The Return of the Prodigal Son

Tevez helped City to a 2-1 win last night but can the events of the past really be forgotten?

What a difference a month makes. Four weeks ago and Carlos Tevez had just returned to Manchester after his lengthy AWOL period in Argentina. With his tail between his legs, he made a grovelling apology to the club, the fans and manager Roberto Mancini. Last night Tevez returned to action, ironically coming off the bench, and set up Samir Nasri for the winning goal against Chelsea. It was the final step of Tevez’s reintegration with his team and the talk is now of Tevez powering City to their first Premier League title. My question is, do they really need him?

I can’t imagine many of the City first team welcoming Tevez back with open arms after he deserted them last September. That tension permeated the club and may have cost them against Swansea a couple of weeks ago. Tevez is not a different person, he is just back because he realised that no other club could afford to take him away from the Etihad. He needs to prove that he is willing to give 100% for the club, he needs to show passion and commitment whenever he steps on the pitch. I’d still treat him as if he’s ready to throw his toys out of the pram at any second and if it does then Mancini’s big gamble will have backfired spectacularly; what’s more is that any whiff of conflict between Tevez and his manager or teammates and the momentum swings back in United’s favour. Mancini is going to have to manage a very delicate balancing act here.

Don’t get me wrong, Tevez is a great player and any team would want him on their books but City coped perfectly well without him for the last six months.  They became a solid unit and despite losing the lead in the title race, they were still favourites to be crowned Champions come May. Mario Balotelli was finally getting his head down and putting in some important performances, will he now be left to rot on the bench while Tevez steals all the glory? Will Tevez himself be happy to be used in a rotation system when that was what got him all riled up six months ago?

We’ve seen clubs throw away their title chances time and time again: Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester United. The most common factor in their decline was over-tinkering and Manchester City could easily find themselves going the same way. Aguero, Balotelli and Tevez could in theory fill the slots in a 4-3-3 but City have been brilliant with their fluid 4-5-1 all season and who then would Mancini drop from the midfield in order to placate Tevez? The little Argentinian (Tevez, not Aguero) isn’t even at full fitness yet and a yard of pace could be the difference between 1 point and 3; with United looking so strong at the moment, every point counts.

Expect Mancini to go greyer before the end of the season

Yet Mancini could still turn Tevez into the most important player in the team. If I was Roberto, I’d use Tevez as a distraction. Take last night for example, the cameras were focused on Tevez even if as much as coughed and no-0ne remembers Aguero’s equalising penalty as well as the number of other chances he had. If you have the threat of Tevez on the bench, teams will have to come up with a plan to stop him just in case he comes on – that removes time for them to be focusing on your actual starting XI. Let Aguero and Balotelli get the early goals and bring Tevez on as an impact sub. If he impresses, give him a start here and there. Simple.

What interested me though about last night, and gave an insight into how little Mancini trusts Tevez’s fitness right now, was when he substituted Balotelli for Gareth Barry at half-time. You’ve got a world-class striker on the bench who is raring to go and he brings on a central midfielder. Maybe it was used to show Tevez that his road to regular football won’t be an easy one to walk but clearly there is still some resentment from Mancini to Tevez. The fans won’t forget what he did and unless he starts banging in the goals, they’ll be on his back straightaway.

Tevez doesn’t really change anything in regards to where the Premier League trophy is heading at the end of this season. The deciding game will still be City vs United on Monday 30th April but he could provide that extra talent that gives City the advantage. Conversely, he could just decide that Manchester is not really his scene and head off back to Argentina again. City have to face Stoke, Arsenal and Newcastle away before the end of the season while United have a much kinder run-in. Sir Alex Ferguson will be eyeing the return of Tevez intently, looking for any sign of trouble that he can exploit. Tevez cannot expect to waltz back into first team football and the affections of the City fans and Mancini has to ensure that he stays in control, that the players do not become distracted from their goal. Like I said, Tevez is a gamble but the rewards are enormous if it pays off.

Deadline Day – What You Won’t See

One of my favourite days of the year today – Deadline Day! Where Jim White struggles to maintain any sanity or dignity on Sky Sports News and where various sports reporters stand outside desolate training grounds to illustrate the point that said football clubs exist. All this while Gary from Salford texts in to say that his mate’s wife’s sister’s hairdresser has just spotted Lionel Messi walking down the street in Manchester, not far from the Etihad. Of course it’s all a circus that is stirred up by the media but it’s one that the managers play along with as many big deals go through at the last minute. It seems as though they, like us, read the live text and think because so and so has heard a rumour that they have to go and sign the player in question. Madness. Anyway, to poke fun at this charade I thought I’d have a look at some deals that won’t go through today and the said consequences of such deals. Who knows, a few of them might end up on Sky Sports News later!

Jim White - the face and sound of Deadline Day... Unfortunately

Emile Heskey to Manchester City

Man City's best signing?

Mancini is scouring the world looking for a replacement for Carlos Tevez only to be told by the tea lady that the signing he needs is right under his nose. Heskey can’t believe his luck and Mancini reckons that he’s done a good piece of business – at least this player doesn’t mind sitting on the bench! Heskey becomes a star signing after Balotelli headbutts Aguero in a league game against Blackburn for no apparent reason, getting himself sent off and leaving Sergio in A&E. Up steps Heskey and the wingers – grateful that they have some height to aim for – set him up for a hat-trick. City fans everywhere are seen sporting the “Why Never Me?” Heskey t-shirt range.

Carlos Tevez to anywhere

The new darts sensation?

Tevez spends deadline day at home with his wife and kids, watching Argentinian soap operas, chatting on the phone with El Diego and practicing throwing darts at Mancini’s head. He can’t be bothered to leave his house yet alone Argentina and despite Harry Redknapp offering a “tidy sum”, he chooses to retire from football to concentrate on his darts career – he wins the BDO world title a record breaking 19 times.

Neymar to Barcelona

Neymar - Ronaldo's new best friend?

Perennial cock-tease Neymar finally can’t escape the clutches of Barcelona after they promise that all the TV cameras will be focused on him and him alone while Barcelona are playing. He joins for £40 million and instantly demands to be paid more than Messi. Spends his first paycheck on hair products before showboating too much for the Catalan fan’s liking and being benched for the rest of the season. Sold to Real a year later where he becomes a club legend, forming a double act with Ronaldo that results in a number 1 song being released.

Roy Keane to Manchester United

Roy Keane - Don't mess with his women!

Fergie, struggling to cope with his new crop of kids and after a few glasses of scotch, reminisces about the mid 90s success he enjoyed with United. Having already recruited Scholes, he sets his sights on the other linchpin of the midfield: Roy Keane. Keane cannot stand management anymore and having seen the success that Scholes is enjoying he decides to make a comeback. His first game is marred by a filthy challenge on Frank Lampard that sees the Irishman getting a straight red. He blames the incident on Frank’s relationship with Christine Bleakley saying that “she’s mine! I’ve fancied her for years”. Fergie sees the error of his ways and promptly terminates Keane’s contract.

Anton Ferdinand to Chelsea

Anton Ferdinand - An unlikely defensive partner to John Terry?

In a peacekeeping attempt, Abramovich orders the transfer of Anton Ferdinand believing that if they spent time in the defence together, Ferdinand and Terry would soon forget their differences. The move is a disaster though as Ferdinand and Terry spend the entire 90 minutes of every game trash talking and trying to land punches on each other. No-one is brave enough to take either of them out of the team for fear of upsetting Abramovich and Chelsea ship 80 goals in the second half of the season and end up relegated to the disgrace of their fans.

So there we go then. A bit of light entertainment on what has become a bit of a second Christmas to every football fan – Deadline Day! Have a good one and I’ll see you when the metaphorical dust has settled.