Carlos Tevez’s talent continues to be undermined by his attitude

Reports today suggest that Carlos Tevez is unhappy with the training methods used by Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, a complaint which appears to throw his Eastlands career in jeopardy with Mancini telling him that he can leave if he is not happy. Less than a year into life at his new club, there is a certain sense of déjà-vu about the Argentine’s petulant outcry.

Let us rewind to last summer. Tevez was telling anybody that would listen that he felt underused and underappreciated at Manchester United. He very publicly sought a move away from Old Trafford when he was not lauded over in the manner in which he saw fit and not offered a permanent contract as quickly as he would have liked.

So having gone from being, in his opinion, underworked at a football club, he now believes he is being overworked by being asked to train twice on a Tuesday. Putting aside the fact that this serves only to fuel the common belief that modern day Premiership footballers are a bunch of prima donnas, it also highlights a common theme in Tevez’s career. 

Go a little further back, and you will find that in order to push through his transfer deadline day move to West Ham in August 2006, Tevez had gone on strike at his club Corinthians. This is the club that paid £13.7 million for his services less than two years earlier and who had given him a £6.85 million five year contract, the biggest in South American. Some show of gratitude then.

Tevez is remembered fondly at Upton Park as the man who saved their Premier League bacon when he scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over United on the final day of the 2006-2007 season. What will be less well remembered is Tevez’s tantrum and walkout after being substituted early in the season against Sheffield United, with his teammates deciding he should wear a Brazil shirt in training as punishment (something he refused to do).

At the end of that season, it became apparent that Tevez wanted away from West Ham. So after just one season, he thought himself bigger than the club that gave him his opportunity to impress on the European stage. As it transpired, his transfer to Manchester United turned into a transfer saga the complications caused by his ownership by Media Sport Investment.

So Tevez had eventually landed at United, English champions and European footballing powerhouse. During his stay he won two Premier League winners medals, a Champions League winners medal, and a League Cup winners medal to boot. Loved by the fans, who chanted “Fergie, sign it up” from the terraces, things couldn’t have looked better when he was eventually offered a five year contract that would have made him one of the club’s top earners. Could they?

Carlos obviously thought so when he jumped ship to the other side of the city and joined the mega-million revolution at Eastlands. Having plundered 21 league goals to date and ensured the adoration of another set of fans, the Argentine international appears to be ready to once again pack his bags in search of a club which meets all of his demands, all of the time.

There is no doubting Tevez’s ability but you get the sense that his potential to win the game’s greatest prizes may be undermined by his petulant attitude and those that are advising him. Despite the player’s heroics this season, Mancini is right to offer him an ultimatum. Should he choose to accept the invitation to leave, any manager keen to secure his services may like to consider the impact of Tevez’s actions off the pitch, as well as on it.

Richard Bourne