
After posting this morning regarding the suggestion we should consider pulling the plug on negotiations with Thaksin Shinawatra, I receive word stating that the BBC are about to break a story indicating negotiations are at an extremely advanced stage (with a bid I have been told likely in the next couple of days that is acceptable to Wardle and Makin) and that Sven-Goran Eriksson is lined up as the manager-elect, having already been interviewed by the Shinawatra group. A couple of hours later and the piece duly appears on the BBC site.
The Eriksson link is the interesting story of the day though, and in particular comments attributed to The Supporters Trust) that the general opinion of City fans is 70/30 against Eriksson taking charge. The comments have not been received too well judging by the initial response on their blog (or indeed this one) and message boards alike.
As ever with Eriksson their is a great deal of interest in him, and the story (and comments) was duly picked up in this country by most of the media outlets, but also world wide with the thread of the pieces being very anti-Eriksson.
Personally, if there is a chance of Eriksson I would be delighted to capture him. According to sources, Juande Ramos will not be leaving Sevilla at the end of the season - preferring to have next seasons Champions League on his CV whilst luminaries such as Hughes, Coleman and Jewell should undoubtedly be given a wide berth.
Eriksson has a fantastic club record, both at large and small sides, and his England record stands comparison with all of his peers. Undoubtedly his name would attract players of note to the club and he would be armed with financial muscle to compete for signings, yet he was never welcomed by the media and England fans alike, and of course with a potential owner who would be fair game for the press corps, they will be drooling over the prospect of getting stuck into Eriksson.
For me though he is the strongest and obvious candidate. Hopefully his denials (via his agent) today are merely lip service to the press and before too long he will be arriving at the club along with new ownership to at the very least put an end to the drawn out proceedings of the past six weeks.
Then the real saga can begin.