Tevez - forget the price, the time is right

[Dorset]

Carlitos, come on down! It would be a confusing summer call for Tevez to receive from the likes of Peter Kenyon, but one that should be made and, once he realises that it?s not a Hammer's Hoaxer inviting him to stay on board for another season long descent, one that he should readily accept. Now is not the time to go over old complimentary ground, dotted with video clips and hyperbole. I know he?s good, you know he?s good, it?s just that you?ve taken longer to realise it and even then you still can?t see him fitting in or would regard him as excess to our requirements. Fair enough, but, as spring watch turns to summer signing season, let?s consider the environment. Trust me, it is important?

A year ago everything in our home grown garden was lovely - back to back titles and the possibility of further, famous additions that would see us emerge into full bloom. This needed to happen because, by all accounts, Roman was finding the garden a little drab and maturity was, allegedly, taking longer than he anticipated. Let?s face it, when you own something akin to the Chelsea Flower Show, you want to enjoy it to the full, but equally, when you?ve stumped up for it in it?s entirety, you don?t want it seen to be getting out of hand financially, or you?ll be forever shafted.

So the balance was found - a little elderflower pruning here (Eidur, Duffer), a little landscaping there (4-4-2 that keeps the Drog happy) and an owner placated with a trophy rose that, from the cost point of view, is reported to be the last of a dying breed. A season?s ups and downs later, Judgement Day arrives and we end up with a Silver-Gilt, leaving Roman in ?he?s got to be disappointed with that? territory and the rest of us either wondering where it all went wrong, apportioning blame, or saying we did well in the circumstances.

Well that early environment WAS ?the circumstances? and Carlos Tevez WAS there at that very beginning, being considered for inclusion in the garden, when a delegation viewed him pre-season and presumably rejected him on counts that he has subsequently chalked off through his Premiership performances. Over that same period the reputations of others have diminished, either to Jose?s dismay or his knowing anticipation. After all, what we have seen from Sheva is what we saw from Didier in his first season and, arguably, Crespo in his. Didn?t see it from Tevez, did we? Admittedly, the circumstance [environment] was different - it was worse, what with the poorer surroundings, restricted sunlight (as Curbs failed to see the light of day and kept him on the bench initially) and a supposed lack of quality support on his particular patch. He overcame it all. End of.

So, a year on, we survey the environment once again. Jose?s landscaping is said to favour 4-3-3 and we have yet to find out how the land lies when it comes to centrepiece candidates costing a pretty penny, other than the certainty that two of the striking hardy regulars disappear to the ANC early next year. Pizarro looks like a box plant to me and going with him and Sheva, fully bloomed or not, to those frosty early year shows does not fill me with confidence and, ultimately, won?t win prizes.

What we need is a creation, a one-off, something a little out of the ordinary, but there are so few of those around, aren?t there? Not so long ago we could rely on Gianfranco to give us the spark I?m talking about and there are those that will tell you that Joey does a good impression when fit and playing in the same position. Except that he?d be free as a bird and on wider pastures in my garden and I?m guessing that Jose will see it the same way in his 4-3-3. No, what we need is a fourth striker who could be a second striker for Didier, who could play it to feet for Sheva [rather than just hit channels], who could fetch and forage with the best, who could see a pass and knows where the back of the net is.

Of course, a player like this costs money and apparently we are shopping at the local garden centre now, leaving Inter as the only potential buyer at 30m plus. It would be nice if Roman could make one last exception in the case of an exceptional talent. The Powers that Be didn?t quite trust themselves a year ago, but I?m hoping the time is now right for them to put in an appearance at the Copa America in Venezuela. Go on - grasp the nettle.

[Barn]

I totally agree and this for me follows on from the thread about whether or not we need to spend money. It's no longer about spending millions and millions on a number of players every time there's a transfer window, it's now about finding the right players. Manu have proved so many times down the years that if you can add something that will really benefit your team then you should do it regardless of the cost.

So I think to spend ?30mil on an ageing player that has never played in the premiership is stupid. However to go and buy one of the worlds brightest talents and a young player that albeit in a short spell has proved that he is plenty good enough for the English league is imo what we should be doing. Highlight any particular players that you want and do what you can to get them. But only if it's what/who the manager specifically asks for!!!

[Iceman]

Agree. As great our squad was last season, we want to see the Club bringing in exciting young attacking, "get us of our bum type of seats" players to complement the existing squad we have. We all were gushing in Robben's first season for us. He was superb!

Man Utd scored more than 20 goals more than us last season and the players they have bought in this Summer have the potential to scoore oodles more. I would like to see some exciting attacking talent added to our squad because at the end of the day, I like to see us score goals too, as well as having a good defensive unit. Why can't we have both?. Tevez should be at the forefront of our shopping list as well as a sh*t-hot winger.

[Star]

Agree 100%

Need a right back Jose? Glen Johnson

Need a pair of Centre backs Jose when Boula goes? Alex and Ben De Haim

Need cover in midfield when the Afro Nations is on Jose? Steven Sidwell

What about up front?Dembele nah he costs too much what about Pizzaro

That will teach them for saying we bought the league, lets win the Champions League on free transfers

If we want to be the powerhouse in European football and England for that matter, get Tevez on that 'kin yacht !

[Jimboola69]

I have said we need Tevez for almost 3 years now. A bit of Zolaesque guile is GREATLY needed.

As for the likes of Glen 'B&Q' Johnson, Alex 'turning circle of the QE2' Brazilian, Claudio 'bit part mullet man' Pizarro and Steve 'don't call me Ginge' Sidwell....if they are the answer then I dread to think what the question was.

Squad fodder ONLY!

[evissy]

I agree, since Zola is my all time favourite and indeed I can see similar aspects in Tevez' playing. But if we are not going to buy him and he goes off to Inter we still have J.Cole fully fit and we can hope that some higher power helps with Robbens glass-made ankles. It's not the same as Zola-Tevez world but can be at its best something to look at and produce more goals.

Goalwise, last season was a disappointent!

[Jimboola69]

I agree, since Zola is my all time favourite and indeed I can see similar aspects in Tevez' playing. But if we are not going to buy him and he goes off to Inter we still have J.Cole fully fit and we can hope that some higher power helps with Robbens glass-made ankles. It's not the same as Zola-Tevez world but can be at its best something to look at and produce more goals.

Goalwise, last season was a disappointent!

Yes we have little Joe, but y'know eggs & basket.

We need more than one outlet.

If we are more 4-D-2 than 4-3-3 we can not rely on wing creativity, therefore traditionally you have a very creative midfielder and a forward who 'hangs off'. Cole as midfield creator and Tevez hanging off the Drog.

[Jack]

I have to disagree. With all the baggage surrounding Tevez, the amount he'd cost, the possibility that he'd oust Sheva from the starting line-up and all the resultant crap between Jose and Roman...just too many reasons why not and too few reasons why. Yes we'd all like to see more goals and a bit more flair, but with Joe and Robbie hopefully we'll have that next season. Jose reckons we have a great squad that just needs bolstering a little and I agree. The defence needs cover at right-back and centre-back and that looks like it's being addressed. The midfield looks fine, as long as Essien doesn't have to cover at the back for half a season, and we now have The Pizza Man up front, an experienced player who seems to be content to play a supporting role. We also have Kalou who improved fantastically as the season went on, and don't forget Scott Sinclair, injured but surely ready to take the step up when fit. The ANC will probably mean we have a couple of players missing for a handful of games (they can't all make it to the final) but it worked out ok in 2006 so why not next year? The big misses will be Drogba and Essien, unique and irreplaceable like-for-like but we have to look at the possibilities - Sheva and Pizza up front, Robbie or Joe as cover, both of those with Pizzaro on his own in a three, with Ballack or Lamps or Sidwell breaking from midfield. I could go on, but I hope I've made a plausible case against Tevez.

One final point - we played 60-odd competitive games last season and a lot of our big players barely played half of them and others less than half in their best position, and we lost.....four. Boro away when the team was barely fit enough by Jose's standards, Spuds away thanks to Poll disallowing a prefectly good goal and then grabbing the headlines with a red card, and Liverfool away twice, once without any recognized centre-backs and the second time ultimately on penalties. The improvement needed is minimal. Fair enough at the moment it seems like every season the Premiership gets tougher and tougher, but I feel a 10% improvement (if it could be quantified so) and we would have smashed the opposition out of sight. Some of you will probably argue that the 10% should be Tevez - I would say Essien in midfield, Cech in goal the whole season, Robbie and Joey fit and Ballack and Sheva knowing what to expect, would be the extra - might even get a 12 or 15% on the richter scale!

So a little pruning is required, allow the younger players and the newer ones to blossom and all will be lovely in the Dorset garden!

[Guest Brian M]

Ye Gods man. A bunch of CSR regulars saying we need to spend money?

Shame on you! We're running a business not a football club!!!

(oh, wait a minute...)

[bjd]

Well said Jack, i agree totally.

Tevez is a great player but we wont be signing him.

Get over it fellas!

[g3.7]

never mind that we've literally just signed a striker... we don't have kevin keegan and his squad made up of 17 strikers... after tevez, why don't we get eto'o and then that van nistelrooy guy?

[abramovich]

Tevez did have a great ending to his first season in the league but he was also struggling quite a bit for more than half a season. No one denies his talent but if we were to buy him we'll have to think of:

a. He'll cost a fortune. I know we spent a lot in the past and he may be worth it but if Mourinho really rated him why haven't we got him on a free loan at the start of the season when Joorabchian was offering him to every top club in England?

b. His attitude problems are well documented and followed him to every cub he has played for including even his short stint at West Ham where he slagged off Curbishley after the end of the season for 'not appreciating him enough'.

c. If we get Tevez what do we do with Sheva? I personally believe he'll improve drastically and we'll see his normal self in the next season. You can't just throw away one of the world's best strikers after one poor season in a new country especially after we've paid quite a sum to secure his services. He'll come good, i'm sure of it.

d. Even if we do get Tevez so what? It's not the players, it's the manager. We are playing boring pragmatic football because that's what Jose wants the team to do. If you think some 'free artist' like Tevez will just change all that you're mistaken. He'll either fall in line or end up at the far end of the bench.

We have got the players to play 'sexy football', but that's not what JM is all about and no Ronaldinho,Kaka,Messi or Tevez are going to change that.

[Scott]

Oh........the burden of Sheva and Ballack

Meaning no chance of bringing in world class striker/ midfielder as long as they are here

[Barn]

Just for the record my post is less about Tevez and more about the need to buy big if thats what we need. My opinion on both is that we should go for Tevez, but it's about what Jose thinks is needed. What I always liked about ferguson and the manu hierachy (that was bloody hard to admit) is that he would tell them that he wanted such-and-such a player and they would go and pay whatever it took to get that player. Our squad as it stood at the end of the season, definately needed stregthening numbers wise. Alex (if he comes), Pizzaro, Ginga, they cover that, but we do also I think need another attacker of real flair and quality. Say what you like about his record but Sheva isn't that player (not a bad replacement for Drogs while he's in Africa though), Robben and Cole are both very good players at what they do, but I think different to what we need - and that's when they're fit! Kalou is a good young player who improved a lot last season but he's not quite at that level yet.

Those are my thoughts anyway, but as I said it's about what the manager wants and the board backing him. If he says that he wants the squad he's got and doesn't need anyone else, then fair enough. But we'll probably never know if that's the case or if he's asked for the funds to buy Tevez, or Kaka or Nani, or anyone else you care to mention.

[Pauly]

i haven't seen so much of him but i don't like him at all. He's undoubtedly talented, determined, resillient and flexible as he's shown with his career so far. But i just hated what he did to argentina's game when he came into the WC quarter final with germany. They played such brilliant Dutch-esque (argentine-esque!) one touch and movement football and he came in and brought the whole show down- you should be ashamed of yourself carlos!

no thanks for me. Woudln't hurt if he came, undoubtedly good, but there's better. 7

[Iceman]

Pizarro is the Carlton Cole of German football allegedly :-(((((

[ozboy]

Any one who doesn't think we need more goal scorers just hasn't looked at the stats last season. The nominal forwards aside from Drogba ie Robben, Kalou, Shevchenko, Joe Cole, SWP didn't score 10 premiership goals between them. I know it was first season for Sheva and Kalou, JC was injured as was Robben. Maybe things will be better this season, but that's a big risk to take.

My complaint about Tevez is that he just doesn't seem to have the pace, same problem with Sheva these days.

Anyhow its all a bit irrelevant because there is no sign at all the Chelsea is going to spend any real money for next season. At the moment and based on amounts spent in the transfer season we will be further behind Manu next year.

Ok call me a pessimist but success requires investment, investment doesn't guarantee success but lack of it will be a problem

[Jimboola69]

Pizarro is the Carlton Cole of German football allegedly :-(((((

That's what the germans told me. Pizzi is Peruvian but I get the meaning.

Wonder if he will be at Chelsea for the start of next season...not that i m judging him before he has kicked a ball for us...oh no! ;)

[Barn]

Does that mean he's got Chelsea at his heart, will perform well for us and less so for anyone else??? If so it may not be such a bad signing, all we need now is for Shev to live up to his lable!!!

[Scott]

Intresting no?

[web]http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=474278&CPID=21&clid=127&lid=2&title=Inter+out+of+Tevez+running&channel=football_home&[/web]

[Backbiter]

Moratti feels Crespo may have a valid point, although the Inter supremo did not rule out further comings and goings before the start of next season.

He added: "Crespo's declarations weren't interpreted well, but the Argentine may be right when he says there are too many of us in attack.

"However, our buying and selling hasn't finished yet. Just think how much better off we are for not having to pay a fee for Crespo or the full cost of his wages."

[abramovich]

Moratti feels Crespo may have a valid point' date=' although the Inter supremo did not rule out further comings and goings before the start of next season.

He added: "Crespo's declarations weren't interpreted well, but the Argentine may be right when he says there are too many of us in attack.

"However, [b']our buying and selling hasn't finished yet. Just think how much better off we are for not having to pay a fee for Crespo or the full cost of his wages."[/b]

In - f..ing - credible.

I've been going on about this issue for ages and this is just another one of those "add insult to injury' kind of things.

So let me see.

We bought Crespo from Inter back in 2003, loaned him out for three seasons out of five and are still paying part of his wages.

I'm speechless.

[The Moos]

Moratti feels Crespo may have a valid point' date=' although the Inter supremo did not rule out further comings and goings before the start of next season.

He added: "Crespo's declarations weren't interpreted well, but the Argentine may be right when he says there are too many of us in attack.

"However, [b']our buying and selling hasn't finished yet. Just think how much better off we are for not having to pay a fee for Crespo or the full cost of his wages."[/b]

In - f..ing - credible.

I've been going on about this issue for ages and this is just another one of those "add assault to injury' kind of things.

So let me see.

We bought Crespo from Inter back in 2003, loaned him out for three seasons out of five and are still paying part of his wages.

I'm speechless.

Part? I read that we payed all of it. Or perhaps that was just Veron...

No wonder we won't spend any money this season. We've already spent it all on wages for players who's not even playing for Chelsea

[Backbiter]

Moratti feels Crespo may have a valid point' date=' although the Inter supremo did not rule out further comings and goings before the start of next season.

He added: "Crespo's declarations weren't interpreted well, but the Argentine may be right when he says there are too many of us in attack.

"However, [b']our buying and selling hasn't finished yet. Just think how much better off we are for not having to pay a fee for Crespo or the full cost of his wages."[/b]

In - f..ing - credible.

I've been going on about this issue for ages and this is just another one of those "add assault to injury' kind of things.

So let me see.

We bought Crespo from Inter back in 2003, loaned him out for three seasons out of five and are still paying part of his wages.

I'm speechless.

If it makes you feel any better, Moratti didn't actually say that. I doctored his quote.

[abramovich]

If it makes you feel any better, Moratti didn't actually say that. I doctored his quote.

Well i wouldn't be surprised if that was the actual case.