Why Tevez's return couldn't be better timed for City, Collymore's undeserved substitution and time for a Curbs comeback

By Oliver Holt

Published 21:30 14/02/12

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez (right) with an unidentified man arrives at Carrington Training Ground cropped

The best that can be said of Manchester City’s relationship with Carlos Tevez so far this season is that they have survived him.

It is a tribute to the management of Roberto Mancini that the melodramatic twists and turns of the Tevez saga have not derailed City’s pursuit of the title.

The imminent return of the Argentine presents another challenge for Mancini, who said after Tevez’s refusal to warm up against Bayern Munich earlier in the season that he would never play for City again.

But Mancini is a clever, pragmatic man and he must know that if he can harness the energy and talent of Tevez, it would be the equivalent of adding a new £40million signing to his squad.

The City dressing room is said to be ‘buzzing’ with anticipation about his return.

With Manchester United hot on their heels, City need all the reinforcements they can get.

In the crucial last months of the season, they cannot afford to ostracise a player of the quality of Tevez.

***

Stan Collymore does a brilliant job for talkSPORT. He is one of the main reasons why the station is gaining in popularity.

His phone-ins are full of energy and intelligent debate, his knowledge of the game is superb, his match commentaries are packed with insight and vitality, his research is meticulous.

So, in those circumstances, it seems absolutely bizarre that the station has decided to drop him from its Champions League coverage this week, and in the future, in favour of Andy Gray.

This is not a dig at Gray.

I just think it’s sad that Collymore, one of the freshest voices in English broadcasting, is being treated in such a strange fashion.

***

So there are job vacancies at Wolves and Leeds.

I hope Alan Curbishley lands one of them.

He's a good manager who's been out of the game too long.

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