Balotelli again.....

[BobbyManc]

I don't mind people with personality. I don't mind Mourinho for example I think he's quite funny, Ferguson was a character as well and it does make stuff entertaining.

My personal opinion is the likes of Balotelli and Ibrahmovic are just cringing. Even worse is that everything they do is the epitome of stuff like theLadBible "Look at this LAD on a night out with his mates...drinking MessyLAD."

The examples you give of Milner or Balotelli are a bit unfair because you've picked 2 opposite ends of the spectrum. There's more than just 2 types of personality in life. Like I said, characters can be entertaining but it's not the end of the world. The problem I have with Ibrahimovic and Balotelli in particular are that they clearly want the attention and are desperate for it. I imagine they're the kind of person on a night out who always have to have everyone watching how "mental" they are. I don't see much of Ibrahimovic in the English press but whenever it was Balotelli people used to leap to his defence about giving him some privacy he's just a young lad, if he didn't put stuff like this that is so desperate for attention I'd agree with them but he clearly loves being this figure that he is.

Evidently we have different takes on personality then as I think Mourinho is just a prick whereas you obviously think the same for Balotelli so looks like we'll have to agree to disagree regards that

And the 'LAD' thing is unfair to criticise Balotelli for in my opinion, I seriously doubt he gives a crap about all these 'LAD' pages, it is the people who create them and idolise him in such a fashion that are the people who you really should have a dislike for. As you say, Balotelli clearly loves being the figure he is but that's just the way he is, and by all accounts he is genuinely a nice guy, just a bit of a loose cannon. I'd have a problem if he was someone like Joey Barton but he does seem to be fundamentally a good guy so he doesn't deserve half the criticism he gets.

Finally, to say they are desperate for attention is also hardly the worst criticism. They have sponsors. Would you not make a video of yourself ironing and reading Ibrahimovic's autobiography if it meant Puma chucking you £50k or whatever they pay him for stuff like that?

 

[Cina sucks]

The 'old days' (at least from the late 60s onwards) had just as many, if not far more people pissing away their talent and acting the knob end. Find me a post like this and I'll find you 10 bemoaning how there aren't any "characters" in the game anymore. People tend to have their opinions and imagine their own past around it.

Also tattoos have absolutely no impact on how dedicated a footballer is. Anymore than mullets did.

I'm just feeling nostalgic of late. I preferred football in the 90s and always will.

 

[Oggmonster]

Evidently we have different takes on personality then as I think Mourinho is just a prick whereas you obviously think the same for Balotelli so looks like we'll have to agree to disagree regards that

And the 'LAD' thing is unfair to criticise Balotelli for in my opinion, I seriously doubt he gives a crap about all these 'LAD' pages, it is the people who create them and idolise him in such a fashion that are the people who you really should have a dislike for. As you say, Balotelli clearly loves being the figure he is but that's just the way he is, and by all accounts he is genuinely a nice guy, just a bit of a loose cannon. I'd have a problem if he was someone like Joey Barton but he does seem to be fundamentally a good guy so he doesn't deserve half the criticism he gets.

Finally, to say they are desperate for attention is also hardly the worst criticism. They have sponsors. Would you not make a video of yourself ironing and reading Ibrahimovic's autobiography if it meant Puma chucking you £50k or whatever they pay him for stuff like that?

Yeah don't get me wrong I can see why people wouldn't like Mourinho. I suppose that's the main thing with these characters is they divide opinion.

Don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting Balotelli checks stuff like that Lad Bible to see if he's on it, my point (possibly worded badly) is that people like him just summarise it. Awful "banter" which is passed off as something brilliant. That video is the prime example, someone shared it on my Facebook and the quote with it was something like "Look at what Balotelli is up to now....only he would do this" I doubt only Balotelli irons and reads. Agreed he probably doesn't ask to be on these sites but it's not like he plays it down. He may be a good guy, I hope he is. I've seen videos of him where he comes across as a decent person, the problem is that I just can't help but cringe at most this stuff he does. It's not just him in fairness, there's plenty of people in society like it. These are the 2 who will get the most attention though. I don't know either personally do don't hate them by any stretch of the imagination.

Your last point you're more than likely right on I agree it's hard to turn down the money and I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I'd like to think though there's less cringing ways of marketing yourself and getting attention than the stuff Ibrahimovic and Balotelli do. The worst one I've seen is that "Dare to Zlatan" shit. A perfect example of something being marketed so much it became painful, at least it did for me anyway.

 

[Eriksen]

Even my grandfather was less grumpy


This exactly

He's incredibly boring and doesn't back it up with talent. He was entertaining at first now he's just boring and his fanboys have made me sick of him. I like Ibrahimovic because he actually has the ability to back up his arrogance and some of his antics.

 

[PedroMendez]

He's incredibly boring and doesn't back it up with talent. He was entertaining at first now he's just boring and his fanboys have made me sick of him. I like Ibrahimovic because he actually has the ability to back up his arrogance and some of his antics.

kind of agree. I dont mind Balotelli acting like he does; everybody has the right to make a fool out of himself (not necessarily a bad thing). Its just annoying, that so many people give him attention, because they think, that he is actually a very good player. Well he is not. Usually average players dont get away with these antics, but he can do it because of his hype.

 

[kouroux]

How does hype allows a player to get away with antics exactly ?

 

[Sparky_Hughes]

People today are pillocks.

Fixed

 

[PedroMendez]

How does hype allows a player to get away with antics exactly ?

Very good players get away with lots of shit. Top players are too valuable, so clubs/pundits/journos let the bad things slide and still praise them for their performances. Average player usually get the "come on, you are not a clown; start focusing on your career" speech.
If Suarez wouldnt have bitten three guys, he´d still get very positive press, besides being an incredible scummy player. If Scholes would have been an average player, his grim tackles would have gotten a different press. Excrentric/wacky players like Best or Gazza were able to do things that worse players couldnt/shouldnt have done. Fans media and the clubs accept almost any antics, if you are good enough. You are still worth it, besides being a "character".

Everybody, who plays football on his own, probably knows these kind of player. Show-offs, braggarts, poser, boaster. Its okay, if you can back it up. If not, you should better shut up or the next 90 minutes wont be very pleasant.

 

[kouroux]

Very good players get away with lots of shit. Top players are too valuable, so clubs/pundits/journos let the bad things slide and still praise them for their performances. Average player usually get the "come on, you are not a clown; start focusing on your career" speech.
If Suarez wouldnt have bitten three guys, he´d still get very positive press, besides being an incredible scummy player. If Scholes would have been an average player, his grim tackles would have gotten a different press. Excrentric/wacky players like Best or Gazza were able to do things that worse players couldnt/shouldnt have done. Fans media and the clubs accept a lot of antics, if you are good enough, because you are still worth it, besides being a "character":

Everybody, who plays football on his own, probably knows these kind of player. Show-offs, braggarts, poser, boaster. Its okay, if you can back it up. If not, you should better shut up or the next 90 minutes wont be very pleasant.

All the example you used are sort of valid as they're players who are really good at football so they're sort of protected by their value as players. Balotelli is a shit player, overrated as they come and yet he's protected too ?
I think Balotelli is a pussycat next to Gazza, Best, for all his stupidity he just plays football, never harms anyone on the pitch. He's just cocky, cockiness seldom has terrible consequences for a player. I think what he does is way blown out of proportion, he's a wannabe tough man after all.

 

[nemanja nemagic]

I hate hate HATE the phraseology of Lad Bible, Sport Bible etc. I don't like or follow any of them, but they're always shared onto my timeline - the captions are infuriating, e.g. 'This...is quality!' 'That tackle though...' 'Check this out...this is insane!'

It makes my blood boil

 

[Waltraute]

I think Balotelli is a pussycat next to Gazza, Best, for all his stupidity he just plays football, never harms anyone on the pitch. He's just cocky, cockiness seldom has terrible consequences for a player. I think what he does is way blown out of proportion, he's a wannabe tough man after all.

Thank you, Kouroux, you nailed it.
Also I just can not believe how underrated he is in this thread. You lot never saw him play, then?

 

[PedroMendez]

He is a good poacher. Not a great one. His finish is very good, but thats about it. I dont like him as a person, but he doesnt do any harm.

 

[r0x0rwolfo]

I generally hoped he would play against us. Against the better teams he always seemed to sabotage/do absolutely nothing. Totally unreliable.

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

He is a good poacher. Not a great one. His finish is very good, but thats about it. I dont like him as a person, but he doesnt do any harm.

I suppose you could describe Balotelli in a number of ways, but a poacher isn't really one of them. Finishing isn't the most impressive aspect of his game, especially when compared to his imposing physique and link-up play, his technical prowess and good range of passing. As far as forwards go he's as complete as they come. His immaturity is the only thing holding him back.