Taylor: AWOL Tevez now in a 'self-destruct pattern'

Carlos Tevez has been warned he is in danger of self-destructing.

Players’ chief Gordon Taylor made the dire warning to Tevez because he fears the AWOL Manchester City striker is jeopardising his career with his antics.

Friends of Tevez in Argentina claim he is not fit to fly back to Manchester because he is depressed and Taylor is deeply concerned for his wellbeing.

Tevez 'too depressed to return to City'

Taylor has called on him to return to City and resolve his dispute with the club before he does any more damage to his reputation and career.

Despite being the top goalscorer in the Premier League over the previous two seasons, Taylor is worried Tevez is being viewed as a troublemaker and he left West Ham and Manchester United in controversial circumstances.

“He’s had so many problems at other clubs, with West Ham and the problems with third party ownership, with United when he left them,” said the PFA chief executive. “I don’t want him to leave with a bad taste in the mouth with City supporters and the club.

“He’s been too good a player for that. I think it’s time now that changed and try to get his mindset changed to a better place.

“I’m worrying about him now because it’s a self-destruct pattern.”

Taylor is dismayed by Tevez’s refusal to return to City and feels the Argentinian is as far away as ever from playing for the club.

He supported him in his disciplinary case with City relating to his Munich mutiny, forcing the club to reduce their original £800,000 fine to £400,000.

He had hoped Tevez’s acceptance of his punishment would have drawn a line under the affair, especially because Roberto Mancini had said he would let him rejoin his first-team squad if he apologised.

But that same day last week, Tevez was boarding a plane to fly to Buenos Aires to inflame the dispute and Taylor feels the whole process has gone backwards.

He says Tevez needs to play again and hopes both sides can come to some agreement to deal with this running sore.

“I thought we were making some progress, but it’s gone backwards,” he said.

“I was hoping things would move on, but it’s gone into reverse. I don’t want him to leave the club.

“January is coming up soon, but before then I want it to be satisfactorily resolved.

“He’s a footballer and, like the Fleetwood Mac song, players only love you when they’re playing and he needs to be playing.

“To be playing he needs to be fit and to be fit he needs to be training.”

City have put any fresh disciplinary action against Tevez for his no-show on the backburner while they continue to talk to Joorabchian.

The two camps are saying little publicly to jeopardise the discussions and there is a willingness on both sides to resolve this saga, which has rumbled on since the South American defied Mancini in the Allianz Arena on September 27.