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I'm the only dude.
I look around and yep, I am the only guy that still has the smallest shred of hope in Balotelli. Everyone is making the jokes. Mocking him. Milan fans don't want him back. Liverpool fans are overjoyed that he's left them. It seems that his fate has already been written by the public. Have Hope however knows talent when he sees it. And the fact that after all the bricklaying that Balotelli has been a part of, I STILL have the smallest bit of hope for him, shows just how much talent there is that exists in Balotelli which needs to be extracted.
The Liverpool move was never going to work. I don't know why Rodgers bought him and I don't know why Balotelli even agreed to the move. Certain players work in certain systems. Balotelli was not ever going to work in system where players are moving quickly all around the pitch and the ball is fizzed around with one-touch football. That is not Mario's game, but it definitely suits Coutinho, the Cannibal, Sturridge and so forth. So when he just never clicked, it didn't really surprise me because I could see it coming from miles away. That is why perhaps I have this little bit of hope with Balotelli.
I'm going to call it like it is and not just going to be the good uncle and just rub Balotelli's head. Mario has to take a whole chunk of blame for the criticism that he's received in his career. It's a clear fact that if Balotelli applied himself and really focused on being the best he could be, he would be one of the greatest strikers we've ever seen. That's just how much talent lies in that right foot of his. Some of the G's that he's scored is just pure and unadulterated talent. Once you have that, it just doesn't leave you. That's how football works. Once you are able to do certain things, it never disappears...it's only a question of what it will take to try and bring that back to the fore again.
Mario has to realize that I'm the only dude. Nobody is giving him any chances and have written him off. To be honest, I can't actually blame them based on his career has dipped. Even if it was a bad move, he still agreed to it and has to take the blame for it. But I'm still the only dude, and this Milan move was exactly what he needed. The Milan situation is exactly what he needs. Especially in the state that they are in, losing their opening game and how ordinary they look, it's the perfect setup for Balotelli to come in. But as Morpheus famously said in the Matrix, the door can only be shown to him, but he is the one that has to walk through it. If Balotelli does not get down and focused, cut out the instagram crap, then it will be over for him. The Milan situation NEEDS his talents, but if he won't do the work and apply himself then a slowly improving Serie A will EAT him alive.
Sue me, maybe I am completely dumb for doing this. Perhaps I should just be "wise" and admit that Balotelli is done and he's just going to join the muck at Milan which is just pretty sad to witness. Something deep within me just says....ONE MORE CHANCE. This is it. If this does not work out, then we'll have to look back when Balotelli hangs up his boots and just wonder what could have been if he had really taken his talents more seriously and appreciated how lucky he was to be blessed with it.
HH
