Les Enfants Terrible-Part Deux

Well it was almost a year ago that I wrote a blog about les enfants terrible of soccer and hockey Mario Balotelli and PK Subban 

http://strummer-whathappened.blogspot.ca/2013/04/les-enfants-terrible.html 

I ended that blog by saying that these two athletes had endless potential but their egos may get the better of them. So after a year where are they now?

I cannot really say much has changed. They still seem to bring out the best and worst of fans, players, coaches, and pundits. Their potential is still a great unknown. Both ended last season on a high note with Balotelli joining AC Milan in January of 2013 and taking them to a champion's league berth and making the Azzurri qualify for the World Cup, and PK Subban winning the Norris as best defenceman in the NHL.

                      

Things started off brightly as well in their 2013-2014 campaigns with Balotelli scoring consistently, and PK continuing his Norris like play at the start of the season. Then things started to sour. AC Milan began piling up injuries and Balotelli got red carded and injured. Then he missed his first penalty shot ever. His production started to tail off as the players around him seemed to lack cohesion. For the first time in his career the player that boasted only Messi was more talented started to lose confidence. The goals didn't materialize, Balotelli suddenly stopped finding himself in the right place at the right time. It could be other teams began to study his tendencies and knew how to counter his play. At the same time, AC Milan kept losing and was in shambles as their coach Allegri was sacked. Whispers now are starting about whether Balotelli can lead the Azzurri in the World Cup. Right now there is a panic mentality in the Italian media. AC Milan supporters are beginning to revolt as the team was humiliated and eliminated from the Champions's league. Milan finds itself in the second tier of the Seria A standings. They were defeated again today. One could only imagine the pressure mounting for Balotelli. Is Balotelli a flash in the pan and has the man been overhyped. I am unconvinced. The physical attributes of the player are obvious, he has a blistering shot and he is a good playmaker as well. What many people wonder about, as I do, is whether he is mentally strong. The next few months will be crucial for Mario Balotelli. If he fails to lift his play or the Azzurri are quickly eliminated in the World Cup his star will fade, and he may become persona non grata in Italy.

As for PK Subban, he started the season as he ended the previous one, dominating oppositions with his bright offensive fast paced game and some thunderous hits to boot. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, there was chatter coming from the Team Canada brass that PK was not on the list of the defencemen that would be chosen for the Olympics. Pundits and fans were shocked and the backlash centered around the old boy's club and prejudice. Michel Therrien added fuel to the fire by distancing himself from the controversy. At the same time PK seemed to become a more stay at home defenceman as his production started to tail off. Therrien's strategy appeared to be to have PK leashed, and Therrien began making positive comments only when PK played a defensive style. Every defensive miscue by PK seemed to be magnified and sometimes led to his benching. Finally, when the Team Canada selection was made, after lobbying from unusual sources like Don Cherry and Bobby Orr, PK was chosen to Team Canada. Unfortunately during the month after his selection PK's play started to slide. Even though he was chosen, PK still seemed to be the odd man out when Team Canada arrived in Sochi. The coaching staff headed by Mike Babcock preferred to emphasize a New Jersey Devil trapping style kind of game. There was no room for PK. PK played one game in the tournament and had a regular shift for one period. Team Canada even though barely beating teams like Slovakia, at the end prospered from their defensive style and easily beat the USA and Sweden. It must have been devastating for Subban not to be a part of the on-ice activities. His play since his return to Montreal has not been scintillating until last night. One can only hypothesize about how his being snubbed in Sochi must have affected his confidence.  Once again the next month and playoffs will become very important in PK's career. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact PK remains unsigned. Everyone expects a huge multi-year contract, but if the Habs management snub PK as Team Canada did, who knows where the future lies for PK. 

Well the moment of truth is fast approaching. One thing for sure there have not been many dull moments with these two.