Scolari is City target to replace Eriksson
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Manchester City have identified Luiz Felipe Scolari as the best candidate to be their new manager after Thaksin Shinawatra's ruthless decision to pay off Sven-Goran Eriksson. A network of some of the more powerful agents in the business has already begun the process of luring Scolari to England after he has coached the Portuguese national team in this summer's European Championship.
With Eriksson reluctantly accepting that his three-year contract is being ended after barely 10 months, and with supporters planning protests at Sunday's game at Liverpool, City's trigger-happy owner has insisted he "will find the best solution for the club". High-ranking City executives are still hoping to dissuade him but Thaksin did not become the prime minister of Thailand without making tough and unpopular decisions. Eriksson, for one, has given up hope and can expect compensation of £1m.
The Swede was said to be "very unhappy" but he is unlikely to be out of work for long. Benfica is one possible destination but he would rather stay in England and will monitor what happens to Avram Grant at Chelsea. "If the right job comes along in England, Spain, France or Italy, and it's a really good club with a chance of doing something, he will be there," his agent, Athole Still, said last night.
Eriksson's impending departure has dismayed the vast majority of City's supporters as well as the chief executive, Alistair Mackintosh, and the vice-chairman, John Wardle, but Thaksin is unrepentant, insisting City will be better off with Scolari and that the club were treading water under the current manager. Scolari, who came close to succeeding Eriksson as England's head coach two years ago, has already stated that he will end his role with the Portuguese football federation after Euro 2008. He is fully aware of City's interest.
Personality-wise, Scolari is also about as far removed from Eriksson as possible. The Brazilian is famous for his temper and, if he accepts the position, it remains to be seen how he will get on with a man as autocratic and impatient for success as Thaksin. City lie ninth in the Premier League and Thaksin has repeatedly stated that he would be satisfied with a top-10 finish, but those now look like hollow words.
"It's true what people are saying," Tord Grip, one of Eriksson's assistants, said when asked if they would be leaving City. "Why? Well, they probably think that the job we have done is not good enough. They say we have done a bad job. We believe we have done a good job but I don't think the owner has shown enough patience. This has happened so fast. That's what this is all about - patience."
City released a brief statement, saying: "Dr Thaksin Shinawatra recently stated that there would be a full review of the club at the end of the season. The situation remains the same. Sven-Goran Eriksson, the players, board and staff of the football club are fully focused on the two remaining games of the current campaign."
Eriksson said only: "The chairman and I spoke at the weekend but I do not wish to comment any further. The game with Liverpool on Sunday is most important and we are working very hard to prepare properly for the trip to Anfield and our final game at Middlesbrough."
Privately, however, he will admit to disappointment. "Thaksin made some comments about being dissatisfied with the team and indirectly with the manager. Sven was very unhappy about that in the sense that, if there was dissatisfaction, it should have been discussed internally first and not in the media," said Still.
"If Thaksin was going to give Sven his ringing support we would have heard it over the last couple of days. I could be wrong; I hope I am wrong, because there is a job half done here and I have no doubt that if Sven were left to manage in the way he manages and to select his own players he would have been challenging for the Uefa Cup next year, or maybe even higher."
Still insisted Eriksson would not resign. "The only thing I can say with assurance is that Sven will not be walking. You walk if you feel you have done a bad job and are not worthy of the position, and in Sven's case that is very far from the truth."
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Eriksson to be sacked by Man City
Sven-Goran Eriksson has been told he will be sacked as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, BBC Sport understands.
City owner Thaksin Shinawatra told Eriksson he was "not the right man for the job" at a meeting on Sunday, a source close to the manager said. Eriksson informed the players at training on Monday that he would be dismissed, provoking an angry response. The Swede, who has two years left on his contract, says he will not resign.
Shinawatra has been unhappy with City's results since the turn of the year. The Thai billionaire was at the City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday to watch his team throw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against Fulham. Afterwards, he held a meeting with Eriksson and told him he would be dismissed after their final two games of the season.
"Sven reacted calmly, as usual, but he was very surprised and disappointed," the source told BBC Sport. "He doesn't want to leave the club and will not resign. He loves working with the players and his work at Manchester City has only just begun."
City confirmed that Eriksson would be in charge for the final two games of the season, away at Liverpool and Middlesbrough, but made no comment about what would happen in the summer. Eriksson's assistant, Tord Grip, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he expected them to leave City at the end of the season. "We will be here for the two last matches. They probably think that we haven't done a good enough job", said Grip.
"Sven will receive new offers soon I'm sure." Eriksson took over as City manager five weeks before the start of the season and the team occupied third spot in the Premiership in November. However, their form has faltered badly since Christmas and they now lie ninth, having won just four of their last 15 games.
"The team has not been playing as well as it should have or getting the right results since Christmas," said the source. "But overall it has been a good season. Thaksin agreed a five-year plan with Sven in the summer and the target for the first year was to finish in the top 10."
Shinawatra bankrolled eight summer signings at a cost of more than £46m shortly after buying the club, but BBC Sport understands he has had no direct contact with Eriksson in the second half of the season. They met several times personally at the start of the season and then nothing," said the source.
"Sven has had a list of players he wants to sign next summer for several weeks, but he hasn't been able to get the go-ahead to get them. "He talks to (City chief executive) Alistair Macintosh, but things break down when he then goes to the chairman."
The City players are understood to have reacted with a mixture of shock and anger when Eriksson told them he would be leaving. Last week, City defender Micah Richards said in his BBC Sport website column that the players were "100% behind" Eriksson. "I think it is crazy that his job is even being talked about as being in danger - he has been good for everyone at City," said Richards.
Shinawatra will now set about the task of landing a new manager, with Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari already touted as a replacement for Eriksson. It seems certain that any new manager will have a considerable amount of money to spend in the summer.
Shinawatra has hundreds of millions of pounds worth of assets in Thailand frozen as he awaits trial on corruption charges later this year. Yet his former lawyer, Noppadom Pattama, who is now Thailand's foreign minister, told BBC Sport that he expected these assets to be "unfrozen in the near future".
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city have already overachieved and yet they dont know how to be satisfied.
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like we said thaksin do not understand football all he thinks is money and good managers can bring the team up
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will his gems leave?
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scolari come chelsea please!!!
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Eriksson or many manager has become scapegoat of club failure.
he could be the political victim of thaksin as the try to regain the popularity in thailand.
reason? the sacking of eriksson will cause headline in thai newspaper. the appointment of scolari will feature in headlines again.
motive: his limelight or popularity in thailand could decide whether he is deem guilty or not in the ongoing corruption trail in thailand.
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MAD CITY !
... no more Man City.A PETITION has now been set up to help save under-fire City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The former England coach is on the verge of being forced out of the club after talks with owner Thaksin Shinawatra
City fans have voiced their support of Eriksson in recent matches with the Swede having led the Blues to our best-ever Premier League points tally in just his 1st season in charge.
Thaksin is considering getting rid of Eriksson and bringing in another high-profile coach but I haven't heard of a City fan yet that wants to see Sven go.
So, if you want to help Save Sven, then please sign up to this petition. Man City Mad have and the number of signatures are almost up to 5,000 already.