Simon Parker column

The one-man soap opera Carlos Tevez can be accused of many things.

He may change colours like the wind and is the last person you would want alongside you in the trenches.

He may also stubbornly refuse to speak the lingo, though you could have fooled me as he mouthed off with the fellow subs on the bench in Munich’s Allianz-Arena.

But his commitment on the pitch could never be questioned.

Whatever the woes behind the scenes – and Tevez has permanently got a grump on about something or other – his performances for West Ham and both Manchester clubs have been beyond reproach.

He is Mr 100 per cent in the thick of the action. Nobody contributed more than Tevez to earn Manchester City their golden ticket to the Champions’ League promised land.

Tevez is never happier than when he is playing. Even if he doesn’t show it. The problems start when he is left to smoulder on the sidelines.

By all accounts, the Argentinian was given the impression he would start the marquee midweek clash with Bayern Munich. That would partly explain his furious mood.

But there can be no excuses for his alleged “no mas” moment when he was summoned from the bench.

Like Roberto Duran quitting on his stool, it seems Tevez was equally reluctant to leave the seat.

Roberto Mancini’s post-match rage resonated with every football fan. How could somebody dare to refuse to play in such an A-list fixture?

Whatever Tevez’s beef at not making the first 11 again, what good could it do by effectively downing tools?

Maybe Tevez had chosen his prime moment to make a point over not being able to leave the club in the summer transfer window. Maybe this was his grand revenge to embarrass his manager with the whole of Europe watching.

The statement which appeared on the player’s behalf first thing the next morning was predictable.

Everything that you’d expect was there: Never refused to play? Check. Misunderstanding? Check. Confusion? Check.

And the reassuring message that “I will fulfil my obligations going forward”. Yep, classic football-speak that one.

I’m sure Man City fans went in to work on Wednesday with an extra spring in their step knowing that Tevez was well up for his “obligations”.

The episode was classic Manchester City. Give them all the money in the world and they will still find a way to blow up. The bottomless pit has somehow managed to spring a leak.

It’s what makes the new City so watchable. Unlike Chelsea, who turned their dough into a dour and robotic procession of trophies, you never know what’s going to happen with Manchester’s “noisy neighbours”.

That art of self-destruction, honed through so many years of practice, remains live and kicking. That’s why us rubberneckers are glued to the regular car-crash episodes.

With their Abu Dhabi fortunes, City will inevitably get most things right. The team that Mancini has assembled packs the power to run United all the way.

But first they must get Tevez out of the building. Whatever the cost in lost transfer fees and wages, his presence is a poison that will continue to spread.

Edin Dzeko’s childish reaction to being taken off was a warning sign. Allow Tevez to get into his head – presuming his command of German is greater than his English – and the problem could escalate.

And I haven’t even mentioned Mario Balotelli … In an ideal world, Mancini must be tempted to let Tevez rot. The manager’s angry outburst has probably played into the hands of the player’s “people”.

They would have been drawing up a writ on his behalf before you could say the words constructive dismissal. Tevez will no doubt emerge as the winner again, though I’m sure he won’t be smiling.

It may stick in their throats but City’s money men need to dip into the company wallet and get him paid off quickly. The price they will pay for keeping him looks a lot higher.