Thursday Gossip

Thu 29 Sep 2011, 8:44AM
Posted by Peter Ferguson

Well, he certainly knows how to get our attention. Wherever you look today, there's no getting away from Tevezgate.





Younger readers can pause here and Google Watergate, an American political scandal of the early 70s that brought down a president and gave the Press a ready-made tag of which they never tire.

Carlos Tevez's actions on Tuesday night were hardly in the same league as Richard Nixon's political skullduggery, and there can be no attempted cover-up as there was then in Washington.

So we doubt that Tevezgate will plumb the same depths, but it will certainly run and run - which is what gate stories do - for no tale this season can match the drama or fall-out from the Munich incident.

The Club's position is clear from the official statement - all the rest is propaganda, speculation and, er, any quotes you can get from anybody associated with City or just football in general.

So football365.com and plenty of others were keen to hear team-mate and fellow countryman Sergio Aguero's reaction. "Roberto is in charge," he tells them unequivocally.

"He puts through his opinions and ideas, and obviously makes his decisions. We just have to go with it. Carlos is a great player but obviously I am not inside his mind, to know his thoughts and opinions. It does make me sad."

The football365.com writer predicts a January sale, "although that would leave Tevez hanging around for another three months, bringing with it huge potential for disruption".

Over at the Telegraph, they've opted for good old Harry Redknapp, and they've somehow persuaded the usually reticent Tottenham manager to open up for once and tell us exactly what he thinks.

Harry's verdict? “It was unbelievable. I felt sorry for Roberto Mancini to be put in that situation. It wasn’t right for Man City, it wasn’t right for football. I can’t believe it, it shouldn’t happen, it can’t happen.”

He adds wistfully: "I just wonder what City legends like Malcolm Allison and Mike Summerbee would have thought of seeing a player refuse to play in a Champions League game. It is beyond belief."

Still a top, top player though, Tevez? "There’s no doubt that he’s a great player and a fantastic footballer but it’s a problem that only Man City can deal with now.”

Quite. David Platt is also quoted: "He (Mancini) has dealt with it in the way he thinks is right. I think he is right. The pictures are on the TV. He has told it as it is. Full stop."

Thanks Platty, we'll end it there then.