Manchester City are set for their Champions League debut tonight against Napoli and strikers Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez are unlikely to be in the starting line-up.
The pair are currently highly paid substitutes. How long can that last though?
Frustrated
Both players have undoubted talent but both of them must be sitting on the Manchester City bench thinking they could be elsewhere playing first team football. In fact their egos must be thinking they are too good to be on the City bench.
Tevez was given a start on Saturday but I felt as if it was just a token start because they were on playing Wigan, no offence to Wigan. When the big games come around the first choice strike force are no doubt Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero.
Attitude
Carlos Tevez has always had the right attitude on the pitch. We all know what his attitude is like off the pitch, with wanting to move for the last 18 months. He has made a rod for his own back by declaring it in the media. No matter what is happening off the pitch seems to give his all on it though.
Mario Balotelli is one of those players that makes it hard for you to like. He has previously came out in the media and stated that he thought he could be the best player in the world. Yet at times on the pitch he looks like he just can’t be bothered being there.
At times his ego was writing cheques his ability couldn’t cash. The youngster is talented but if he doesn’t start working hard he will get nowhere in the game.
Responsible
There is no doubt that Carlos Tevez had a big hand or foot in putting Manchester City where they are now. The 27 year-old scored some vital goals last season and assisted his teammates to score goals as well, as the club finished third in the Premier League.
When Tevez joined from Manchester United he must have been expecting to take part in the Champions League with his new club. Manchester City’s first Champions League game comes along and Tevez will most likely be on the bench for it. Sad for the player, but it shows how good Dzeko and Aguero are though.
Settled
Although Carlos Tevez has stated for awhile that he wants to move away from Manchester City, I now don’t think it would be a good idea for anybody. Carlos Tevez won’t be happy sitting on the substitute bench but he could play a vital part for City this season.
His off-the-field problems seem to have been worked out with his family moving to Manchester. So he doesn’t have to worry about that. Tevez needs to get his head back in the game and think about the glories he could achieve with Manchester City.
Football is a squad game and if either Aguero or Dzeko lose form or get injured then Tevez will once again be a key player. For all his previous problems Carlos Tevez is a big asset for Manchester City to have in their squad.
Move
I don’t think Mario Balotelli and Manchester City are a good fit anymore. The youngster is now basically surplus to requirements. I really do believe he would benefit from a move elsewhere. At 21 he is still very young.
Balotelli has been linked with a move back home to Italy and maybe that’s what he needs to fulfil his potential. The Ghana-born youngster does have potential but one things for sure he isn’t going to develop into world-class player on the City bench.
The 21 year-old is his own worst enemy at times and hasn’t impressed boss Roberto Mancini with his impetuousness in recent months. This season he has made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League. It looks like his City future is bleak at the moment.
Outstanding
Manchester City are currently in outstanding form. The likes of Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero have fitted into the City team brilliantly. It will be hard for Tevez and Balotelli to get back into the team.
However I can see Carlos Tevez knuckling down, working hard and getting himself back into Mancini’s plans. For Balotelli though I can see a lot of sulking before he moves on in the January transfer window.
Do Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli still have futures at Manchester City?
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