Tevez, Balotelli a complex double act

30 July 2012 12:31

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini hopes Carlos Tevez can learn to respect the club this season.

The Argentina international tried to fashion a move away from the Etihad Stadium last summer but was unsuccessful and spent six months away from the squad after the 47-year-old claimed he had refused to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich.

However, he came back towards the end of the season and Mancini hopes he can keep up his current behaviour.

“I don’t think I can change Carlos. I just want respect, for me and for the club,” the Italian coach told the Daily Mail on the champions’ pre-season tour in Malaysia.

“We don’t play and work because we earn some money – we start to play when we are young because we like football.

“I hope Carlos understands that maybe he made some mistakes.”

Another City striker with a reputation for causing trouble is Mario Balotelli and Mancini admitted it is tough to change the Italy star but hopes Tevez can be turned.

“This is impossible,” he said, when asked in Balotelli can be controlled. “With Mario, it is impossible. But, Carlos, maybe.

“We spent a lot of money on him (Balotelli), he’s young and I think he can have a big future at Manchester City. It all depends on him, if he continues (to mature) in this way. He has everything.

“If he understands he can’t do what he did last season against Arsenal and Tottenham (where the striker was sent off in both games) and thinks only to play football, he can do really well.”

Mancini also hailed the 21-year-old’s versatility, claiming that of all the strikers at the Etihad Stadium, Balotelli is able to play in more roles than the others.

“Mario is lucky because he is young with his body and his attitude,” Mancini said.

“He can play as a forward or like a winger. So I think he can play in every position. Maybe, for me though, he is better like a striker.

“He’s played in that position a lot of times. Sometimes we play with him in front and Yaya Toure behind, like we did last season.

“With Sergio Aguero it’s different, because he likes to play nearer the penalty box. We have four strikers and, of these four strikers, only Mario can play wide.”