To many cooks

Manchester United have quickly slipped into top gear this season after an indifferent start. Their 4-0 demolition against West Brom was followed up by a comfortable 3-0 win over Celtic at Old Trafford last night. In the two games both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov have both scored, with the Belorussian scoring two to take his champions league tally to four. Rooney has been in even better form with seven goals in his last 5 games for club and country. It seems that the talented teenager we saw beat David Seaman many years ago has finally come of age. Berbatov who we have seen shine for Tottenham in recent years seems to have found somehwere where his kind of football is replicated with the player he plays with, you can see why he always made a fuss on wanting to play in the champions league, he belong there.

All this is very good for the European Champions but what of there third striker Carlos Tevez. Currently on-loan from West Ham Tevez has only made a handful of appearances for the Red Devils since Berbatov's arrival. Not since the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool has Tevez started a game for United in a game where Berbatov and Rooney player alongside him in a 3 pronged attack, a formation that obviously didn't work.

With United having just paid out 30 million on Berbatov and with their sponsor just having been bailed out by the US Government are they in a financial position to buy Tevez permanently, or even more pressingly do they even need him.

We've all seen Tevez over the last three years of the Premiership and been suitably impressed. He was the driving force of West Ham's escape from relegation which included a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on the final day of the season. he was intrinsic in United double win of last season, always popping up with important goals, none more so than the winner at Anfield in a 1-0 United win.

This season he has been used sparingly in the wake of Rooney and Berbatov who are looking like the match made in heaven. But where does Tevez fit in? Do you really play 30 million for a player who is going to play in the last 15-20 minutes of matches? I'm sure the glazers would have a thing or to to say about that.

There are two views on this subject. Firstly that in terms of Manchester United's fight for Domestic and European supremacy then it is vital he is kept in their ranks, of the world class players in the Premeirship at the moment he is certainly one of them, and one of a number at Old Trafford. Obviously an injury to either Rooney or Berbatov would open the door for Tevez, loosing him would put a real hole in United's starting eleven.

Secondly however there is the view of Tevez himself. he is a young lad not quiet at his prime but you can see him progressing. He wants to be playing week in week out. Starting 10 league games a season isn't good enough for the Argentine International, involvement is key for a player of his age. With two such colossal strikers ahead of him in the pecking order does he really see himself in with a chance? Many other clubs would happily sign Tevez, his work rate is second to none and his finishing although sometimes a little off, is getting better.

Why would United not want a player of his calibre? Well in the current financial climate can they really afford him? 30 million was shipped out on Berbatov and with sponsors going bust and the club in millions of pounds of debt when pay day comes are they really going to be able to step up?

There's no doubt that Tevez is a huge asset for Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson and is would be a big loss if he were to go after his two year loan spell. Football is a squad game after all the Tevez has proved as bigger asset as any. But would the Glazer 30 million of money they don't have to pay for a squad player? The risk would surely be to big