Sir Alex Ferguson has made some questionable comments relating to the current situation that Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli finds himself in.
The Manchester United boss believes the Italian firebrand should follow the path set by his own striker Wayne Rooney, who despite swearing at TV cameras on the weekend, has 'grown up'.
Balotelli continues to get himself into trouble with things he says and does on and off the pitch and Ferguson has urged him to take a leaf out of Rooney's book.
"He (Balotelli) is a very emotional player, just like other youngsters that have a high potential," Fergie said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Even Rooney was like that, with an explosive character, with so much will to do things that he overdid it.
"Now he (Rooney) is 25 and he has matured a lot. But time is needed (for Balotelli).
"Even I have several emotional talents in the team. They are born with that character and that doesn't change in one year.
"The problem comes if it creates an imbalance in the changing room. But players can also be inspired by the presence of unconventional characters."
