On the pitch, Carlos Tevez is a talent that epitomises all that is good among his generation of Argentines: he is determined, he is skilful and he is a match-winner. However, the only winning he has been doing of late involves rounds of golf in his homeland. It is well documented how Carlos Tevez went from Manchester City’s hero, who added even more credibility to his cult status by sharing the fans’ detest for United, to a player equally disliked across the country, irrelevant of club or creed. It seems that the only fans that would welcome Carlitos back are the Hammers’: that probably remains the case, only for his goal that saved them from relegation from the Premier League.
Whilst Roberto Mancini waves cards – I’ll refrain from calling it a red card as my ability to mind read exactly what colour the Italian was waving is null – Carlos Tevez’s agent/advisor/drain on resources attempts to further benefit from the Argentine’s footballing talent by securing him a move to another top European football club. Yet the temperamental striker may well have shot himself in the foot during his career to date to an extent which will hinder City’s ability to shift the want-away striker.
“Every time he opens his mouth, it’s a different reason for him wanting to leave Man. City. He is a disgrace to football. He epitomises what the man in the street thinks is wrong with modern footballers.” It’s not a resounding advertisement for the striker’s footballing ability nor his personality; however, it is the truth and Graeme Souness’ account of the Carlos Tevez saga is one that is as damning as other antics committed by Carlitos (Source: Sky Sports).
If there are comparisons to be made between David Bentley and Carlos Tevez, they lie in respect to their attitudes: citing a “60-game season” and wishing to avoid hitting a “brick wall” something Bentley has never done and couldn’t do – he doesn’t play enough – the former England international pulled out of representing Stuart Pearce’s England U-21s in the European Championships 2007 to avoid a mid-season burnout in the 2007/08 Premier League campaign.
Similarly, 4 years earlier and aged 19, Carlitos refused to represent his country at the 2003 FIFA World Championships: in the same way Bentley didn’t want playing for his country to come at the cost of playing for his club the following season, Tevez didn’t want to participate in the Youth Championships at the cost of playing for Boca Juniors as they continued their league campaign.
With Tevez, no matter who he is playing for, his family and Boca Juniors come first: “I want to play for Boca again one day. Boca is different from everywhere else because of how I feel about the club.” As for his family, they are the defining factor in Tevez’s absence from Manchester City, “I live for my daughters; everything I do, I do for them. It is great being [in Argentina] but it is going to be even more difficult to go back now,” and speaking in July, it seemed his Manchester City future was already destined to end prematurely, “It’s great now, enjoying spending time with my family but it will be tough to go back.