Does Tévez like Dimitar?

[AleG]

The objective of this Discussion is to prove or refute the next hypothesis: Carlos Tévez hates Dimitar Berbatov.

It has been 4 months since Dimitar joined Manchester United. Ferguson paid a club record transfer fee to get him. So it was obvious from September 1st that SAF wanted him as main striker and not just a squad player.

The problem with Tévez is that he was part of the starting XI before Dimitar arrived. And now, Ferguson prefers the Rooney-Dimitar partnership leaving Tévez with few matches to play. I suspect Tévez hates Dimitar because of it. I can see it when they play together, the way he looks at Dimitar, the way he ignores him when Dimitar is in better position, the way he celebrated the Stoke goal as he was the architect of the goal and barely thanked Dimitar.

Please add your views about this issue. Also, your impression of their interaction after every match with both of them on the pitch is welcome.

[AleG]

It has been a long time since Tévez and Dimitar played together. The fixture at home vs Liverpool saw the two of them for 15 minutes. Tévez played the whole match and Dimitar was brought in the 74th minute. In fact, Ferguson's 4 favorite attackers were on the field: Cristiano, Ronaldo, Tévez and Dimitar.

They had little interaction as two goals came immediately after their introduction.

Again it did not look good for Tévez, in fact for all the team, as ManUtd lost 4 to 1. The "Red devils" goal came from a penalty awarded to Park. The main strikers for that fixture (Rooney and Tévez) were ineffectual as they were positioned in midfield.

[AleG]

The away fixture vs Sunderland saw Dimitar and Tévez partnering again. The grueling end of season needed the 3 declared strikers (Rooney also in the picture) to field against Sunderland. The exhaustion and lack of concentration vs Porto last Wednesday forced Cristiano to stay on the bench, fielding Rooney as winger. Tévez and Dimitar played upfront. However, they barely touched the ball, let alone forming an understanding partnership. The first goal came from a header by Scholes and the winning goal came seconds after Dimitar was substituted by Macheda.

About the Tevez-Dimitar interaction, a full house in the front saw Tévez blocking a shot from Dimitar. But no other real interaction was seen for this fixture.

[AleG]

The semifinal for the FA Cup vs Everton saw Dimitar and Tévez play together the extra-time, 30 minutes. There was little interaction and Tévez seemed tired when he missed an opportunity created by Dimitar. Both strikers were considered an strong bet for the penalties, as the best shooters take positions 1 and 5 in the shootout. Dimitar came first, with his infamous strike and Tévez would be fifth but he did not take his shot as it was all over by the fourth attempt with Dimitar's and Ferdinad's misses.

[AleG]

Have you read the news? Liverpool is planning a shock bid for Tévez for around 22 million pounds. Historically, Manchester United players normally won't play for Livepool because of sporting hatred. But, as ManUtd is unwilling to pay that amount for a player who stays on the bench for most matches, Rafa Benitez wish might come true.

Tévez says he wants to quit United because of his lack of starts on the field. He loves United fans, the team and the city, but he understands he needs to play football more regularly, especially for the upcoming World Cup.

Speaking for an Argentinian Radio Station, he explains:

"Even if you score three or four goals, you do not play in another game. There are many very good players but I need to play... There are many players and they all need to play but I have not played in important matches. I have many offers, not only from Spain... I need to see which club I can go to and what can be done. We must not only consider the money, I also have to ensure my family feel comfortable, especially my daughter. So I have a lot to think about."

Read the complete article about Tévez statements in,

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_un...
Tevez drops Reds hint
April 22, 2009

[AleG]

The home match vs Tottenham Hotspur saw the "fantastic 4" together on the pitch. Rooney and Dimitar started the match as forwards; Cristiano was there as winger. Manchester United was 2 goals down by half time and Tévez substituted the ineffective Nani for the second half. Tévez provided the much needed effort and was placed as the front man, with Dimitar playing behind and Rooney as a winger.

This match saw a lot of good work and communication between the 4 front men. Tévez and Dimitar shared a lot of passes, even in the plays leading to at least 2 goals.

It is a shame Tévez is thinking of leaving because of his lack of important matches. He is pure effort and the Spurs' match proved how important he is even if not scoring himself.

[AleG]

The Semifinals first leg of the Champions League vs Arsenal allowed us to see a clear indication of Tévez' state of mind. Days before the match he was interviewed by an Argentinian radio station stating that he is thinking of joining another club. That even if Manchester United offers him a deal, he might not even look at it if he is dropped for upcoming important matches. His threat was effective. He started the match, dropping Dimitar to the bench. Tévez did not disappoint. He was full of energy and indirectly participated in the only goal of the fixture. He was very threatening although is lack of skill and poor finish was apparent.

His effort took his toll as he look tired for most of the second half and Arsenal began the offensive. Dimitar substituted Tévez and as he (Tévez) was walking toward the sidelines he noticeably shook his head in discontent. It is clear he wanted to play more, and do something else. He and Dimitar touched their hands but not spoken. Later we saw Ferguson patting Tévez' back.

Tévez feels relegated but he must understand he look tired. Last season he was not able to give his 100% for 90 minutes.

[AleG]

The away match vs Middlesbrough saw Dimitar playing alongside Tévez for at least 30 minutes. This fixture came after strong statements from Tévez speaking to Spanish and Argentinian media saying that probably he will not remain at Old Trafford for next season. Tévez is worried that he is not getting enough match time and most of all, that he has not played in important matches through the season. It is clear Tévez knows that Dimitar is the reason why he has not participated in important matches although he must know it is not Dimitar's decision.

In terms of the match, they had little interaction. It is my view that the teammates favored Tévez when passing the ball, starving Dimitar from action. The players are probably taking a stand, favoring Tévez over Dimitar for Ferguson to see. Also, the players might be frustrated by Dimitar's lack of creativity in most matches as he always pass the ball back instead of turning and shooting towards the rival goal. Dimitar played the full 90 minutes and Tévez came of the bench in the 55th minute.

[AleG]

The home match against Manchester City was another opportunity to watch Tévez and Dimitar paired together upfront. A couple of days before the match, we learnt that Tévez has spoken to the media making it clear he does not feel wanted in Manchester United, that no matter what he does or how many goals he scores, he gets dropped for the important matches. It was an important match to gauge Tévez’s commitment and effort.

Tévez and the team did not disappoint. It was an “easy” derby, with little animosity as ManUtd scored two goals in the first half and City had very few opportunities in front of goal. Tévez scored the second goal with a good skill, assisted by Dimitar who controlled superbly a long pass from Fletcher. It goes to prove that Dimitar is a team player as he provided the accurate pass to help the team. However, Tévez’s reaction was shameful in my opinion. He stopped players from hugging him, cupping his ears to hear the fans chanting his name, his country and the petition to sign him. I saw on TV how awful he was when Vidic approached to congratulate him. Tévez did not thank Dimitar and the TV did not show if other players thanked him. To me, it proves that Tévez thinks it is Dimitar’s fault that he has contract issues and few opportunities to make it to the starting XI.

Dimitar did his job and Tévez was there to prove a point to the directors and manager, not to play as a teammate.

[AleG]

The match against Wigan saw the “fantastic 4” on the field again. Cristiano, Rooney and Dimitar were in the starting XI. But the urgency for goals, as ManUtd was down by one goal, brought Tévez as a substitute by the hour mark. He had immediate impact, 4 minutes of play and he scored a goal assisted by Carrick. The TV showed Rooney, O’Shea and a couple of other players congratulating Tévez. Vidic, Cristiano and Dimitar were not among those.

There was little interaction between Dimitar and Tévez although a few passes were exchanged. When Carrick scored the winning goal, a few players congratulated him, we saw on TV that Rooney, Tévez and Dimitar were there. The lack of interaction seen on TV shows that both players are not comfortable with each other in terms of personality, nothing can be said about his professionalism as they do their job. It must be hard for Tévez not to think that Dimitar stole his place. And it must be hard for Dimitar to see how the fans back Tévez and feel that a fans’ favorite will part indirectly because of his arrival.

[AleG]

The Champions League final was the last time Dimitar and Tévez played together for the same side. Weeks before, Tévez had made public his desire to leave, he even talked bad about Ferguson's tactics and that he feels neglected by United's hierarchy. Even if United meets the agreed fee, Tévez will not accept has he felt insulted and wants to start every match.

The final match saw the two of them together for at leat 25 minutes. Tévez looked egotistical and Dimitar ineffective so there was little interaction between them.

It is a shame we will see Tévez go but his 24 million asking price + 10 million already paid in the past two years are too high for a player who had 45 minutes in the CL final and did nothing.

[Elena]

Today is supposed to be d-day for Man Utd signing Tevez and I for one hope that we do. The majority of Man Utd fans do not want him to leave. I agree with an earlier poster who said there is nothing wrong with Berbatov (and I for one love him) but he does not play the Man Utd way. He is languid in his style and that will never change. He played the same everywhere before, CSKA, Leverkusen, Spurs. He is pushing 29 years old and if his style was going to alter it would have already and I for one questioned the reasoning for buying him in the first place - Huntalaar would have suited our style much more. I would love Berba to be great for us but I have a feeling that his Man Utd career will be short lived. Tevez was terrific for us last season and we should not forget that. He has not had the best season this year but remember he has gone down in the pecking order and his confidence is probably shaken. I do not blame him at all for his goal celebrations. The fans love him and I for one will be very ashamed if we let him go at the expense of what I truly believe was a mistake signing. Please do not get me wrong - I love Dimitar Berbatov and think he is one of the best in the world but.....sorry guys..... not for us.

AleG said:

The Champions League final was the last time Dimitar and Tévez played together for the same side. Weeks before, Tévez had made public his desire to leave, he even talked bad about Ferguson's tactics and that he feels neglected by United's hierarchy. Even if United meets the agreed fee, Tévez will not accept has he felt insulted and wants to start every match.

The final match saw the two of them together for at leat 25 minutes. Tévez looked egotistical and Dimitar ineffective so there was little interaction between them.

It is a shame we will see Tévez go but his 24 million asking price + 10 million already paid in the past two years are too high for a player who had 45 minutes in the CL final and did nothing.

[AleG]

Elena, I think Tévez reached a point of no return with his statements to the press about the manager and ManUtd's owners. I also think that Ferguson is not keen on paying what Tévez's adviser asks. Last August, when rumors flew about Dimitar might sign for ManUtd, I was very excited. I have hear what he did for Spurs and, that month we almost were the bottom club on the table, grinding results with Rooney and Tévez unable to score. Even The Sun published articles supporting the buy, "Dimi will fix it".

But this past season has shown he is not suited for ManUtd, I agree. We fans love fast football and Dimitar is not that kind of player. But I also think that Ferguson is a manager that has created great players, and maybe he can improve Dimitar's game in two years time. Dimitar needs to show some effort or Ferguson will throw him out.