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| Is John Guidetti a Viable Replacement for Mario Balotelli? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 1 2013, 06:25 AM (178 Views) | |
| Homer | Jan 1 2013, 06:25 AM Post #1 |
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I am the King
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![]() Is Manchester City's 20-year-old Swedish international John Guidetti a viable replacement for troubled-star Mario Balotelli? This article will look back at Guidetti's magical loan spell with Feyenoord, his career-threatening illness and what City should do with him this season. The article will also document Balotelli's distractions, his deteriorating form and whether or not he has a future with the Sky Blues. John Guidetti's 2011-12 Loan Spell with Feyenoord It's September 11, 2011 at the Rat Verlegh Stadion, with hosts Breda 2-1 down to Feyenoord. As Guyon Fernandez trudges off the field to be replaced by Manchester City loanee John Guidetti, the versatile Fernandez has no idea that his extended run as a No. 9 is about to end. Guidetti gets in behind Breda's tired defence twice—once via a Kelvin Leerdam through-ball and then a lofted pass from Karim El Ahmadi. The turning point of the game is actually a seemingly innocuous substitution from Breda manager John Karelse, who brings on Ajax loanee Roly Bonevacia. A few minutes later, Bonevacia grabs the arm of Leerdam in the box, giving Feyenoord a penalty. Guidetti glances to his left, breathes in and then coolly slots the spot-kick to the right corner, giving Jelle ten Rouwelaar no chance. That is how it began for Guidetti, who went on to score 20 goals and registered eight assists in 23 league games. This may seem surprising but it's true. Feyenoord don't miss him at all because unheralded Graziano Pellč scores prolifically, is a threat in the air and holds up the ball. How about that late-equalising goal against Ajax? He controlled the ball with his thigh, spun and volleyed it past Kenneth Vermeer. Guidetti was actually in De Kuip to witness Pellč's beautiful goal. The reason why Pellč is relevant to this discussion is that he failed in Serie A but has flourished in the Eredivisie. Afonso Alves, Bryan Ruiz, Marcus Berg, Mateja Kežman and many more have scored goals easily in the Dutch league like Guidetti, but failed to find similar success when they played in better leagues. Guidetti's upside is very high but just because he scored goals for Feyenoord doesn't automatically mean he's a can't-miss prospect in one of Europe's elite leagues. John Guidetti's Career-Threatening Illness When In Bed With Maradona followed up on their Top 100 young players, European correspondent Andy Brassell offered this take on John Guidetti: "A few months down the line from 2011/12, we can really start to absorb what John Guidetti achieved on loan at Feyenoord, despite only turning 20 a few weeks before the season's end. It wasn't just the 20 goals in 23 matches but the way he led the team—technically and ideologically—out of the doldrums to finishing Eredivisie runners-up. A debilitating illness took the wind out of his sails, but the identity of Zlatan's successor for Sweden is no longer a secret." The debilitating illness Brassell is referring to was when Guidetti contracted food poisoning which led to a virus attacking his nervous system. His legs were emaciated and all those years of running and doing leg work was gone in a heartbeat. John poignantly spoke of the situation (via Simon Mullock at Mirror Football): "One minute I was in heaven, the next in hell. I could not believe it." Guidetti is back training, but it remains to be seen if this freak incident has debilitated his career. |
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| KOL | Jan 1 2013, 07:41 AM Post #2 |
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Big Daddy Welbz
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Don't know much about this Guidetti bloke but i don't think Balotelli will leave whilst Mancini is at the club. |
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12:46 AM Jul 11