Posts tagged Carlos Tevez

Nikica Jelavic has more than just his position as a striker in common with Jordan Rhodes, Salomon Kalou, Nicky Maynard, Ricardo Vaz Te and even Carlos Tevez: he was linked with West Ham during the January Transfer Window. However, unlike Ricardo Vaz Te and Nicky Maynard, who signed for The Hammers on deadline day, Jelavic didn’t join the current Championship table toppers and headed to Premier League club Everton, for a fee of £5m. For Everton, it completed a successful transfer window, which saw Steven Pienaar re-join his former employers much like Landon Donovan – both on loan – and Darron Gibson sign a four-and-a-half-year deal, as well.

The signing marked the first over £1m for Everton since signing Jonny Heitinga for £6.2m in the 2009 summer transfer window, which was the last of many expensive signings Everton made since Wayne Rooney’s departure in 2004. His move made The Toffees £25m in and David Moyes went on to smash Everton’s transfer record 4 times in as many years, spending over £40m on James Beattie, Andrew Johnson, Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Marouane Fellaini. Moyes’ ability to spend led to Champions League qualification in 2005, and UEFA Cup runs in the 07/08 season and 08/09 season, as well as an F.A. Cup Final appearance in 2009, finishing runners up to Chelsea. Last year’s finish of 7^th didn’t look like it could be replicated this season, with many players hinting at a small playing team and no money to bolster it; however, an impressive January, on and off the pitch, has the ability to push Everton up the league and firing them in said direction will be Nikica Jelavic.

1. “I will do my best to score many goals”
   
   When you buy a striker the minimum you would expect from them is goals: it is their job; it is what they’re paid to do and it is what wins games. So, when Jelavic announced that he will “score many goals” Everton fans breathed a sigh of relief in unison; but, when he added further weight to the burden on his back to fire Everton to a respectable Premier League finish, by declaring that he will score “goals, goals and more goals,” in an extravagant exclamation of his finishing ability, Everton fans would be forgiven for taking his promise with a pinch of salt. 
   
   Presuming that goals – whilst also presuming Jelavic has a firm grasp on the English language – means at least two, we can expect that, by stating he will score, “goals, goals and more goals”, Everton will see their new Croatian striker score at least 6 goals. That’s excellent news considering their current top scorer this season is their left-back, Leighton Baines, with four. Seriously, however, Jelavic knows where the goal is, joining Everton on the back of a goals to game ratio of 0.65 goals per game throughout his entire Rangers career. Everton fans will be hoping Jelavic’s talk is symptomatic of his walk.
   
    
   
   
2. Another International Player
   
   Everton’s squad, a squad that club chief executive Robert Elstone had to defend, stating that “this is not an ageing, threadbare squad, portrayed by some as amongst the weakest in the Premier League” is indeed, not the weakest in the Premier League; in fact, if clubs were to be ranked by the number of active internationals in their first team, Everton would have the 20^th strongest side in Europe and the 8^th strongest in England’s top flight. However, there are the obvious arguments against this measure, as Celtic prove by ranking in as the 4^th strongest side in Europe. Yet, a quick glance at Everton’s side shows that the standard and quality at which their international players are amongst and up against, gives weight to the argument that Everton’s team – made up by 50% of active international players – is a strong one and the four signings made in January only boost this figure from 50% to 57%.
   
   Whilst Jelavic’s international goal-scoring record isn’t quite as prolific as his exploits in Britain – but still more fruitful than Emile Heskey’s, as well as every regular Everton striker so far this season – he’s part of a promising Croatian side that could cause an upset in Euro 2012, having beaten Turkey 3-0 over two legs in the play offs and joins countrymen Luka Modric, Nico Kranjcar and Ivan Klasnic in the Premier League. It’s something that pleases David Moyes too: “he will also want to play for Croatia in the European Championship so hopefully that will keep his form good, keep him hungry to score and play well.” 
   
    
   
   
3. “It is a big thing for me, a step forward”
   
   His ambition matches his stature; a height of 6’2 sees him befitting of the Everton striker of late, with Victor Anichebe, Apostolos Vellios and Denis Stracqualursi all coming in at six feet three inches. However, his ambition could keep him, one inch shorter than his contemporaries, head and shoulders above them: “the Premier League is something on a higher level and I hope it will be good for me. I don’t think I will need time to settle.” For many players making the move across the border, it is often one that comes with much scepticism; the standards of the SPL is a hot topic season after season and many football fans deem the Premier League far superior and the step up is sometimes too much, but Jelavic recognises this: “The Scottish Premier League is not as high a level as here in England but I think it will help a lot as it is not so much a big difference.”
   
   Undoubtedly, fans will be hoping his ability on the pitch is as prominent as his ambition and David Moyes’, a former SPL player, was well-placed to make the decision. Ultimately though, the value of Jelavic to Everton and the astuteness of the signing will become prevalent as Jelavic advances through the years he is contracted to: “In the four and a half years of my contract, I have time to learn.” Hopefully, he’ll adjust as quickly as he feels he will; score as regularly as he’s promised and satisfy the ambition he declares so strongly. For Everton’s sake he knows he has to, “I know [David Moyes] expects a lot from me and I can promise to do my best and score lots of goals.”

Written by Jordan Florit for www.maycauseoffence.com/
For more articles visit my website or my Twitter @JordanFlorit 

The January transfer window is imminent, moves are being planned and pre-planned and in swift attempts to shift deadwood for “transitional phases”, players are being told they can leave. One player to already fall victim to age discrimination in the workplace, is 32-year old Nicolas Anelka, who has been told he doesn’t feature in Chelsea’s long term plans under Andre Villas-Boas, stating that, “the club has decided to work with Chelsea’s players of the future and I have accepted this.” Just how long Villas-Boas has to regiment his troops, fluctuates with the week and whether or not his vice-captain on the field of duty, Frank Lampard, is starting, or if his captain’s racially slurring his way through games next to an incompetent David Luiz.

However, as the fashionable debonair critic slayer continues to slay critics fashionably, whilst remaining debonair, “ the talent of this team is not in question,” he told reporters a week after having to defend his team’s talents, “this has been a continuous persecution of Chelsea, continuous aggression of one club. We have become your target. We have to accept it,” in the background, he’s been ushering players out of the door quietly. Some are, understandably, reluctant and are holding on to the door frame Winston-Bogarde-style.

A further five players could be set to follow Nicolas Anelka out of Stamford Bridge, however unlikely to do so in the wage-increasing style the Frenchman is, with a new path in his career in China with Shanghai Shenhua starting in January. Ivorian pair Drogba and Kalou have apparently been offered a way out, as well as the already transfer-listed Alex and Portuguese defensive duo, Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa. One player not aging, not cheap and not expected as potentially on the transfer list is Fernando Torres.

This isn’t because he’s top class, banging goals in week-in-week-out, or because he’s in high demand, this is because he cost Chelsea £50m less than a year ago. However, over thirty appearances later, Fernando Torres has spent much of his playing time in a pedestrian manner and has only scored five times. In a career that could be valued at £395,480.00 a goal, spreading his total transfer fees over his total goal count, he has cost Chelsea over twenty times that, at £10m a goal. If they do want to get shot of him, it’s to cut their losses, not make a profit.

The rumoured fee for the European Championships and World Cup medalist is as little as £20m, £30m less than Chelsea acquired him for from Liverpool, and the same fee at which the Merseyside club brought him for, before enjoying his services 81 times in front of goal in 142 appearances. At 27-years old, his career is far from over, and many a player has slumped mid-career, before reinvigorating themselves elsewhere. It should be no different for a player that was arguably up there with the best just a few years ago. Signing him would be a gamble, but it could be a gamble that could see a player with class, just no form, signed at a cut-price deal with the ability to quickly prove his weight in gold.

Another player with just as many goals, as well as the same price-tag, as Fernando Torres in the past two months is Carlos Tevez. The difference is that one has been frozen out by his own accord, and the other has been frozen out, making just one start in his club’s last 8 games, by his manager. For Carlos Tevez, there is no questions being asked of his quality, or whether he still has it, it is over his attitude. The Argentine has managed to steal much of Manchester City’s limelight in a season that has seen them spend the majority of it at the top. His refusal to take to the pitch, whether it happened or not, his failure to return from Argentina and countless claims and counterclaims of defamation, have hindered all the good work going on at the Etihad. January may provide both parties with a way out.

The only deliberation left, is how to get rid of him. Carlos Tevez is wanted, make no mistake about it. His clash at Manchester City is very much on a personal level, and while he is lambasted as a mercenary, a sap to the game, a bad tag to the game even, a move away is the only feasible way a reasonable judgement can be made on the player. This is where the problem lies: Mancini only wants him to leave on a permanent transfer and to a club abroad; the interest is with other English clubs or loan offers.

There is no denying that these two performers have ability in abundance. One is a shell of a former self. One currently lives in a shell. However, with reasonable fees on their heads, in a time of unproven English starlets selling for £10m, a cut-price quickfire double bid for the both of them could make a club’s season. A team such as Tottenham, a team such as Manchester United if Paul Ince is to believed on his views of Manchester United, could benefit tenfold by signing these two strikers.

However, as easily as the players could make a club’s season, they could break it. Torres has only scored 5 goals in the past 11 months and Tevez hasn’t been playing football since September. His attitude could turn on any team that takes a chance on him, and together, if both players were to act as they are currently, one club would quickly become broken.

Written by Jordan Florit for www.maycauseoffence.com/ For more articles visit my website or my Twitter @JordanFlorit

Look at The Premier League and all is fine and dandy for Manchester City. For the Citizens nothing could look sweeter; they sit top of the highest tier of English football, five points ahead of their long-running rivals, with a goal difference that nearly doubles the second best, United’s, and nobody has scored more and only Newcastle have conceded less.

You could argue it only gets better for City too for they have begun to carry their domestic form over into Europe, they’re into the quarter-finals of The Carling Cup and the weekend brings them QPR.

However, when all is going well, cracks in the face of the club are well concealed by results and delight and this is not healthy at all. Three separate incidents at the club have sparked disdain, furore and confusion.

Last week an interview with Damien Johnson shown on Friday Focus and aired as part of the BBC’s Saturday show, Football Focus, saw Emmanuel Adebayor at unease when it came talking about Manchester City, “I have a good understanding with Mr. Wenger, Mr Mourinho, Mancini thing doesn’t work out as well because I think we all see what is happening about Manchester City on T.V right now.”

Happier days for Manchester City, now plying his trade at Spurs

Presuming that the former Togolese international is referencing the much covered Carlos Tevez public affair, it seems that the Argentine may have a leg to stand on, even if he does refuse to warm up on it. Whilst fans and the football world alike seem to have already drawn Tevez as the football mercenary that wrongly refused to warm up, it may be the case that a heavily strained relationship between Tevez and Mancini could be a more vital factor than first thought, with Mancini as the perpetrator.

In the same topic of conversation in the Johnson Adebayor interview that the striker mentions, “I think we all see what is happening about Manchester City on T.V right now,” he goes on to comment that he, “doesn’t want to talk about it (his time at City)” and described the startling difference between his past two Premier League managers with an indirect faux paus, “He knows how to talk to players, that’s what Harry has got more than anyone else.”

If internet rumours that started circling in October 2010 over a four letter fracas between Mancini and Tevez, with Mancini telling Tevez to “f**k his mother”, are to believed, then a strained relationship is comprehensible; and we all know the internet can be the catalyst for controversy – think John Terry’s race row. Apparently this isn’t the only foul-mouthed torrent of abuse Mancini has fired off at players; in that now-famous clash in Munich, Mancini barked the orders “f*ck off back to Bosnia” to Edin Dzeko, moments after telling Carlos Tevez to make haste to his respected homeland.

Now you may say, “Tevez man up,” after all the Bosnian did, since scoring five goals, however those goals only came after a brief spell of no involvement with Manchester City’s playing squad, bar two minutes at the end of City’s 4-0 demolition of Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Whilst everyone is probably sworn at during work from a senior person of authority once in their life time, the number of incidents in this matter, as well as the number of public fall outs supposedly going on at Manchester City is a cause for concern. Last week’s Carling Cup clash between Manchester City and Wolves ended with Adam Johnson refusing to travel on the team coach home, at first. This seemingly act of petulance was in fact a response to criticism Mancini gave in the post-match interview where he told the interviewer that he was “disappointed (Johnson) doesn’t put everything on to the pitch,” referencing that Johnson didn’t track back in a Wolves attack that led to their second and final goal in a 5-2 defeat to City, in which Johnson scored and assisted.

How did Johnson reply, having got on the coach as the bigger man? He went and scored again on Saturday.

How did Mancini respond? He made comments including, “A player like him should play well every game, like David Silva.”

The Italian throttles David Moyes in 2010

Whilst you can’t knock his managerial form that sees City comfortably top with one game before the next international break, his “autocratic” management, as described by Mark Hughes, is one that may reap its comeuppance when losses eventually reveal their ugly head to City.

Annoyingly, in Mancini’s defence you would look to a consistent board that deal with issues in a consistent manner to support the Italian boss, however the board whiff of double standards; the same board that supported Kolo Toure through his FA hearings and inquests over illegal drug usage, when Mancini described the incident as “a mistake” are now looking to take away his image rights in an internal disciplinary hearing, despite Mancini having no involvement. It was an internal disciplinary hearing that saw Carlos Tevez fined four weeks wages, which The PFA then insisted on reducing to two.

Written by Jordan Florit for www.maycauseoffence.com/  For more articles like this visit my website or my Twitter @JordanFlorit