Tevezgate: The Climbdown Is Complete

The bridge burning that Carlos Tevez and his adviser have tried on twice with Manchester City has once again swung back to another attempt at bridge building...

The beaming, knowing grin captured on film that Roberto Mancini cast in Carlos Tevez's direction at Bolton back in May as the curtain came down on City's strongest season since 1977 told a story of who was in total control.

Tevez had already priced himself out of the market and was about to do so again with a wantaway announcement timed for maximum effect during Planet Blue's long craved summer celebrations. And that latest public transfer request with it's belittling of Manchester fell firmly flat on its arse.

As the options narrowed due to an existing salary under contract and a wholly justifiable £50 million transfer fee, the pair were left hung out to dry by City and Mancio who handled the situation calmly whilst continuing to construct a fearsome squad whereby all of a sudden Tevez is no longer the captain, and no longer the talisman.

We saw the first signs of contrition earlier in the week with Kia Joorabchian (who is also adviser to Nedum Onuoha, Luka Modric and Mark Hughes) announcing that Tevez, who returned back from an extended summer break clearly off the pace '...is happy to stay at Manchester City.'

Now the player himself, who is spending a non playing international break in Argentina granted by Mancini has declared 'I'm happy at City and I'm not moving from there.'

The player and his agent have always maintained that the shockingly timed, doubly declared exit wishes have been about family issues despite a constantly evolving nomadic career. This correspondent subscribes to the age old line of thought that any player who submits a transfer request has crossed the line and no matter what happens things will never be the same again. This makes Tevez's continued presence at Manchester City all the more intriguing.

With over half a century of goals to his name that have helped propel City into the promised land of Champions League football and genuine title contention, the battling Argentinian is all of a sudden no longer the top dog at The Etihad Stadium. Yet his name now makes up an attacking four man armory alongside Balotelli, Dzeko and Aguero. Mouthwatering and terrifying in equal measure depending upon which football team you support.

So without detailing here more of what our erstwhile skipper had to say in Buenos Aires this week, off we go again with the Tevezgate that erupted last December and exploded again in June now condemned to the knowledge that whatever is said and done from here onwards, Manchester City supporters won't be that interested in what comes out of the Tevez camp any longer. If he goes, he goes, if he stays, he stays.

There are a shedload of football matches to be won and El Apache being back on board is a massive bonus that The Blues can only benefit from.

UPCOMING FIXTURES:
all times GMT+1

Sa 10 Sep 15:00 Wigan, The Etihad, PL

We 14 September 19:45 Napoli, The Etihad, CLGS1

*Su 18 Sep 15:00 Fulham, Craven Cottage, PL

Tu/We 20/21 Sep 19:45 Birmingham, The Etihad, LC3

Sa 24 Sep 12:45 Everton, The Etihad, PL

Tu 27 September 19:45 Bayern Munich, Allianz Arena,
CLGS2

* Date Change

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