The biggest surprise for me about Mario is that he isn't actually as talented as people thought. He's slow in the mind and doesn't read the game well. He hasn't got great speed, either.
People always thought he was a super talent who simply couldn't focus enough to get the best out of him. But he isn't a super talent at all. He's a good player who had the odd great game in his career. He isn't a world class striker and never will be. The expectations on the boy are beyond his actual talent; that's what people need to accept.
I'm an AC Milan fan who has always had great respect for Liverpool and for its fans (my favorite team in EPL). I have to say that Balotelli is the classic player that makes you happy two times: when he comes and when he's sold.
Mario has a great talent, but he doesn't use it. Maybe he decides the match with a great play, but he isn't present in the opponent's area, doesn't move as a real striker and doesn't score many goals. He is also anarchic and disappears completely in almost every big game. Apart from the semifinal against Germany in Euro 2012 I don't remember any other world class performance.
Last year he only scored 14 goals (3 on penalties). He never played against Juventus, missed 5 easy goals in a derby, didn't anything good against Roma, Fiorentina and Lazio. He played very well only in Champions in Glasgow and in Serie A against Napoli.
I agree with you: he isn't a super talent at all. He's already thrown away 3/4 years of his career, I think he'll never change.
In Brazil he scored against England, but he was invisible against Costa Rica and Uruguay (0 shots on goal).
In my opinion, he is one of the most overrated players in recent years.
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