the ref did or didnt see, he extended his leg in the direction of Parker's head. He committed a ridiculously idiotic foul v Sporting I think it was which led to a goal which was crucial in the end, he has been sent off previously in important games (Kiev springs to mind). I recall not long ago him fighting on the pitch with Kolarov over a free kick, (as he has done previously over a penalty with Samuel Eto) in a game where Mancini has since admitted he considered substituting him after only 5 minutes!

And thats off the top of my head, see we can both do that.

[ant london]

John...you're not a cunt....well, not all of the time.

In any event. I would bet anyone on here that Mario will be here after the summer transfer window closes. I think the debate re him is entirely moot

[Im_Spartacus]

John...you're not a cunt....well, not all of the time.

In any event. I would bet anyone on here that Mario will be here after the summer transfer window closes. I think the debate re him is entirely moot

Could you see a loan working for him? Sign him on a long term contract and pack him off to AC for a season or two to let him get reacquainted with racism and to get that particular yearning out of his system?

We need the player to be grown up, and I just dont think he is ready for what we need right now.

[ant london]

John...you're not a cunt....well, not all of the time.

In any event. I would bet anyone on here that Mario will be here after the summer transfer window closes. I think the debate re him is entirely moot

Could you see a loan working for him? Sign him on a long term contract and pack him off to AC for a season or two to let him get reacquainted with racism and to get that particular yearning out of his system?

We need the player to be grown up, and I just dont think he is ready for what we need right now.

In theory, yes, absolutely. BUT I think he needs to an extent to mature in the PL as well as maturing as a player/man.

If we sent him to likes of AC and he does well, they would do everything possible to turn his head and have him be complicit in fucking us for a cheap permanent transfer. I just don't trust ANY of the clubs who would be interested in him in terms of his talent outside the PL.

And inside the PL, I don't think anyone who would be interested talent-wise would give him enough gametime/indulgence to do any good.

Accordingly, I really do think that the only alternative we have (after having spent 20 million plus) is to persevere for another year but work really hard on him between now and next season to get him to sort himself out.

I'm actually delighted that he'll be going to Polkraine for Italy....he'll either fuck up massively and come back (hopefully) even more introspective and thinking "I need to fix this...and I've made myself look a total cunt again" OR do well and show City and us, as supporters, that he can keep his head and work for the team.

It's not ideal I know but we are where we are and I don't think the club is entertaining the concept of getting rid currently

[Blue Since 76]

He had a big improvement this year, lost it a bit in the end, but was fucked over by some biased calls against him. I think Mancini not playing him for the rest of the season will get his head on straight.

The reality is that if he does come good (consistent, disciplined) - there are very few defenders who can stop him. In most of the games he's played this season, he's bee fouled constantly because the defender is either too slow or weak to deal with him. He adds another option to our team, and without his goals this season we wouldn't be in our current position.

His teammates seem to love him (Yaya like a brother), and there are clear signs that he's improving. Look at the overall trend, not the most recent occurrence. And he's still only 21.

I sort of agree. The big problem this year is that we had to rely on him too much. With Tevez gone, Dzeko struggling at times and Aguero hitting a brick wall over the new year, we needed Mario to step up and it didn't really happen. His goal ratio is still pretty good and there's no one else I'd want taking a penalty, but he hasn't fitted into the team properly.

I was thinking that we should have treated him more like Hernandez at the rags - plays occasionally but more often from the bench as a young player learning his trade. I then checked Wikipedia to see how much younger Hernandez is and I was wrong - he's two years two months older than Mario. As another alternative, Kyle Walker, Young player of the year and all that, is a month older. Micah 'had lost his way' Richards is two years older and van Persie, who was a nightmare for his temper in his first couple of seasons at arsenal was almost 21 when he joined them and 22 when he became a league regular.

Maybe we shouldn't write Mario off just yet

[Douglas Higginbottom]

He had a big improvement this year, lost it a bit in the end, but was fucked over by some biased calls against him. I think Mancini not playing him for the rest of the season will get his head on straight.

The reality is that if he does come good (consistent, disciplined) - there are very few defenders who can stop him. In most of the games he's played this season, he's bee fouled constantly because the defender is either too slow or weak to deal with him. He adds another option to our team, and without his goals this season we wouldn't be in our current position.

His teammates seem to love him (Yaya like a brother), and there are clear signs that he's improving. Look at the overall trend, not the most recent occurrence. And he's still only 21.

I sort of agree. The big problem this year is that we had to rely on him too much. With Tevez gone, Dzeko struggling at times and Aguero hitting a brick wall over the new year, we needed Mario to step up and it didn't really happen. His goal ratio is still pretty good and there's no one else I'd want taking a penalty, but he hasn't fitted into the team properly.

I was thinking that we should have treated him more like Hernandez at the rags - plays occasionally but more often from the bench as a young player learning his trade. I then checked Wikipedia to see how much younger Hernandez is and I was wrong - he's two years two months older than Mario. As another alternative, Kyle Walker, Young player of the year and all that, is a month older. Micah 'had lost his way' Richards is two years older and van Persie, who was a nightmare for his temper in his first couple of seasons at arsenal was almost 21 when he joined them and 22 when he became a league regular.

Maybe we shouldn't write Mario off just yet

Put completely on the back burner since the Arse game and even left off the bench against Newcastle.He only got on for a few minutes today but he did just abpout everything right when he came on.

Ok he missed from a very decent chance with that header but he got involved,looked threatening and then that lovely bit of quality to edge the ball to Aguero was excellent.Delighted for him.

[ant london]

agreed.

i hope his very integral part (...as understudy....) towards today is (made to be) not lost on him

[kinkylola]

love mario

[paul_oresteia]

The most important assist of the season? Is there an award for that?

[Kiss_The_Goat]

I thought he lifted the side when he came on... his very direct play and shooting, and his attitude seemed to give us that little bit extra... as well as his assist setting up the winner! Top stuff from Mario!

Now watch him be one of the players of the tournament in the Euros!

[Chopper]

He really contributed today. His post match interview was class but I get the feeling that he is leaving.