AS MANCHESTER CITY continue to deal with the fall-out from Tuesday night’s fiasco in Munich, attention turns to Carlos Tevez’s replacement at the Emirates.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Argentine is likely to be sold in January for a cut-price £20million with City considering Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie as the man to come in.
Roberto Mancini’s claim that Tevez refused to come on as a sub against Bayern Munich was seemingly weakened last night by a lack of support from the striker’s team-mates, according to the Times (subscription required).
The Daily Mail also report that those on the bench next to the No 10 ‘didn’t hear’ any apparent refusal to play. All those present, as well as Tevez and Mancini will be interviewed by lawyers as part of the club owners’ investigation.
Paul Scholes however has expressed sympathy his former Manchester United team-mate. “I know Carlos quite well. He’s a player who wants to be playing,” Scholes told BBC Radio 5 live, “When he’s a sub, it will be killing him.
“It’s totally up to the manager but Carlos wouldn’t have been thinking that. He’ll be thinking, ‘The manager is against me, why is he not bringing me on? I’m City’s best player and he’s not playing me’.
“I’m not saying he [Tevez] is right – it’s totally up to the manager.”
Scholes, United fans will remember refused to play in a League Cup tie in 2001 having been dropped for the previous game.
“You think you should be playing and my head was all over the place,” he said yesterday, I thought he [Alex Ferguson] was messing me about, wrongly really. It’s up to him what he does with his team.
“I realise it was stupid. I let the manager down and it was something I regretted. It’s probably similar to Carlos Tevez’s state of mind if it is true he refused to come on.”"
