The Madness Of Manchester City

The dangers presented by foreign owners are becoming increasingly apparent.

Liverpool’s American owners have caused a normally stable club to fall into disrepute and an uncertain future. Now Manchester City’s Thai owner has raised the stakes further by opting to rid of coach Sven-Göran Eriksson despite consensus that the Swede was a great success in his first year.

Eriksson and his boss, Thaksin Shinawatra, agreed upon a five-year plan upon their arrival at Eastlands and a target was set out for the opening 12 months: finish inside the top ten.

Yet despite fulfilling what was asked of him, Eriksson is set to be sacked at the end of the season.

What more could he have done?

Managers are seemingly on a hiding to nothing when they agree to work for an owner with little knowledge of the game yet crave immediate, often unattainable levels of success. Tom Hicks has raised continual questions about Rafa Benítez’s future and Roman Abramovich disposed of Claudio Ranieri and José Mourinho with little compassion.

Yet Eriksson’s imminent departure is the most puzzling. Benítez was expected to guide Liverpool to the Premier League title and was afforded money to do so, Ranieri failed both domestically and in the Champions League and Mourinho disappointed in the 2006/7 season. The pressure on the top four is understandably far more intense, but Manchester City only narrowly avoided relegation last season.

Under Eriksson, they were transformed – stylish, fluent and confident.

His fantastic start to the season appears to have undermined him. He raised the expectation levels – especially Shinawatra’s – but it was no surprise when City faded away in the second half of the campaign. It was Eriksson’s first year in charge and he had made it clear that it would need more than one to turn City into a side capable of regularly challenge for the European positions.

In the meantime, a top half finish was a definite sign of progress.

Not so for Shinawatra, who risks the wrath of City fans with this controversial move. And if Eriksson’s replacement does not immediately better Eriksson’s performance, it could be the billionaire who is ousted next.

Although Shinawatra is now almost boasting his power as owner, the Liverpool fans have already demonstrated what supporter pressure can achieve – and City fans are set to follow suit in the remaining two games of the season, even if Eriksson’s departure looks inevitable.

One foreign owner who has attracted the right headlines – Aston Villa’s Randy Lerner – could offer a few lessons in club management to Shinawatra, whose suitability has been questioned because of his human rights record when Prime Minister of Thailand.

Last season, Martin O’Neill led Villa to a terrific start but like City, their season wilted dramatically. But there was no push of the panic button from Lerner; instead, support was forthcoming. This year, he and the fans are earning their just rewards as the club head for Europe while offering a thrilling brand of football.

Whether it is Lippi, Scolari (overcoming Sven yet again) or Bilic who follow Eriksson, expect further turmoil and more unrealistic objectives next campaign. Such a situation rarely results in instant glory, but Shinawatra is of the opinion that money guarantees progress, not constancy or long-term planning. He has risked the reputation he built up with City’s fans in 2007, but the odds dictate that this gamble will not pay out any dividends.