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Is Eriksson right for Manchester City?

Premiership Manchester City
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Sven-Goran Eriksson's emergence as Manchester City's prime managerial target will be greeted by a wave of indifference from those who inhabit Eastlands on a regular basis.

Eriksson has held talks with the club's proposed buyer, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and seemingly his influential advisor Keith Harris.

The current City regime prefers eminently more sensible targets such as Sevilla's Juande Ramos, who I understand is still registering interest in succeeding Stuart Pearce.

Or if they cannot land Ramos, a team-builder who will restore City on sensible foundations.

So is it an ill-judged move appointing Eriksson? I suspect so.

Eriksson is a strange option for City's new owners to take.

Privately, he was being firmly ruled out of the equation, along with Gerard Houllier, just a few short weeks ago.

Now he is not just back in the race, he is leading the way towards the finishing line.

Surely Thaksin's camp would be wise to listen to those who are still holding the reins at City, those with a greater feel for the club and its followers than the Thai and his cohorts?

Eriksson does not look a comfortable fit as City's new boss.

City's present owners have put together their own identikit boss - namely a European who would nurture and work with the club's outstanding academy.

Eriksson has an enviable record of domestic success at Gothenburg, Benfica, Roma, Sampdoria and Lazio.

But is he a modernising team builder? Would he come near City if he was not enticed by the prospect of a huge transfer fund?

And as he approaches 60, would Eriksson have the hunger and drive to take on what is a rebuilding job as opposed to a minor makeover?

And then we come to the fact that Eriksson also has more baggage to handle than Heathrow Airport on a Bank Holiday weekend.

Eriksson's credibility was holed below the water line by his performance as England boss in the lead up to, and during, the World Cup in Germany last summer.

I had the dubious privilege of watching Eriksson in "action" in Germany - and a more lamentable and uninspiring figure would be hard to imagine.

From picking a ludicrously imbalanced squad, to his uninspiring tactics, wretched substitutions and all-round inertia, it was a dismal personal display gruesomely reflected by his England team.

By the end of the campaign he had become a mystifying figure of ridicule, a spent force.

And there has certainly been no rush to drag him out of his exile since he was, by any other name, sacked by the Football Association.

Eriksson's career in England has been accompanied by kiss-and-tell revelations and a clandestine meeting with Chelsea that somehow earned him a lucrative new deal from the FA.

He is a flawed figure who attracts a media feeding frenzy and will do so again.

Manchester City's own interests and profile could end up being a sideshow to the Eriksson circus. Not what they need at present.

And do City, as with Kevin Keegan, want another wounded former England manager to take charge?

It is a treacherous path for Thaksin to negotiate.

True, Eriksson can answer back with his record at club level throughout his career.

But as far as Thaksin and his confidantes are concerned, this is an area they should tread with care.

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comment by gas-patch (U8196857)

posted Jun 24, 2007

you know its bad when phil mcnulty is writing it. erickssons club record is exceptional. why wouldnt he be good for man city? i think he will do a good job, and whats wrong with being lured by a transfer budget? he clearly thinks he can do something there, and id love him to suceed there and shut a few people up (no names metioned phil)

oohhhh but he doest prance around on the sideline like stuart pearce!!! oh no. because stuart is clearly such a wonderful manager.

come on sven. i believe.

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comment by From Sweden (U8166003)

posted Jun 24, 2007

Sarforo; I agree with you! couldn't have said it better myself!

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comment by footypolitics (U8836539)

posted Jun 25, 2007

I think people are little confused.. Maybe even un-educated. For me the best ever england game was england beating the Germans in Munich 5-1. It's a better result than the 1966 World Cup Final. Who go's to Munich and beats the germans on the own patch.? Nobody else in the history of football has done that like we did. And, apart from the exception of Sir Alf Ramsey and possibly Bobby Robson, Sven has been the best England manager we ever had. So, yes he made mistakes notibly at the last world cup but he has a better record than Alf Ramsey to. Apart from the Northern Ireland game where we lacked ambition we have been a force to be reckoned with. Think Argentina in geneva, we looked capable of being world champions for years to come. But under Steve Mclaren we are much much worse. If Sven was still england manager we would have probably already qualified for the next European Championship.

For Man City supporters to say Sven would be a terrible appointment, i got one thing to say. 'Sven is better than Allardyce - fact, and Ramos and who ever else you want.' Ramos is not experienced in the champions league and we can see how good his management skills are next season when Sevilla get knocked out in the second round. Besides, why would he leave Sevilla to join a smaller club in Man City..? If Sven was to manage in the premiership, whatever team he managed would finnish in the top 6/7. Even if he was Watford manager. He would only be undermined as the best manager by the likes of Mourinho, Ferguson, Wenger and Benitez. Why people cant understand that is beyond me, they quick to forget all the great things he did for our country and all jump on the bandwagon. Like a bunch of immature school girls. Well, if you dont get Eriksson and end up with some other half wit, you might get relegated. Eriksson is one of the only men available in the world who is good enough to take City to the top 6 of the table and build so they stay there for years to come.

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comment by Livewireblue (U8117950)

posted Jun 25, 2007

Perfectly put "footypolitics".....spot on.
This is one City fan who welcomes him with open arms

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comment by marine7 (U8837708)

posted Jun 25, 2007

SVEN IS A GOOD MANAGER, BUT HIS MORAL EXPECTATIONS, ARE VERY LOW TO SAY THE LEAST.ALL FANS LOVE A WINNER, BUT NOT A PUBLIC WOMANISER, AND A MONEY ORIENTED GRABBER.WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, HE MIGHT FIND, BEING 60, WITH ALL THE FANS , AND THE PRESS ON HIS BACK,TOO MUCH, HE WILL GO. THE TRANSFER KITTY, WOULD BE A LOT MORE, IF YOU WEREN'T PAYING SILLY MONEY, FOR SVEN. HE WON'T COME CHEAP.

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comment by Straeh (U7060547)

posted Jun 25, 2007

A public womaniser? he was private about it, everyone else were the ones talking and exposing.

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comment by Nooky47 (U8523297)

posted Jun 25, 2007

i'm posing this as a serious question....regardless of who takes over at city and regardless of the money, how many players do you think man city need to avoid the drop?!

joking aside, the squad is pretty average, your strikers have been pretty poor and losing losing a great playmaker in barton (alright he was a thug), where and who do you bring in....realistically?

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comment by chav_slayer (U1669734)

posted Jun 25, 2007

Yeah Sven's gonna be great for City. He'll bring in stevo mcclaren as his number 2 once the england job is done. Sven will attract big signings like beckham and lampard too. I think we need a proven goal scorer so I hope Sven calls on Teddy Sheringham or Kev Philips.

Sven will make City a big club again.

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comment by Nooky47 (U8523297)

posted Jun 25, 2007

chav....i really dont think teddy will have the legs for a full season up front....phillips on the other hand??????

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comment by mattjersey1966 (U7901666)

posted Nov 16, 2007

Ha ha - just re-looking at some old stuff. "Big" Phil McNulty showing off his clear expertise (that's sarcasm, btw).

Phil McNulty, please can you explain how, presumably due to luck or the incompetence of others, Sven's team are in the top four, and looking good for it?

Of course, your retort will be "oh, just you wait till after Xmas" or something. Yeah. Presumably they should have hired Hoddle or some other great Brit. Maybe even sack him for McLaren next week once the FA find the guts to cut McClown loose.

Your footballing nous is clearly questionable. Prarphrasing, "After watching England under Sven week in week out" etc. Ha ha.

Maybe find another sport?

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