Balotelli would behave if he meets Ronaldo!

It appears as though Mario Balotelli's determined to dominate the headlines this month. In light of the barrage of criticism that has been leveled at the Man City forward in the past week, the Italian now claims that he would change his ways if he ever gets the chance to meet Ronaldo.

No, not Cristiano. It's the other Ronaldo. You know, the overweight Brazilian one. And why would this encounter compel Balotelli to mature mentally?

"Introduce me to Ronaldo and I swear I'll behave to the end of my playing career. I never met him, so you know when you see the idol of a lifetime it can change your way of thinking?

"There are many great players, but Ronaldo was the greatest and so one word from him is worth a thousand from the others," he said, Le Iene reports.

I think someone should alert Balotelli soon - lest he blows his top again - that meeting Ronaldo isn't going to substitute anger management therapy.

Still, it could be worth a shot. Ronaldo didn't exactly have a problem with anger during his playing career. No, most of his problems had to do with women and - during the later part of his career - fast food. And hair styles.

But one could envisage Mancini preferring these lesser qualities over Balotelli's present disciplinary issues. After all, it wouldn't be the end of the world if Balotelli developed an addiction to cheeseburgers. Now, if only Ronaldo can show Balotelli the correct way to put on a bib.

At least Dzeko finds it funny

It turns out we weren't the only ones who found Mario Balotelli's "bib malfunction" hilarious. Teammate and fellow striker, Edin Dzeko, tried his hand (no pun intended) at donning a bib Balotelli-style. I wonder if City fans find this just as hilarious.

The problem with Balotelli

Mario Balotelli, as talented as he may be, has got anger management issues. A dangerously high kick against Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov last week earned him a needless red card and contributed to City's exit in the Europa League.

It also earned him the wrath of his manager, Roberto Mancini, who bluntly labeled the striker's reckless challenge as "stupid." Some reports even go so far as saying Mancini threw a suitcase at his compatriot after the game in the City dressing room. Then there are rumours that the club has fined him GBP300,000 for his foolish actions on the pitch last week.

Seems a little drastic for a red card doesn't it? Well, check out the video below. It may explain why the club and Mancini are starting to lose their patience over their star striker.

Is this the greatest blunder of all time?

We've all seen goalkeepers making ridiculous mistakes but this one may just be the greatest of all time. Check out how Zulte-Waregam's 'keeper, Sammy Bossut, fumbles this routine save. Some claim that there's an opposition player that steps on his foot as he's about to throw the ball. But seriously, no amount of obstruction could have led to that fumble.

Fergie bans media from reporting crap he says!

The ongoing war between Sir Alex Ferguson and the media has taken another twist with the Man Utd manager once again banning all interviews and press conferences with the media.

The reason?

For reporting the Scotsman's post-match tirade against referee Martin Atkinson after United's defeat at Chelsea this week.Those damn journalists.

But it gets even better. It turns that the comments that landed Ferguson in hot water were made to none other than MUTV, which is the club's in-house TV Station! Maybe Fergie should have just banned MUTV.
After all, the editors at MUTV must know that airing such remarks would undoubtedly get their beloved manager in trouble. Talk about a major fubar.

All the same, one wonders why it hasn't occurred to Sir Alex to exercise some caution while talking to journalists. Surely someone who has been in the business as long as he has knows how to deal with the media without saying the wrong thing.

Nonetheless, this isn't the first time Sir Alex has gone to war with the media. Earlier this season, Fergie blamed the media for Rooney's slump and he's had an ongoing feud with the BBC for years. If you haven't realised yet, it's never Fergie's fault.

Of course if United beat Liverpool this Sunday I suppose we can expect Fergie to lift his self-imposed gag order with the media. I can't imagine him letting such an opportunity pass.

Dalglish: Carroll may be going for Boyzone on Sunday!

There's no question that Kenny Dalglish' return to the managerial post at Liverpool has been great for both the club and the fans. It's also been great for the press at Anfield after years of deciphering Rafa Benitez' sarcasm.

At his pre-match press conference today, Dalglish refused to give a definitive answer as to whether the club's record signing, Andy Carroll, will play a part in this Sunday's clash with Man Utd.

When pressed further, he said: "Whether he's involved on Sunday or not - I'm sure Fergie would love to know but we don't know. He might not even be a substitute - he might be going to see Boyzone!"

Boyzone?

A few checks on the Internet have shed some light on the Boyzone comment (If you're a Liverpool fan and hate Boyzone, read no further). As it turns out, both Dalglish and Carroll were spotted at a Boyzone reunion concert on Feb 22.

As expected, there have been extensive reports by the English tabloids on their mutual admiration for the Irish pop group (I refuse to call them a band. A band comprises musicians). You can read one here.

Well at least that explains Dalglish' Boyzone reference. It doesn't, however, explain how both Dalglish and Carroll, who are 37 years apart, share a similar taste in music (It also doesn't explain how both men, despite the age difference, seem to have such bad taste in music). Even more puzzling is the fact that Boyzone actually has male fans!

Anyway, to Man Utd fans reading this, Boyzone doesn't have a show in Liverpool this weekend.





 

Is the title race wide open now?

If Carlo Ancelotti survives this season, he may refer to last night's victory over Man Utd as the turning point in what has been a tumultuous campaign for the Blues.

With rumours intensifying of a replacement being lined-up to take over from the Italian in the summer, Chelsea's 2-1 win over the Devils may have given Ancelotti some much needed breathing space.

For once, his cosmopolitan side displayed some rare English character to comeback from behind and hand Sir Alex Ferguson his second defeat of the season. Perhaps Ancelotti has finally figured out what needs to be done to get the millionaires in his squad to step it up a notch although it may be too late now for the Blues to get back into the title race. And he still needs to figure a way of getting some goals from Fernando Torres before the season's over.

Still, Chelsea's victory last night has handed their London rivals, Arsenal, a major boost in their quest for the Premier League. The Gunners are now four points behind Man Utd with a game in hand (against Tottenham, no less) and with a genuine chance of winning their first league title since the 2003/04 season.

But can Arsene Wenger's men finally end six seasons of underachievement? Based on the Carling Cup final last Sunday, that would seem like an unlikely proposition (even ludicrous, some might say).

Still, no one doubts the fact that Wenger's side is equipped with enough talent to win the Premiership this season. However, it takes a little bit more to win league titles.

As I've mentioned in an earlier piece on the Gunner's victory against Barcelona, Arsene Wenger's biggest weakness is his reluctance to alter Arsenal's tactics according to its opponents, especially the ones that are more than willing to put 10 men behind the ball.

On several occasions this season, Arsenal have been left frustrated without the maximum points against sides that employ such tactics and its almost certain the Gunners will face more sides like this before May. And if the Carling Cup final was any indication, Arsenal may have to wait a little longer before it lifts the Barclays Premiership trophy again.