Long live the Kun

Sergio Aguero has been at Manchester City’s Carrington training ground today dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s on his £38m transfer from Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine international will comfortably break the Citizen’s transfer record of £32.5m - paid in 2008 for Robinho - and is expected to sign five-year contract within the next 24 hours pending a medical and other contractual formalities.

The deal has been concluded in relatively quick time with City matching Atletico’s reasonable £38m release fee as soon as ‘Kun’ returned from Argentina’s disastrous Copa America campaign.

Aguero had long been identified by Roberto Mancini as the successor to compatriot Carlos Tevez in the City team. Prior to any bid being submitted for Aguero, the club did suggest that a deal for the 23-year-old would be funded through the sale of Tevez with the Argentine duo effectively replacing one another.

However, what has actually happened or what is going to happen to Carlitos remains very much uncertain. After Tevez’s transfer to Corinthians broke down, there has been little other ulterior interest in the former club captain and it looks increasingly like the Aguero deal will be independent of any Tevez sale.

Quite how this shapes the balance of the City squad will become more apparent as the season’s kick-off approaches. Tevez remains adamant his future lies away from Manchester and given his reluctance to return to the city and his reticence to reappear for the club, the Aguero signing could be the final nail in Tevez’s City coffin.

But of course the matter isn’t as cut and dry as that as City still have £50m of surplus stock sat doing nothing whilst a supremely gifted yet slightly dysfunctional 27-year-old footballer wastes away. Given his conduct, there will be few sympathies from the Sky Blue faithful but for as long as he is still contractually obliged to the club, Tevez remains an elephant in the room.

It’s perhaps then a statement of intent from the club that they have not been left pondering over their top-scorer and skipper and have moved swiftly to replace the man who has spearheaded the team for the past two seasons. The Tevez situation could have quickly became an unwelcome distraction for as long as his transfer saga rumbled on and for as long as a replacement was sought, but Aguero’s capture proves that there will be little convalescing over a moody Argie.

The comparisons between Tevez and Aguero are blindingly obvious. Short stocky frames mask big personalities and a penalty box prowess reminiscent of other vertically challenged predators such as Gerd Muller and Romario. In five seasons at Atletico, Aguero has knocked in an impressive 102 goals in 234 games, but even those statistics are hazed by arriving in La Liga as an inexperienced 18 year-old as back up for Fernando Torres.

In the four seasons since Aguero took over Torres’s striking mantle, the former Independiente ace has hit 95 goals in just 202 games. Just short of one in two at an average close to 25 a season in a team that has consistently fell below expectation makes light work of the nigh on £40m outlay.

Aguero also doesn’t come with plenty of things Tevez does contain, mainly an attitude problem and a pair of chips on either shoulder. Aguero’s hardly Gary Neville but his relationship with Atletico has been exemplary since arriving from his homeland, and despite consistently being linked with a move to bigger and better climbs, Diego Maradona’s son-in-law has afforded respect to a club which has given him the grounding to achieve what he has. The elder statesman could learn a little from the heir apparent.

Taken in isolation there are few negatives about the signing of Sergio Aguero, and all facets of his game suggest he should be able to adapt to the rigours of english football and the anglo-italian style of Manchester City. Overall the Aguero coup represents a very good bit of business for Manchester City. The fee is the going rate, the age and attitude favour player and club and the on-field record suggests he can replicate what will be lost with Tevez mooching about in Tenerife or wherever else he deems to be better than Manchester.

There were worries that City would be unable to replace what Tevez brought to the team and the detrimental effect that having your best player and captain walk out on you would have, but the Aguero arrival has erradicated any notion that City are any poorer for Tevez absconding. The King is dead, long live the ‘Kun’.

Football's great own-goal

Premier League chief Executive Richard Scudamore has indicated that goal-line technology could be introduced as early as next season, but will the league really be a better place without officiating errors?

Barely a weekend goes by when the fallout is not dominated by the referee or his wingmen being dragged over the coals by fans, players, managers or the media. It seems the only people who aren’t allowed to make human errors are the blokes with more instinctive individual decisions to make than any one player.

In his annual Premier League report which is distributed to Parliament this week, Scudamore said, “The whole point of the game is about scoring goals. Players and managers careers can be defined by them.”

“The technology is available, it is the fairness that is important and the Premier League would introduce it tomorrow if it could. Now FIFA is constructively engaged, we are hopeful the 2012/13 season is a realistic aim.”

The debate over using technology to aid referees is one which never goes away yet in just those few sentences, Scudamore paraphrased the whole contradictory argument that introducing goal-line technology would help to make the footballing world a better place.

As Scudamore ignorantly assesses - the whole game is about scoring goals. Of course it isn’t, but as he’d only been involved in football for two years prior to accepting the £800,000p.a CEO position with the Premier League in 1999, we’ll let him off.

Football is much more than that, much more than life and death if you quote the late, great Bill Shankly, but without wanting to confuse Scudamore any further we’ll stick to the broad principles of scoring goals.

Scudamore’s proposals are based around the age old desire to have cameras or micro-chips or something similar placed into the posts to check whether a ball went over the line or not. Fine. Fairly self-explanatory. But would that be the end of it? Seamless officiating which would end ‘player and managers career defining moments?’ If fairness is important in the Premier League would the end of dubious goal-line decisions ensure complete fairness throughout the league? Certainly not.

Without being armed with statistics, it is easily argued that the amount of goal-line decisions concluded incorrectly pale into insignificance compared to marginal offside calls, dodgy penalties, iffy red cards, soft free-kicks and wrongly awarded corners that invariably lead to dozens of goals and shape countless games through the campaign. And how would Scudamore ensure fairness for incidents like these? Well, he wouldn’t. You’d just have to continue to take these ‘unfair’ decisions on the chin. Fair enough.

Confusingly, there only seems to be a desire to introduce goal-line technology into football from many parties, Scudamore and the general consensus of fans included. Part of the reason for the ongoing reticence to implement widespread technology in assisting referees is because there is great confusion over what should and should not be allowed to be interfered with. But the problems of halfway-house interference like goal-line technology would invariably cause more problems than it would solve, and as such, is best left alone.

The analogies to sports like tennis and cricket are made with positivity to influence the arrival of technological assistance in football, but those sports and the way decisions are derived in those sports are completely different to football.

Tennis, for example. The ball is either in or it’s out. In theory this is similar to football, was it or wasn’t it over the line? But the peripheral decisions in football mean there is always the possibility that the final decision on something as black and white as whether the ball crossed the line can easily be turned grey.

In tennis, there can’t be a handball or a foul, an offside or obstruction. In practice, it’s a great benefit to definitively know whether the ball went in or not, but what happens when the computer says ‘yes’ to one thing but the restrictions placed on the reach of video technology could not intervene when something else becomes apparent.

For example, is it beyond the realms of possibility that when having a look whether the ball went over the line or not, an offside or a handball is spotted in the build up to the shot? The limitations of technology being restricted to goal-line decisions means additional incidents could not be reviewed. In theory, you could have a goal that wasn’t given, that upon reflection shouldn’t have been given anyway, but is given because the ball did cross the line. You can’t imagine many associated with the ill-done by team taking that with much grace.

You could feasibly extend the jurisdiction to include incidents leading up to the goal-bound effort in question, but that only opens questions about why incidents could only be reviewed during a close goal-line call, and soon things would become very messy.

Bowing to ‘only’ introducing goal-line cameras would be the thin end of the wedge, and without doubt would eventually lead to further interferences elsewhere. It only takes one major incident to spark and ignite the many cinders of smaller claims which gather each and every week and before long, we would be refereed by some Pontius Pilate overlord sat like a Bond-villain in front of a wall of screens. Not exactly jumpers for goalposts.

Many decisions are far from clear cut which is why the idea of policing our game through the introduction of cameras and technology is a futile idea. Far too many of the disputed decisions are just that, disputed. There are victims and perpetrators and never can anybody be fully appeased. We cannot wholly eradicate error from our officiating, and if even the most sophisticated schemes will still lead to dispute, controversy and more Jamie Redknapp, why change and devalue our sport in the first place?

Only recently UEFA President Michel Platini insisted that the continents governing body are not seeking to turn to technology in order to eradicate mistakes from officiating. He talked down the introduction of goal-line cameras and video refereeing referral systems, as they would lead to ‘playstation football’. Quite what he meant by referencing the name of a key and lucrative Champions League sponsor isn’t that clear, although we get the picture. The UEFA stance is that they are happy enough to have the game officiated by humans, which will invariably lead to human error - very apt coming from UEFA.

The other more thought provoking reason for opposing technology is an ethical one. For decades games have been won and lost because of refereeing mistakes, so what makes this generation any more deserving of justice? Of course, the cash rewards on offer are far greater than at any period of the game but who stands to be made even richer from these correct calls? It’s certainly not the working class man, his son and his son’s son who’ve followed the team for generations.

To think that today’s football is any more important than any previous days is arrogant and egotistical. We do not need complete and utter fairness in our system, it has never been that way yet that has never diminished, only fueled the appeal of football as a sport. If somebody wins a game through good fortune, so be it. The record books show the winners, but it does not tell the whole picture of the piece of the unfortunate finalists or hard done by underdogs undone by a dodgy goal somewhere buried in the annals of time. Behind every winner there are losers and those losses can be unfair. But isn’t life? Is that why we relate so well to fate and fortune in football?

Swings and roundabouts and rubs of the green. Doesn’t it just make our sport better? After all, it’s not a matter of life and death.

Manchester United news

Carrick: We all need to make up for Scholes loss

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick believes the whole of the United squad must chip together to fill the void left by Paul Scholes’s retirement.

Scholes hung up his boots this summer after a glittering 17 year career at Old Trafford, leading Sir Alex Ferguson to speculate that he would be impossible to replace.

Ferguson has opted against moves for Luka Modric, Wesley Sneijder and Samir Nasri to take over the Scholes role, leading Carrick to suggest the team would have to compensate collectively for the loss.

“Paul bring’s so much to the team, he’s a world class player. When we lost Cristiano Ronaldo a few years ago people didn’t think we’d get over it but different players step up - maybe it’s not one player but we share the responsibility.”

Ferguson: Sunderland messed Gibson about

Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a swipe at sunderland for Darron Gibson’s failed move to the Stadium of Light.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder was widely expected to be the third United player to join the Black Cats following the arrival of Wes Brown and John O’Shea. However, after the two clubs agreed a fee the move collapsed after Sunderland could not agree personal terms with the player.

It has now left Gibson in the cold at United and without a viable club to move to leaving Ferguson to fume, “He was on the point of going when somewhere along the line Sunderland moved the goalposts.”

“From what i can gather, they gave him an offer and then changed it. That annoyed Darron and I think he’s quite right.”

Diouf off to the Seaside

United forward Mame Biram Diouf is being lined up for a season long loan move to Blackpool.

The Senegalese international has failed to force himself into the Old Trafford first team reckoning but has been involved during the Reds pre-season tour of the United States.

Diouf has only featured for United six times since arriving at the start of 2010 but impressed during a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers last term.

The 23-year-old is expected to join the Seasiders on an initial loan with a view to a permanent move as boss Ian Holloway reshapes his playing staff following relegation from the Premier League.

Argentina camp focus - Argies come to life but still more needed

Argentina coach Sergio Batista will go with the same starting line-up which cruised past Costa Rica for tonight’s Copa America quarter final against Uruguay in Santa Fe.

Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria and Fernando Gago will all retain their places at the expense of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Carlos Tevez, Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso, with Batista keeping the 4-2-3-1 formation which saw la Albiceleste finally spark into life.

After a pair of appalling draws against Bolivia and Colombia in the first two games, the hosts and pre-tournament favourites were markedly improved for their must win final group tie with the unfancied Costa Ricans.

The 3-0 scoreline did not flatter Argentina who created numerous chances and attacked with more poise and penetration than demonstrated in the earlier games. The alteration to the shape gave Batista’s men a blend and balance which was also lacking an ultimately the additional width provided by di Maria and Aguero created the space for Lionel Messi to finally thrive.

Ironically it was Batista’s will to structure his team around Messi which led to the square-pegs in round hole selection of the opening fixtures with Tevez, Lavezzi and Messi milling about up front without much affect. The tactical tinkering to maneuver Messi into the ‘el diez’ number 10 role gave the side a dimension which the Costa Ricans simply could not cope with, and which the more defensively resolute Uruguay will have to cope with on Saturday night.

The whole team performance was more familiar of a traditional Argentinean performance with the ball being pinged around between comfortable ball players with space and options. In truth, the below strength ‘ticos’ were no match for Argentina who found themselves gaining some swagger as they eventually progressed to the business end of the competition.

The Uruguayan’s will provide a sterner test of the revitalisation both offensively and defensively. Last year’s World Cup semi-finalists have hardly hit peak form themselves but remain a dangerous proposition with a no-frills defensive unit providing the backbone to a host of talented match winners.

Oscar Taberez’s team followed a similar path to that of their illustrious opponents with two opening draws and a third game victory securing their path into the quarters. Despite the enticing striking options of Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Edison Cavani, la Celeste only mustered three goals in the group stages, two of those coming from midfield mauler Alvaro Pereira.

Argentina go into the game as favourites for the tie and the tournament, confidence restored from the smooth performance against Costa Rica. The heat upon Batista and the team has been relaxed given the context of the last win but the stubborn Uruguayans will provide a more thorough inspection of the new set-up.

The Costa Rica result essentially righted the wrongs of the Bolivia and Colombia games and with Batista eventually getting to where he should have been in the first place, the coach has earned a reprieve to be judged on what happens from here.

Batista goes back to basics for must win clash

It’s time for Sergio Batista and his merry men to stand up and deliver or face the indignity of an unprecedented failure on home turf as Argentina seek to kickstart their faltering Copa America campaign.

La Albiceleste know that only a win over Costa Rica will see them guaranteed a place in the knock-out stages and even that will only slightly lessen the noose the home fans and media have placed around the teams neck following toothless opening draws with Bolivia and Colombia.

These results only tell half of the tale because of more angst to the natives has been the nature of the performances, with Argentina devoid of any cohesion or penetration despite boasting one of the most enviable set of offensive players on the planet.

But such attacking stocks have eschewed Batista’s judgement. Round pegs in square holes across the six midfield and forward places has resulted in 180 minutes of disjointed football, many moons away from the fluidity of Barcelona that Batista set out to emulate.

With two lackluster showings in mind, Batista is set to re-jig his assets to suit the team rather than the individuals which supposedly made up the team. The 4-3-3 with Lionel Messi as a conventional central striker will be consigned to the circular filing cabinet in favour of a return to the traditional Argentine past-time of 4-2-3-1, with Messi reverting to an orthodox number 10 flanked by Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero giving the width behind Gonzalo Higuain as the most advance of the pack.

These wholesale changes could ordinarily be construed as a gamble given the necessity to win but it’s hard to see how the side could perform any worse than they’ve already demonstrated in Batista’s doomed Barca replica.

Ironically, this revised set-up is how Batista would have gone about things had he not buckled to internal pressures to shoehorn Carlos Tevez into the equation. Tevez will belatedly have to do with a place on the bench along with Ezequiel Lavezzi and either Ever Banega or Esteban Cambiasso as Batista attempts to try to find the balance to enable his side to play with the freedom and attacking guile he preached pre-tournament.

Such competitions are marathons rather than sprints and recent World Cup’s have demonstrated la Albiceleste’s proclivity for firework starts before burning out prematurely. A role reversal this time will be needed as there has been very few bright sparks about the slovenly start to this escapade.

Football’s connoisseurs will recall the hapless Italians coming good at Spain ’82 and the Germans regularly huffing and puffing through the meander before finding their stride, but in today’s ultra-expectant football society there is a demand for instant results and reward regardless of circumstance.

Even still, Batista will find few allies with the patience to put up with that analogy after the way things have gone so far, even if the Argentinian tortoise does end up eventually outrunning the hare.

Savvy City Et-ihad of the rest

Unsurprisingly there’s been a polar split in opinion towards Manchester City’s new ‘record’ sponsorship deal with Etihad Airlines. Which side of the fence you sit on comes down to your ethical stance, as in announcing an essentially ‘mates rates’ deal for the renaming of the City of Manchester stadium, Manchester City have actually done little wrong aside from being cute and cunning.

The incestuous package with Etihad - the clubs shirt sponsor and long term associate of the Abu Dhabi Group and the Dubai royal family - has alerted UEFA and appalled their rivals but the impartial observer must doth the cap to the much maligned Garry Cook for his latest piece of intuitive business dealings.

Cook was transparent in the aims of the deal declaring the partnership would, “deliver significant revenue at a key stage in the club's evolution.” Or, behind the business speak, assist City in skirting round UEFA’s incoming financial fair play rules.

Under the terms of the UEFA charter which is come into force from the beginning of the upcoming season, clubs will need to adhere to a phased implementation period of financial dexterity over three years, with the key component of the regulations for clubs to 'break-even' over three year passages. Under the break-even requirement, clubs may not spend more than the income they generate.

A buffer is allowed over the first three years of the window, but even still, clubs must not post losses exceeding a total of £40m during that initial monitoring period. Given that Sheikh Mansour’s mob have ploughed almost a billion pounds into their middle-eastlands dream thus far - including £121m losses for the year ending May 2010 - there would have been grave concerns as to whether City would be inline with FFP rules.

The riches from the Champions League and the peripheral commercialities would have gone someway towards reducing the margins, but in lay terms the £400m naming rights package and various other bits and pieces over the next ten years essentially provides the club with a £40m bonus p.a to stick on the balance sheet.

People can shout and scream about the integrity and amount of the sponsorship package, but City have done nothing other than use the vast wealth available to them to their advantage against the backdrop of a set of ambiguous financial guidelines.

Similar things have been done for as long as the ball’s been round. The older generation may remember the corner cutting that went on during the days of the maximum wage, with players wives being paid handsomely for nondescript clerical jobs and other offshoot rewards and payments being lavished upon players belonging to those who could afford to do it.

It’s akin to the bloke on the terrace doing 40mph in a 30 or feigning a cold for a day off work when you’ve got a stinking hangover. If you can do it, and get away with it, you may as well.

Behind all the bravado and adopted fortunes, City have never detracted from the fact they are where they are because of the Abu Dhabi petrodollars. It’s a long and winding road to the top and the Blues haven’t so much taken a toll road through it but glided on a magic carpet over the Congestion. So why would they stop now?

What it does do is unequivocally reaffirm the Abu Dhabi group’s commitment to Manchester City and the seemingly outlandish goals they set out when they first rode into town. A billion pound later they may only have an FA Cup and a spot in the Champions League to shout about, but the gradient is continuing to rise and the new investment into the club shows the Sheikh and his pals have no intentions of seeing that or their spend come to a halt.

From a fans perspective it’s perhaps slightly cringeworthy to have your ground named after an arabian airline, but the mould has long since been broke by the likes of the Reebok, the Britannia and the Emirates - an arabian airline. Soon following a similar trend with similar financial gains in mind, the world famous Anfield or Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge could have their monickers pre-fixed with some finance company or electronics giant. Times are a changing. It’s not reinventing the wheel, it’s changing the tyre’s.

The City of Manchester stadium’s generic title has never caught on so little tears will be lost when the Etihad stadium placards go up around it. You cannot imagine City fans enquiring whether one another’s off down the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. Eastlands or any other colloquiality it’s always likely to be.

There would have been more reverberations had it have been the old Maine Road, or a specifically designed new stadium commissioned by and for Manchester City. but it isn’t. The City of Manchester stadium was and is a stadium essentially built for the people of Greater Manchester for the Commonwealth Games.

At this juncture it’s also worth adding that Manchester City council - who have recently announced over £100m of council cuts to key services in Manchester, including fundamental health, education and sporting facilities - were only too keen to renegotiate the terms of their lease to ensure their slice of the pie. Quite whether the additional income to the council pot will result in the tangible sprouting of libraries and swimming pools is an argument for another day but indirectly there should be other beneficiaries than those associated with the football club.

What this sponsorship deal won’t do of course, is further enhance the prospects of any more silverware arriving at the Etihad or Eastlands or whatever you want to call it. In many ways the additional cash available for player transfers and wages could indadvertedly have a destabilising affect as Roberto Mancini continues to mould his team.

Part of the reason this windfall has been necessary is because the failings of the regime whilst in its infancy. Big collective losses on the likes of Wayne Bridge, Jo, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor, not to mention the questionable sums parted for Joleon Lescott and James Milner were borne from an eagerness to advance too quickly and having money at the ready and freely available to spend could see familiar faults followed if lessons aren’t learnt.
Sometimes less is more, and whilst in their current climate it’s perhaps unwise to make reference to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, the fact that players like Adebayor and Kolo Toure were pruned and then profited upon at City’s expense shows that launching inflated sums at players is not always the best approach.

For all of their perceived faults, the latest actions of the Abu Dhabi group reaffirm that at least one half of Manchester does not intend to make money from it’s football club. As they said at the start, they are here to win things with the club and whilst there financial power has given City a leg-up, they are powerless over what goes on on the pitch. Money will never guarantee success.

Heat on Batista ahead of Colombia clash

Argentina coach Sergio Batista has decided to tactically and morally stick rather than twist after naming his side to face Colombia in Wednesday’s decisive Copa America Group A tie in Santa Fe.

The heat is on the hosts after an uninspiring opener with Bolivia on Friday. Substitute Sergio Aguero's late equaliser saved la Albiceleste from an embarrassing home reverse, but it could not spare his boss a roasting from the ever expectant fans and media. Batista's team selection for the match was criticised in hindsight, with the forward three of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi failing to work as a unit.

However, Batista confirmed at Tuesday's pre-match press conference that the attacking trident will remain in place with the only change coming in defence with Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta replacing Marcos Rojo, with Javier Zanetti switching to left-back. There is still no place for the offensive midfield guile of the much sought after Javier Pastore.

Ordinarily Batista's choice to keep together a blunt strikeforce would raise eyebrows - especially given Aguero's contribution from the bench - but more pertinent questions are being asked about how the '86 World Cup winner has come about picking his front three. Prior to the tournament, Batista was reticent to even pick Tevez in his 23 man squad, but buckled to home pressures to not only include Carlitos in the final cut but to elevate him into the starting line-up.

The Tevez-Messi 'dream team' ended up being a bit of a sleepless night for Batista, whose every move is being scrutinised as Argentina seek to end an 18-year Copa drought. In an attempt to mirror Barcelona's all conquering style, Messi has been pushed into a central striking position flanked by Tevez and Lavezzi. But with la Selección lacking the style and fluidity of their Catalan cousins, Batista grandiose visions for his team were made to look foolish as Argentina laboured against the unfancied Bolivians, failing to create many clear cut chances or play any Barca-esque football.

Ideally every team would play like Barca yet they are the exception rather than the rule, especially at the international level where players from various parts are introduced and expected to form an understanding without the day to day intimacy that club football allows. By declaring that he wishes the side to play like Barca - in an attempt to coax the best out of the world’s best - Batista has relinquished any of his personal identity from the team. The virtually strong-armed selection of Tevez suggests weakness with his stubbornness not to backtrack on his initial instincts giving an impression of indecision.

Damned if he does or he does not, the conundrum for Batista is that being in the bad books means any credit for relative successes goes elsewhere whilst he will invariably have to deal with the recriminations of failures. Just a handful of games into his tenure as national coach, Sergio Batista is not making friends nor influencing people and it will take much more than a much needed win over Colombia to alter that perception.

Batista u-turn sees Tevez return

Carlos Tevez is in line for a surprise return to the Argentina starting XI just a few days after his place in the squad was in jeopardy.

Argentinean news network Cancha Llena reported that Tevez lined up alongside Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lionel Messi in a three man attack for a practice match between Argentina’s probable starting line-up and their reserves. As host nation, la Albiceleste kick off the 2011 Copa America against Bolivia in la Plata on Friday.

Tevez hasn’t featured for his country since pulling out of new Coach Sergio Batista’s first game in full time charge against Brazil in November, only to recover in time to play for Manchester City a couple of days later. Batista recently traveled to Europe to catch up with prominent members of his squad, but after visiting Manchester to speak to Pablo Zabaleta, the ’86 World Cup winner declined to meet Tevez claiming the City man, ‘wasn’t high on his priorities.’

It may seem unapparent over here given Tevez’s showings in the Premier League, but his performances in the national shirt have scarcely warranted inclusion. As la Albiceleste bumbled their way through World Cup qualifying, Tevez started eleven games, was sent-off twice and scored just one. His record for Argentina stands at an unremarkable 13 goals in 59 games, and a couple of months back he was moaning about the strains of international football. With Batista hardly lacking in alternative striking options it appeared Tevez would miss the tournament with Batista ready to base his attack round Messi as a central striker. However, Carlitos’ rags to riches rise has made him a cult hero back home meaning Batista was forced to bow to populist demand.

Such u-turns again ask questions over who has the biggest say-so in Argentinean football. Their FA president Julio Grondona had been embroiled in a decades old row with Diego Maradona before appointing the national demi-god as team Coach in 2009. It was also Grondona who did not want to incur the wrath of the masses by sacking el Diego after the South Africa shambles, instead, he sacked his whole back room staff prompting Maradona’s inevitable resignation. Batista was an underwhelming choice as national Coach, especially given the identity of his predecessor and any minor trip or fall will be meted out with significant disapproval from the ever expectant public. And so it seems Batista has backtracked to protect himself, rather than go with his previously unpopular hunch to omit Tevez.

Elsewhere there were few real surprises in the rest of the team. Sergio Romero started the warm-up game in goal, with Javier Zanetti, Nicolas Burdisso, Gabriel Milito and Marcos Rojo making up the back four. Skipper Javier Mascherano was supported by Esteban Cambiasso and Ever Banega behind Tevez, Lavezzi and Messi. There was no place in the side for man of the moment Javier Pastore.

Just four games into his reign as Argentina’s national coach, Sergio Batista already has the presence of a dead man walking. But by picking Tevez and basing a team around Messi, he’ll make sure he doesn’t go down alone.