Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Risso]

Re Balotelli.  The whistle had be blown so long before I was half expecting him to be booked for carrying on (or did they change that some time ago?)

Re Guzan's fuck-up.  It's not absolving him of the blame, but watching it back Vlaar passes it back to his right foot.  Rule no1 was always put in on the side the goalkeeper kicks with.
Still a stupid decision be Guzan, even without the cock-up-  Even if he'd made a decent contact, he'd still have been playing Okore into all kinds of trouble.  That ball should have been launched towards the half-way line.  Only way out from there.

I'm more concerned with the breach of the "don't pass the ball to an unmarked opposition player in the 6 yard area" rule to be honest.

[silhillvilla]

The offside rules are now nicely left open to allow the ref some flex when making calls that suit the agenda of the FA and sky etc.

[Toronto Villa]

The offside rules are now nicely left open to allow the ref some flex when making calls that suit the agenda of the FA and sky etc.

so wouldn't they have allowed the Balotelli goal to stand if that was really the agenda? How about it was just a really bad call by the linesman as opposed to some nonsense conspiracy theory?

[Chris Jameson]

The offside rules are now nicely left open to allow the ref some flex when making calls that suit the agenda of the FA and sky etc.

That's must be why they wear earpieces so they can be advised by their masters as to when to blow the whistle.

[Billy Walker]

Am I the only one who thinks a five-eight million bid for Balotelli could be a good bit of Villa business?  I could see Sherwood firing him up and getting the best out of him. Having him as an option alongside Benteke (yes, he's going nowhere) Grealish, Gabby and so on could be very good.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why would we expect Sherwood to get the best out of Balotelli when several highly rated managers in two top leagues have so far failed to do that with any consistency?

I think it'd be a dreadful waste of money. I also suspect that after "a wild boar", "Mario Balotelli" is the best answer to the question "what, were you to release it into the Villa changing room, would cause the most havoc, the quickest?"

It's a shame because he is undoubtedly talented, he's just nuts too. Bad nuts, as well.

You also have to wonder what his attitude would be, given his club trajectory so far, to end up at perennial relegation strugglers

[LeeB]

Am I the only one who thinks a five-eight million bid for Balotelli could be a good bit of Villa business?  I could see Sherwood firing him up and getting the best out of him. Having him as an option alongside Benteke (yes, he's going nowhere) Grealish, Gabby and so on could be very good.

It had crossed my mind too, although the Lambert era has probably embedded a masochistic tendency within me and I'm suffering withdrawl symptoms.

[KRS]

Am I the only one who thinks a five-eight million bid for Balotelli could be a good bit of Villa business?  I could see Sherwood firing him up and getting the best out of him. Having him as an option alongside Benteke (yes, he's going nowhere) Grealish, Gabby and so on could be very good.

File under "avoid at all costs".

[martin o`who??]

Am I the only one who thinks a five-eight million bid for Balotelli could be a good bit of Villa business?  I could see Sherwood firing him up and getting the best out of him. Having him as an option alongside Benteke (yes, he's going nowhere) Grealish, Gabby and so on could be very good.

Er no, mad as a box of frogs, Balotelli is a complete fruit cake, Ronaldo`s attitude without the effort/application/ability/end product.

[KRS]

For the price we'd have to pay for the mental one, you could have Austin, Ings or Rhodes...give or take a few million. With a bit of luck they'll all be playing Championship football next season so shouldn't be much more than £10-12m (but could quite easily be closer to £20m given how ridiculous the transfer market is for overpricing British players).

[LeeB]

For the price we'd have to pay for the mental one, you could have Austin, Ings or Rhodes...give or take a few million. With a bit of luck they'll all be playing Championship football next season so shouldn't be much more than £10-12m (but could quite easily be closer to £20m given how ridiculous the transfer market is for overpricing British players).

That argument just backs up taking a chance on Balotelli, as the three you list are absolute meat-and-potatoes and will probably end up costing you just as much.

[Ron Manager]

Am I the only one who thinks a five-eight million bid for Balotelli could be a good bit of Villa business?  I could see Sherwood firing him up and getting the best out of him. Having him as an option alongside Benteke (yes, he's going nowhere) Grealish, Gabby and so on could be very good.

That would be a dreadful, dreadful signing almost equal to the Fashanu one. Balotelli is no more than a self obsessed circus act. The Italians don't wa
nt him back and Rodgers is finding it difficult getting him off the payroll.

[Billy Walker]

He'd be a gamble all right.  Maybe a five million fee and pay as you play and he'd be worth it?  It's a shame because there's clearly a great player in there.

[supertom]

No way would signing Crazy Mario be a good idea. Apart from anything else he's that arrogant he'd think he was well above us.

[Ron Manager]

He'd be a gamble all right.  Maybe a five million fee and pay as you play and he'd be worth it?  It's a shame because there's clearly a great player in there.

Well not to me there isn't. More interested in his lap top than playing football!