I am sure that when Carlos Tevez refused to step on the pitch against Bayern Munich in the Champions League match in September he probably didn’t think that the next few months would pan out quite this way for him.
Last season he was Captain fantastic for us. His goals were important and I would argue with anyone who didn’t say he didn’t give his all while in that blue shirt. Even with his transfer request last season you could see that on the pitch he gave his all, even if his thoughts were of moving on.
Fast forward to the start of this season however and Tevez, heart set on going away from City, doesn’t secure moves away and now has to contest with regaining a starting place. With Aguero now at City Tevez not only isn’t the best player at City or even the best striker but arguably he is not even the best Argentinian striker at City! That is where the downward slide begins. Tevez is used to being the star and front and centre when he is at a club. At West Ham he was the star and while at United he was also a star performer with Ferguson saying of Carlos when he signed “he’ll get me 15 goals a season, and what’s more, they’ll be important ones”.
Now at 27 if he finds himself dangerously close to being on the footballing scrap heap. He has had teams interested in him but they so far have failed to meet City’s valuation of the player and so, with there being no rush from City’s side, Carlos continues to not play.
In ten days he will turn 28 and with City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak coming out publicly this week for the first time on the subject it seems that if no one meets Citys valuation then he will continue in footballs abyss for another two and a half years, that will make him almost 31 and surely miss Argentinas participation in all competitions up to and including the 2014 World Cup.
The 25million plus add ons that City require really isn’t all that big of a stretch you would have though considering the misfiring Tevez cost Chelsea double and even Andy Carroll cost more! What seems more likely is that Tevez has believed his own hype a little too much and thought that clubs would kick down the door for his signature when in reality he has burnt bridges almost everywhere he has gone and who wants to pay to be next?
Manchester City have made me proud of the way they have handled what could have been a very disruptive chapter in their history. Indeed only a season or two ago it may very well have been very different but thankfully now City have the resources and cover to cope with his loss. With recent details emerging about the behind the scenes dealings it is now crystal clear that the owner is behind Mancini 100% and Tevez hasn’t been paid since fleeing the country in November. In fact with fines and lost wages this whole affair has cost Tevez close to ten million already and counting.
On the 28th October 2011, Tevez was fined two weeks wages by City for the refusal to come on against Bayern. When the next month he fled to Argentina without permission City fined him another six weeks wages which he appealed and lost. He now has until January 30th to appeal to the Premier League who, given their recent decisions on City, will probably side with Tevez. Manchester City have not paid Carlos since November last year and loyalty bonuses (thought to be close to 6million) were rescinded.
So my question to Carlos Tevez is, was it really worth it. If you’d have played against Bayern and kept working hard for City up until the January transfer window teams may have been more willing to pay the price for you. City may have even bent their asking price a little just so there was no ill will but no, toys came flying out of the pram and with what the chairman has just said I am not sure what solution can be found.
Finally who didn’t love our Chairman coming out and publicly slapping down AC Milan for the way they went about the signing of Tevez. Saying that Milan would do better to stop congratulating one another and begin to look at how they would meet our terms, love this guy!
Written By: PACityboy (www.facebook.com/pacityboy)
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