Liverpool's £16m striker Mario Balotelli, 24, has blamed manager Brendan Rodgers's tactics for the fact he has scored just one goal since his arrival from AC Milan in the summer. (Independent) Oh, dear! It looks like the backlash has begun. When a player starts slagging-off the manager, you know the dressing room is going to be in uproar. How long do you think it's going to be before Balotelli ends up lamping Slippy-G?
Rodgers was given enough warning about the risks of signing a headcase, like Balotelli, but he was arrogant enough to believe he could change him. When it all blows up in his face, he'll have nothing and nobody to blame save himself and his own arrogance.
Michael Owen's been talking out of his arse, again. He's claimed that Sterling asking to be rested is ridiculous and that no player has ever suffered from burnout. His own career crashed to a halt because of hereditary muscle injuries, apparently. This is the same Michael Owen that said that he'd been mismanaged, overplayed and had burned out, as recently as last year. A few years ago he was worried about the same fate befalling Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll, which appears to have actually happened. Seems to have somehow forgotten all of this, though. Not just deathly dull on BT Sport, but inconsistent and forgetful, too. Stick to the horses, Michael.
If I were Hodgson, I'd keep bleating to the press about it - but to make a point, rather than Rodgers' idea that makes him sound like a whinging dickhead.
Can see that Pochetino's rimming of Aguero has spurred him on. Great management, if he were managing City... 4-1. Men vs boys.
Another Northern side handed the game by another Northern ref. Too many blind ****ers from south, South Scotland, for me.
He's from Sunderland, PNP. Not sure why he would be biased towards City. Manchester is 140 miles from Sunderland. We're Southerners to them too!
He's part of the block of officials from Oop North, Lidls. Far too many of them. Disproportional representation and all that. Sunderland's roughly twice as far from London as it is from Manchester, anyway. We're closer to Swansea and Brussels.
The media is ripping the absolute piss out of Balotelli, likening him to Emile Heskey. One journalist set out the following hilarious stats (which I'd like to share with you all): Appearances for 'Pool: 7 Haircuts: 3 Goals: 1
It's worse. Soldado scored four goals in his first 3 games for us and has twice as many goals as Balotelli this season. That's how bad he's been!
