There is so much attention, criticism, and excitement around Mario Balotelli when he plays that it’s hard to treat him like any other soccer player.
The inconsistency with which Balotelli displays his amazing technical skill, athleticism, and physique infuriates spectators, teammates, and coaches alike. The ability and athleticism he showcases cause people to expect a world-beating performance from Balotelli every game, and this is why he is so criticized.
As an attacking player, Balotelli has everything that you could ask for. He has a velcro first-touch, and he’s basically technically-perfect with both feet. His passing and dribbling are world-class, and his shot is almost second to none in power and placement.
But, Balotelli doesn’t maximize and capitalize on his talent, which is good enough to dribble past anyone, unlock defenses with passes, and score on any goalkeeper. Too often Balotelli isn’t totally committed and focused on being 100% involved in games.
If Balotelli were always or almost always fully engaged in games, then his statistics and influence would be much better than they currently are.
It’s important to remember that people’s expectations are almost higher than they are for any other player. People see a phenomenal talent and athlete inside of an imposing physique, and they expect the world.
The best thing Balotelli can do for his play and his career is to solely focus on always making himself very involved in games, and he should impose his will on games.
One of the most impressive things about Balotelli is how his talent and physical gifts always make him a threat that opposing players immediately recognize. If you watch Balotelli in a game, then basically all you see is Balotelli. He is the killer shark in the water that everyone immediately notices.
For Balotelli, actively focusing on not becoming irritated and rattled by opposing players and fans should be his first priority. If he does this, then he can be totally focused on the game.
The type of focus and the level of restraint needed from Balotelli is somewhat unfair as almost no other player has to try so hard to not be reactive.
Nevertheless, Balotelli is an amazing talent that hopefully all soccer fans can come to enjoy, and if he is able to just be very involved in every game while blocking out all of the provocations, then he can reach the level where is acknowledged as a world-class player, instead of just a world-class talent.
As everyone knows, the talent is definitely there. Most professionals will never be able to do the stuff that Balotelli can do. For soccer’s sake, let’s hope that he can tune out and ignore all of the things that rattle him and take his focus off his play.
Say what you want about Balotelli, but he is a force of nature that all soccer fans can’t take their eyes off.