Carlos Tevez Rises and AC Milan Fall – Too Costly A Coincidence?

By Parth Pandya
13 years Ago

In retrospect, when the think-tank at AC Milan analyse the entire season pastAi??before planning for the next one, the 33rd round of matches may well go on to define the moment that underlined the difference between Juventus and Milan. The results that both the sides managed over the weekend pretty much sum up their story of the season. The number of contenders for the title was reduced to two ever since the pretenders fell short of the pedigree requiredAi??to match the winning mentality of the two giants but few would have expected the race to remain so enticing till this point in time. However, as things stand, Juventus definitely are in with a brighter chance with momentum having swung in their favour tremendously.

Milan on the other hand, have never been able to regroup ever since their disappointing exit from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Post that defeat, Milan have collected only four points in the league out of the possible nine on offer. What has become even more evident from these games is the lack of intent on exhibition, a lack of power and some obviously aging legs in the middle of the park having run out of steam owing toAi??the long season that it has been. Milanai??i??s over-reliance on Zlatan Ibrahimovic toAi??invent that creative spark was never a secret and the matters were made worse by the injuriesAi??Ai??plaguing players potentially capable of offering more on the creative front ai??i?? mainly Pato and Boateng.

They say, flamboyance and individual brilliance may win you cup titles but the recipe for the league has always remained the depth in the squad and the managerai??i??s liberty to choose from a wide range of players applying the required rotation plan to keep most players fit at important junctures in the season. That is exactly why the winter transfer window is considered to be a very important period in time where smart additions to the existing squad always come in handy.

Though clubs refrain from spending big during this particular shopping window ai??i?? primarily because of the inflated rates and the risk involved in adjusting a big player midway in the season, there is never a better time to sign a player of superlative merit, especially if he has all but received exile orders from the club he is playing for. Carlos Tevez was one such player on offer during the winter and unless something extremely dramatic happens towards the end of the season, Adriano Galliani may regret not havingAi??struck when the ironAi??was hot.

Manchester City were more than certain of forcing the mutineer on his way out of the blue half of the city and among the possible destinations for the Argentine sensation, Milan were believed to be the likeliest ones he would land at. That was not to be however, when Milan failed to raise the bar to meet Cityai??i??s valuation of the player which did not read modest in figures despite the nature of the events surrounding this transfer. At that stage in the season, Milan were pretty decently poised occupying the pole position on the league table and the goals were coming in thick and fast. The existing strength of the squad was deemed enough to defend the league title for the next six months and the reinforcements during the winter were restricted to be in the areas of defence and midfield with any major signings being categorically avoided.

In Gallianiai??i??s favour, there was no clear sense of urgency to press the panic button and buy Tevez to steady the ship as the team was doing absolutely fine. Milanai??i??s shortcomings were known to beAi??hampering theirAi??progress in Europe but Tevez could have been of no help on that front for being cup-tied after having already represented Manchester City in that competition facing Napoli in a group stage encounter. Despite Milanai??i??s persistence in making their interest in signing the player apparent, City were not willing to negotiate on the market value which eventually saw the deal fail to materialize. Unfortunately, on Tevezai??i??s part, there were no other clubs who matched his price and heai??i??d spend the remainder of the season warming the bench at City upon his return ai??i?? or may be not?

Roberto Mancini was once one of the more adamant men in the Manchester City management to have explicitly come out in the media and said about Tevez having lost all chances to play for City, in his managerial reign at least. But perhaps the Italian was a little too romantic with his notions of his team comfortably sailing their way to the Premier League title. Little could he have known what was coming his way when aAi??whole bunchAi??of stars experienced a collective dip in form and Mario Balotelli began to show why if Jose Mourinho could notAi??handle a man, nobody else possibly could.

Following their defeat to Swansea in the month of March, they hosted Chelsea nextAi??in the league. The fixture was scheduled right after Cityai??i??s elimination from theAi??Europa League at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldoai??i??s youth club Sporting CP. There was a steady growth of apprehension among the City circles and Mancini was certainly running out of more cards. In came Carlos Tevez taking the field off the bench in the second half with City trailing at home. Chelsea, being one of the more organised and well-built sides in the Premier League,Ai??can beAi??tough to unsettle once they are in control of the game. Tevez could completely gauge the greatness of the occasion and did not need a second invite to announce his arrival from the moment he came on. His contribution in the build-up that led to City winning a penalty which Aguero converted to put them on terms and the scintillating move that found a bursting Samir Nasri inside the box to find the back of the net earned City arguably the most valuable three points from the season.

Tevez has since been an integral part of the City squad and has never failed to have an impact on the game in all the substitute appearances that heai??i??s made. It was only logical for Mancini to start him after a string of impressive performances coming off the bench. That City have scored 12 goals in the three previous games that Tevez started cannot be a mere co-incidence. Apart from the four goals that he has scored of these 12 and the two that he has created, Tevez has successfully energized the players around him and the hunger inside that keeps him wanting for more raises the general standards of grit in the City camp. It could be argued that Manchester United have done enough damage themselves to present City with another chance to claim the top spot through the derby next weekend but few could deny Tevezai??i??s positive influence on this City side that now looks the likelier winner from the derby. In Roberto Manciniai??i??s own words, the title race would have shaped differently had Tevez not made Balotelli look the saner guy.

Taking a look back in Milan, you may feel Tevez would have immediately felt at home finding some faces of familiar tendency in Ibrahimovic, Cassano and Robinho.Ai??One school of thought argued against adding another volatile presence to an already insane dressing room when Milan were linked with Tevez but itai??i??d take a brave man at this stage to maintain that position. Milan have clearly been off track for as many as three weeks now during the most crucial period in the season and how one may wish there were another character in the team equally inspirational as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, if not more.

Pretty similar to the last season, April has not been the best month for Ibrahimovic and the teamai??i??s propensity of being clueless during the games the big Swede has an off day is presently making Antonio Conteai??i??s life easier. Carlos Tevez was the perfect missing piece in the jigsaw for Milan majorly because of the versatility that he brings to the table while playing into any of the attacking roles.

Milan lack a chief source of creativity from the central attacking midfield and a workhorse like Tevez could have perfectly fit the bill to establish a creative linkage between the midfield and attack, not to mention scoring some scorchers himself too in the process. His fitness levels are fairytale like for a club like Milan where at most times, not more than half the squad remains available for selection. All this and much more could have remained irrelevant had the team not lost the plot towards the end of the season but hypothetical arguments will be hard to avoid now that Milan no longer appear the strongest contenders forAi??Serie AAi??champions.

The biggest question however is Tevezai??i??s availability at the end of the season. Big name signings are generally preferred to be done at the start of a new season but whether City will let theirAi??prized asset leave in the summer isAi??doubtful now. Should Tevez star one more time in the weekend derby against Manchester United to clinch the league title for City, it is more than likely City will hold on to him, especially with Balotelliai??i??s future at the club being continuously discussed. From Milanai??i??s perspective, they have reasonably lost all their chances to secure Tevezai??i??s signature by not acting decisively during the winter. How costly it turns out to be in the long term future for both the club and the player, only timeAi??will tell.

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Categories: AC Milan, COVER STORY, Editor's Pick, Italia Serie A
Tags: AC Milan Carlos Tevez

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