There’s no doubt Carlos Tévez is a great player. Since making his professional debut in 2001, he has proven to be one of the most gifted strikers in the world, enough so that many have considered him to be the successor of Argentine legend Diego Maradona.
With that in mind, it’s difficult to understand why the three-time South American player of the year transferred to unfashionable East London club West Ham United, instead of one of Europe’s major clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal or Chelsea.
What seems suspect at this point is the involvement of English consortium Media Sports Investment and businessman Kia Joorabchian, who holds Tévez’s rights and orchestrated both his and fellow Argentine national Javier Mascherano‘s move to England. Joorabchian is also interested in making an ownership bid for West Ham, and he had a heavy hand in management at Corinthians, Tévez and Mascherano’s former club in Brazil.
But until we know more, that’s a column for another day. For now, let’s focus on the action on the field, the significance of one of the biggest Argentine talents in history making the jump to the competitive leagues of Europe. Anyone who has observed “Carlitos” during his time at Boca Juniors, Corinthians and the Argentine national team must be shocked by the move to West Ham. Tévez is one-of-a-kind, a player with outstanding skill, superb vision, lightning speed and a never-say-die attitude.
But all this talent is likely to go to waste at West Ham, a club that may be more ambitious than in previous seasons, but one that clearly lacks the quality to compete with the top clubs in the English Premier League. This is a team that has lived in the shadows of illustrious London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, and although it has three FA Cups to its credit, it has never come close to winning a league championship in 111 years of existence. In fact, the Hammers’ best league finish was fifth in the 1998-99 season.
No surprise then, that West Ham’s surprise swoop of Tévez and Mascherano has brought new optimism to the club. Not much has changed yet, though. On the basis of the Hammers’ performance so far this season, a return to the second-tier League Championship isn’t out of the question.
Through five matches, West Ham has only recorded one victory, its latest loss a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United last Sunday. Clearly the signings of Tévez and Mascherano have done a wealth of good to the side, but this probably isn’t enough to help them make a stand in one of the most difficult leagues in the world.
In the modern game, the success of a club can’t come down to the ability of a couple of players, no matter their quality. West Ham management – and in particular manager Alan Pardew — has talked about dreaming big, about staying competitive with the Premiership powerhouses. They may have succeeded in doing this in the public eye, but on the field it has been a completely different story. This is a complicated process that can take time, and typically only works out when superstars are placed in teams already made up with top-quality players.
We can get a better understanding of this by taking a look at Tévez’s success in South American soccer. He has always played on competitive teams, starting at Boca Juniors. Argentina’s most popular club had already won almost every possible title before he made his senior-team debut as a 17-year-old, but Tévez was still touted as the side’s main attraction. He was able to demonstrate his remarkable potential while playing and learning alongside established players, such as Juan Román Riquelme, Sebastián Battaglia, Diego Cagna, Marcelo Delgado and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
When he went to Corinthians last year in a Joorabchian-orchestrated move, Tévez was again part of a team that was assembled to storm to a league title. And it was no surprise when another star-studded lineup that included Carlos Alberto, Nilmar, Marcelo Mattos, Roger and Gustavo Nery went on to win the ’05 Brazilian championship. Despite the talent on that team, Tévez stood out from his teammates and was named the league’s MVP — but it’s unlikely he would have achieved such success if he wasn’t given a hand by the club’s other high-profile reinforcements.
Mascherano also made a name for himself at one of South America’s leading clubs, River Plate. He became an instrumental part of the side’s midfield, linking up with players of the caliber of Marcelo Gallardo, Victor Zapata and Luis González. When Mascherano joined Tévez at Corinthians, it helped him establish himself as one of the most consistent defensive midfielders on the continent.
Now, after seeing some Premiership action, both players are aware they don’t have the luxury to sit back and rely on their teammates at Upton Park. Unlike many of its league opponents, West Ham has a restricted budget and is unable to attract quality, meaning it must make do with what it has available.
MSI certainly helped West Ham secure two of its biggest stars in years, but it isn’t likely they’ll be enough to help the Hammers compete with the elite clubs. Since the Argentine duo’s arrival, there hasn’t been much of an improvement – but there have been some positive signs.
Tévez was impressive in his much-anticipated West Ham debut against Aston Villa on Sept. 10. Although he was only on the field for half an hour as a substitute, he showcased some of his amazing talent for the first time in front of a Premiership crowd.
Both Tévez and Mascherano were in their new club’s starting lineup for the first time last week in West Ham’s UEFA Cup match against Palermo. The Argentines played important roles, but their side was unable to break down the resilient Sicilians.
Tévez was a constant threat, and almost opened his scoring sheet for his new club with a superb volley in the first half, while Mascherano controlled things in front of the back four with good ball distribution and some notable interventions to break down opposing attacks. But it wasn’t enough to help the Hammers avoid a defeat that puts them on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
Last Sunday’s match against Newcastle was the one in which Pardew expected his side to get things right. But although the Argentines displayed much of the same motivation they showed against Palermo, West Ham was outplayed by a much superior opponent. Tévez came inches from scoring his first Premiership goal when he fired a free kick off the crossbar, but besides that effort, he was only able to make a minimal contribution and was replaced at halftime. Mascherano held his ground in midfield, but was unable to help his side fall to yet another defeat.
The transitional period has clearly affected West Ham. The club is desperately in need of points, but will only achieve this if the attention comes off its first-rate signings, both of whom are relatively inexperienced at 22 and are new to English soccer. Apart from Bobby Zamora, the league’s top scorer with five goals, many of West Ham’s regulars haven’t taken responsibility, as Nigel Reo-Coker, Paul Konchesky and playmaker Yossi Benayoun have all been playing well below their potential. Unless they step up to the challenge, and help the Argentines integrate into the side, the Hammers will be in for a miserable season.
Tévez and Mascherano have already shown their competitive fire for West Ham, but it’s clear they have yet to adjust to the new style of play. Gradually, they will receive the much-needed support from their teammates, but it’s essential that they’re integrated immediately so that West Ham doesn’t lose ground on the high-fliers.
These two stars may have owned South America, but England is a whole new ballgame. For their West Ham experiment to be a success, it’s going to require a lot of patience.
Gregory Sica
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