Writing on the wall for Eriksson as City owner plans review of season

SVEN-GÖRAN Eriksson may be about to discover a former television weathergirl scorned has little fire compared to that of a Thailand billionaire in a similar rage.

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has voiced his displeasure about his club's faltering form in the second half of the current Premier League season to reporters in Dubai.

More chilling for his manager, however, is Thaksin's pledge to decide on the Swede's fate at the end of the campaign.

The City owner said: "There are no plans at the moment. We will have to evaluate at the end of the season."

Eriksson began this season in fine style at Eastlands, after bringing in players such as Martin Petrov, Rolando Bianchi and Elano during the summer, spending in the region of £40million of Thaksin's money. Three successive wins, including a single-goal triumph over Manchester United, suggested a bright future for City. And even the 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea at the end of October could not put the team off their stride at home where no points were dropped until Blackburn Rovers claimed a draw on 27 December courtesy of a late Roque Santa Cruz equaliser.

Since then, however – February's 2-1 win at Old Trafford notwithstanding – Eriksson's team have slid off the pace in the chase for a European place.

Where City supporters had thoughts of the Champions League in the opening half of the season, home defeats by Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea – coupled with draws against struggling sides such as Derby and Bolton – have seen the team clinging on to a place in the top half of the Premier League table come the end of the campaign.

While City may consider themselves a 'massive club', swift research into recent history would be useful for the former Thai Prime Minister.

Peter Reid guided the team to a top-five finish in 1992 in the old First Division before the late Peter Swales, then City chairman, dispensed with the Merseysider just four games into the 1993-94 campaign. Subsequently, City's demise was as spectacular as it was demoralising with successive demotions eventually leaving the club in the third tier ten years ago.

However, Thaksin is no stranger to writing his own course of destiny. He was the first publicly-elected PM to see out a full term in Thailand and retains the support of the rural heartlands and the business community in the country for his policy on health and economics. All this remains despite Thaksin being deposed as Thailand's prime minister in a 2006 military coup, accused of corruption after five years in charge.

And his words at a Dubai business conference may have some resonance with Eriksson. Thaksin said: "I'm not happy with the performance of the club in the second half of the season. We will look at it at the end of the season and assess the club and the people involved."

He added: "We'll probably have to sell some players and buy some new ones. We need some defenders, midfielders. . . midfielders are the key. We have some good players but we need more."

In an ironic twist, Eriksson's position has been linked with former Portugal head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari – the man courted so publicly by the Football Association for the England managerial role vacated by Eriksson after the 2006 World Cup.

Schmeichel wants to move on

Sean Taylor

KASPER Schmeichel, who spent a period on loan at Falkirk last season, admits he does not see a future for himself at Manchester City.

The 21-year-old, son of Manchester United legend Peter, made his debut for Sven-Göran Eriksson's side this season, starting the campaign as the club's first-choice keeper.

However, the emergence of Joe Hart pushed the Dane down the pecking order at Eastlands and he was forced to join Cardiff on loan in October in order to feed his hunger for first-team football.

Schmeichel returned to City at the turn of the year but could still not force his way into Eriksson's plans, and in March he agreed to join Coventry until the end of the season.

"I spoke to Sven last week and explained to him that I want to play first-team football," said Schmeichel. "He said that he can't promise me that, so if I am honest it looks like my future might not be at City.

"I have got three years left on a good contract so I could bide my time, but I want to play. It is as simple as that.

"The future is exciting. I could go anywhere in Europe to play my football: Spain, Italy or stay here in England.

"I am looking forward to it but for now I am not thinking about that. I am a Coventry player at the moment and my job is to help Coventry to be safe (from relegation]."

• Manchester City will join Italian club Juventus to face Hong Kong treble winners South China in two exhibition matches in Hong Kong next month.

City will face a South China Invitation team at the 40,000-seater Hong Kong Stadium on 22 May, before Claudio Ranieri's Juve take on South China.

Juventus' Asia-Pacific Tour is expected to take place between 19-31 May and include two more games, while City are expected to also play in Thailand, the home country of chairman Thaksin Shinawatra, the country's former prime minister.