Carlos Tevez Affair Cuts Manchester City's Striking Options

No matter the results of the investigation prompted by Carlos Tevez’s actions (or lack thereof) in Munich, it is clear that the once club captain has no real future at The Etihad Stadium.

Going into the season, Manchester City boasted a strikeforce of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli.  Collectively, they are a formidable set, comparable with the world’s best, i.e. Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But without Tevez the complexion has changed somewhat.  Four strikers is an ideal number to progress with throughout a season; three, however, is risky.   With the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Carling Cup to contend with, squad rotation is a key feature of any successful side.  Too few strikers can lead to sustained problems, with Everton and Sunderland recently employing a 4-6-0 formation to little success.  Too many strikers and you can create tension in the dressing room, leading to unrest within the ranks of the surplus. 

With Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and John Guidetti out on season-long loans to Tottenham Hotspur, Real Betis, and Feyenoord respectively, City’s options have now been cut short.  In truth, the only one of those players who has any sort of future at Manchester City is the Swedish youngster John Guidetti, as the last remnants of the Mark Hughes-era combustibles have been gradually eradicated from the dressing room.  The aging and tempestuous Craig Bellamy was sold to Liverpool, while Joao Alves de Assis Silva (more commonly known as Jo) was allowed to head home to Brazil with Internacional.  Tevez remains but seemingly now in a non-playing capacity.

As demonstrated in the recent Champions League game versus Villarreal, it is easy for three strikers to stretch a squad’s resources.  Mario Balotelli was serving the final game of a three-match European ban and as such was unavailable for duty, while Sergio Aguero had recently suffered a groin injury, deeming him unfit to start.

Local prospect Harry Bunn could well become the next off the Manchester City academy line; the striker won the academy’s scholar of the year title for 2010-11, notching up an impressive goal tally for the U18s and Elite Development Squad.  Since its inception in 1998, the City academy has produced more professional footballers than any other in the Barclays Premier League, a figure which will undoubtedly continue to grow this season.

Luca Scapuzzi, a product of AC Milan’s famous youth system, signed this summer for a nominal fee.  Scoring when given a cameo role in this summer’s Dublin Super Cup versus Airtricity, Scapuzzi may benefit from the Tevez situation as, at 21, he is the more mature option to young Harry Bunn, with his experiences in Serie B and the Lega Pro Prima Divisione on loan at Portogruaro exposing him to more pressure than the U18 and reserve leagues. 

Across the city, Manchester United boast seven senior strikers on their books, with last season’s golden boot co-winner, Dimitar Berbatov, nowadays relegated to the role of a professional bench-warmer (or worse, often not making the match day squad).

It is quite a strange situation which has seen both of the Barclays Premier League top scorers—Berbatov and Tevez—marginalised in such a way which would be unthinkable for most clubs.  Players who score 21 domestic goals are like gold dust; surely they must be worth the trouble?

For a long time, Tevez was worth it.  His 52 goals in 81 games over two seasons is a stunning figure, and those goals helped propel City into the position they are in today.  Without Tevez’s goals, City would not have been able to lure a striker the calibre of his compatriot to East Manchester.  But the caveat is Sergio Aguero was only signed because of Tevez’s want-away nature. 

Tevez now exists in a limbo completely of his own making.