Making a point: City No 1 Joe Hart
Joe Hart re-ignited the Carlos Tevez controversy by
warning that the Argentina striker is capable of winning
Wednesday's explosive Manchester derby on his own.
Tevez has become a symbol of the increasingly bitter rivalry
between United and City since swapping Old Trafford for Eastlands
last year, and England goalkeeper Hart hailed his captain's
super-human powers, saying: 'Carlos can carry a team and he can
carry 10 men.
'If we're stinking and Carlos plays well, there’s a good chance
we'd win.
'He's a phenomenal player. I’d say the best I've played with. He
just leads by example in all the right ways. You would look to him,
not to give you a pep talk but to win you a game.'
United have won five of the six derbies since the Abu Dhabi
takeover transformed City's fortunes but Tevez insists he has no
regrets over his decision to switch clubs after scoring 28 goals in
his last 33 Premier League games.
'I made the change and so far I'm not sorry,' said Tevez, who
also scored three times in a dramatic two-legged Carling Cup
semi-final against United last season that saw him become embroiled
in a bust-up with Gary Neville.
City slicker: Hart reckons Tevez can fire Machester
City to glory in Wednesday's derby
'As players we have to make decisions that are right for
us. But I also realise many people may not have understood my
decision. All I can do is concentrate on my game and at the moment
it's going well for me.
'But at City we're not obsessed with United. Our challenge is
just to improve on what we did last year and perhaps by doing that
we can overtake our neighbours. That's the road we are on. I think
the title race is still wide open.'
Tevez will be without strike partner Mario Balotelli on
Wednesday night after City's decision not to appeal against his red
card at West Brom on Sunday means the Italian is suspended.
United won three of four derby clashes last season with
injury-time goals, and Hart - who was on loan to Birmingham at the
time - admits City are desperate to settle the score.
Red midst: Mario Balotelli (far L) is suspended for
the visit of rivals United after being sent off at the
Hawthorns
He said: 'It was heartbreaking to watch so I don't know
what it was like to play in. I was gutted for the lads because all
four games could have gone to anyone.
'We do owe them one. But even if we'd one the previous four
games 7-0, we'd still feel we owe them one. That's just how it is
and how it always will be.
'People sometimes say, "oh United scored late again", but it's
not easy to keep doing that. People write off Michael Owen but give
him a chance and he’ll score. Wayne Rooney's scored some of them
and there are world-class players who can do those things.
'But look through our squad and there’s not one or two, there’s
five or six people who could pop up. We’ve got those players who
can do those sorts of things. Man United are aware of that, we’re
aware of that, and that’s what makes it such an exciting game.'
Hart was speaking at an event which was part of the City
academy's Multiskills Lifestyle programme which helps young players
become better role models.
The 23-year-old keeper was in the headlines for the wrong
reasons on two occasions last month when he was pictured singing
and dancing on a bar in Marbella 36 hours before meeting up with
England's squad for a game against Montenegro and then earned
another reprimand from City boss Roberto Mancini for joining
team-mates Gareth Barry, Adam Johnson and Shay Given on a boozy
trip to Scotland.
Hart stopped short of apologising for his actions but admitted
that he may have been naiive.
'I don’t think you have to live like a monk,' he added. 'I just
think you have to be a bit smart about how you do it. Maybe at my
age and not realising the position you are in, naivety comes into
it a little bit, but you have got learn fast as a footballer.
People are out to get us and there are places you should be and
places you shouldn’t.
'The manager just told us to be a bit more careful with our
private lives. I would never disrespect football because it is my
livelihood. But I’ve always felt that I’m totally 100 per cent
ready for every training session and every single game.'