Gerrez I replied to your Opera mini question, I would PM you but I know you only look at them once every 6 months or so.
I think Rodgers is trying to get the players to crowd the penalty area more, which would hopefully cover any lack of a second striker. But I mostly agree with you. Borini's fee isnt that big in modern football terms. Borini - 21 - £11m Allen - 22 - £15m Henderson - 21 - £16m Balotelli (another young Italian) - 20 - 22Euro
Balotelli is a lunatic & a car crash waiting to happen, but he's far from ****e. He's got real talent, it's just unfortunate that it's coupled with a bad case of knobeditis
If that's his aim, he's failing miserably isn't he? I don't think there's any real difference in how he's looking to play to how Wengers sets up, he's just spinning out his 4-3-3 as some re-invention of football mate.
I keep hearing that he is talented but I'm not seeing it on the pitch or to be honest I see the odd glimpse of what he is supposedly capable of. Is that enough? He seems to have some kind of following of pundits who say he's an amazing talent but to be a top footballer you have to play well week after week I just don't see this genius in the making that he is supposed to be.
You see glimpses of the genius but with liberal doses of sulking & moody self indulgent nonsense from him. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a liability, but I can see the reason that Mancini took a chance on him, as he's got real talent.
I'm not sure that talent will ever change into a top player or if it does it will be when he's lets say 28-29 and has started concentrating and applying himself to his trade, every club that takes a chance on him until this happens will be wasting their money.
Luv, we've all been in your position at one point or another. It took me watching maybe 7-8 matches with Balotelli playing in them to see how good a player he is. He has got the talent it's just that he is very inconsistent. Similarly, I had the same problem with Ibrahimovitch. Everyone was saying how great he was and yet every time I watched him he was okay, but nothing to write home about. Then after watching more games, I eventually saw a game where showed an immense amount of skill and, in an instant, changed the game, and I was like, 'okay, I see why people rate him now.'
You may be right, I'll always be a harsh critic of this kind of player as I just don't rate them. I'm a fan of the player that does the basics right and has then something different when needed, this moment of genius but does nothing for most of the game type player just doesn't interest me.
I think once Borini has settled in and gained a little more experience he cam be this kind of player, and be very useful to us. In Borini's two major seasons as a pro player he has only come good in the second half of the season, but then scored a good number of goals in that second half. Where I think Borini could be useful, if we sign Walcott, is coming off the bench intight games where we have a narrow lead and the opposition are starting to get at our defense, as he will get stuck in, track back and put in a good shift in midfield areas as much as in attack. Like Kuyt.
I agree. They are luxuries, at best, and often employed as 'super-subs'. I think that if we bring Walcott in he will start more games than at Arsenal but he'll no doubt get rotated with the other new strikers (hopefully a few!), and with our more dedicated wingers (Sterling and Assaidi, mostly). PS Theo is from the greek 'theos' meaning 'god'. Not sure Robbie would be happy with another using his LFC soubriquet, even if it is the greek version!
I'm convinced Balotelli is talented, but his attitude is just awful. Running across to berate the ref at the end last night because he didn't get a pen. If he'd put as much passion into his play as he does into complaining they wouldn't have been in that position in the first place. Imo, of course.
So Theo is sulking at Arsenal because he doesn't get enough game time and he's being played wide too much right? So are we going to have to firstly guarantee him a starting place (not that he will struggle to get into our team at the mo) and guarantee him the central strikers role? If so then I say "kiss me arse" to you Theo. I thought BR wanted flexible forwards anyway. He wouldn't bend his principles to give Mandy a go in his favoured position (fair enough) but he will do it for Walcott who's capable of being flexible but just doesn't want to? Shouldn't someone being paid millions of pounds every year play where he's ****ing told? Personally I prefer whoever the Liverpool manager is to have the option to decide for himself where he plays a player. Sorry Mrs W but I'm still not convinced
I can see Rodgers being quite clear on where and when he plays if he does talk to him, as much as Wacott has moaned lately I get the feeling it's because he wants out more than trying to dictate anything to Wenger.
