The Tevez Saga

Over the years, many players come and go at Manchester United. Some went out like heroes i.e. Eric Cantona, Gary Pallister while others were given the boot by the gaffer who takes no nonsense from his players and recognises individualistic mentalities as poison to the fabric of his team i.e. Becks, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam. Others stay on to become greats, no shortage of these professionals... Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who stayed on as the Man Utd Reserves coach.

Carlos Tevez will remain as the one who probably deserves a hero's exit. For all his battling spirit, work-horse attitude, and pure genuis, Tevez has endeared himself to all Manchester United fans. Though all odds point to him not staying on as a Man Utd player next season, Tevez just did what he did everytime he stepped onto the field today, he played like a true professional and scored a fantastic goal in a derby that will eventually culminate to the Red Devils' triumph at the end of the season. This is the epitome of professionalism and the dream player every manager loves, and though he has been dropped so many times to the bench despite excellent performances like these, he never went out of his way to voice his displeasure. In sharp contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo sulked his way out after he was substituted by the gaffer (childish in my honest opinion) Surely at the very least, Tevez deserves a contract at Man Utd next season.

But Sir Alex is Sir Alex, he knows what he will pay for a player and 32 million quid to keep Tevez as a bit part player is apparently out of the club's valuation of him. Afterall, Man Utd just paid 30 million quid for whom he thought was a genuis in Dimitar Berbatov, turned out Berbatov wasn't the fans' favourite.

Sometimes, money can buy you a good player, but that is never a gurantee of success. Tevez proved himself to be a player of passion, drive, determination and heart, traits that resound with every Man Utd fan. Curse fate, him being too similar to Wayne Rooney meant he probably is not indispensable to Man Utd. My mind tells me he is gone after the summer transfers but my heart begs for some resolution to the whole Tevez saga, perhaps Sir Alex and David Gill will budge if it is 15 million pounds not 30 million?? But there will still be a host of clubs out there who will pay 30 million for his services... Manchester City at the very top of that list.

I feel sorry that a player like Tevez has to leave a club whose fans adore him. Fans pay to watch players they love but soccer in modern days have no regard for loyalty, passion and heart when its the dollar sign that the top men in suits running player and club are pursuing.

So we move on, like how we did when stars like Keane, Nistelrooy and Becks left Old Trafford. Tevez's leaving will hurt, him joining a rival team will hurt even more but enter a Karim Benzema or the emergence of Kiko Macheda and Danny Welbeck... and you bet Manchester United fans will refind their voices again, cheering on those who will remain to become Man Utd legends.