Thaksin Shinawatra insists he is at Manchester City for the long-term, but the former Thai Prime Minster is still to reveal whether Sven Goran Eriksson will be staying beyond the end of the season.
Thaksin is due to meet Eriksson this weekend to discuss City’s disappointing form in the second half of the season, with reports suggesting the Swede could be sacked after failing to meet his owner’s expectations.
Eriksson’s job prospects were hardly improved by Saturday’s 3-2 defeat against struggling Fulham in front of Thaksin, who flew in from Thailand especially to speak to the ex-England coach.
“I felt very optimistic after I got Sven Goran Eriksson as coach,” Thaksin said. “We also got some new players and even though it was quite heavy on my pocket, I was very confident the club would be moving forward.
“At the start of the season we were playing exciting football and making new friends. I like that style and the way Sven was training them, the way the team came together and the way they played football.”
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been linked with Eriksson’s job but whoever is in charge next season will have Thaksin as his boss.
“I want to keep the club long-term,” he said. “It will remain private and I want to hold it for life.
“I see the club as always growing and growing beyond the city of Manchester. The Premier League is a global brand, so if we are in the UEFA Cup or Champions League it will mean we will go beyond Manchester.”
