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.

New faces at City but same old story

Looks like Roberto Mancini and his predecessor do have one thing in common: the innate ability to translate obscene transfer expenditure into nothing. After commanding the position of biggest spenders in Premiership for the second straight season in a row, Mancini's Man City bore remarkable similarities to the City under Hughes.

The Man City that turned up at White Hart Lane was weak in both the midfield and defensive departments and often bereft of ideas up front. It was almost as though City hadn't spent any money this summer! Their best spell of the game was perhaps in the opening minutes of the game when new signing David Silva demonstrated some of the qualities that made him one of the most sought-after wingers in the last few years. But after the seventh minute or so, Silva then decided to pursue the art of obscurity on the pitch much like what he did in the World Cup in South Africa which earned him a near permanent spot on Vicente Del Bosque's bench.

But Silva wasn't the only one guilty of being engulfed in that sea of white in midfield. Many of his teammates were caught catching a cat nap on several occasions, especially the ones in defense. Fortunately for Mancini, Joe Hart played the game of his life today. One wonders if Shay Given would've been able to have withstood that onslaught on Hart's goal.

To a certain degree, City will be happy to take a point off from a game in which they were second best by a mile. But chances are Mancini won't be taking out his players for a celebratory drink this weekend after that poor performance.

As for Tottenham, all I can say is that Harry Redknapp's side was unbelievably unlucky not to have taken all three points today. They did everything right and looked even stronger than they were last season. What's perhaps most impressive are the various attacking options in his side. If this a sign of things to come, it could be a good season ahead for Spurs fans.