Carlos Tevez: Can he solve the Juventus striker situation?

 So it's finally over. Carlos Tevez's tumultuous four years at Manchester City on astronomical wages is finished with. He is now the property of Italian champions Juventus, but is it the right move for Juventus and the right move for Mr. Tevez, who never really settled in England.

Despite some, in fact many, flashes of brilliance at West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, Tevez's time in England will ultimately be reviewed as a highly controversial one that bought him as many enemies as admirers. Constant complaints about being homesick, the way he was played and (reportedly) wages have made many view Tevez as the epitome of what is wrong with "modern football". Juventus are a side that have a large basis upon team spirit, and Tevez was thought to have divided many of the dressing rooms he was in. To be truly successful at his new club, one would assume Tevez must integrate quickly and handle himself with a lot more maturity.

Few would question whether Tevez has the raw technical ability to score goals in Serie A. The Argentinian scored 58 times in 113 appearances for City in the Premier League, but also provided his teammates with assists, 13 in his last season. You can expect Tevez to cause problems due to his tenacity and determination, feeding off passes and crosses with his movement. Much like Luis Suarez, defenders can’t rest when Tevez is about, while set pieces are another way in which Tevez excels.

However, despite his finishing ability, Tevez isn’t exactly a typical centre forward. He regularly drops back and out wide, but Juventus do not really need that with the likes of Stephan Lichtsteiner, Kwadwo Asamoah, Arturo Vidal, Sebastian Giovinco and Claudio Marchisio to name just a few, already offering those services. If Tevez does play like the central attacking midfielder he was at times last season, there will be a gaping hole in the penalty box when Juventus attack. Therefore, Tevez may well need a striker to play alongside in the same way he did with Adebayor and then Aguero at Manchester City, or as he did with Rooney or Berbatov at Manchester United.

So if Juventus are forced to play Tevez alongside a player like this in their 3-5-2 formation, who will it be. The Old Lady have added Fernando Llorente to their squad for the new season, while Fabio Quagliarella, Mirko Vučinić, Alessandro Matri and Sebastian Giovinco are all still at the club, but many question whether these are capable of carrying Juventus to the next level, in other words the closing stages of the Champions League. Juventus have a very settled starting eleven and general squad with the exception of the man that spearheads the attack. His form for Bilbao especially in the Europa League campaign of 2011-12 suggested Llorente was good enough to change all this, but a mere 5 goals in 36 games in his last season at Bilbao have created some doubts. Tevez is probably a bigger name than any of the aforementioned, but his ability to be in the right place at the right time and to be consistently putting in the same shift every week makes this deal seem like a massive gamble in many respects.

Gonzalo Higuain is one name who has been linked with Juventus for a while now, as he is expected to leave Real Madrid. Higuain is very much more like a typical centre forward than his fellow Argentine Tevez is, and plays a lot more of a central role too. Although Higuain is less of a powerhouse and a defensive handful than Tevez, Higuain’s finishing tends to be a lot more accomplished and he is a probably more reliable. Javier Hernandez is another name that has been linked with Juventus as his movement and almost permanent presence in and around the box makes him seem like the ideal man for this industrial, well organised Juventus team. Tevez was the talisman at almost every team when he enjoyed his best period, with some speculating Tevez wasn’t cut out for Manchester United due to his ego. Once again, the addition of Tevez to this Juventus team seems risky.

One of my key memories of Juventus’ season were the two games against eventual winners FC Bayern München in the Champions League. Expecting a close, tactical game I was highly impressed by Bayern in both games but also equally disappointed with Juventus, who were comfortably beaten 2-0 in both games, 4-0 on aggregate. In truth, the score line could have been a lot, lot worse for the Italian champions, as Bayern overpowered them in pretty much every department. Although the mere presence of a striker would not have simply stopped Bayern, having a player as tenacious as Tevez almost certainly would have given Juventus some inspiration and potential to claw back into these games. In his first two seasons especially, Tevez excelled against teams where City were perhaps the underdogs, with two goals away at Chelsea in a 4-2 victory in 2009-10 being a prime example of what Tevez can do when he counter attacks with the ball at his feet. Even though Juventus will not be underdogs too many times this season, when they counter attack, Tevez is arguably the best man to create and finish for the Old Lady.

All in all, €9 million for Tevez is a bargain, with Manchester City clearly desperate to, at last, get him off their books and wage bill. His personal disciplinary record and all round being have put a stigma around Tevez, but he will work hard and is a real ace in any team’s pack. How much he fits into Juventus’ system and dressing room remains to be seen, but Tevez adds yet more quality to Conte’s squad and could be the striking solution the Italian club have needed for a while now. Whatever happens, it is unlikely that Carlos Tevez will not create some headlines in Turin, it shall be interesting to see how many goals and assists he creates too. 

WHY MADRID, AND ONLY MADRID IS THE RIGHT DESTINATION FOR BALE

After a spectacular season with Tottenham, Gareth Bale is currently one of the hottest players in Europe. However, combined with Tottenham’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Bale’s form has caused him to be the focus of much speculation heading into the transfer window’s official opening on July the 1^st.

If you are to believe the gossip sections in various newspapers and websites, many teams from across Europe are enticed by Bale. Many claim Real Madrid, who are undergoing somewhat of a summer overhaul, are in for him, while Manchester United, PSG and even the mighty Barcelona have been mentioned as possible destinations for the versatile winger. Not bad for a man who was being linked with a £3 million move to Birmingham City just 3 and a half years ago, eh?

So assuming all the aforementioned clubs are looking at Bale, where should he go? It doesn’t have to be this summer, but unless Tottenham get some serious investment and begin to challenge for first place rather than just fourth place year on year, I think Bale will be ignoring his potential by staying at the North London outfit. PSG supposedly want Arsene Wenger as their manager for the 2014/15 season, but as for this upcoming season, they are in transition and it remains unclear as to who will manage them. Lucas Moura, Ezequiel Lavezzi and even Maxwell all play in Bale’s best positions and another winger should not be their priority. Plus, in terms of fan base and all round club size, I am not sure PSG would really be a major step up for Bale.

Of course, there will be those who think as Bale is British and knows the English game, Manchester United would be the ideal place for him to go. The dismal seasons endured by Nani, Valencia and to a lesser extent; Ashley Young, suggest Bale would easily slot into the Manchester United lineup, while the prospect of him, Shinji Kagawa, Wayne Rooney (assuming he stays) and Wilfred Zaha providing for Van Persie, Welbeck, and Hernandez, could well put United back at the very top of European football. However, Bale can light up the Champions league at any of the supposedly interested clubs and he has little more to prove in the Premier League. Manchester United tend to buy young British players such as Zaha, Jones, Young, Rooney, Carrick and others, and are expected to continue to do so under Moyes, but with a central midfielder a priority, I do not think it’s worth the Red Devils spending a huge amount of money on Bale.

After Bale’s memorable breakout performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League in late 2010, rumours began to surface of potential interest from FC Barcelona. Some claim the Catalan side are still keeping an eye on Bale, but due to the signing of Jordi Alba last summer, and the signing of Neymar this summer, I see no place for Bale in this current Barca team. Manchester City have also strengthened in a position that would have been Bale’s, due to the signing of Jesus Navas from Sevilla. Although I personally believe Bale is better than Navas, I think signing Bale would cause real dilemmas for Pellegrini, as Bale, Silva, Nasri, Yaya Toure and Jesus Navas would all feel as if they should start every game and that wouldn’t work. They have enough there as it is.

So that leaves the mighty Real Madrid. A huge club, and under presumed manager Carlo Ancelotti, I feel going to Madrid would enable Bale to flourish. Energetic, albeit solid and aggressive teams have become the trademark of the Italian, who has won the league in Italy, England and most recently France, as well as having won the Champions League with Milan on two occasions. As I write this, it appears as if Isco is going to join Los Blancos, which will add to Madrid’s attacking options, but as Isco is a central player this shouldn’t be a sign that they will wait until next summer to swoop for Bale as many expect. A powerful winger isn’t quite what Madrid need as such, what with Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria in the squad already, but with Fabio Coentrao expected to leave in the summer and with Marcelo injury prone, Bale adds versatility and is the sort of player Ancelotti likes. It doesn’t matter where Bale plays, he can still be highly effective.

Bale is in a situation that is fairly unique to most of the world’s best players; he doesn’t play for a major team at international level, with Wales 45^th in the current FIFA world rankings, and haven’t qualified for a major tournament since the 1958 world cup. Because of this, next season when the World Cup happens, Bale will likely not have the opportunity to impress in what club teams call “the World’s largest shopping window”. So, if Madrid do not seriously go towards signing Bale this summer, the Welshman must really impress in the Premier League and Europa League in order to keep the interest of Madrid, a club who could have almost any player they desired. 2013/14 could really determine the success of Bale’s career and the fulfillment of his potential. No pressure then. 

For now though, Tottenham remain adamant that they will not sell Bale, with manager Andre Villas Boas claiming last week that chairman Daniel Levy has assured him that Bale will remain at the club for the upcoming season. Some reports claim Tottenham will only sell Bale for the astronomical fee of £85 million, and Bale has not been quoted as saying he wants out, unlike Luis Suarez, who is also supposedly on Madrid’s congested radar. However, talk of interest from various powerhouses of world football must excite Bale who turns 24 later this year. To be honest, I feel loyalty must end somewhere for Bale, let’s just see how far it can stretch.  

Chelsea 2012/13 season review

There was a buzz around Chelsea football club in the summer of 2012. Winning the champions league against all odds made many feel that this would be a season in which Chelsea would really challenge for the title, especially with exciting, young and creative talents Eden Hazard, Oscar, Victor Moses and Marko Marin as well as right back Cesar Azpilicueta all joining the team. A comfortable 2-0 win away to Wigan and two home victories against Reading and Newcastle meant a successful start for Chelsea, with Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres both looking exceptionally sharp in the new 4-2-3-1 formation.

After that, things took a turn for the worse; Radamel Falcao tore Chelsea apart in a 4-1 Atletico win in the UEFA Super cup in Monaco. A frustrating 0-0 draw away to West London rivals QPR followed by a home draw to Italian champions Juventus after a late Fabio Quagliarella strike completed the turnaround for Conte’s team after Chelsea lead 2-0 thanks to two wonderful strikes from Oscar. However, ugly wins against Stoke and then Arsenal proved Chelsea’s knack of being able to win without playing well was still present, while the 4-0 and 4-1 wins against FC Nordsjaelland in the Champions league and Norwich in the Premier league helped the Blues’ confidence.

Heading in to the London derby away to Tottenham, Chelsea were at the top of the table, and in a crazy game that featured a thunderous volley from Gary Cahill, Tottenham coming back from 1-0 down to go 2-1 up as well as some excellent link-up play between Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata, Chelsea ran out 4-2 winners to strengthen their position as leaders. Shakhtar Donetsk away was a torrid night for Chelsea, as Willian and Fernandinho starred in a 2-1 victory for the Ukranian outfit. Another loss followed on the Sunday after, with a highly charged and controversial game at home to Manchester United. Goals from Juan Mata and Ramires had cancelled out two early Robin van Persie strikes (one of which came off David Luiz) when Branislav Ivanovic grappled Ashley Young down and received a straight red. Then a supposed Fernando Torres got the Spaniard his second yellow, although footage showed contact with Jonny Evans and Chelsea couldn’t keep Javier Hernandez and Manchester United at bay as the game finished 3-2 with United now hot on Chelsea’s heels at the premier league summit.

Revenge was somewhat exacted by Chelsea as they beat a youthful Manchester United team 5-4 in the league cup, but a draw away to Swansea and a disastrous 2-1 loss away to in-form West Brom meant manager Roberto Di Matteo’s job was being questioned by the media as Chelsea lost their confidence and Fernando Torres looked more frustrated than ever. Torres was dropped for the all-important game in Turin against Juventus, where despite Oscar, Hazard and Mata looking bright early on, Juve’s power and energy proved too much with Sebastian Giovinco’s late goal being the icing on the cake for the Italian side who were comfortable 3-0 winners, effectively dumping Chelsea out of the competition in the group stage, the first side to exit at this stage after winning it the season before. Roberto Di Matteo, who guided Chelsea to the club’s first Champions League, was then sacked, with his tactical understanding being questioned.

In came Rafael Benitez as interim manager, but the Spaniard received a heavy chorus of boos upon his first two appearances in the Stamford Bridge dugout, due to comments he’d made in previous years about the Chelsea fans. Both games were drab 0-0 draws against Manchester City and then Fulham, while a 3-1 loss away to West Ham showed discontent in the squad and amongst the fans. The club world cup, a tournament in which many expected Chelsea to win fairly comfortably went wrong too, with Brazilian outfit Corinthians defeating the Blues 1-0 in a lackluster Chelsea performance. As David Luiz sobbed, the season looked as if it was going downhill, and fast.

Upon arriving back in England, Chelsea saw off old rivals Leeds 5-1 in the Capital One Cup much to the delight of the travelling Chelsea fans, while Aston Villa were thumped by an incredible eight goals to nil in a league match. In this game, Chelsea had their old swagger back while looking much more assured at the back, Juan Mata was looking even more as impressive as he was last season, and Frank Lampard was looking like his old self. Yet, in the first game of 2013, Benitez decided to rest several key players, including Eden Hazard and Juan Mata as Chelsea missed the chance to go third in a shock 1-0 home defeat to QPR. Inconsistency was again holding Chelsea back.

The 4-0 win away to Stoke was the ideal performance for a team in Chelsea’s position, solid and looking threatening when on the attack. But, in what was becoming a theme throughout the season, Chelsea threw away a 2-0 lead against Southampton who managed a 2-2 draw. A 2-1 win at home to fourth place rivals Arsenal was a boost, but losing to Swansea in the Capital One Cup, losing Hazard for three games for kicking a ballboy, a 2-2 draw away at Reading, a 3-2 loss to Newcastle were further indications of inconsistency holding Chelsea back. Advancing in the Europa League thanks to a late, great Eden Hazard goal against Sparta Prague showed Chelsea were vulnerable to any team, while a Rafael Benitez rant against the Chelsea fans after a 2-0 FA Cup win against Middlesbrough didn’t help matters.

Chelsea met Manchester United for the third time out of five in March in the FA Cup in a truly remarkable encounter. 2-0 down at half time due to goals from nemesis Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney put Chelsea in dire straits, but the introduction of John Obi Mikel gave Chelsea’s attackers a new lease of life in the second half with Ramires, Hazard and Mata bombing forward as Chelsea were unlucky to only leave with a 2-2 draw. Frank Lampard scored his 200^th goal for Chelsea against old team West Ham in a sublime Chelsea performance with Mata and Hazard again starring. Despite a surprise 2-1 loss away to Southampton, Chelsea entered April in a respectable fourth with a game in hand, while still in the Europa League and FA cup after a sublime Demba Ba streak saw off United in the replay.

A pivotal, albeit not pretty 2-1 win at home to Sunderland meant Chelsea were looking just about good enough for Champions League qualification, but the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City was a real blow and meant only the Europa League was within Chelsea’s grasp. A stunning David Luiz strike helped Chelsea to a 3-0 win away to Fulham, but a controversial 2-2 draw at Anfield after Luis Suarez appeared to bite Branislav Ivanovic angered Chelsea who had led twice in the game due to goals from Oscar (1-0) and Hazard (2-1).

Seeing off Basel in the Europa League put Chelsea in a European final for consecutive seasons, while wins away to Manchester United and a draw at home to Tottenham put Chelsea on the brink of guaranteeing Champions League football next season. Frank Lampard’s two goals against Aston Villa in a fierce game where both teams had a player sent off, made him Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer on 203 goals, coincided with the signing of his new contract. Then in Amsterdam, a last minute, towering header from Branislav Ivanovic won Chelsea the Europa League in a 2-1 win over the Benfica side that dominated most of the match. Finishing third and winning the Europa League may not have been the season Chelsea fans dreamed of, but given the managerial upheaval and oh so bleak midwinter, this season didn’t turn out too bad for the Blues.

Player of the season: Juan Mata

Goal of the season: Oscar’s 2^nd vs. Juventus (H)

Best performance of the season: vs. Aston Villa (H)

Worst performance of the season: vs. Corinthians (N)