Man City fans shouldn’t be surprised…he’s got form
So out of nowhere Carlos Tevez has handed in a transfer request as City go close to the summit of the Premiership- only at City eh?
It’s not as if he hasn’t got form. He seems to fall out with management a lot – rarely has a player been so entwined with the machinations of the boardroom than Carlos Tevez. The result is the life of a nomad, wandering from one club to another.
At Boca, Tevez left having claimed that the press intrusion in Argentina was too much for him and his family and the club weren’t doing enough to support him. Of course he claimed he loved the club and supporters, and always would. Three seasons there could well be the longest he stays anywhere.
At Corinthians he went on strike, after arguments with teammates, the head coach and the club president. Of course he claimed he loved the club and supporters, and always would. Still, they got a whole year and a half out of him.
At West Ham, the troubles his transfer caused are well-documented. He also stormed off and threatened to go on strike after being substituted, and disappeared to Argentina at one point. Of course he claimed he loved the club and supporters, and always would. Still, they got a whole year out of him.
At Manchester United, Tevez complained of being fatigued and overplayed in his first season. In his second, he complains of being underplayed. Of course he claimed he loved the club and supporters, and always would. Still, they got a two whole years out of him.
At City, it’s been the same old story. He is tired, homesick, hates football, hates footballers, wants to retire, falls out with executives and his manager. Of course he claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will. Still, City got a whole year and four months out of him, though he wanted to leave after the first year.
Now it would seem hypocritical to lay into Tevez when all City fans have been idolising him for the past 15 months. But then all football fans are hypocrites when it suits, and whilst Tevez has been the most important and possibly best player we have had in decades (step aside Kit Symons), I have never been particularly impressed with him as a person.
Not that this matters – I don’t require all footballers to be eloquent, witty, charming, selfless souls – as long as they do the business on the pitch, that’s all that matters. But over the past year I’ve had a softer spot for players who quite simply do their job and are rarely heard of off the pitch – Silva, Milner and hopefully our next captain, Kompany.
This whole episode stinks. Someone is lying, as City’s account of affairs differs entirely from that of Tevez.
Tevez’s reasons are to me drivel. He is paid obscene amounts of money to play football and work with fellow players, coaches and his manager. Who on earth thinks it is acceptable to leave because of his relationship with “executives”?! He should barely have a relationship with them anyway considering after four years in the country he couldn’t be bothered to learn more than a few words of English, and, as he is keen to tell us, money isn’t the issue, so shouldn’t require many meetings with Cook et al anyway, except for frequent holiday requests.
Inevitably Cook will get more stick from certain quarters for all this, despite there being no evidence of him doing anything wrong. Tevez has three and a half years left on his contract, and City don’t negotiate mid-season anyway.
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Tevez’s right-hand man in all of this is well known – Kia Joorabchian, and my thoughts on him are quite clear, and not complimentary, but I imagine he has very good lawyers, and I’m fed up of having to spell check his name. Whatever, he’ll soon be making another few million out of a Tevez transfer (though he is not officially an agent, but merely an “advisor”).
City are thankfully in a unique position- money does not matter, at least for a year or two. We could take a stand and simply refuse to let him leave, but it seems pointless to have his divisive presence hanging over the club
A line was put out that he misses his family in Argentina which is understandable- if that was the sole reason, then you could kind of understand. It isn’t the only reason though, as will be proven when he doesn’t go back to Argentina. You lose sympathy too when you realise that the relationship with the mother of his children ended and his family returned to Argentina after certain stories emerged in Sunday newspapers. Try google for further details.
Perhaps Tevez thinks his family will move to Spain, as it more closely resembles Argentinean life.
If a player is unhappy, then he is unhappy – I do not expect them to be treated like slaves, and I accept players move clubs and contracts are pretty worthless, there merely to receive compensation when the move occurs – but the timing of this stinks, and leaves a nasty taste on the mouth. And if Tevez thought his statement would garner him support (though I doubt he cares) amongst City fans, he was wrong – almost to a man he is being portrayed as the guilty party in all this.
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Because let’s be honest here, City have bent over backwards to accommodate this unbelievably needy man – regular visits back to Argentina, positive articles, the highest pay packet at the club, reassuring chats, endless meetings. As a Times journalist said yesterday, why don’t we just let him and Kia design the kit and decide transfer policy and be done with it.
But what grates with me, is that it is disrespectful to do this now when City have been so willing to look after him. To do it when the team are gelling and making a title surge shows a total lack of respect for the club that employs him, its fans, and puts pressure on the team by losing a star player outside of a transfer window.
His transfer statement hinted at promises not being kept, but what promises could these possibly be? He knew when joining we were a work in progress – we were never going to start sweeping up silverware within a year or two. There are reports that he was angry at Hughes being sacked, the man with 4 premiership wins in his last 30 games, but the fact is that hiring and firing is none of his business, or at least not just cause to want out. And what’s more, that was a year ago. But City can’t really complain I guess- it was this constant feeling of injustice that allowed us to sign him in the first place.
The recent video on the official site of how happy he was is bizarre. Everything he said in that now appears to be a lie – yet he happily invited City into his own home (it was his suggestion) to shoot it. But then the club knew his problems when he made the video. It was shot on November 19th, but didn’t appear for 2 weeks as it needed editing, translating, and there were other videos to publish first. In the end it went up the day after it seems he handed in an official transfer request. Well done City – it shows him up for what he is. Even more bizarrely, he apparently renewed the rental on his home for two years with an option on a third just a few weeks ago.
So what now? The request has been turned down, which is normal, but players always get their move. Look how he says in his statement that he will clear his head and decide what to do, as if it is entirely his decision.
Well thanks for what you gave us Tevez- total commitment on the pitch and many great goals and performances. But you could have been a legend at this club – it seems you never will be anywhere. If you had an ounce of respect for the supporters who have sung your name over the past year and who you praise so widely in your official statement, or your employer who tried so hard to make you feel at home and part of the family, you would have kept your mouth shut and knuckled down until the summer then left with our blessing. Good luck to his next employer- I hope they have £50m spare.
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