Premier League 
/ Richard Aikman / 18 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Back in the fold - Carlos enjoys training with Sergio Aguero
"Tevez has been granted grace after apologising to his manager and team-mates, only after he realised no one was prepared to gamble on his astronomical wage demands or, more pointedly, his precious temperament."
Carlos Tevez is due to return to Premier League action against Chelsea - something we never thought would happen during the Argentinean's self-imposed strike - and it's a sign that City are getting desperate in the title race, says Richard Aikman
Back in January Roberto Mancini described Carlos Tevez's prospects of ever playing for Manchester City again as "impossible". Two months later and with City's title challenge losing momentum it appears that the Argentinian international is poised to come out of exile. Principles, it seems, are all very well, but not at any price.
When Mancini publicly closed the door on Tevez, City were three points clear at the top of the league and shoo-ins to win the title, backed as low as [1.4] to do so. Since then, they have been knocked out of two cup competitions, are second-favourites to their Manchester rivals in the Premier League and have endured three disappointing results on the bounce. It's time to reach for the Batphone.
Tevez's return would unquestionably be welcomed by most of the players. When he first reappeared at City's Carrington training ground Micah Richards was so pleased to see him he picked him up and started throwing him in the air like a rag doll.
"I have always been a big fan of Tevez," said Richards before City's Europa League round of 16 second leg against Sporting Lisbon - a tie they lost on away goals.
"There were games last year season when he carried us on his own and in these sort of games he would get a 1-0 win for us. It's up to the manager ultimately but I would love to see him back."
Kolo Toure has also said his piece. "It would be great if he could play against Chelsea because he's got a great record against them," said the former Arsenal defender.
"I would love it if he scored the goal to win us the title because for me he's a great player. A problem can happen but his quality is still there. It's great to have him in the squad again. He can score goals and he's a strong player."
In other words, who cares if he went AWOL leaving us all in the lurch? Who cares if he was playing golf in Buenos Aires while we were all having to miss Christmas and suffer derby defeat in the FA Cup because someone was sulking in South America? Who cares if Tevez is the worst example of the modern-day, self-serving Premier League footballer. He is good, he might win us a title; the normal rules don't apply.
Tevez has been granted grace after apologising to his manager and team-mates, only after he realised no one was prepared to gamble on his astronomical wage demands or, more pointedly, his precious temperament. He should have been banished to the reserves for perpetuity, not welcomed back with open arms. It is not so much about who was right or wrong; maybe there was a misunderstanding, maybe Mancini did show him disrespect. So what? The lunatics should not be allowed to govern the asylum. As Al Pacino says in Carlito's Way: "There is a line you cross, you don't never come back from. Point of no return." All the leading clubs in Europe should have agreed not to sign him.
When Carlitos, as expected, crosses the touchline as a substitute against Chelsea on Wednesday, the fans' reaction will be no different to that of the players. After all, you don't see Manchester United fans booing Wayne Rooney, even though he held Manchester United to ransom over a new contract by threatening to leave, do you? That was all his agent's fault.
Mancini has felt it necessary to alter his stance over Tevez because the rattling wheels of City title train are threatening to dislodge. The Citizens may have won four of their last five league encounters, but those victories came against eminently beatable sides: Fulham, Aston Villa, Blackburn and Bolton. The title run-in does not make for such comfortable viewing.
Anyone passing off the Swansea and Sporting defeats as small bumps in the road are overlooking the supine nature of those defeats. Admittedly, they have missed the excellent Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott, who were both injured in the first leg against Sporting. But the fact remains that this that a side who have not been at the business end of a title run-in before - and they are showing signs of mental fragility.
The likes of David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry are fine players but, unlike United, none of them have stayed course and distance over a title race. Indeed for Nasri and Gaël Clichy the horrors of last season's spontaneous combustion at Arsenal are more likely to spring to mind.
City have fantastic home form, but the visit of a resurgent Chelsea couldn't come at a more vulnerable time for them. The Blues' old guard - John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole - are determined to make the most of their second lease of life to show they still have what it takes at the highest level, and if they demonstrate the warrior spirit that saw them through against Napoli last week - the sort of spirit Mancini wishes he had in his ranks - then not even Carlito will be able to show City the way.
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