Carlos Tevez criticises Roberto Mancini's training methods
• 'We are tired but there are still double sessions'
• Tevez criticises City for goading United with poster
Daniel Taylor The Guardian, Tuesday 13 April 2010
Carlos Tevez has disrupted Manchester City's preparations for Saturday's derby against Manchester United by publicly questioning the manager Roberto Mancini's training methods and criticising the club for using his signing to provoke their rivals with the infamous 'Welcome to Manchester' billboard.
Tevez, City's outstanding player since his defection from United last summer, said he did not agree with the sacking of Mark Hughes as manager and expressed his misgivings about Mancini's training regime. "The players are not happy with this," Tevez said. "We are at the end of a long season, we have big matches, we are tired but there are still double training sessions, morning and afternoon. Then, the next day, we train for two hours. I do not understand. But, please, he is the coach and I am the player. He is in charge. I am OK with him."
The Argentinian went on to say he was unhappy about City's decision to greet his £25.5m signing by erecting the billboard that led to an angry Sir Alex Ferguson describing United's neighbours as "a small club with a small mentality".
Tevez said: "I never understood the intention of that poster. What was the point? Was it to welcome me to Manchester City or was it to anger Manchester United? Nobody ever told me. I'm indifferent towards it but it is important you know I had nothing to do with the poster. I'd have preferred for it not to be there. I have respect for all the clubs I used to play for. That was not showing respect, was it? I did not transfer from United to City for the controversy."
Of Hughes's sacking, he said of City's owners in Abu Dhabi: "It is their club, their money. But, if you ask me if I thought it was the right decision, the answer is no. I will play for any manager; I play for the shirt and must respect the right of the people who make decisions to change things, but a team does not form overnight. Mark should have been given more time. The decision was taken with too much haste. Did the directors think it through? You cannot invest so much and then sack the manager after five months. Mark brought us all here. He is a great manager and he will get another big club, 100%.'"
Tevez's remarks to the Daily Mail are likely to go down badly at City in a week when the club had asked not to speak to the media, mindful of the controversy he caused with his provocative comments surrounding the Carling Cup semi-final against United in January. Tevez had described Gary Neville as a "boot-licker" and a "moron" and City had wanted him to stay out of the limelight .
The striker did at least attempt to strike a conciliatory tone when asked about his feud with Neville. Tevez recently told a fans' forum he still held the same views on United's captain but he was in no mood for prolonging the argument yesterday, saying "That was a passing moment with Gary. It's gone now. I don't have a problem with Gary."
He would not comment on his relationship with Ferguson — "not in this interview," he said — but reiterated that he felt misused during his two seasons at Old Trafford. "I am playing now as a free striker. This is my position. I am now playing in the position I played in Argentina and Brazil and in the last 10 games for West Ham. At Manchester United I was asked to defend more. It was a different responsibility."
Tevez was sympathetic towards West Ham, who are in danger of relegation from the Premier League. City face them on the final day of the season and he cannot bear the thought of sending them down. "To score such a goal against them would change my history with them. When the game comes, I hope City have already secured fourth place and West Ham are safe. That is the best I hope for."
