Balotelli has scored 40 goals in 61 apps for Nice in league and Europe. 11 of those goals have been penalties, which most strikers score; so 39 goals in 61 apps, which isn't very impressive really, when you consider the relatively low standard of French football. You might say he's playing in a weak Nice team, but then he's presumably not playing against packed defences and under high pressure week in/week out like he would be if he were playing for a top team (or Italy). All in all, he should be given another chance, simply because our current 'star' forwards are Insigne, Belotti and Immobile. Let's hope we've seen the end of Parolo in an Italy shirt. He has won 36 caps; miraculously, the same number as Mancini won.
If you are playing in a top flight European league his current goal ratio is pretty impressive. And not just that, have you watched the quality of the goals. His recent goals haven't been "sitters". And penalties aren't automatic, but even there he impressed when he had to retake a PK, and went back to the same side and was successful. And he is the same talent that has scored wonder goals numerous times in his career.
So I just watched his goals on your recommendation and I'm left to wonder if you've actually seen them. Not many of them are actually impressive; they include scuffed shots, deflections, bad goalkeeping, tap-ins. I don't know what 'wondergoals he's scored numerous times in his career' you're referring to and any striker worth his salt scores most penalties as you and everyone knows. I'm not really impressed with his goal scoring record in the fifth best league. Immobile's 41 goals, with fewer penalties, in one season in stronger competition are more impressive stylistically and statistically. I don't know how anyone can argue otherwise. Still, it'll be good to have Balotelli back.
Get out of here with that nonsense, Balotelli is god and his goals are world class. Look, i've said it before i'm a big Balotelli fan AT club level, he had a great game against Germany in 2012, a good game against Brazil in a friendly but the rest of his performances were not very impressive. Do i hope he lights it up when he makes his return? Of course i do, i think we all want Italy to succeed but if after a few matches he doesn't produce it'll be time to move on. Same goes for players like Immobile and Parolo.
So a deflected free-kick against Metz and a tap-in against Zulte Waregem is 'world class'. Nothing about Balotelli has ever been world class-apart from his penalties.
Just average I guess. Against PSG no less.... How many does he score outside of the 18?!? You may have posted the videos, but it leaves me with the same thought: Immobile had a awesome season, and I'm not here to discount his success. It's just odd that what you hold against Balotelli you don't against Immobile. He had at least 10+ Tap-ins, 7+ Headers, 7+ PK's. And I didn't see any strikes outside the 18.
I love Italian soccer, but the Serie A isn't far and away a better league than Ligue 1. You can attribute any goal to bad goal keeping if you are trying to discount a player. His shots are deliberate. As for how easy PK's are, how many players have his conversion rate. Did you see MSN's rates last year, it's not as automatic as you claim. And seriously you can't recall the wonder goals he's had in his "career"?!? I didn't say just this season, or just at NICE. Career....... Guess this was all luck? Just your standard strike. Done wearing the Azzurri Blue.... Again in the Azzurri Blue. Odd title to the video, guess I'm not the only one that thought the goal was special. You really count this as a run of the mill goal.
If you don't like his personality, that's fine. But to seemingly dismiss his talent, doesn't seem on the level. Don't take it from me though.... Marco Tardelli, the former assistant to Giovanni Trapattoni Demetrio Albertini believes Balotelli "is a player capable of doing extraordinary things when he is in the right frame of mind," Maybe his new coach, thinks he might have a little talent. https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news...ow-i-really-feel-about-mario-balotelli/247193
I'm not holding anything against Balotelli or his personality. I like him better than Immobile in an Italy shirt. He's a good player at his best. But If you analyse Balotelli's Nice goals versus Immobile's goals, you'll see neither are anything special. You posted five good Balotelli goals...so what? As for those 'numerous' i.e. four 'wondergoals', they're nothing that you don't see every week somewhere in the world. They're not true wondergoals because they won't be remembered for all-time, other than the Germany goal, which is remembered because of the context of the match. The goal against Poland is actually bad goalkeeping. It undoubtedly is.
According to whoscored.com-five in two seasons. The one against Genoa was outside box and Sampdoria possibly. According to whoscored he has scored two from outside the box in two seasons.
This is an endless debate. I obviously have a different view on what is deemed a "special" goal. You want to slight his goals, and state they are goals that are scored on a weekly basis. So be it. The fact is while you may see them every week "somewhere" in the world it just goes to show how impressive it is that Balotelli has multiple goals like that by himself. Attempting to slight my examples by stating I only posted 4 goes to show what?!? You can only link 5 media links per reply anyway. I don't see the need in making 4-6 posts of highlight clips so I can supply whatever arbitrary number would give him a passing score in your grade book. I'm confident my point has been made. You disagree, so be it. I'll take the opinion of the ex-players: http://www.espn.com/soccer/italy/st...ll-up-if-roberto-mancini-appointed-ex-players and Buffon~ “I’ve seen few - maybe only [Francesco] Totti who have that power and accuracy of shooting, there’s truly no equal." that say he's a pretty special player. But I venture there will be a reason to slight/ignore their opinions.
Balotelli isn't a pretty special player which is why he's playing for Nice in the prime of his career. None of the ex-players are saying anything other than he's a good player who might be Italy's best striker and deserves another shot. I disagree. Most good strikers score some good goals. That's it. It doesn't make them special, unless it's in big games and on a consistent basis. Gilardino, Quagliarella, Giovinco etc. all score nice goals too. Immobile's goals have been better this season in my opinion. Whether a striker scores a few more from outside the box doesn't necessarily make him better either, just different. That's why Pippo Inzaghi>Balotelli. Balotelli is primarily an immobile power striker, while others have more speed and finesse. Buffon was right when he said Balotelli's shots have great power, and decent accuracy considering the amount of power he generates. That's one of his attributes. You were just cherry-picking his best Nice goals, ignoring the fact that most of them were ordinary/sitters, when you told me they weren't. Interestingly, I looked at the topscorers in Ligue 1 and Balotelli is the odd one out. Can you see why? https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/french-ligue-one/top-scorers The only one without an assist. He had one assist in Europe. He also had the second highest number of shots in Ligue 1 this year, almost 4 per game. It sounds like he's been very selfish. Balotelli is one of the most overhyped players of all-time. He's the Italian Beckham. Nonetheless, he's had a good season. But if he fires Italy to Euro 2020 glory with lots of goals I'll bump this thread and eat my hat.
For someone who doesn't follow so much; why is Immobile such a dud? He scores for fun in Serie A. why isn't he able to replicate this for ITALY?
At the end of the day, how many Italian strikers replicated their outstanding club form for the national team? Not many. Fabio Grosso did more for Italy than most of them.
Somewhat true, good example is Luca Toni. For the most part though we've always had a striker that could score, Baggio, Vieri, Inzaghi, Del Piero.
I know he is cap tied to Argentina but I believe most of the games he has played in are friendlies. Therefore , can Mauro Icardi switch allegiance petition FIFA to play for Italy now that Sampaoli stiffed him at the World Cup? I mean I read so many players switching and playing for both so could there be a chance Mancini pick Icardi for Italy? I’m all for the Italian born player but everyone else is doing it so I figure, why not?
That was before Wanda and when Messi didn’t care but not now. I've read he only played in 4 games but I've seen many other players who have had more caps playing for two nations. I don't see why it can't happen again and I think he only played in friendlies I believe when he was still only 23. Looking up some names , Wilfried Zaha played for England and Ivory Coast , Diego Costa for Brazil and Spain , Nacer Chadli Morocco and Belgium , Mehdi Carcela-González Belgium and Morocco and then there was Alex Bruce who played for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. If they could switch, I'm sure Icardi can too. FIFA seems to bend rules for everyone else anyway , so why not ask or at least try? Unless they are wanting to punish him, then that is another story....
He played in competitive matches for Argentina. I believe nobody has ever played competitive matches then been allowed to switch in modern times. End of story.
Icardi played 8 minutes of a WC qualifier 5 years ago at 20 years of age and three friendlies I believe when he was 23. Many others have played in more games for other countries. FIFA break and make up their own set of rules all the time so I don’t see why they can’t or won’t do it again. Not so long ago, you couldn't play for the senior team if you played for the youth teams of another country. That has changed and I’m betting in the future, their other existing crazy mixed up rule of switching countries before their 23rd BD will be changed again. Only time will tell but I see the rules changing.
http://mundoalbiceleste.com/player/mauro-icardi/ 'Please FIFA can I play for Italy cause Argentina won't pick me?' Letting him play for Italy would entail throwing the rule book out the window and open up a whole can of worms for FIFA. Icardi doesn't want to play for Italy anyway-not when he's got super Mario Balotelli and Immobile to compete with. Not to mention Stefano Okaka Chuka. A better idea would be to get Simeone to commit to Italy, if he's eligible.
Fifa rules are and always were a joke. Balotelli maybe but Okaka hasn't scored much at Watford. I don't think Mancini will pick him. As for Giovanni Simeone, I’m thinking he may already have his Italian or EU passport. He probably has it through both his heritage , living in Italy at a young age while his dad played for Pisa , Inter and Lazio and then again now that he is playing back in Florence.