Eriksson could walk before he is pushed
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Thaksin Shinawatra's brutal criticism of Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has prompted fears that the former England coach may walk out on the club this summer. Eriksson's survival prospects at City would appear to be diminishing after the club's owner chose a business conference in Dubai to confirm yesterday that he will review the Swede's position at the end of what he clearly feels has become an unsatisfactory season.
Sportsmail first revealed Thaksin's frustrations on April 1, when it became clear that the former Thai politician was unhappy with two aspects of Eriksson's first season: namely results and attendances at the City of Manchester Stadium. And, after another round of criticism by Thaksin yesterday, Eriksson may choose to jump before he is pushed.
Just weeks after Thaksin said he was paying a visit to his club to 'tighten the bolts', the 58-year-old went several steps further yesterday by hitting out in a way that has concerned executives at City. Thaksin said: 'I'm not happy with the performance of the club in the second half of the season. 'We will look at it at the end of the season and assess the club and the people involved. We will probably have to sell some players and buy some new ones. 'We need some defenders, midfielders . . . midfielders are the key. We have some good players but we need more.'
If Eriksson ends up being sacked by Manchester City this summer he will receive a £1million pay-off — less than a year after receiving a compensation package from the FA worth almost £4m. There is no doubt Eriksson was stunned yesterday by Shinawatra's announcement that his position would be assessed at the end of the season. This leaves the 60-year-old former England coach in an increasingly invidious position at the City of Manchester Stadium.
So far, Eriksson has not raised the possibility of quitting with anybody at the Barclays Premier League club. Both publicly and privately the 60-year-old has stressed that he sees his work at City as a long-term project. He has enjoyed his first year, an experience that he has told friends and colleagues has left him feeling invigorated after the stresses of managing England. But as it slowly becomes clear to both him and City executives that Thaksin wants tangible success at a click of his fingers, there are real concerns that Eriksson may walk away.
Despite City's problems on the field in recent weeks, Eriksson will end this season with his reputation enhanced. He will certainly not be short of offers from the Continent if he does choose to seek alternative work. And if that did happen, few people at City would blame him after the carnival of the last few weeks.
Eriksson, for example, spent much of last week fending off questions about Thaksin's pursuit of the Brazil superstar Ronaldinho. The City manager has never wanted Ronaldinho and also knew — if only from experience and instinct — that the 28-year-old would never move to the club when suitors such as AC Milan were in the offing. However, he still had to answer questions on the subject for a week as Thaksin and his countrymen on the board worked themselves into a lather of excitement after agents had suggested to them that Ronaldinho may be attainable. That particular story is dead now but it is important simply because it is indicative of the atmosphere in which Eriksson is increasingly having to work.
It is easy to see why City took Thaksin's money when he bought the club last year. There were, after all, no other firm offers for a club who desperately needed proper investment. However, there were risks attached and City are beginning to experience the flipside of selling their club to a man with no knowledge of football and a complete inability to relate to the wants and needs of those who pay through the gates every weekend.
It says everything for Thaksin's lack of savvy and football intelligence that he chose to make his disparaging comments about his manager on the very day that his club were gearing up for one of the highlights of their season, a second leg of the FA Youth Cup Final.
Meanwhile, the issue of money for new players is another key one for Eriksson, who would himself be paid £1m by City if he was to be sacked. Despite Thaksin's persistent claims that the team are not good enough, nobody from the chief executive down to the manager yet knows how much cash, if any, the owner is preparing to spend on players this summer.
Little wonder, then, that some at City are beginning to despair of Thaksin already and, in particular, of his aides and board members Pairoj Piempongsant and Tawesuk Jack Srisumrid. Senior experienced figures at the club must have been embarrassed by the Ronaldinho business, just as they will be embarrassed about this latest saga. They will counsel Thaksin against sacking Eriksson.
Like most of their supporters, they feel that the long-term future of the club is in safe hands under the pragmatic, unflappable Swede. But the problem is that they may well not be asked. As clubs like City, Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Chelsea are finding out, wealthy foreigners do not buy football clubs to be told what to do. They buy them to fulfil fantasies, to make money or, in Thaksin's case, to satisfy political agendas.
Sadly, coaches like Eriksson are disposable and vulnerable. If the Swede did not sense this before this week, then he certainly will now.