The Guardian posted a poll asking its readers whether Manchester United should have kept Carlos Tevez. A surprising majority said ‘yes.’ Can this be chalked up to the fickle feelings of fandom? Or is it sincere affection for the man who scored 37 goals in all competitions while wearing red? For all of the Glazer family’s debt-loading, and for all of Man United’s injury woes, they lay only a point adrift of the top of the table with Hull City visiting Old Trafford this Saturday. And while the club cannot be considered Champions League favorites, they are certainly in position to make a deep run.
Re-signing Tevez would have cost Man United tens of millions of pounds at a time when Cristiano Ronaldo had not been sold yet. With both goal-scorers gone, many supporters clamored for a big name signing, such as Franck Ribery, to fill the void. Their biggest summer signing ended up being the skilled, but hardly dominant, Antonio Valencia. At the time, Sir Alex Ferguson, in discussing his transfer philosophy going forward, said the club would focus on acquiring players under the age of 26. A supporter who sees his pint half empty may curse the American buccaneer hands that have clasped the purse closed. A supporter who sees his pint half full may relish the opportunity to see raw talent mature from Carrington cub to Stretford End star.
Federico Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson, Gabriel Obertan and Mame Biram Diouf, who just scored a hat-trick in a reserve game against Sunderland Thursday, are several Man United prospects who could give the club a new identity in the near future. Of course, none of those players are currently contributing to the first XI on a regular basis, leaving the scoring burden mainly on Wayne Rooney as even a haircut hasn’t helped Dimitar Berbatov’s inconsistent form. And Michael Owen is, well, we’ll always have St. Etienne.
The eternal supporter debate is Win Now versus Build for the Future, or put another way, overspend for established talent or save to spread amongst several smaller signings.
What say you, EPL Talk readers, should Manchester United have kept Carlos Tevez?
