There is no doubt about it. After Tuesday night’s display of arrogance, the Carlos Tevez saga at Manchester City Football Club is finally over, and I am as relieved as I was after the end of the release of the Twilight Saga novels.
Are you sick of scrubbing your football boots with an old toothbrush? How long do you spend picking mud off the bottom of them after match day? Well thanks to the ‘Tyger Paw’, the worst part about playing the beautiful game has just got a lot easier.
I only got into football when I was 10 years old, so I have been spoilt as an Arsenal fan with the North London derbies. Since Wenger took charge, Arsenal have only lost in the league twice to Tottenham, and that was only in recent seasons. “St Totteringham’s Day”, the day where Spurs can officially no longer finish above Arsenal, has been celebrated since 1996 and the gulf between the red and white of North London became massive.
The chances are that none of you know this, but I am a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan. I have been a Wanderer since I was about eight when I asked my Dad who the local teams are, and thought the name ‘Wolves’ sounded the coolest.
What football fans witnessed this week in the form of Carlos Tevez’s refusal to play was repugnant. What Alex Ferguson has witnessed in the form of TV’s ever growing influence over football was repugnant also, in his opinion. At the heart of both these much publicised incidents is the idea of power within football and who should have the right to exercise that power.
On derby heavy weekend consisting of Everton vs Liverpool, Fulham vs Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham vs Arsenal is upon us. Having reported on the Brighton vs Crystal Palace the other day and witnessing the violence first hand I felt the need to blog.
Blackburn will host a Tevez-less Manchester City on Saturday as the Citizens look to return to winning ways after the midweek European debacle. City had the day off Wednesday but returned Thursday to train for the last game before the International break. Certainly a break welcomed by Mancini and City fans alike and allow the Tevez saga to be handled behind closed doors without the quick succession of games that will face City when the teams return to action.