Ferguson relaxed over Tevez contract
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Your support makes all the difference.Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not frustrated at the length of time taken for Carlos Tevez to sign a permanent contract with Manchester United.
Although he has tended to be squeezed out of Ferguson's first-choice side this season following the arrival of £30.75m forward Dimitar Berbatov, Tevez still seems keen to turn his current loan deal into a lengthy stay.
Yet there is no imminent prospect of Tevez signing a contract, despite a series of negotiations between the player's adviser Kia Joorabchian and United chief executive David Gill.
Having been through such difficulties many times before, not least with former captain Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand - who was famously heckled during a pre-season tour of Asia four years ago as he delayed signing a lucrative extension - Ferguson remains calm about the situation.
"It doesn't frustrate me," said the United boss.
"I have been used to it over the years. You just have to be patient.
"It is not as if we have been short of negotiations.
"But I think we all know they can take a long time, and this one is just going along.
"David has been talking to his agent, so it is best left to him."
There has been a feeling Tevez would wait to see how many games he played this term before committing his future to the Old Trafford outfit.
But Ferguson does not believe there is a problem.
The Argentina striker was making his 12th start when he belted home his four-timer in last Wednesday's Carling Cup win against Blackburn and has now made 21 appearances - more than Rooney or Berbatov - after being introduced as a substitute against Sunderland on Saturday.
Ferguson is confident that should be enough to keep Tevez happy and believes statistics will eventually bear out how important he views the South American within his squad.
"When you have a squad of players, everyone must get their share," said Ferguson.
"The important thing is Carlos makes a great contribution.
"He has started a few games already. By the end of the season, you will see how many he has participated in - and that contribution will have been very important to us.
"No one has played all the games. They have all had minutes on the clock; some have had time on the bench, and sometimes they have not been involved at all.
"That is exactly what happens with squad rotation in the modern game."
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