Source: Daily_Mail
Mario Balotelli, 22 touches, no goals and one big strop!
Mario Balotelli flopped dramatically at Upton Park yesterday, provoking cries of 'What a waste of money' from the East End crowd.[LNB]The temperamental Italian cost Manchester City £24million but he struggles to keep his cool when events turn against him.[LNB]Against West Ham, he missed a simple early chance and was booked for dissent in the 62nd minute, prompting City manager Roberto Mancini to substitute the 20-year-old.[LNB] Not so super Mario: Balotelli ignores Mancini after being substituted [LNB]Once again it was plain to see why the high-flying Eastlands outfit have been christened 'The Fight Club' as Balotelli trudged off moodily. [LNB]The Sicilian-born star of Ghanaian parentage ignored his manager as he marched straight down the tunnel.[LNB]Mancini was no less conciliatory, probably having feared that Balotelli would risk another red card if he had been allowed to stay.[LNB]Referee Phil Dowd had finally lost patience when Balotelli refused to come towards him, preferring instead to pull up the tights he was wearing to protect himself against the cold. [LNB]But City coach Brian Kidd insisted that West Ham's fans had it wrong in their assessment of the controversial youngster.[LNB]Kidd said: 'People shouldn't make judgments. [LNB] 'You've just mentioned this "waste of money" chant, but we're delighted with him. [LNB]'The substitution was tactical because we wanted to get players down the flanks and that's what happened.[LNB]'It takes time in the Premier League. He is still a young player, a great kid and he is a big talent.' [LNB]However, even AC Milan, who are keen on taking Balotelli to the San Siro at some stage, revealed last night that they are worried about his temperament.[LNB]Although AC Milan's chief, Adriano Galliani, said last week that they would be interested in Balotelli in a few years' time, a highly-placed source at the Italian club expressed concerns about the player's current state of mind.[LNB]The source said: 'We need a striker but Mario would not like to be a substitute to our main striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. [LNB] You're booked: Balotelli gets a yellow card from referee Phil Dowd [LNB]'Also we think his wages would cost too much and it will probably be a couple of years before he is right for us.'[LNB]Meanwhile, Balotelli continues to struggle to justify his fee in England despite City's impressive season so far. [LNB]Only last week he was photographed clashing with team-mate Jerome Boateng during training. [LNB]The volatile newcomer also openly criticises team-mates during matches, too, if he feels they are not dancing to his tune. [LNB]There were no arguments with colleagues yesterday, but he cut a forlorn figure for much of the match. [LNB]Although he has twice netted a brace of goals already this season and clearly has what it takes to find the net if he puts his mind to it, his inconsistency is the most worrying factor.[LNB]Mancini had demanded that his side showed goal power in the absence of Carlos Tevez. [LNB]Significantly, it was not Balotelli who took a leading role. West Ham 1 Man City 3: Mancini's men go joint top after Balotelli bust-upPlay like Carlos! Mancini tells Balotelli to prove Man City are no one-man teamMANCHESTER CITY FC
