Gill takes swipe at Tevez

24 July 2009 07:54
UNITED boss David Gill has poured petrol on the flames surrounding the transfer of Carlos Tevez by claiming it was ONLY the Argentinian's wage demands that took the star striker to rivals City. Speaking on United's Far East tour, the Old Trafford chief executive said: "There were clearly issues with Carlos. Whether he couldn't grasp what being a member of a squad was I don't know. But he has clearly gone for more money than we were paying him and economically his advisers possibly felt it was better for him to move on. "Was there a genuine desire on their part to conclude a deal with us? You would have to ask them." Tevez's move across the Manchester divide has become pivotal in fans' perception that City are at last becoming a real challenge to United. The Eastlands publicity machine wasted no time in erecting a massive banner of Tevez on Deansgate, welcoming any footballing neutral to Manchester but inflaming even the most passive United fan. It obviously hurts that City are bringing in such star names. But Gill thinks it will have a lasting effect on the English game. And Gill, like most football purse-keepers, is unhappy with such wage inflation - but cannot see an easy solution. "You could not have a salary cap," he said. "It wouldn't just have to be Europe-wide, it would have to be worldwide. It is just not feasible. Compete "We will continue to compete because we have to try and attract the right players to United. "We are one of the wealthiest clubs but we have always had a sensible benchmark of spending 50 per cent of our revenue on wages. If you get that balance right you are moving along properly. Not everyone wants to come to United. "But if we continue to grow our revenue, that will deliver more profitable income, which we can then put into the players. Then we can continue to attract and retain the best players." Reds' boss Sir Alex has never complained at the backing he has received from the Glazers. Yet, just as Liverpool and Arsenal are trying to wrestle with major financial issues in addition to putting a winning team on the pitch, so must United. Gill could, therefore, have done without the incredible sums spent by Real Madrid and City that threaten to take wages spiralling out of control. With City, the motive is fairly obvious. Mega-rich owners wanting to make a big impact. At the Bernabeu, Gill senses a flaw. "I don't understand the economics of what Real Madrid are doing," Gill said. "Their turnover is not materially different to ours so I am not quite sure how they can make the profits to justify the salaries." While Real president Florentino Perez appears to think anticipated additional commercial revenue from the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema will cover the enormous cost of buying the players, City have no need to balance the books. As long as they are being bankrolled by their Abu Dhabi-based backers, Mark Hughes' mega-spending spree, which has delivered Tevez and others, can continue and United can only watch and wait. What do you think? Have your say.

Source: Manchester_EveningNews