Is it time for Mancini to bring back Tevez to save City?

WITH the January transfer deadline falling on the same day as a round of vital Premier League fixtures, the manager with most at stake was the one who fluffed his lines.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini admitted as much after seeing his side slip to defeat against Everton on a disastrous night for the Citizens, on which two former United players conspired to leave City with a major headache.

On the pitch, Reds reject Darron Gibson scored the winner for Everton, prompting a rare joke from Alex Ferguson on Match of the Day. Grinning from ear to ear after his own side won and went level on points at the top of the table, he said selling Gibson to the Toffees last month was "all part of the plan".

Off the field, City's other big problem is they were unable to find a way to get rid of Carlos Tevez on transfer deadline day.

And when Mancini admitted that he had not properly prepared his team for the trip to Everton it was hard not to imagine that it was at least partly because he'd spent the last few days on the phone to his contacts in Europe trying to offload his Argentine striker, rather than worrying about David Moyes's midfield formation.

As it was he failed to attract a buyer for Tevez and also failed to organise his side for the trip to Goodison.

"I didn't prepare well for this game," he confessed. "The players put everything on the pitch, but I made some mistakes during the last three days preparing for this game. Perhaps I underestimated Everton."

The result leaves City level on points with United at the top of the table. They are ahead on goal difference, and that is a direct result of their famous win at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

As for the future of Tevez, the Russian transfer window remains open so a move to big-spending Anzhi Makhachkala is not out of the question and neither is a return to South America. However, there is also the intriguing possibility that City may decide that they need him available for the title push as that period of the season known as "squeaky bum time" approaches.

When asked what would happen to Tevez, who has been awol in Argentina since last year, Mancini hinted that he could return to the fold.

"Tevez is always a Manchester City player," he said. "I don't know what his condition is at this moment."

Having seen his forwards misfire against Everton and after failing to cash in on the errant Argentine, Mancini could do worse than killing two birds with one stone and reintegrating the 27-year-old. After all he is going to cost the club £5m between now and the summer whatever happens. ·