On your bike! Tevez snubs deal after 1am crisis talks with boss
Roberto Mancini persuaded Carlos Tevez to meet him in the early hours of Thursday morning in an extraordinary attempt to end their bitter dispute.
Tevez returned to training at Manchester City after a two-week suspension and worked alone for an hour with only a couple of fitness coaches and three friends to watch him.
But it has emerged that manager Mancini made a last-ditch attempt to broker peace with Tevez by inviting his former captain to his Cheshire home at midnight the previous day.
Within hours of City announcing their intention on Wednesday to take disciplinary action against Tevez for allegedly refusing to join a Champions League game at Bayern Munich two weeks ago, Mancini phoned him.
Having declared after the match that Tevez would 'never' play for City again, the Italian is said to have offered him a way back once he has regained fitness. On hearing the terms of the offer, Tevez refused.
Tevez was in London on Wednesday, intending to catch the 9pm train to Manchester. Shortly before boarding he received the call from Mancini asking him to go to his house. Tevez's train arrived at around 11pm and he was driven to his manager's home in Alderley Edge.
During the meeting, Mancini told Tevez he would reintegrate him into his first-team squad but only on his own terms. The City boss told Tevez he must apologise privately and publicly to him as well as club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
Tevez refused because Mancini would not concede any ground despite the player's insistence that, while he did refuse to move from the bench when Mancini ordered him to warm up, he never refused to play. The meeting ended soon after 1am.
Last night, a City spokesman confirmed the meeting had taken place but said it would not have had any impact on a disciplinary process expected to start next week, regardless of the outcome.
Tevez is expected to be fined between four and six weeks' wages and possibly suspended. Mail
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Carlos Tevez and Roberto Mancini hold private clear-the-air talks
Mancini invited Tevez to his house to talk through issues - Striker has still refused to apologise to his manager
Roberto Mancini has taken the extraordinary step of instigating peace talks with Carlos Tevez by inviting him to his house for a clear-the-air meeting that could represent the first move to repair their working relationship at Manchester City.
Mancini, who had previously described Tevez as "finished", rang the striker on his mobile phone on Wednesday night to suggest that both men could benefit from having a face-to-face discussion away from the legal process that has provided the biggest controversy of the football season to date.
Tevez was driving back to Manchester after flying into Heathrow from his holiday in Buenos Aires, but diverted to Mancini's house in Alderley Edge, arriving at 1.30am, and the two men stayed up into the early hours discussing the events that had seemingly fractured their relationship.
The meeting ended with the two men shaking hands but, crucially, Tevez did not accept Mancini's request for him to apologise for what had happened in the Champions League match at Bayern Munich on 27 September.
Mancini had promised that if Tevez said sorry the player would be allowed to return to first-team training, though he stopped short of suggesting he would also bring him back into consideration for a recall to the side.
Tevez said he could not apologise, re-iterating his story that he was guilty of refusing to warm up but had not declined to go on the pitch as a second-half substitute. He argued it was a simple breakdown in communications and aired grievances about losing his place in the team and no longer being the captain. Mancini, in turn, told him that the coaching staff did not think Tevez was fit or focused and blamed him for returning so late from the Copa América and missing almost all of pre-season.
Despite the sensitive and political nature of the talks, the meeting took place with Mancini serving coffee and both men showing a cordiality that represents a remarkable change of direction given the antipathy that had previously existed.
Until now, Mancini had given no indication whatsoever that he was willing even to entertain the idea of a reconciliation. On the contrary, every piece of evidence over the last fortnight has told the story of two men in bitter conflict. But the scene in Alderley Edge was of Mancini asking his former captain about his state of mind and how the last two weeks had affected him, and the conversation even veering into other general football topics and small talk.
Where they go from here remains to be seen but Tevez's decision not to apologise ensured he began his first day back at the club's training ground on Thursday working apart from the rest of the senior players. The former Manchester United striker spent 90 minutes doing one-on-one drills with a fitness coach and that will continue until he is deemed fit enough to start training with the club's youth team players.
In the meantime Tevez is preparing as normal for his disciplinary hearing and the only thing that has changed in terms of that process is confirmation that it will now be next week.
Mancini is no longer directly involved and Tevez will be informed at that meeting that the club's initial findings have found sweeping evidence against him. He faces a possible four-week ban to add to the fortnight he has just served, plus the maximum six-week fine permissible under Professional Footballers' Association guidelines – the equivalent of around £1.5m. Tevez intends to appeal, first through the club, and if the decision is upheld he will take the matter to a second appeal, this time via the Premier League.
There is also still a desire on both sides for a transfer to be arranged in the January transfer window, though the latest developments will inevitably invite speculation that there may yet be a reconciliation between two men known for their pride, ego and stubbornness. That is certainly the hope among the club's owners in Abu Dhabi but it would need a climbdown on Tevez's part and that does not appear to be coming.
Mancini is not known for his forgiving nature and his decision to contact Tevez is remarkable in itself given the way City have been treating their internal inquiry almost like a judicial case and have been desperate not to do anything that could possibly undermine the investigation. That policy will continue at Mancini's weekly press conference on Friday when an announcement will be made beforehand that he will not discuss the matter and that any questions will lead to the event being terminated. Guardian
Given hurt by Mancini snub
Keeper in swipe at Mancini's man-management style
Shay Given admits it still hurts how he lost the No.1 spot at Manchester City as he prepares to face his old club this weekend.
The Republic of Ireland international left City for Aston Villa in the summer after being dropped by Roberto Mancini in favour of Joe Hart.
Given, who spent just one season as No.1 under Mancini, lost his place in the side at the start of last season being forced to play second fiddle to Hart.
The 35-year-old claims Mancini never explained to him why he lost his place in the side, suggesting the Italian struggles with man-management.
"There was no explanation," Given told The Times. "That's the way he manages. He distances himself from players.
"That's how he deals with things. That's his style.
"I am not sure if it's right or wrong, but it's the opposite here.
"I think he was similar at [Inter] Milan, people tell us.
"But I think you need to strike a balance.
"With the players they have at Man City, it's about keeping the 11 who don't play happy.
"Bobby Robson was very different. Bobby would have put his arm around you and explained.
"One of Bobby's big qualities was his man-management. That's a big thing in football, man-management."
[spoiler]Maria Fowler - The only wag in Essex
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
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