Eriksson faces six-game trial

By IAN LADYMAN - More by this author » Last updated at 21:46pm on 31st March 2008

Sven Goran Eriksson faces a battle to convince Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra he is the right man to lead the club into the future.

Despite spending in excess of £50million since taking over in the summer, a slump has seen City slide towards mid-table in the Barclays Premier League, missing out on a UEFA Cup place.

Sven Goran Eriksson and Thaksin Shinawatra

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Sportsmail understands Thaksin has serious doubts that Eriksson can provide the success which the former Thai Prime Minister craves.

While there is no immediate threat to Eriksson's position, it is understood Thaksin will monitor what happens at City closely between now and the end of the season and then make a decision.

So the remaining six games of the season, which begin at home to Chelsea on Saturday, are critical for the former England coach.

Chairman and manager have enjoyed a healthy relationship since Thaksin bought City for £80m and appointed the 60-year-old manager last summer.

But City's poor form this year has planted doubts in Thaksin's mind, and he is not sure if he trusts Eriksson to spend another lump of the Thai's personal fortune wisely.

Despite recording a League double over Manchester United this season, City have won just three of their last 15 Premier League games and were dire when losing at Birmingham on Saturday.

It is understood Thaksin has been shocked by City's decline and is also concerned about what he sees as poor entertainment from the team, his coach's 'inconsistent' selections and an inability to sell out the 45,000-capacity City of Manchester Stadium regularly.

However, the Swede is the club's most popular manager for years — both inside and outside the club — and most football judges think he will need three or four years to turn City into the force in Europe that Thaksin wants them to be. Just last Thursday, Eriksson said: "This is a long-term project, longer than two or three years, but that's fine."

Senior figures inside City feel they have the right man in Eriksson and that the foundations for progress are in place. They also feel that an average home gate of around 40,000 compares favourably to others outside the top four.

But what is counting against Eriksson — and indeed anyone who works under Thaksin — is the owner's impatience. The impetus behind Thaksin's purchase of City has always been his desire to raise his popularity and profile back in Thailand, where he was deposed as Prime Minister in September 2006.

Thaksin has returned to Asia to fight corruption charges levelled against him and feels the tide of popularity has turned back in his favour. But he sees the success of his football club as crucial to his long-term standing at home and, therefore, feels progress must come quickly.

Having seen Eriksson's team set such high standards early on during a run of form that saw them in the top five for many weeks, Thaksin, a man with no deep knowledge of football, cannot understand how his team have fallen away.

Executives at City will back Eriksson and counsel Thaksin away from making any rash decisions. Nevertheless, Thaksin's word is law at City and his misgivings about his manager are increasingly grave.