Transfer news...

Transfer news...

[h=1]Walcott out of Spurs match and doubtful for England[/h] Published 22:30 26/09/11 By Martin Lipton

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...2-qualifier-in-Montenegro-article804545.html#
Arsenal-Theo-Walcott+cropped


Theo Walcott is set to miss Sunday's North London derby with a knee injury that makes him a massive doubt for England's final Euro 2012 qualifier.
Flying winger Walcott picked up the knock in the final seconds of Saturday's morale-boosting win over Bolton.
Walcott has already been ruled out of tomorrow's Champions League game against Greek side Olympiakos at The Emirates.
But Wenger is already fearing the worst for the 22-year-old's chances of recovering from the injury in time for the crunch clash at White Hart Lane.

If Walcott is ruled out of the game at Spurs, he is unlikely to be deemed fit enough for Fabio Capello to select him for the group-deciding match against Montenegro in Podgorica on October 7, when the England boss had been keen to utilise his pace on the counter.
Walcott's absence tomorrow will force a further reshuffle for Wenger, also likely to be missing Yossi Benayoun.
But Arsenal's confidence was boosted by their first clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season and German defender Per Mertesacker suggested the hard work on the training ground was making the new-look Gunners more organised.
Wenger demanded a massive improvement after the 4-3 defeat at Blackburn, which followed on from the 8-3 mauling at Old Trafford and the former Werder Bremen centre-half believes the players have shown their response.
Mertesacker said: "The clean sheet was good for the confidence of the whole team, especially the defence.
"After the four goals against Blackburn we lost a little bit of confidence but against Bolton we are very proud of the performance we made and we want to go on with this way of defending.
"We had a little bit more time to work on things because of the Carling Cup match.
"Obviously some players missed that game and had more rest. We trained a little harder especially on the defence, the way we want to defend, what we want to do or the coach wants to do and it worked.
"On Saturday you saw we had a better defence, closer together and it was a good week after Blackburn.
"At half time the boss told us that we had to keep on going, the defending was very well in the first half, we did a great job and we had to keep a clean sheet for another 45 minutes and we did that."
Mertesacker took personal plaudits from Wenger but insisted: "I just want to do a good job especially in the defence. That's my part, of course.
"If the coach said he was happy with me it's a great thing but I have to go on, keep on working. My performances are not as good as I think and I want to improve myself.
"It was a very important victory for us. We needed the points, we want to be at the top of the league so we need the points. This is an important step but we need some more."

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'Boss, I'll get it if I can I have another 1000 rounds of ammo and can you stop the old guys from heckling me' – Dave Gray raises the stakes
 
[h=2]Valencia v Chelsea, Champions League Group E, 7.45pm Wednesday 28 September[/h] [h=1]Villas-Boas insists Lampard and Drogba have futures at Chelsea[/h] • Villas-Boas hopes Lampard will be at Chelsea 'for years'
• But he refuses to confirm if Lampard will play against Valencia




  • Jamie Jackson
  • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 September 2011 20.44 BST Article history
    Frank-Lampard-005.jpg
    The Chelsea vice-captain, Frank Lampard, still has a future at the club according to his manager André Villas-Boas. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

    A visibly irritated André Villas-Boas has accused critics of wanting to "finish" the careers of established Chelsea players such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba as he prepares his team for the Champions League group game against Valencia on Wednesday evening. Yet the Portuguese refused to confirm that Lampard would start at the Estadio Mestalla.
    Drogba missed a month of football due to concussion suffered against Norwich City late last month before returning as a substitute in the 4-1 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and Lampard has not completed a full match since the 2-1 victory at Sunderland on 10 September. The 33-year-old midfielder, who began the opening four Premier League games, remained on the bench against Swansea.
    Yet Villas-Boas became annoyed when asked about Lampard. "Why has he not been playing? How many games did he start in the Premier League?" he said. When Lampard's record was relayed, he said: "So you just took the negative part instead of the positive part. I think I've answered it enough.
    "Frank is a magnificent player. Frank is an established, top-quality player, one of the most important at the club and will continue to be. He has nothing to prove to the football world and will continue to show that. He is a spectacular team player and professional and I hope he will continue to succeed in this club for many years to come, as long as I am here. He is [also] a big player for Chelsea and England. It's 26 players for 11 places. What is the dramatic thing here?"
    When it was put to Villas-Boas that he is the first Chelsea coach since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 to rotate high-profile personnel such as Lampard and Drogba, he said: "It's not a question of dramatic change in what's happening. It's not taking the case where you want to make it: that these players are finishing. That's not true, it's not true.
    "I just go on managing my team. The biggest challenge [is] motivating everybody – all want to play and compete for a place. There is no mystique. It's day-by-day life of a manager. You have it in wrong perspective. I am not being brave. It's for the benefit of the team. You've got it all wrong. There should be no negative criticisms.
    "It is choices for the team and there is nothing wrong with it. We all see things as team objectives. At the moment what we manage is a squad ready to challenge. We are three behind [the] leaders in the Premier League, and challenging for all competitions."
    Lampard last began a match at Manchester United on 18 September in a 3-1 defeat in which he was replaced at half-time. Whether he will start on Wednesday is unclear after the manager said: "It depends on the strategy we want to use. I make choices like any manager does. Nothing unusual in that."
    Villas-Boas, speaking after Chelsea were delayed for four hours on the runway at Gatwick before changing planes, was reluctant to accept that he is freshening up the squad by bringing in less established players than Lampard and Drogba. "We made the changes on the things we needed to do to reinforce the squad," he said. "Raul Meireles had a fantastic year at Liverpool [last season]. We analysed [the] squad and did what we did because it was good. We went for a mixture, not just younger players, [Juan] Mata was the best player in Valencia with [a] proven record. I wanted to add competence to the squad. It's about competence and we have that at all levels in the squad."
    Mata is set to start against his former club. Alex, Josh McEachran and Paulo Ferreira have been left behind and Villas-Boas was asked if Chelsea, who beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the opening group game, were favourites against Valencia. "I don't like being favourite in any game," he said. "It only implies big surprises. It will be a football game of great intensity that will be extremely difficult because we know how good Valencia are. We believe in our football, which is attacking and we will try to play that. We are looking to get the result."

 
[h=2]Valencia v Chelsea, Champions League Group E, 7.45pm Wednesday 28 September[/h] [h=1]Villas-Boas insists Lampard and Drogba have futures at Chelsea[/h] • Villas-Boas hopes Lampard will be at Chelsea 'for years'
• But he refuses to confirm if Lampard will play against Valencia




  • Jamie Jackson
  • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 September 2011 20.44 BST Article history
    Frank-Lampard-005.jpg
    The Chelsea vice-captain, Frank Lampard, still has a future at the club according to his manager André Villas-Boas. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

    A visibly irritated André Villas-Boas has accused critics of wanting to "finish" the careers of established Chelsea players such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba as he prepares his team for the Champions League group game against Valencia on Wednesday evening. Yet the Portuguese refused to confirm that Lampard would start at the Estadio Mestalla.
    Drogba missed a month of football due to concussion suffered against Norwich City late last month before returning as a substitute in the 4-1 win over Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and Lampard has not completed a full match since the 2-1 victory at Sunderland on 10 September. The 33-year-old midfielder, who began the opening four Premier League games, remained on the bench against Swansea.
    Yet Villas-Boas became annoyed when asked about Lampard. "Why has he not been playing? How many games did he start in the Premier League?" he said. When Lampard's record was relayed, he said: "So you just took the negative part instead of the positive part. I think I've answered it enough.
    "Frank is a magnificent player. Frank is an established, top-quality player, one of the most important at the club and will continue to be. He has nothing to prove to the football world and will continue to show that. He is a spectacular team player and professional and I hope he will continue to succeed in this club for many years to come, as long as I am here. He is [also] a big player for Chelsea and England. It's 26 players for 11 places. What is the dramatic thing here?"
    When it was put to Villas-Boas that he is the first Chelsea coach since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 to rotate high-profile personnel such as Lampard and Drogba, he said: "It's not a question of dramatic change in what's happening. It's not taking the case where you want to make it: that these players are finishing. That's not true, it's not true.
    "I just go on managing my team. The biggest challenge [is] motivating everybody – all want to play and compete for a place. There is no mystique. It's day-by-day life of a manager. You have it in wrong perspective. I am not being brave. It's for the benefit of the team. You've got it all wrong. There should be no negative criticisms.
    "It is choices for the team and there is nothing wrong with it. We all see things as team objectives. At the moment what we manage is a squad ready to challenge. We are three behind [the] leaders in the Premier League, and challenging for all competitions."
    Lampard last began a match at Manchester United on 18 September in a 3-1 defeat in which he was replaced at half-time. Whether he will start on Wednesday is unclear after the manager said: "It depends on the strategy we want to use. I make choices like any manager does. Nothing unusual in that."
    Villas-Boas, speaking after Chelsea were delayed for four hours on the runway at Gatwick before changing planes, was reluctant to accept that he is freshening up the squad by bringing in less established players than Lampard and Drogba. "We made the changes on the things we needed to do to reinforce the squad," he said. "Raul Meireles had a fantastic year at Liverpool [last season]. We analysed [the] squad and did what we did because it was good. We went for a mixture, not just younger players, [Juan] Mata was the best player in Valencia with [a] proven record. I wanted to add competence to the squad. It's about competence and we have that at all levels in the squad."
    Mata is set to start against his former club. Alex, Josh McEachran and Paulo Ferreira have been left behind and Villas-Boas was asked if Chelsea, who beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the opening group game, were favourites against Valencia. "I don't like being favourite in any game," he said. "It only implies big surprises. It will be a football game of great intensity that will be extremely difficult because we know how good Valencia are. We believe in our football, which is attacking and we will try to play that. We are looking to get the result."

 
[h=1]Carlos Tevez refuses sub's role as Bayern Munich beat Manchester City[/h]




[h=2]Champions League 2011-12[/h]

  • Gomez 38,
  • Gomez 45+1

Bayern Munich 2
Manchester City 0




  • Daniel Taylor at the Allianz Arena
  • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 September 2011 22.26 BST Article history
    Bayern-Munichs-Mario-Gome-007.jpg
    Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez scores his first goal against Manchester City in their Champions League match. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

    For Manchester City this was the night they learned what a tough, uncompromising competition the Champions League can be and, in the process, reminded us how far, for all the money, ambition and forward momentum, they still may be from being a club with realistic aspirations of glories in Europe.
    With only two games played, the damage is still reparable but their chances of progressing from Group A are already beginning to look flimsy, and the controversies surrounding this match hardly speak of a club who possess the togetherness and unity that every successful team enjoys. On the contrary Carlos Tevez's behaviour strongly suggests a club with too many fractures – one that will, in the end, be better off without the Argentinian.
    Tevez deserves all the criticism he attracts for the remarkable act of self-absorbed petulance that saw him refuse to come on as a second-half substitute, apparently because he was angry that he had not been asked to enter the play earlier. This was open indiscipline at its worst and, whatever Tevez says in reply, the man who lifted the FA Cup in May has somehow manoeuvred himself into a position where he is destined to be remembered for all the wrong reasons at Eastlands.
    But this told only part of the story and Edin Dzeko's part in an ignominious night cannot be overlooked either. The striker's reaction to being substituted was reminiscent of a teenage brat, from the sarcastic thumbs-up to his manager to the stream of invective he directed towards Mancini before throwing his tracksuit top on to the floor and storming off down the tunnel. He, like Tevez, will have his own version of events – be it an apology or a defence – but whatever is said will not alter the fact that it was unacceptable behaviour.
    Mancini looked ashen-faced, trembling with anger, as he reflected on the traumas of a night when City paid a heavy price for losing their way at the end of the first half when Mario Gomez scored the goals that leave them with only a solitary point to show from their first two matches.
    The strange thing is that Mancini's men began the game well. They looked comfortable on the ball, full of running and, for the first half an hour, pinned their opponents back.
    But the Champions League is an unforgiving place to make mistakes and City made lots. All the control they had exerted in the opening exchanges was replaced by a recklessness that left Mancini dragging his fingers down his face in frustration. Their marking, in particular, was poor in the extreme, both goals stemming from rebounds after some splendid goalkeeping from Joe Hart. It was perhaps typical of City's defensive performance that a Bayern player should be first to the loose ball on every occasion.
    The first goal was particularly tough on Hart after he had got his hand to Franck Ribéry's low, diagonal 20-yard effort. Hart was up in a flash to keep out Thomas Müller's follow-up with an even better save from point-blank range. He deserved better than the ball dropping to another Bayern player – and this time Gomez gave him no chance.
    City's big night was suddenly turning into an ordeal.Hart, again, was blameless again as Toni Kroos swung a free-kick into the penalty area and Daniel van Buyten flashed a header goalwards. Hart kept the ball out brilliantly at his near post but Gomez followed up to turn in another close-range goal. City, a team that pride themselves on defensive parsimony, looked vulnerable to the point of naivety.
    To give them their due, they were playing the Bundesliga's top club, a genuine European superpower embarking on their 151st match in the Champions League compared to two for their opponents. City had a lot of the ball but spent a lot of time on the edges of the Bayern penalty area without creating any clear scoring opportunities. Dzeko will probably reflect he should have made more of an early chance and there were a couple of moments when Jérôme Boateng, facing his former club, threatened to give way a penalty – but little else. Maybe Dzeko had a point that it was peculiar for Mancini, with the score at 2-0, to replace him.
    Mancini, however, made it clear he felt his striker had played woefully and it was also the Bosnian's clumsy challenge that led to the free-kick from which Bayern scored the second. After that, Mancini responded to Tevez's fit of pique by bringing on James Milner for Samir Nasri and, finally, Aleksandar Kolarov for Gareth Barry. The substitutions were almost as confused as City's defending during those moments of a night when the club, frankly, embarrassed themselves.


 
[h=2]Manchester United 3-3 Basel[/h] [h=1]Raw Phil Jones still has much to learn about the art of defending[/h] The versatile newcomer's pairing with Rio Ferdinand was a union of strangers and the younger stopper was sometimes too clever for his own good



  • Phil-Jones-005.jpg
    The Manchester United defender Phil Jones, right, failed to convince in his partnership with Rio Ferdinand. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

    Manchester United fans may not like this but Phil Jones shares with another Prestonian a sweet marauding talent that sweeps him out of defence and up the pitch. Liverpool's Mark Lawrenson was similarly blessed with ball-carrying attributes. In the end, though, Jones, 19, is there to stop, not start, the fun.
    The comparison United's supporters prefer is with Duncan Edwards, a pure thoroughbred who would glide upfield with colossal intent before the Munich air disaster claimed his life. We all know this is premature but there is no harm in evoking the ghost of Edwards if it helps keep his memory alive. The point is that Jones combines the qualities of a born defender with a midfielder destined to take the game to the opposition with elegant runs.
    In this chaotic 3-3 draw with Basel he found the limits of ambition. Some nights you just have to get the ugly stuff right. The Jones-Rio Ferdinand centre-back pairing was a union of strangers and the younger stopper was sometimes too clever for his own good. The pass inside his own penalty box that led to Basel's third goal (from the spot) would have gone unnoticed had Antonio Valencia controlled it. Instead it was held against Jones as an example of naivety.
    Negation is so elemental that managers prefer their centre-backs to concentrate on tackling, blocking, heading and stopping runs, not starting them. For a long time Ferdinand was auditioned for the part of England's Franz Beckenbauer but then tactical reality intervened.
    Jones is a footballer of boundless promise. No teenage Englishman (not even Jack Wilshere) has been spoken of in such eulogistic terms by Fabio Capello. Here at Old Trafford he has offered an instant solution to the physical decline of Ferdinand, who was slow in thought and deed in United's second Group C draw.
    With his £16.5m move from Blackburn Rovers in the summer Jones said: "Defending isn't just about tackling and heading, it's also about getting the ball down and playing. Starting the attack from the back." This is the kind of music United need to hear as they seek to edge closer in Europe to Barcelona, whose orchestral attacking style starts from the rear, via the goalkeeper and main ball-playing centre-back (Gerard Piqué).
    By this measure Jones is already ideal for Champions League action. The move that led to Danny Welbeck's first against the Swiss started with Jones collecting the ball on the halfway line and galloping into an attacking position, which drew Basel defenders with him. To call him self-possessed would under-sell it. He is audacious – imperious – in his belief that he belongs at this level and with this calibre of colleague.
    But the caveat is there. As Basel shocked United with two quick goals Jones and Ferdinand were detached and out of sync. For the equaliser Jones was stranded 30 yards from goal while Ferdinand watched the cross sail over his head.
    These delightful early days will lead Jones to more searching tests, in Champions League knock-out games, where the world's best strikers will look to exploit his enthusiasm, catch him out of position when his thoughts are trained downfield. Jones is so positive in his movements around the field that he often finds himself having to make retrieving runs.
    Nor is he faultless yet in anticipating balls into his own penalty box. How could he be, at 19? Sir Alex Ferguson's method with a teenager this good is to grant him a starting shirt and trust him to learn. The training ground is the lecture hall and the game itself the arena where individual intelligence turns promise into greatness. Jones looks the type to learn.
    Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were the last hall-of-fame central defensive partnership in these parts and now we see Jones moving the story on, through his own talent and Ferdinand's fragility. Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are the other candidates in the centre, though Smalling has found another outlet at right-back – a position Jones can also fill with ease.
    In his BBC North-West interview this week Ferguson acknowledged his luck in having Smalling (who was absent here) and Jones emerge together as England U-21s. This enhanced their friendship and understanding, he said. The temptation is to imagine Jones as a box-to-box midfielder but his defensive capabilities are too good to lose. There is little point in moving him to a defensive midfield role where his running would be shackled and tenacity inside his own penalty box largely given up.
    So United and England are entitled to hope they have unearthed a luxury centre-back from the continental school. We already know his surges are devastating to lesser opposition. Less clear is how they will be received by a Barcelona or Milan if United lack the added security of a specialist holding player. Vidic, not Ferdinand, looks the best mentor to teach him when he can go and when to stay.
    Not that one nervy night should get in the way of enjoying his versatility, self-assurance, athleticism and big-stage aura. Basel's fightback reminded him that defence will always be his primary responsibility. The elaboration comes on top.

 
[h=1]Carlos Tevez suspended and fined £500,000 by Manchester City[/h] • Tevez suspended for a fortnight following incident at Bayern
• Striker loses two weeks' wages as City back Roberto Mancini




  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 September 2011 21.06 BST Article history
    Carlos-Tevez-claims-he-di-007.jpg
    Carlos Tevez, centre, claims he did not refuse to come off the bench for Manchester City at Bayern Munich. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

    Carlos Tevez has been suspended by Manchester City for two weeks after Roberto Mancini made it clear to the club's chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, that the player has no way back following his apparent refusal to take part in their Champions League tie at Bayern Munich.
    A furious Mancini told Tevez to "go back to Argentina" during their dressing-room confrontation after the 2-0 defeat and the club's owners in Abu Dhabi have backed the manager after he said the striker must never play for City again.
    "Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks," the club said in a statement. "The player's suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich. The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training while the review is under way." The club wanted to suspend Tevez for longer but were restricted by Premier League guidelines.
    The club's lawyers are now scrutinising Tevez's contract to determine what more action they can take and, specifically, whether he was guilty of gross misconduct by refusing to come on as a second-half substitute at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Tevez, in a remarkable change of direction, now denies this, blaming a "misunderstanding" presented by language issues.
    The process is not going to be particularly quick, with City acutely aware of the importance of going through the appropriate channels to cover the club should the dispute develop into a legal battle. They are so determined to present a watertight case they intend to interview everyone who was in City's dugout when the controversy flared up.
    Tevez may be required to attend a formal disciplinary hearing and will almost certainly be fined two weeks' wages, the maximum amount permitted. As the highest earner at the club and in the Premier League, that amounts to £500,000, the biggest fine ever meted out to a player in English football.
    Tevez had issued a statement through his advisers earlier in the day apologising to the club's supporters but denying he had refused to play, blaming "confusion on the bench". However, that is undermined by his interview directly after the match, when he admitted going against his manager. His new version of events has been ridiculed behind the scenes at the Etihad Arena, where there is the sense of compelling evidence in Mancini's favour.
    City have already compiled a dossier of Tevez's previous misdemeanours and are keeping all possibilities open as they contemplate what to do with a player who would ordinarily be valued as one of the club's main assets. The top-end option is to terminate his contract and launch legal action. High-level sources at the Premier League believe Tevez is "sackable" and Jim Boyce, the vice-president of Fifa, has said his organisation would then investigate imposing a worldwide ban on the Argentinian.
    "If he has done what has been said, and it appears there is no doubt about it, I think his club would be better off with him not being part of it," Boyce said.
    "If Manchester City prove it, write to Fifa and state the exact circumstances, I believe Fifa should have the power, as they do for drugs-related cases and other cases, to ban the player from taking an active part in football. I would have no problem with that whatsoever. It hasn't occurred before, but I think what happened [with Tevez] was despicable."
    Mancini spent a long part of the day discussing the matter with Mubarak and asked for a suspension to be invoked that would mean Tevez was not allowed at the stadium or the training ground. The players were on a day off but report for duty on Thursday and Mancini has told Mubarak he will not accept Tevez being involved in first-team sessions.
    The most likely outcome is that Tevez will be sold for a cut-price fee in the January transfer window. Until then, however, Mancini will push for him to continue to be left in isolation, his career on hold after one controversy too many for the former West Ham United and Manchester United striker, who is now openly reviled by supporters of the city's two clubs.

 
[h=1]Thursday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]
gossip_466.gif

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea look set to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to the signature of Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill in the January transfer window.
Full story: Metro
QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia has confirmed the club are interested in making former England midfielder David Beckham Loftus Road's next big signing in November.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United and Arsenal summer transfer target, winger Michel Bastos, has signed a new contract with Ligue 1 side Lyon.
Full story: talkSPORT
Free agent El Hadji Diouf is set to snub Premier League side Wigan to join billionaire-backed Russians Anzhi Machachkala.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid are rumoured to be planning a January transfer swoop for suspended Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
Full story: Caught offside
Liverpool and Serie A club Juventus look set to go head-to-head to sign Lyon and France defender Aly Cissokho.
Full story: talkSPORT
Arsenal are keeping an eye on CSKA Moscow striker Wagner Love with a view to making a move for the Brazilian as soon as January.
Full story: Footylatest.com
Manchester City look set to miss out on Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi after the club revealed discussions to extend the player's contract.
Full story: Metro
Lazio have identified QPR's Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt as their top January transfer target.
Full story: Footy-online
Tottenham will have to battle it out with AC Milan and Rubin Kazan if they want to continue in their pursuit of Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo .
Full story: talkSPORT
Tottenham have been linked with a move for Udinese goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side Siena.
Full story: Footylatest.com
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas could swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira.
Full story: Inside Futbol
Liverpool are looking to make an offer for former Arsenal defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit who currently plays for German Bundesliga outfit, Borussia Monchengladbach.
Full story: Footylatest.com
OTHER GOSSIP
Celtic striker Gary Hooper believes he can play for England and wants manager Fabio Capello to go to Scotland to see him play.
Full story: the Sun
Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt has warned Liverpool's rivals for a top four finish that they will be even better once striker Luis Suarez truly settles into English football.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Former Fulham striker Stefano Okaka is eyeing a return back to the Premier League.
Full story: talkSPORT
London mayor Boris Johnson has urged Tottenham to build a new stadium in their traditional home in the north of London.
Full story: Daily Mail
Striker Carlos Tevez's rebellion could wreck Manchester City's season, fears teammate Nigel De Jong.
Full story: Daily Mirror
AND FINALLY
Norwegian midfielder Jone Samuelsen has become an internet hit after he scored a 60-yard headed goal in Odd Grenland's win over Tromso IL.
Full story: Metro
 
[h=1]Manchester City must back Roberto Mancini over Carlos Tevez affair[/h] The Argentina striker may well be shown the door by Manchester City after this display of staggering ego and outrageous disrespect at Bayern Munich


Link to this video It was getting on for 1am when they started to board flight BD1858 at Munich airport. Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott played Scrabble on an iPad. For Gareth Barry and James Milner, the game of choice was Yahtzee. Most of the players, though, sat in silence, contemplating what had just happened and what it meant. In his usual position – front row, window seat – Roberto Mancini's face said one thing: "Leave well alone."
As the journalists filed past, Carlos Tevez probably didn't pick the wisest moment to be sharing a joke with Pablo Zabaleta, tipping back his head with laughter, animated, seemingly without a care in the world.
Did he care? It is difficult to know the answer to that, but it says something about the problems Tevez has caused behind the scenes at Manchester City that there are senior people at the club who have suspected for a while something was brewing, and have not completely ruled out the idea that what happened in the Allianz Arena was premeditated.
The truth is City accepted a long time ago that what Tevez brings – the baggage, the bullshit, the occasional moments of brilliance – will always remind us of the gap between someone who is a great football player and a great football man. Until now, though, the good has always outweighed the bad. Sure, it has been a close-run thing at times, but Tevez was always worth the hassle. He could pinch you a goal, earn his team-mates a win bonus, send the crowd home happy, keep the manager in his job.
What happened against Bayern Munich was something else entirely. Roberto Mancini was actually trembling with anger in his press conference. His eyes burned with fury. Mancini has built his persona on being detached and tough. Here, he looked far more emotional than any other time we have seen him in almost two years at the club. It was true, he said, that Tevez had refused to come on as a second-half substitute and, as far as he was concerned, that was it.
"For me, if a player earns a lot of money playing for Manchester City, in the Champions League, and he behaves like this – no, he cannot play for us again. Never. He has wanted to leave for the last two years. For two years I have helped him, and now he has refused to play. Never again. Finished."
Tevez is Tevez and, by now, we all know controversy sticks to him like a tick on a dog, but his record of previous offences does not make the events in Germany any less shocking or dispiriting. And there must be sadness, too, that it has come to this. Tevez should be cherished in City's history as the man who lifted the FA Cup, popular enough at the time that the supporters, for the most part, were willing to forgive him when it turned out he didn't want to take part in the open-top bus parade. The club had to persuade Tevez, with the threat of a fine, to cancel a flight he had booked to Argentina.
Four months on, we now have the faintly ludicrous situation whereby City felt it necessary to call in extra security to meet the squad at Manchester airport in the early hours of Wednesday because of the possibility that supporters would turn up to confront him. Tevez, through a cocktail of staggering ego and self-absorption, has somehow manoeuvred himself into a position whereby, in May, he was lifting the club's first piece of silverware for 35 years and, by September, he needed a police escort to make his way through a largely deserted Terminal 3.
City have to back Mancini now. If they didn't, it would undermine the manager to the point where the Italian might feasibly consider his own position unworkable under this regime. Mancini, undoubtedly, was speaking in the heat of the moment on Tuesday, but his mood had not changed by the time the flight landed back in Manchester, and nor will it.
Mancini will jeopardise his own authority if he should relax his position now. But there's no getting way from the fact it's a gamble. Tevez scored or set up almost half of City's league goals last season. There aren't many footballers who get the ball and go straight for goal like he does. Tevez gets the ball and drives forward. He makes things happen, scores from every angle, every distance. Motivated, he is a great footballer.
Without him, City have only three recognised forwards – Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli – and you wonder whether there may be unease in Abu Dhabi about what would happen if, say, Agüero picked up an injury that ruled him out for a couple of months.
But Mancini has come to the conclusion that the situation is only going to deteriorate. Tevez has handed in transfer requests, he has fluttered his eyelashes at potential suitors and he has turned his phone off when the manager of the club currently paying him £250,000 a week wanted a couple of minutes over the summer.
This is a man who craves recognition as the biggest fish in his pond. And this season, at City, he has merely been part of the shoal. Vincent Kompany is the captain these days. Agüero has taken over as first-choice striker. The club's best player? That's David Silva, by a country mile. The player whose name is sung the loudest? Dzeko. Or, at least, it was until the 2-0 defeat to Bayern, when the Bosnian's reaction to being substituted was poor in the extreme and will mean he is dropped for Saturday's game at Blackburn Rovers.
A few weeks ago the Guardian highlighted Gary Neville's comments, from his autobiography, about Tevez from two years together at Manchester United. Neville remembers someone who, in his final year, "started to toss it off a bit in training … was constantly saying his back was sore … He'd become very fond of a massage."
His conclusion from two years together at Old Trafford is that Tevez's ego never recovered from the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. "He's a brilliant striker, as he has proved at City. But I can judge only on what he did in that second season and, to all of us at United, it seemed his heart wasn't in it. He was in and out of the team and he became insecure. He'd been upset by the signing of Berba, and Carlos needs to feel the love. He's not someone who can play one game in three and be happy."
Except there is not much love for Carlos in Manchester any more. Mancini is no longer willing to spoil him and, if the manager gets his way, the authority will come from Abu Dhabi to send the offending player into isolation, without a care for what it would do to his career. A buyer may come forward in January but, then again, they may not. There are not too many clubs out there with the money to sign a player with Tevez's financial requirements, particularly one with his history of moving on every couple of years and, in the process, leaving behind such a stink that when it happens at Eastlands they will need to fumigate the corridors.
At City there has been a tendency in the past to blame his adviser, the ubiquitous Kia Joorabchian, but there comes a time when Tevez, at 27, needs to take responsibility for his own actions. Except, of course, he doesn't seem to think he has done anything wrong. When Tevez was informed that Mancini had said he would never play for City again, his response summed it up. "I was top goalscorer here last season, I always act professionally so it is up to him."
Later, on the plane, Tevez broke off from chatting to Zabaleta to have a go at an unsuspecting member of City's office staff. Tevez could be seen jabbing out his finger, berating him in broken English. The word "respect" could be heard. A couple of times, in fact.
Tuesday began for City with a delegation from the club, led by the life-president, Bernard Halford, the assistant manager, Brian Kidd, and the former captain and manager Tony Book, laying a wreath in the Manchesterplatz to commemorate the Munich air disaster. The following day began with Tevez grinning when he saw the police escort waiting for him at Manchester airport. As one colleague put it (expletives removed): "He doesn't care less."
 
[h=1]Manchester City sacking Carlos Tevez would be messy business for all[/h] Despite the row in Munich, terminating the contract of the Argentinian striker could lead City into shark-infested waters




  • David Conn
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 September 2011 20.42 BST Article history
    Manchester-Citys-striker--007.jpg
    Carlos Tevez was involved in a heated confrontation with his manager on Tuesday, but sacking the striker may not be the answer. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP

    Manchester City, three weeks after parting company with their chief executive, Garry Cook, are deep into the same disciplinary territory again, this time suspending their former captain turned rebel substitute, Carlos Tevez, pending "a full review" into his Bayern Munich debacle. In the match's immediate aftermath City's furious manager, Roberto Mancini, swore that Tevez would never play for him again, because when he asked Tevez to join the match, the striker refused. Despite Tevez's statement insisting it was "a misunderstanding" and he was and remains willing to play, thoughts turned immediately to the possibility that the club might sack the Argentinian, until so recently the billboard poster boy of Sheikh Mansour's new City.
    The reality, as tempers cool, and emails and telephone discussions criss-cross from east Manchester to Abu Dhabi, is not so straightforward. City, for all the fury genuinely felt, may ultimately decide to discipline Tevez but still keep him at the club, until they can sell him. Despite the outrage, the club would more likely lose out financially and in football terms if they seek to terminate Tevez's contract summarily.
    Whichever decision City take, the club, remade by the mega-money and new management of Mansour, will follow due processes before making it. In I'm Not Really Here, the compelling recently-published autobiography by former City star Paul Lake, whose fine potential career was cut short by an injury nightmare, Lake recalls shamefully shabby treatment from City and its former chairman, Peter Swales, in the 1990s. Mansour's City, led by the chairman, Mansour's favoured executive, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, may be outraging much of football with the money lavished on players, but at home, they continually emphasise their commitment to doing things properly.
    One of the twists in the tale of Cook, who resigned this month after emails sent to the defender Nedum Onuoha's mother rendered his position untenable, was that before Cook arrived City had no formal personnel department. The chief executive was ultimately tried by the formal disciplinary procedures which he himself introduced.
    They will be applied again into the Tevez no-show in Munich, so City are huddled once again over the legal, employment, financial, football and reputational implications. This is a huge early test for the acting chief executive, John MacBeath, installed as a safe pair of hands following Cook's exit. He will gather the views of the club's Manchester-based legal and human resources departments, with football considerations, in terms of the impact on Mancini's authority and team spirit, from the manager and Brian Marwood, the head of football administration. Simon Pearce, the club's director in Abu Dhabi, will be involved, as may another board member, the New York lawyer Martin Edelman, providing advice to the chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, who will ultimately approve any decision.
    The Tevez case is not as clearcut as Cook's, with its incriminating emails denoting a black-and-white breach of trust. If a player paid £250,000 a week refuses to pitch in to the biggest match in the club's recent history when asked by the manager, it seems a breach of his contract fundamental enough to warrant City terminating it. However, Tevez is saying his was a substitute's frustration and that he was prepared to come on. When Mancini told him to warm up, Tevez's case goes, he said he was already warmed up. The manager told him if he would not warm up, he couldn't play, so he did not play.
    That is not a defence likely to win him many friends, but if those facts are established following internal interviews, Tevez could argue his misconduct was not quite serious enough to warrant dismissal. Ian Lynam, a partner at Charles Russell solicitors, said an act of "disobedience" would not normally amount to an instantly sackable offence – which shows, at least, that the Tevez case is arguable both ways and therefore potentially messy and protracted.
    Even if City pick their way through that employment law thicket and decide they have the right to summarily dismiss Tevez, difficulties lie beyond. Cancelling his contract would mean not paying him any more, and they would effectively be giving him back his registration. That would make him a free agent, meaning the club depriving itself of selling for a transfer fee the player who Mansour bought in 2009 for, according to reliable sources, £45m.
    A club in such a position could sue the player for the transfer fee lost, arguing his conduct led to it, but Chelsea did that against the Romanian Adrian Mutu after his failed drugs test in 2004 and have still not recouped any money.
    City are unlikely to want to ensnare themselves in legal chasing of their former captain for years after he finally leaves Manchester. One of the improvements the Abu Dhabi regime has brought, perhaps surprisingly, is in the attitude towards former players, who were not always respected under previous local ownership. Lake himself is an ambassador with City's community programme, and fFormer greats Tony Book, Colin Bell and Tommy Booth work the corporate suites on matchdays. Afterwards, while Mubarak conducts big money business on his flying visits in the chairman's lounge, the veterans have their corner, for nostalgia for the different world in which they played.
    Tevez, a pariah today, will always be an important part of City's new history. As captain, he lifted the FA Cup last season, the club's first trophy since the League Cup won 34 years earlier when Book was the manager. For all the transfer requests and falling out, topped by the appalling spectacle of Tuesday night, City will still want Tevez's career to end cleanly, rather than mired in interminable legal disputes. That is why disciplinary action, the maximum two-week fine, a spell in the reserves and even – if a reconciliation can be effected with Mancini – more first‑team appearances before a renewed attempt to sell him in January, may ultimately be preferred, to the shark-infested legal route of turfing him out.

 
[h=1]Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]
gossip_466.gif

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool may rival Tottenham for the signature of Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao who is in rich goalscoring form for Internacional.
Full story: Goal.com
Arsenal face going head-to-head with Real Madrid next summer over teenage Lille forward Eden Hazard.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Midfielder Luka Modric is reportedly ready to give up his dream of joining Chelsea or Manchester United and sign a lucrative new £100,000-a-week contract with Tottenham.
Full story: Metro
Athletic Bilbao playmaker Ander Herrera has said that he knows nothing about a rumoured approach for him by Tottenham.
Full story: talkSPORT
Liverpool and Stoke are being linked with German striker Jeffrey Schlupp, who currently plays for Championship side Leicester.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Lazio have joined the race for QPR playmaker Adel Taarabt but are wary of entering a bidding war with Paris Saint-Germain or Sevilla.
Full story: Inside Futbol
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has tried to play down fears over skipper Robin Van Persie's contract situation, but hinted the Dutchman is stalling over signing a new deal.
Full story: Metro
Bundesliga side Hamburg are rumoured to be interested in signing Stoke defender Robert Huth.
Full story: Inside Futbol
Blackburn are considering a £3m move for Celta Vigo left-back Roberto Lago, but may face competition from Villarreal. (The Sun)
Unattached striker James Beattie says he would "love" a second spell with former club Southampton but is also in talks with Sheffield United.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Inter Milan could swoop to sign Liverpool midfielder Dirk Kuyt in the January transfer window.
Full story: Caught Offside
Arsenal are considering a bid for two teenagers - Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic who is at Dynamo Zagreb and Caen attacker M'Baye Niang - in a bid to bolster Arsene Wenger's squad. Full story: Footybunker
Former Tottenham and Wigan defender Pascal Chimbonda has been offered a contract by Doncaster Rovers' new boss Dean Saunders. (The Sun)
Aston Villa are preparing a January transfer bid for Rangers' in-form Scotland forward, Steven Naismith. (The Sun)
Fulham want Dundee United's Scott Allan on trial after the midfielder rejected the offer of a contract extension, but the request is likely to be rejected by Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson. (The Sun)
Wolves have opened contract talks with James McFadden, the unattached Scotland forward who has been on trial at Molineux after recovering from long-term injury. (The Sun)
OTHER GOSSIP
Former Manchester City player Gary Owen has slammed the behaviour of striker Carlos Tevez after the Argentine seemingly refused to come on as a substitute in the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
Full story: talkSPORT
Tottenham's injury-plagued defender Ledley King has hinted that he will retire next summer if he does not play enough games to earn a new deal.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Everton defender Sylvain Distin, 33, is holding out for a new two-year contract at the club, having so far been offered only a one-year extension by Goodison officials.
Full story: Daily Express
QPR captain Joey Barton has revealed he had considered a move abroad in a bid to boost his chances of one day becoming a manager.
Full story: Metro
Serie A side Napoli have revealed that Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas was a summer target to take over at the Stadio San Paulo before he joined the Stamford Bridge club.
Full story: talkSPORT
Italian side Udinese are so confident ahead of their Europa League tie against Celtic that they have rested top-scoring striker Antonio di Natale. (Daily Record)
Celtic striker Gary Hooper believes scoring in the Europa League can help him gain a place in Fabio Capello's England squad. (Daily Express)
Sion have claimed they will soon be reinstated to the Europa League in Celtic's place after the club were told they will discover within the next week whether a Swiss judge will support them in their legal battle against Uefa's decision to throw them out for fielding ineligible players. (The Scotsman)
Hearts will launch a huge security operation to protect Neil Lennon when he returns to Tynecastle - the scene of an on-field attack on the Celtic manager by a fan last season. (The Sun)
Hearts are on a collision course with the Scottish Football Association after demanding an inquest into why referee Iain Brines' disallowed a goal in the Edinburgh side's Scottish Communities League Cup defeat by Ayr United despite initially appearing to point to the centre circle. (The Sun)
AND FINALLY
Michael Owen's locker was defaced with a 'boring' sticker after his United team-mates got their hands on a magazine clipping that revealed the striker enjoyed completing 1,000 piece jigsaws.
Full story: Metro
Stoke striker Peter Crouch is searching for inspiration after losing a dance-off to England goalkeeper Joe Hart and reality star Louis Spence is prepared to offer him advice on how to regain his magic.
Full story: Metro
Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels described Kirk Broadfoot as "the ugly boy from Rangers - the male model from Ayrshire" whose "mascara was running" after the Scotland defender had a tunnel argument following the Glasgow side's 2-0 win. (Daily Record)
 
[h=1]Carlos Tevez denies refusing to play for Manchester City at Bayern[/h] • Mancini had stated Tevez had refused to play against Bayern
• 'I believe my position may have been misunderstood'
• Tevez is finished at Manchester City, says furious Mancini




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 September 2011 08.34 BST Article history
    Carlos-Tevez-has-denied-r-007.jpg
    Carlos Tevez has denied refusing to play as a second-half substitute for Manchester City against Bayern Munich. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images

    Carlos Tevez has denied refusing to play for Manchester City against Bayern Munich in Tuesday night's Champions League match.
    Tevez angered the City manager Roberto Mancini when he appeared to refuse to leave the substitutes' bench and take the field during the second-half with City trailing 2-0.
    Mancini later claimed the Argentinian would never play for him at City again before saying he would consult the club's owners about the way forward.
    Tevez claimed on Wednesday that he had not refused to play and released a statement that seemed to contradict his comments on Tuesday nights when he had said: "I didn't feel right to play, so I didn't."
    Tevez said in his Wednesday statement: "I would like to apologise to all Manchester City fans, with whom I have always had a strong relationship, for any misunderstanding that occurred in Munich.
    "They understand that when I am on the pitch I have always given my best for the club.
    "In Munich on Tuesday I had warmed up and was ready to play. This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen. But I wish to state that I never refused to play.
    "There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood.
    "Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."
    Mancini said he would speak with Manchester City's chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, in the next few days to decide what to do.
    Mancini intended to introduce Tevez as a substitute for the final half an hour. However, in a move that seems certain to trigger his eventual departure from the club, the 27-year-old appeared to simply say: "No."
    "In the next days, we will speak with Khaldoon," Mancini said. "It is normal. He is the chairman. He decides everything.
    Asked if he will ever pick Tevez again, Mancini replied: "No. If we want to improve like a team, like a squad, Carlos cannot play with us. With me, no – it is finished.
    "It may not be my decision but if I'm deciding then, yes, he goes. For me, if a player earns a lot of money playing for Manchester City in the Champions League and he behaves like this – he cannot play again. Never. He has wanted to leave for the last two years. For two years I have helped him, and now he has refused to play. Never again."

 
[h=1]Carlos Tevez: outrage of Graeme Souness the exception to pundits' rule[/h] Fellow panellists Mark Hughes and Dwight Yorke came across as apologists for Manchester City's errant player on Sky Sports' Champions League show


Graeme-Souness-Sky-Sports-007.jpg
Graeme Souness, the Sky pundit, described Carlos Tevez as a disgrace to his profession and the epitome of everything the man in the street thinks is wrong with football. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Rarely, if ever, do panels of pundits assembled in television studios get the chance to sink their teeth into a bone as juicily fresh and almost indecently tasty as a footballer on more than £200,000 a week disobliging his manager by refusing to come off the bench when requested during a game his team were losing.
On Sky's Champions League show immediately following the dramatic events in Munich, Graeme Souness responded magnificently, quivering with roughly the same amount of righteous indignation that his old pal Roberto Mancini had struggled to contain in his post-match interview, and pointing out helpfully, if a trifle unnecessarily, that the Manchester City manager had also been seething.
At one point Souness gave a passable impersonation of the inflatable headmaster, berating an inflatable Carlos Tevez for bringing a drawing pin into an inflatable classroom. "You've let me down, you've let the school down, but most of all you've let yourself down," is what he nearly said, except Souness was clearly past caring about whether Tevez had let himself down, describing him as a disgrace to his profession and the epitome of everything the man in the street currently thinks is wrong with football.
This was strong stuff, as it needed to be, yet sitting alongside the outspoken Souness fellow-panellists Mark Hughes and Dwight Yorke more or less sat on their hands. They will be disappointed with that, when they see the replays. Hughes was already in a slightly awkward position before being billed as the man who signed Tevez for City. He shares the same representative, Kia Joorabchian, as Tevez, but was on the show as an ex-player and manager not as a corporate spokesman.
The situation and Jeff Stelling's question demanded something much more strident than a mumbled response along the tiresomely familiar lines about Tevez needing to be somewhere in the world where he can be closer to his family. Smiling doltishly in front of the TV lights in Bayern Munich's car park as if he had done nothing wrong, Tevez himself had the nerve to offer the same feeble mantra. Speaking through an interpreter even though he has now been in this country for five years, Tevez only had to utter the word "familia" to render the subsequent translation irrelevant. If proximity to his family is his main consideration, indeed now his only consideration, what on earth was he doing sitting on a substitutes' bench in Germany if not waiting to get on the field?
Yorke was even worse than Hughes, claiming Tevez as a pal through meeting him from time to time "in the village" (presumably in one of its two restaurants) and arguing that all he ever wanted to do was play. Well, Dwight, looking at the pictures coming in he's got a funny way of showing it. Yorke also said Mancini had some work to do to sort out the problem, which is certainly true, but what was conspicuously not being said was the extent to which this most indulged of players was himself the problem.
Except by Souness, of course. Souness said that most people began playing football because they loved the game so much, and that the vast majority of people who were not fortunate enough ever to be paid a cent for playing would struggle to understand how a club's most highly paid player could act so disloyally in a time of need. You could tell Yorke was beginning to feel a little sheepish at this point, because the next time he spoke it was to make clear he didn't condone Tevez's actions. Ouch.
Souness has not always been a clear-eyed and sharp-tongued critic – in his time he has taken the money and said sweet FA like the rest of them – but his stints with the pirate crew in Ireland appear to have given him an appetite for a more swashbuckling style and confronted with a major news story he was not about to let it pass him by. The other two looked disappointed, actually a little bit uncomfortable, about being asked to form opinions about something other than missed chances and marginal offsides.
After the immediate drama will come the repercussions and recriminations. Mancini has said, not before time, that Tevez has played his last game for the club. Tevez, for his part, has claimed that he has always acted professionally and did not refuse to play at all, but was merely misunderstood. Tevez probably has played his last game for City because he is undeserving of a starting place and Mancini would be mad to let him anywhere near the substitutes' bench again. Not only would the seat be better offered to someone within City's ranks who might actually want to get on to the field to show what he could do, the sight of Tevez on the sidelines is likely to incite a riot at Etihad (the word means unity, ironically) at any time in the near future.
Yorke was right about one thing. Mancini has a mess to clear up and it is not entirely of his own making. That is not to point the finger at Hughes instead, because no one could have predicted in July 2009 that the striker City were about to sign (not buy) from their biggest rivals would have been quite such a long-running fiasco. All Hughes saw was an effective striker capable of scoring a good few goals, and if there were questions about the player's ownership, wage demands and general attitude then a club of City's size and wealth could probably absorb them without too much trouble. Wrong.
The question now, with all the hindsight of the past two years, is whether in their eagerness to snatch a prized asset from Manchester United and use him as the poster boy for the blue revolution, City overlooked the possibility that they were signing the very last player who would contribute to club unity and represent a totem for the side, a fixed point around which other acquisitions could assemble themselves. A club attempting to go a long way in a short time need a firm identity, something solid upon which to build.
When Chelsea reinvented themselves with Roman Abramovich's money they did so around a core or nucleus of players – John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech – who are still there to this day. With Tevez, City were always attempting to build a house upon sand. What is perfectly clear today is that no one needs such a selfish, divisive and troublesome individual, but least of all a club spending millions trying to establish themselves as new players at Europe's top table. From start to finish, with a healthy goal haul offering only slight mitigation, Tevez has been an expensive disaster for City, a player they would have been much better doing without.
Of course it is easy to say that now. Everyone is saying it now. Well, everyone except Hughes and Yorke, that is. But could anyone have known it two years ago? Was there no one in the summer of 2009 who thought Tevez just might have been more trouble than he was worth? Perhaps there was one person, in the same city. For as Souness perceptively pointed out on Sky, not worrying too much about any pain it might have caused the nearby Hughes, Sir Alex Ferguson evidently did not fancy Tevez enough to keep him at United.
A number of United supporters were unhappy to see him go and Ferguson himself appeared to be in two minds over Tevez, who eventually received a counter offer from United too late to change his mind. Yet the salient fact is that Ferguson had doubts, and that is how Tevez ended up where he did. There must have been times in the past couple of years when the United manager has agonised over whether he did the right thing. This week will not be among them.
 
[h=1]Manchester City try to take the heat out of Carlos Tevez trauma[/h] • David Platt, Roberto Mancini's No2, calls for calm
• Little sympathy for Tevez from players




  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 September 2011 23.01 BST Article history
    David-Platt-at-Manchester-007.jpg
    David Platt is driven away from Manchester airport after Manchester City's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in Germany. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

    The mood was epitomised by David Platt's reaction when he was asked whether Roberto Mancini needed to reassert his authority at Manchester City. The question struck a nerve. "What do you mean?" Platt wanted to know. "It is not about reasserting authority within the dressing room. It is about dealing with this situation. Why is it about reasserting authority?"
    Mancini's friend and ally, effectively second-in-command at City, was visibly angry – "we are all very hot at this moment" – as he reflected on the events inside the Allianz Arena in Munich.
    "Roberto is dealing with it in the way he thinks is right, and I think he is right," he said. "The pictures are on the television, so what else can he do? Come out and lie? He has told it as it is, full stop, and that is where we are now. On Friday [Mancini's next press conference] he will be asked more questions and we can go from there. At least he will have had time to assess things in a little bit more detail by then."
    However, nobody behind the scenes at City expects Mancini to change his mind and, for Tevez, there is little in the way of sympathy, even from the team-mates with whom he is closest.
    Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Agüero, the club's other Argentinians, offered support, but only to a point. Nobody appears prepared to take sides with the man who refused to play as a second-half substitute in a defeat that leaves City with only one point from their opening two Champions League games.
    "It is Roberto who is in charge," Agüero said. "He puts through his opinions and ideas and makes his decisions, and we have to go with it.
    "Carlos is a great player, but I am not inside his mind and I don't know his thoughts and opinions. All I know is that he didn't want to play. It makes me sad. Carlos is not playing so much right now, but there are other players who are not playing either. We have too many players for everyone to play every week and we need to accept we are going be on the bench sometimes. We always have to think of the team."
    After being so strident directly after the match, Mancini was not prepared to offer his latest opinions. "I don't think he would be shouting from the rooftops even if you did speak to him," Platt said. "We need to allow things to unfold, calm down and look at it from a million perspectives, if that is what is needed."
    Zabaleta struck a similar theme. "It's a difficult moment, but we need to be calm. It was a difficult night for us and everybody is very excited. We need to turn the page and look forward to the next game against Blackburn."
    Of all the players, Zabaleta was probably the most supportive of Tevez. "We need to try to help Carlos. He has been a really important player for us in the last two years and this season he has had a lot of games on the bench.
    "Sometimes that is difficult, especially for strikers who need to play, need to score, need to feel confidence. I know Carlos and sometimes the decision is very difficult for him."
    Tevez's refusal to play, with City losing 2-0, apparently stemmed from his displeasure a little earlier in the second half when Mancini had overlooked him by replacing the striker Edin Dzeko with Nigel de Jong, a defence-minded midfielder.
    "There are a lot of emotions going on," De Jong said. "There is a lot of pressure on the players and staff and these things happen sometimes. There are always bust‑ups and things like that in dressing rooms. It happens at all the big clubs, not only us. Barcelona, Real Madrid – you have things happening behind the scenes, too."
    Agüero would not accept the differences between Mancini and Tevez were irretrievable – "they are two grown men, and maybe they will sort it out" – but De Jong said the more important thing was that it was settled quickly.
    "We can't continue talking about the same things for weeks and weeks," he said. "Everyone knows what's happening at Manchester City because it's Manchester City, especially when things like this happen, but we have to keep ourselves focused."
    What is increasingly clear is that the supporters have almost unanimously taken Mancini's side. Kevin Parker, the general secretary of the official supporters' club, said: "Tevez has had a great relationship with the fans, but will that continue now? Absolutely not. His relationship with the fans is in tatters. They never want him to wear a City shirt again.
    "If there was some way the club could cancel his contract but retain his registration, preventing him from playing for someone else, I would like that to happen. Then he would be taught a lesson – not only him but other footballers around the country - that it doesn't matter who you play for, the club always have to come first."

 
[h=1]Carlos Tevez's tantrum exposes his struggle to be a selfless club man[/h] The Argentinian striker's response to not being centre stage puts Roberto Mancini's team building at Manchester City at risk

Manchester-Citys-Carlos-T-007.jpg
Carlos Tevez refused to play against Bayern Munich, leading Roberto Mancini to say that he was ‘finished' at the club. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images

When Manchester City signed Carlos Tevez with a few droplets of Sheikh Mansour's oil trillions, the club famously paid for that Deansgate billboard to rub United's noses in the striker's exit, proclaiming: "Welcome to Manchester." In Munich, it was welcome to the big time for Manchester City, and there, the simmering resentments of Tevez finally blew.
For the unheard-of defiance of refusing to come on as a substitute, which would not be tolerated in an Under-9s league in Ashton-under-Lyne, let alone a Champions League tie at the Allianz Arena, City's manager, Roberto Mancini, insisted Tevez must never play for the club again. If an ethos of a football club is to be asserted at the Eastlands collection of players drawn there by the money, it is difficult to see any way other than for Mancini to be supported.
In a modern sport also watching carefully for the reactions of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba to the novel experience of being treated as squad players at Chelsea, Tevez has epitomised many things. Most memorably at West Ham United it was not his abilities, but "third party ownership", the revelation that his "economic rights" were not held by the club itself but "owned" by offshore companies which would cash in when he was sold. Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed Tevez on a two-year loan after the striker kept the Hammers up on the last day of the 2007 season in the Old Trafford drizzle, said he had been willing to buy Tevez outright, although later Ferguson upset the Argentinian, saying he was not worth the £25.5m United would have been required to pay.
City fans, loving the two fingers thrust at United as represented by that flash billboard, also took to Tevez because his scarred, scampering expression of football embodies the quality English supporters value above all others: commitment. Tevez does not make football look easy, but painted for an English crowd the human reality of giving 100%. As the game gasped at his refusal to come on the field for his manager in Munich, it was easy to forget that until just a couple of weeks ago, this striker on strike was Manchester City's captain, chosen to lead by example.
Yet what has been clear about Tevez throughout his English football story, traded by the men who owned his rights, is that while he does push his own abilities to their edges, like a latter-day, South American incarnation of Kevin Keegan, he struggles to be a selfless club man. When City drew United in the Carling Cup semi-final in January 2010 during Tevez's first season on the blue side of Manchester, he scored both goals in the 2-1 home win. Although it was only the first leg, he had to gesture defiantly to Ferguson with his ears, and frame that mouthing-off sign to Gary Neville, who had said United were managing well enough without Tevez. The Argentinian played that night as if he, not City itself, had to be the centre of whatever script was written that night. City lost the replay, and despite the billboard and Mansour's endless money compared to the Glazers' money-draining operation at Old Trafford, the Blues are not yet truly close to supplanting the Manchester club who have played in the Champions League for 20 years and won it twice.
After a summer in which Tevez was endlessly reported to be wanting a move, which he said was for family reasons because his wife did not like Manchester, Mancini, flush with Sergio Agüero and Edin Dzeko, then diced with Tevez's core sense of himself by relegating the Argentinian to cameo roles as substitute. Tevez did not look happy shorn of his place at the summit of the side but also when he came on, a few minutes at the end of matches were never enough to enable him to show the effort which is the heart of how he expresses his football.
Being placed so far from the centre of the action on the club's greatest night in Europe since City were knocked out by Fenerbahce in 1968, was finally too much for him; he had a tantrum and called the manager's bluff. Now Mancini has in effect called for the backing of the owner, that whatever the financial loss, the striker must go. On what happens next depends not just the extraordinary sporting career of Tevez, but the question of whether a genuine football team can be fashioned at Manchester City, bridging 43 years' absence from the top of the European game with the money of a man in Abu Dhabi.
 
[h=1]Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starts to fulfil his potential for Arsenal[/h] The striker the fans are calling the Ox in the box showed he may be ready for the big time ahead of schedule


  • Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain-A-007.jpg
    Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain showed the mettle to seize the day with a memorable goal against Olympiakos at the Emirates stadium. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

    When Arsène Wenger introduced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as one of Arsenal's first meaningful forays in the latest transfer market, it was a reflection of a nervy summer that reaction among the faithful was not entirely positive. This, it must be said, was no reflection on the latest whiz-kid who sped up the M3 from Southampton to inject some young, English energy. It was a manifestation of the frustration that when experienced defenders were the order of the day, a teenaged winger showed up. It brought to mind Rafael Benítez's famous complaint when the Valencia board took no notice of his ideas for team strengthening: "I asked for a table, they brought me a lampshade."
    Reconstructing Arsenal in this era of financial madness remains a complex business. But the early signs are that in Oxlade-Chamberlain the club have recruited a player whose promise means it was absolutely right to sign him, regardless of whether he was a table or a lampshade. Against Olympiakos, with a smart goal he served notice of worth, becoming the youngest English player – at 18 years and 44 days – to score for Arsenal in the Champions League. Not for nothing are the message boards referring to him as the "Ox in the box".
    A normal career path for Oxlade-Chamberlain would have seen him start Carling Cup matches and enjoy bits and pieces of higher-profile games as a substitute. But these are not normal times. So overburdened is the treatment room at London Colney, the kid was granted a Champions League debut just a week after his scoring role in the Carling Cup against Shrewsbury.
    It is one thing making your mark on opponents from England's fourth tier, another to take the initiative against the perennial Greek champions. With his first meaningful contribution, Oxlade-Chamberlain gave another demonstration not only of his skill but also his assuredness and willingness to showcase his worth.
    With all young talents given opportunities early, the question always boils down to whether they have the personality to express themselves, or prefer to play safe and avoid mistakes. Oxlade-Chamberlain is showing the mettle to seize the day. "He's a very confident boy, a very strong boy," said Pat Rice, standing in for the suspended Wenger. "The Arsenal supporters are going to see a lot of this boy."
    The game was in its opening phase when, with a clever run to drift in between Olympiakos's thin blue line, he gave himself a half-chance. Collecting Alex Song's pass, he surged across the face of goal. Ivan Marcano did not do enough to disturb his run, and the youngster measured his chance and drilled a shot through Olof Mellberg's legs and into the far corner. It was his weaker foot, too. His face was a picture, as if he couldn't quite believe he had scored on this stage, that only a few months ago he would have been watching admiringly on the television. Up in the director's box, Wenger was up on his feet, leading the applause.
    When André Santos angled in a second, it ought to have made for a comfortable evening. But this being the Arsenal creation that can concede at any moment, Oxlade-Chamberlain found himself less involved as Olympiakos began to force the issue. Five minutes into the second half came another glimpse of goal but this time the teenager was not quite as a decisive, allowing the goalkeeper, Franco Costanzo, to block.
    Comparisons with Walcott are easily made – both were highly coveted attacking graduates from the Southampton academy who signed for Arsenal. Oxlade-Chamberlain is a different build to Walcott. He is a couple of inches taller and considerably broader and has strength and control in his game, rather than relying on sheer pace. Walcott, watching on from the stands with his girlfriend, and knowing how much onus there is to produce even in youth, will have been impressed.
    "He's very friendly with Theo, who gives him the benefit of his experience," noted Rice. "He's got a big challenge trying to get in front of Theo, who won't give in easy."
    Oxlade-Chamberlain's nose for goal, despite his rawness at the top level, is a massive bonus for an Arsenal team who are over-reliant on Robin van Persie. The Dutchman was held back here, rested with half an eye on Sunday's more challenging trip to White Hart Lane. With Wenger's pack shuffled, there was a chance for some of the B-listers to make an impression. For the likes of Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin form remains elusive.
    Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be rushed by Wenger, but it is reassuring for the manager to know he has a talent who is perhaps more ready for the big time than he anticipated. The boy had a debut to forget at Old Trafford. Now the future has begun in earnest.

 
[h=1]Manchester City line up Robin van Persie to replace Carlos Tevez[/h] • Robin van Persie a target for Roberto Mancini
• Manchester City manager lays down law to players




  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 29 September 2011 23.18 BST Article history
    Robin-van-Persie-007.jpg
    Robin Van Persie is thought to be highly regarded by the Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini. Photograph: Tom Jenkins

    Robin van Persie is prominently in Roberto Mancini's thoughts as Manchester City plan for life without Carlos Tevez and reluctantly prepare to take a huge financial hit on the Argentinian.
    The potential availability of the Arsenal captain, who is in the last two years of his contract and showing no desire to negotiate new terms, has been discussed at Eastlands, with the Dutchman already under consideration even before the controversy that has left Tevez a pariah at the club.
    Mancini believes City will be fortunate to get £20m in the January transfer window for a player they valued at more than twice that amount in the summer. The club's owners in Abu Dhabi are clinging to the belief they can still get close to their original asking price but, in Manchester, they think that unlikely in the extreme given that those sums of money, with a £250,000-a-week salary also to be taken into account, put off potential buyers in the last window. One senior figure has acknowledged Tevez's value "is on the floor". Likewise, the player's camp are confident a £20m bid will persuade City to sell and that it could be even less.
    After that, City's information is that Van Persie, 28, can be prised from Arsenal on an increasingly well-trodden route that has seen Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré, Gaël Clichy and Samir Nasri make the same journey in recent years.
    As Tevez began his two-week suspension, Mancini summoned his players to a team meeting before Thursday's training session to make it clear he would not tolerate any more of the kind of indiscipline that has fractured his relationship with the former captain.
    There continues to be no sense of contrition from Tevez, despite the perhaps over-optimistic view from Abu Dhabi that there could be an apology and a reconciliation, and the club have begun the process of interviewing the players who were alongside Tevez on the bench at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena on Tuesday, when he apparently refused to play. Mancini's coaches have already sustained his complaints but the Tevez camp hope the players in question – Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner, Pablo Zabaleta and Joleon Lescott – will be reluctant to give evidence against him. Tevez's understanding is that the players, unwilling to go against one of their own, will cite the noise inside the stadium as why they cannot be clear what happened.
    Mancini's preference is that the club, investigating a possible case of gross misconduct, do not terminate Tevez's contract, primarily because of the distraction a long, drawn-out affair, possibly heading to the courts, could cause. However, it is a reflection of how he has come to regard Tevez that his thinking is, in part, influenced by something more personal. Mancini, quite simply, does not want Tevez to become available on a free transfer because it would make it easier for the player to secure the big-club move he craves.
    The manager would rather Tevez be isolated, training with the youth-team or on a one-on-one basis with a fitness coach, and then sold in January, albeit for a cut-price fee. For City, however, it is not straightforward. Uppermost in their thoughts is that ostracising the player could give him grounds to claim constructive dismissal.
    City also have to be mindful that player contracts have been altered in the last few years to protect Professional Footballers' Association members, and the union would almost certainly appeal on Tevez's behalf if he were sacked. The club intend to fine Tevez two weeks' wages, around £500,000, but if they want to increase that amount they have to put it to the PFA for approval. The maximum is a six-week fine and with Tevez denying any wrongdoing and sticking to his story that it was "a misunderstanding", the PFA will be obliged to defend him even though their own chairman, Clarke Carlisle, has described what happened in Munich as "inexcusable".
    The case is now out of Mancini's hands and assigned to the club's legal and HR departments, with the manager under instruction not to comment at Friday's press conference. A decision will come next week.
    In the meantime there are threatening to be ramifications for Tevez with the Argentina national team. Tevez was left out of the last squad, with the coach Alejandro Sabella's explanation corroborating Mancini's account that the player is out of shape. Sabella spoke of someone who was "not fully fit … not training well at the moment and (had) put on a bit of weight", and will almost certainly exclude him for their forthcoming games.

    [h=2]Carlito's way[/h]Carlos Tevez has options if he leaves Manchester City but none are ideal
    England Clubs such as Chelsea would be able to afford Tevez's wages but could see the striker as a troublemaker and Tevez has said playing in England means he is too far from his family
    Italy Tevez has been linked with a move to Internazionale in the past but they signed Diego Forlán in August and are unlikely to want to sign another striker on big wages
    Spain Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain's two biggest clubs, are blessed with talent and have no need to sign Tevez
    Argentina Tevez has expressed a wish to return home but clubs in Argentina would struggle to afford his wages
    Middle East Plenty of money available in places such as Dubai but it is hardly the Champions League
 

[h=1]Arsenal's owner Stan Kroenke hails Arsène Wenger as 'great manager'[/h] • American has 'tremendous confidence' in Wenger
• Kroenke discusses sale of Fábregas and Nasri




  • Martin Pengelly
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 30 September 2011 00.38 BST Article history
    Stan-Kroenke-007.jpg
    Stan Kroenke. left, said Arsène Wenger is 'one of the great managers in the world'. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

    Arsenal's owner, Stan Kroenke, has given his full support to the club's manager, Arsène Wenger, who has come under pressure during the team's difficult start to the season.
    The team are 13th in the Premier League, with only two wins from six matches, but Kroenke told the Daily Telegraph: "I have tremendous confidence in [Arsène]. He is one of the great managers in the world. Arsène is one of my favourite people I have met in the last 20 years. He is a great person and I love the way he handles himself. He is a very intelligent guy."
    Asked about the side's poor start to the season, Kroenke said: "It's a rocky start but what do people really expect? Cesc Fábregas [who signed for Barcelona in the summer] is a great player who Arsène developed from the age of 16. He decided last year that he wanted to leave.
    "Maybe it is one of those times when we have to work our way through, maybe with some young players. Arsène has been really good at developing these guys, people like Alex [Oxlade-]Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere. There are some really good players that Arsène thinks can be special. Arsène's our man."
    Kroenke described the sale of Fábregas as an issue between the manager and the midfielder, adding: "I like the kid [Fábregas] but I'm not going to change his mind. Arsène made the decision.
    "I also get it on [Samir] Nasri [who joined Manchester City]. If we didn't do something on Nasri people would be looking at us next summer and saying, 'Why didn't you do this?' We bought in a lot of resources that we can use on other players."

 
[h=1]Manchester City's Edin Dzeko apologises to Roberto Mancini[/h] • Bosnian says sorry for outburst over substitution
• Striker set to play at Blackburn Rovers




  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 29 September 2011 22.00 BST Article history
    Manchester-Citys-Edin-Dze-007.jpg
    Manchester City's Edin Dzeko cuts a frustrated figure after being replaced against Bayern Munich. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

    Edin Dzeko has apologised to Roberto Mancini and his Manchester City team-mates for his part in the controversy that overshadowed the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
    "I know my reaction [to being substituted] was bad and I have spoken to the guys and to the coach," Dzeko said. "I have apologised for the reaction and Roberto has accepted it and said that everything is OK and that we have to be positive for the next game."
    Mancini has put Dzeko back into his plans for Saturday's trip to Blackburn Rovers. The manager had said the former Wolfsburg striker would "spend the next game sitting next to me" because of his response to being replaced 10 minutes into the second half at the Allianz Arena.
    "I was unhappy because we were 2-0 down and I wanted to win the game," Dzeko said. "It was something special for me to go back to Germany, where I played for a long time, and I wanted to do well and wanted the team to do well. Things didn't go well for us. That is why I was extra frustrated."
    The Bosnian directed a sarcastic thumbs-up in Mancini's direction before becoming embroiled in an angry exchange. Mancini later said he was "furious" with the striker and he reiterated at a team meeting on Thursday that he would not tolerate any more of his players disputing his decisions. The club have decided not to fine Dzeko but he has been warned about his conduct and is hoping to make amends at Ewood Park.
    "Everyone has had a sleep and a rest after the Bayern game and we know we could have done better but it is football and you cannot win every game," he said. "Bayern Munich is behind us, we are feeling positive and looking forward to the next game. That is our new target.
    "I remember last year when I scored there [at Blackburn] and we won. We had great support from thousands of City fans and we hope to make them cheer again on Saturday."

 
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