da betsson： After jumping on ‘my high horse’ last week about the dangers of respect being lost for managers, maybe I didn’t go far enough. Maybe in fact it isn’t just the managers that are being disrespected by certain players – but the fans, as well as their fellow professionals. What a week it has been for Manchester City. They have propelled themselves into a great position to challenge for the Premier League crown. They showed the strength of their squad in Europe and Carlos Tevez has sensationally declared he wants to leave Manchester City. There is never a dull moment at Eastlands.
da bet7k： Mario Balotelli showed what he was all about against West Ham. He was having a very good game up until he lost out in a challenge and should have been awarded a free kick. Cue tantrum – he kicks up a dramatic fuss and for ten minutes, Manchester City were playing with ten men. Manchester City knew the risk when they signed him. They knew that Jose Mourinho couldn’t get Mario Balotelli’s mind focused so what chance does Roberto Mancini have? Does Balotelli’s potential out way this risk? He is without doubt a very talented footballer who could be as good as wants to be. Will he ever reach that potential? So far, injuries have prevented the Premier League from inspecting the Italian. Will Balotelli only add to the infighting at City, remember this is a man who believed it acceptable to sport an AC Milan shirt on Italian television.
Before anyone jumps on this writer and accuses him of attacking Manchester City, it is simply not the case. Manchester City are a great team who at the start of the season I predicted to win the league. The infighting will cost them this season. That is the point being made, nothing else. It has to be addressed. Manchester City can’t continue to add to the simmering tensions at Eastlands. Something has to give.
As I look down from my high horse, what I see is a very disheartened Carlos Tevez. He lives and breathes football. His family are living in Argentina, he is homesick but he still puts in performances like he has for Manchester City. He has been phenomenal and if he says he wants to leave for family reasons, I am sure the majority of City fans would accept that – as long as he moved to Boca Juniors. In a recent interview with Argentinian television, his frustrations were clear.
In an interview with Argentinian station TyC Sports, Tevez reportedly said: “If you ask me, I would love to have my old life back in my neighbourhood of Fuerte Apache. I don’t want to play any more. “I’m tired of football but I’m also tired of people who work in football. Football is only about money and I don’t like it.”
Tevez also admitted that he was disillusioned with the attitude of young players in the game. “The young players think they have won something in football because they have two cell phones and a house,” he said. “Today there are many bad people in the football business and you have to fight with them all the time. I’m going to play football for three or four years in Europe then I will quit. “Today the young players have no education at all and I don’t want to listen to them.”
When a player like Tevez who has won 13 titles in his career looks around and examines what football has become who can blame him for wanting out. Maybe its an Argentinian belief, but Juan Roman Riquelme and Martin Palermo were the same. They played for the love of the game, not the big houses and the fast cars. Players like Emannuel Adebayor – who clearly left Arsenal for a pay check and Mario Balotelli must drive Tevez up the wall. Look at what he does week in week out for Manchester City. Tevez has very real problems and all his strike partners want to do is inflame situations and cause trouble.
Manchester City can win the league this season (as I have said so many times) but the off field attention seeking struggles have to stop. You would have to be a very deluded individual if you believe that everything is peachy off the field at Manchester City. Sure, recently there have been some top notch performances – but without Tevez where would this squad be. Player power at City could cost them so much this season.