Hughes - 'I came close to walking away'

"The reality wasn't exactly what was described and sold to me," he said. "In fairness, we were able to go into the transfer market, but there seemed a focus that players had to be sold, and I realised that maybe the resources weren't in place that I thought."

"If you are single-minded, you have to work purposefully," he reflected, "and if you get to a point where it is untenable and not manageable, then you make the decision to walk away. I never got to that point – but I was close."

>>Mark Hughes.

Easy to be wise after the event of course, but in The Guardian feature by David Conn both Hughes and Garry Cook speak about their early days at the club under the crumbling Thaksin regime (including Cook's infamous 'good guy to play golf with' quote) - and hardly portray it as a good place to be.

The more that emerges over time about Thaksin's time at the club, the more you realise just how important and timely the ADUG takeover was.

One day, someone I'm sure is going to write a very interesting book about the Thaksin era.

Club end Thailand association

Manchester City have closed their Thailand operations following former owner and ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of the club, ending City's ambitious plan to become "Asia's Premier League team". Jimmy Heosontaty, City's former representative in Thailand, said a plan for an academy had been abandoned and the club's merchandise shop, launched to great fanfare last year, had closed due to a lack of interest.

"We saw no point in carrying on after the [Shinawatra] family sold their share," said Heosontaty today. "City still have fans here, but there's not a lot of interest any more."

>>guardian.co.uk

The club recently announced the addition of a 'Brand and Marketing manager', with the intention of really driving forward the clubs profile around the world.

I don't think Thailand would have been the most lucrative market as it was, but without the link to or involvement with Thaksin, even more so.

Thaksin loses position

CITY have removed former owner Thaksin Shinawatra from his position as honorary club president. Thaksin has been convicted of corruption and is on the run from authorites in Thailand having been sentenced to two years in prison. Now Blues owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak have decided that Thaksin, a former prime minister of Thailand, should no longer hold a role with the club. Thaksin has always maintained his innocence and claimed his conviction by Thailand's supreme court was "politically motivated".

>>MEN.

A very brief (almost terse) statement announcing the departure of Thaksin, although after selling the club, his role as Honorary Club President has been anything but a public one - with to my mind only one (uncomfortable) appearance where he was alongside Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

You almost wonder if the intention was to always edge Thaksin aside once the dust had settled on the takeover, as opposed to him departing immediately after the sale, and this way it at least appears less of an ousting.

The interesting factor regarding Thaksin now for me is exactly how he will be judged in terms of the history of the club? I imagine better than the wider political world will remember him, but how will his contribution to the club be regarded?

Thaksin always appeared to be viewed in an affectionate manner from the support as a whole, as if the image of him portrayed as a quasi-despot figure was not quite fitting with the figure that sought (and largely received) the affection of fans.

There is no doubt that Thaksin arrived at a time when the club was in desperate need of galvanising. As well as John Wardle et al had ran the club, serious investment was required if we were to achive anything higher than a mid-table position, and Thaksin certainly provided that impetus in hiring Sven-Goran Eriksson and investing heavily into the side. More importantly perhaps, the mood of the club was immediately lifted.

However, there was always the shadow of the many allegations against him. I remeber giving an interview to the BBC where, when discussing the accusations levelled at Thaksin, whether I would support Kim-Jong Il if he owned the club.

Many fans believed I'm sure that charges against him would either be dropped or he would be found not guilty, but of course this proved not to be the case. Whether this was because of his extremely zealous enemies or guilt is open to interpretation. In truth, both arguments are probably true to some degree.

As we approached the end of last season, his position was clearly becoming untenable as the charges mounted and his assets remained frozen. His botched handling of the Sven sacking won him few friends and ultimately he decided it best to sell up both in his and he clubs best interests as it was becoming more and more uncomfortable with him at the helm and as the club figurehead.

It shouldn't be forgotten that Thaksin's influence certainly helped to garner momentum and get the ball rolling in the direction that the new ownership group want to take the club. Of course given the new ownership groups seemingly bottomless pockets and savvy PR moves, Thaksin himself has largely been forgotten, and it is likely that the more successful the club becomes under the current ownership, the more that Thakin's brief, but eventful tenure as owner will be equally forgotten.

Thaksin found guilty

Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was today sentenced to two years' imprisonment in absentia over a corrupt land deal.

In a ruling that made him the first Thai politician to be convicted of corruption committed while prime minister, Thaksin was found to have violated conflict of interest rules in helping his wife buy land from a state agency at a reduced price.

The conviction was the first against Thaksin since he was ousted by a military coup in 2006, despite a raft of other corruption charges against him.

>>guardian.co.uk

Whilst it won't affect Thaksin's immediate status given he has no plans to return to Thailand anytime soon, there could be ramifications further down the line given the report suggest that his extradition is likely to be sought.

Thaksin was cleared of a more serious charge of abuse of power to obtain the land at a bargain price, and dismissed the guilty charge, saying "I had long anticipated it would turn out this way."

The issue of extradition was the main worry I had when he was still owner of the club, and whilst he does have approximately a 10% stake in the club still, the effect is nowhere near on the scale it would have been had he been at the helm.

Still, I don't see how the UK government deny the request given Thailand is no longer under military regime, a decision Thaksin will surely challenge, leading to a lengthy (and expensive) legal process.

UPDATE: The Express suggests Thaksin will sell his remaining 10% holding in the club following the verdict.

Tough line from the Premier League

"You could argue that one of the reasons that Mr Shinawatra has decided that it might be right to to sell is that it might be at some point he may fail our fit and proper persons test."

>>Richard Scudamore.

I've heard of stretching the truth, but surely this is something else?

The Telegraph interview with Garry Cook

"Is he a nice guy? Yes. Is he a great guy to play golf with? Yes. Has he got the finances to run a club? Yes. I really care about those three things. I need a left-back who can win tackles, get the crosses in and Jo can bang them in. Whether he’s guilty of something over there, I can’t worry too much about."

>>telegraph.co.uk

Quite a revealing interview with Henry Winter in The Telegraph which covers a range of topics - from what Thaksin is really like, long term plans for the club (and its financing), the pursuit of Ronaldinho and some very, very interesting thoughts on the future of the Premier League.

(Unsurprisingly) it provides a defence of Thaksin and gives a glimpse into his relationship with Mark Hughes - something which will hardly dampen the rumours with regards to transfer disharmony over the past couple of weeks:

"I’m not treating them like a commodity but in the two transfer windows everybody is for sale,”We told Mark not to come if he thought we didn’t need a superstar. Mark wants to challenge himself to manage the best footballers in the world.

But Mark is from the old school. He would rather overpay for the player he knows than for the player where he’s relying on scouting reports. That’s an endearing piece of what Mark is all about."

Well worth a read indeed.

A wanted man

BANGKOK: Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is facing numerous corruption and power abuse charges here, is seeking political asylum in Britain.

In a statement issued to the government-owned NBT television channel, Thaksin said he was leaving for London where he has a home because Thailand's justice system was not being fair to him and "practised double standards."

Thaksin, who was ousted by the military in a coup on Sept 19 2006 after five years in office, also said that his life was in danger, adding that he had to use a bulletproof car while travelling in the country.

The policeman-turned-telecommunication billionaire was supposed to testify at the Supreme Court on Monday in connection with a 772mil-baht (about RM76mil) land purchase at Rachadaphisek Road here six years ago.

>>thestar.com

And current events at the club get even more bizarre.

Not a surprise that he wound up in London given the reports late last night that he failed to catch his flight back from China to Thailand to ensure he could testify in court this morning, and effectively Thaksin (and his wife who has already been found guilty of course) is now on the run given that an arrest warrant has been issued.

"What happened to me and my family and my close relations resulted from efforts to get rid of me from politics," Mr Thaksin said in the hand-written statement.

"These are my political enemies. They don't care about the rule of law, facts or internationally recognised due process."

There was no mention in the statement that he would seek asylum here in the UK, but it would certainly be an interesting move if he did apply for asylum - one which I'm sure the Government hopes is not forthcoming.

Not being familiar with the Thai political and judiciary set up, I don't know if Thaksin and his wife can be tried in abstentia. Even if he isn't, what the Premier League will make of the whole situation from the perspective of him being a 'fit and proper' person will also be worth keeping an eye on, given that they now have an owner of one of the clubs under their umbrella who could be classed as a fugitive.

A headache that I'm certain they could do without, but one I'm sure that they have to address and my view is that despite being back in the UK in close proximity of the club, Thaksin is unlikely to adopt a high profile or appear to have much of an active interest in the day to day running of the club as he tries to decide upon his next move, given that it appears his opponents will not be content to adopt the 'out of sight, out of mind' view I'm sure he is hoping for.

Transfer rumours gather pace

After it seemed that the Corluka stories had died down and he would perhaps remain a City player, rumours gathered apace yesterday (Saturday) morning as some newspaper reports suggested that the move to Tottenham would be completed prior to the season starting, and more fuel was added to the fire when it was reported that he did not feature in the team photograph, and was then left out the side for the final pre-season game against Milan.

It does seem inevitable that Corluka is on his way, and it is disappointing news given the impressive season he had last campaign and at 22 years of age, has plenty of upside ahead of him. However, the current financial situation at the club does appear such that at the very least we need to trim the wage bill and by a strange quirk, we have to sell Corluka in order to actually finish paying for him.

Given the quality we have in defence - and this season it appears that Ben Haim is set to partner Dunne in the centre with Richards at right back, Corluka to a degree does become expendable and if we have to sell then better it be a player such as that than an enforced sale such as Richards, Petrov or Elano which would the side far more.

Having said that, it is a sad state that we find ourself in if finances are such that we are being forced into sanctioning a couple of sales to balance the books, and is something that the press are beginning to prick their ears up about as they sniff around for a headline or two.

Another player who could be on his way is Stephen Ireland. Rumours linking him to Sunderland again surfaced this weekend - partly like the Corluka scenario where it is a player who could be expendable but perhaps also because Mark Hughes does not see him fitting into the side, and he was again left out of the side yesterday (with TV later indicating he was initially told to stay away from the game).

Ireland for me is an undoubted talent - despite all his quirks and slightly odd behaviour, and whilst his progress has been somewhat steady, I do believe that given his still young age he has plenty ahead of him and whilst £5 million may well be a decent return, further ahead we could look back on a sale with a great deal of regret.

One player who appears to be staying though (for now at least) is Rolando Bianchi. The club turned down a bid from Torino which would see him move to Turin on loan with a £2 million option at the end of the season. Rumours now link him with a potential move to Genoa as it seems inevitable that he will not be with his this season and I think the only reason a move has not gone through so far is that we are trying to recoup as much of our initial outlay back for him.

An interesting week all in all then as instead of new arrivals coming into the club with season just around the corner, we are having to face the prospect of players heading out of the exit door. Not an ideal start, and with the political and financial problems for our owner ever increasing, it is with a sense of aprehension that we head towards the season with.

An ill wind blowing for Thaksin?

I suggested last week that in the wake of further charges being levelled against him that it was surprising that the English press had been quiet with regards to Thaksin this summer, but the headlines this morning certainly put an end to that.

Reacting to comments coming from the club that Thaksin had been seeking additional investors to put their money into the club, the morning headlines were stating that the For Sale signs were busy being put up at Eastlands.

Of course, there were no direct quotes to back this up and I'm inclined to take this on face value that there is no intention from Thaksin to put the club on the market - something that was confirmed later in the day, and an element of sensationalism is not beyond the headline writers from Fleet Street.

Even so, it is worrying nonetheless to think we are in a position where Thaksin is in need of additional investment for the club given the levels of finance we understood to be available to him - even with a large portion of his assets continuing to be frozen, and is a stark admission that all is far from rosy for Thaksin at present as the political problems for him and his family continue to intensify.

This issue has now been suggested as the reason for a general lack of transfer activity this summer, with the reports of Corluka being sold to Tottenham (although he is 'surprisingly' playing this evening against Celtic) used as evidence and it does make the signing of Jo look questionable and the pursuit of Ronaldino even more so if the transfer purse strings are tight - something that could be exasberated further if we are having to stump up large sums this summer as part of the deals that saw the mass influx of players from abroad arrive this time last year.

Perhaps now though we are beginning to see the impact the continued legal troubles Thaksin is facing finally having a direct impact on the club if help is being sought and is a situation that many who greeted Thaksin with a touch of scepticism feared would one day happen.

Silence is usually fertile ground for rumours to start and given that the clubs response to the reports today have been far from conclusive, with only a brief comment:

"It is not true to say Thaksin Shinawatra is selling Manchester City," a City spokesman said.

"He spoke with Garry Cook this morning and those were the sentiments he echoed in very strong terms."

I don't expect the stories to subside though and given the season is now just 10 days or so away is hardly the ideal preparation - especially so given the apparant need for certain areas of the squad to be reinforced.

The danger is that for all the progress made last season, and the lofty promises made during the past year, we are in danger of standing still whilst those around us continue to move forward, and the concern for me at this stage is that once again off field issues could once again be the focal point of attention throughout the season.

Thaksin set to face further charges

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra's struggle to clear his name and recover £800m took another turn for the worse yesterday when a court in Bangkok accepted charges in a third criminal case against the former Thai Prime Minister.

Thaksin and dozens of government workers and ministers are accused of abuse of power in a state lottery that lost around £500m from 2003. The telecoms billionaire must now await a court hearing in September which will decree whether he and 46 others involved in alleged tax exemption and misspending irregularities must repay the money.

>>independent.co.uk

I'm surprised at the relatively limited coverage this has received (in the UK anyway) given the fact the press were all over him last season following his arrival and the subsequent legal issues he faced, but it is further evidence that things are not going completely in our owners favour.

Recent reports coming out of Thailand (a good round-up here) suggested that far from Thaksin seeing all charges against him quickly dropped once his 'political friends' gained power, it has been far from easy for Thaksin to clear his name and unfreeze his assets with the political landscape still uncertain.

I don't believe ome of the over reaction that Thaksin's current issues will affect our immediate transfer prospects - and the club are believed to be looking to back Mark Hughes, but it is another blow to the club in terms of its PR - which could get a whole lot worse in the near future.

Some further links regarding the charges:

• Channel News Asia
• Yahoo
• The Nation
• MSN news

Mackintosh leaves the club

Manchester City Chief Executive Alistair Mackintosh has left the football club today by mutual consent.

Executive Chairman Garry Cook said: “I would like to thank Alistair for his decade of service to the club. He took us through a period of great change and progress, particularly the move from Maine Road to our home here at The City of Manchester Stadium.

“He goes with our very best wishes for the future.”

>>mcfc.co.uk

A fairly brief and terse statement from the club, and news that was widely expected following the appointment, and high profile that Gary Cook has had since he arrived (particularly with the appointment of Mark Hughes).

It was difficult to see how the two could realistically co-exist side by side given that Cook is clearly Thaksin's 'man', and I had heard earlier in the season that Mackintosh (and also Paul Tyrrell) would step aside this summer once there had been a (season long) period of transition from the old to new regime.

It is very much Cook's way now, and he looks to be a fairly impressive character thus far, certainly appearing more visible and accessible than Mackintosh ever was, but despite the general lack of support or feeling that the fans ever had towards him Mackintosh appears well respected in the game with a number of potential suitors for his services, indicating that he likely won't be out of work for too long.

And so it continues

Manchester City will decide on Sven-Goran Eriksson's future within three weeks, an adviser to club owner Thaksin Shinawatra has said.

Pairoj Piempongsant, a Thai businessman who helps City recruit players, said the club was still chasing Barcelona's Ronaldinho and would make a decision on both soon. "The negotiations must be complete by June 15, which include the team manager," he said.

>>guardian.co.uk

In some respects it was almost a blessing to actually get some news given the way the sage that plagued the end of season has managed to drag on as we head into June and almost into the Euro 2008 tournament.

Although still effctively in charge at the club, it is surely inconceivable that Sven will be around for next season and reports continue to link him elsewhere, with agent Athole Still not short of a word or two for the press.

The difficulty is who will be replacing him? It may be that Thaksin has dropped the ball as far as Scolari is concerned and may now be scrambling around for another suitable candidate (of which there are not an abundance of) but the danger of course is unless it is resolved on way or the other soon enough, then pre-season will shortly be upon us.

With our qualification to the UEFA Cup, pre-season will have to be dragged forward given the first qualifying round is scheduled to be played July 17th - which may of course involve a trip along the M62 for our 'home' leg.

The date of July 17th must surely be too early to believe any of our Euor 2008 participants or playes involved in World Cup qualifiers will be involved given their summer exertions, leading to very much a fringeand young looking squad taking the field - not a prospect that should be relished too heartily given the way we fared on our end of season trip, despite us being announced as one of the top seeds.

We also have the issue of potential new recruits to the club, and of course the rumour mill is churning 'targets' out at a furious rate. Can we be actively looking for new players given our managerial limbo?

If so, it begs the question who is actively behind this? Thaksin? His 'advisors'? The shadowy Pini Zihavi? There has also been speculation as to exactly what cash we do have, and it is a figure that could be reduced given Lazio's apparant reluctance to meet the initial valuation of Rolando Bianchi.

Whilst it has been nice to break away from the shambles that is occurring at the moment, it is surely of concern that nothing has been announced thus far and one hopes that June 15th is at latest the date where we can at least draw some closure and move on as this will only give the new manager (and players) a month to familiarise with one another and put together a coherent and cohesive unit.

Sven proved last year it can be done but the situation this time round is far, far different.

Bridges burned?

There was a glimmer, albeit slight that countenanced the possibility that Thaksin may yet not to decide to sack Sven at the season end, and that the fans would get their way and Sven would lead the side into next season and beyond.

Even if Thaksin has had a change of heart, it appears that whatever water has passed under the bridge the past few weeks has been enough to either suggest or convince Sven his future does lie elsewhere.

News broke yesterday of a recent meeting held between Benfica officials and Sven to discuss Sven potentially taking over the Portuguese side, and it appears that Benfica are confident of this outcome, with Sven himself not appearing to dismiss the idea.

It has however been reported though that much like Scolari, Sven is playing a waiting game at present, perhaps in the hope that Chelsea will come calling should they dispense with the services of Avram Grant.

Of course, Sven had a very public daliance with Chelsea whilst in charge of England and I'm sure would relish a move to Stamford Bridge. Should this indeed happen, then we would certainly need to brace ourselves for an impending raid on some of our more glittering talents.

Ironic of course isn' it, that after dispensing of Sven's services, he could well wind up being the choice of a side who may well have won a Premier League and Champions League double.

Whilst not the final nail, it seems now certain that Sven is out of the door anytime soon.

Thaksin better hope he can pull the deal for Scolari, or things could messy indeed.

Thaksin approaches Scolari.....or has he?

Thaksin Shinawatra has offered Luiz Felipe Scolari £3.25m a year to manage Manchester City and, in a move which has echoes of the Football Association's approach to the Brazilian ahead of the 2006 World Cup, he wants an answer before Scolari leads Portugal into the European Championship next month.

The approach to Scolari came, via a Brazilian agent, from Srisumrid Jack Taweesuk, City's executive director, whose attempts to lure the Portugal national manager are understood to have included a promise that money will be available to Scolari to buy "the players that he wants".

>>independent.co.uk

The Times claimed that Scolari had been offered £3.2 million per season to become the new boss, but had been gven a deadline to accept prior to the European Championships - a logical expectation given the way the summer tournaments obstruct off season planning, but it may also be that Thaksin could be thwarted as The Guardian reports that Scolari is in no rush to make a decision.

To confuse matters even further, there were also denials that Scolari had even been contacted, yet there seems to be enough out there to lend suggetion to the claims and BBC Sport also led with this story this afternoon, but early evening changed tack with this report that Thaksin has yet to make a decision regarding Sven's future, quoting him as saying "We have made no decision. We will do an evaluation at the end of the season."

Now, given that Thaksin himself had yet to comment regarding the stories circulating regarding Sven's sacking, could there be some truth in the quote attributed to him and that there really has been no decision until the post-season review.

Whilst the past weeks events has proved most things are possible, far too much has gone on to simply suggest that reports of Sven being sacked have been merely trumped up by an over zealous media, but whilst we still wait in limbo for confirmation one way or the other it does give provide an avenue for Thaksin to get a way out of this and save face.

Unlikely though, as despite being very much a populist politician, he is also a hard nosed and hard edged businesman and seemingly unlikely to let anything stand in his way.

I would suggest that the situation is more to do with keeping Sven hanging on as a fall back whilst he attempts to snare his more desired option.

Things get worse for Thaksin

Thaksin Shinawatra has been forced to make a public apology in Thailand after his name was emblazoned on a Thai flag by Manchester City fans.

A Thai flag bearing the message "Thank you Thaksin", which was unfurled during last week's Eastlands defeat by Fulham, has landed Thaksin in hot water in his home country, with prime minister Samak Sundaravej "strongly disapproving" of the flag.

"I saw it, but was occupied with the game," Thaksin said. "The fans are now well aware that the actions caused unhappiness in Thailand and they asked me to convey their regrets."

>>telegraph.co.uk

I'm not sure who was responsible for the flag in the first place, but given some of the other bits of 'publicity' we have seen in and around the ground this season it wouldn't surprise if Thaksin was behind the placing of it.

What is surprising are Thaksin's comments that the fans 'asked me to convey their regrets'. Given the story surfaced in Thailand over the past few days (and well after 'Sven-gate' broke) it is difficult to comprehend any kind of fan action in support of him so these attributed comments merely seem to try and save face for Thaksin in what seems a political own-goal back home.

I'm not sure whether this will necessary cause him any more unpopularity given he is making a decent fist of that already, but what could be concerning for Thaksin is that whilst there was a minority of fans who were either very anti-Thaksin or po-Thaksin, I'm certain that a majority of fans were prepared to give him the benefit of doubt over his past, this was done on the basis of the investment he brought and bright future that was promised.

If this is threatened, then this majority may well not decide to put his past to one side and things could well turn sour for him, particularly if the current issue continues to drag on and on.

Majority hated or loved, but most happy for investment and put suspicions to one side - careful this doesn't disintegrat

City make senior appointment

Manchester City will announce the impressive boardroom signing of one of Nike's senior sports marketing executives to run the club.

Owner Thaksin Shinawatra has moved to offer Garry Cook the position of executive chairman with the brief to turn City into a Barclays Premier League superpower.

Thaksin wanted a British supremo with an understanding of football to take the post and American-based Cook is a long-standing Birmingham fan. City will also appoint a new manager to replace Sven Goran Eriksson and invest in new players this summer, including at least one 'box office' signing.

Cook will have the responsibility of overseeing City's budget, including their player recruitment programme and expanding their global appeal, specifically across America and Asia where he has expertise of marketing the Nike brand.

>>daily mail.co.uk

More evidence then that Thaksin is beginning to re-shape the club more in the image he wants it to look, and from a purely business perspective it looks to be an impressive move to get this guy to the club. One Nike source said: 'For Garry to leave such a key position here, Manchester City must be an attractive project. We tried to keep him, but this is not about money. Clearly, they must have a great deal of ambition. This guy is a serious operator, a class act.'

It is becoming more and more apparant that this summer is not going to be quiet one.

The saga continues

What started out as a report late last night quickly escalated this morning into a huge story covered by all the media outlets out there, and an even led to a request for yours truly to be interviewed on Independent Radio News.

It was a strange morning as there were as many reports about Sven staying as there were about his imminent departure, but most of those gave way to an almost unanimous line with Sven's days being numbered, plenty of 'obituary' pieces being penned and Sven's name being carved alongside those who have previously fallen.

The situation even led to as diverse a pair of backings as from the League Managers Association and Noel Gallagher, who likened it to a 'morbid dream' and as the dust settles on the day, all at the club are trying to preach a 'business as usual' approach ahead of the final two games.

The players have been vociferously backing their manager, with Nedum Onouha the latest to do so and fan protests believed to be being mobilised ahead of the the final two (away) games of the season - conveniently the story has broken following our last home game.

Whilst there was a groundswell of opinion that was against the appointment of Sven, this I believe was (wrongly) based upon his time in charge of England, and I was one of the fans who championed his appointment.

True to this, my view is that his departure from the club would be nothing short of a disaster.

Despite our stutter over the second half of the season - which has led Sven to be a victim of his own success in some respects, he has exceeded those expectations from when he first arrived last summer.

Faced with losing arguably our two best players from last season in Dunne and Distin, he quickly assembled a side on a budget around the amount that Liverpool spent on Fernando Torres alone - with one eye most definitely on the future with the majority of his purchases. Some of the signings have been hit and miss, but overall Sven has got it right and the squad looks in a healthy position as it currently stands.

Whilst the football has been restrictive at times due to the 4-5-1 formation consistently deployed, it has been an upgrade on previous seasons and there have been undoubted highlights in our performances but most crucially for me has been his handling of the Academy.

We all know how blessed we our at present with the quality that has been coming through, but the way that the players have been assimilated into the line-up and the focus and attention they have is testament to his abilities to develop this kind of talent.

It is not surprising therefore that at all levels of the club - apart from those that ultimately count of course, are said to devasted that he looks like leaving, and you do wonder what effect this could have on the futures of those players.

Talk of a three-year plan no appears mute, with Sven having fulfilled the first stage of the requirement and it appeared that this season was a platform on which to build a rosy future and I suspect Sven will be as disappointed as any to leave a squad of players who appear to have so much potential ahead of them.

I did begin to worry that once Thaksin had cleared his return to Thailand, he appeared to look for a more active, 'hands on' role at the club and so it appears to be. Already, there have been Thaksin appointments in key positions and it has been conveyed to me that both Paul Tyrrell and Alastair Mackintosh could be on their way out of the club in the summer.

Is this a case of Thaksin flexing his muscles, and trying to assert his power over the club and sees Sven (and his popularity) as a problem? Possibly, and it certainly fits the traits of a dictator.

Is it too late for Sven? Not quite yet, and the hope is that Thaksin will see the error of dismissing Sven - and a glimmer of hope at this stage is that Thaksin has publicly confirmed nothing stronger than his 'all areas over the club will be reviewed' statement, but Sven's position appears untenable now and I cannot see a situation where Sven would want to carry on when clearly the power that be at the (yes, power not powers) no longer wants him there.

It's not quite as simple as 'I told you so' that the Thaksin-sceptics may well trot out, but the position we are in now, the phrase 'If you dance with the devil' certainly rings true.

Sven 'on the brink' of exit

Sky Sports News are reporting that Sven is 'on the brink' of leaving the club following a 'frank discussion' with Thaksin over the weekend.

The club stated that Sven will be taking training tomorrow, but Sky are leading with the story.

More to come no doubt.

Thaksin needs to heed the virtue of patience

Much has been made this week of Thaksin's comments this week regarding his displeasure of the performances and results over the second half of the season.

Whilst the tone has mellowed slightly in the press - from Sven facing the axe to now 'not being backed' it is all a little worrying.

The second half of the season has of course been largely disappointing in comparison to how we were at the turn of the year, but Thaksin would be wise to step back and consider just what has been achieved this season since Sven came in - namely turning around a relegation threatened side into one challenging for Europe. Sven has now though had a year under his belt to get to the know the club and the league, and with the right additions over the summer we should be in a position to progress and kick on further.

Sven has brushed aside the reports this week, and a key factor could be that leading figures around the club appear to be advising Thaksin (correctly) to continue the path that has been taken and that replacing Sven would be a mistake.

A large part of this (and some of the things we have seen previously) is perhaps down to Thaksin's naivety in the world of football, and whilst it is a business, it is a very unique one and you simply cannot turn round the fortunes of something overnight.

Dismissing Sven at this stage would be catastrophic given our current position, and a move that would set us back almost to last summer before Thaksin and Sven arrived. It is also a move I don't expect to happen, but Thaksin appears to be priming himself for a more hands on and active role in the day to day running of the club.

Something that will keep all concerned firmly on their toes.

Thaksin 'happy with progress'

RELAXED Thaksin Shinawatra headed to London on Tuesday night happy that City's 'bolts' did not need much 'tightening' and his Blue revolution is still on course.

The chairman, who watched his side clamber back into the race for the Premier League's top six by coming from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 on Sunday, held a two-day series of meetings with key personnel at the stadium during his stay.

>>MEN.

Plenty of positive spin was put on the recent visit from the owner, of course which coincided perfectly with the 2-1 victory over Tottenham, but nothing compared to the opening paragraphs from this article from The Bangkok Post:

Manchester City chairman Thaksin Shinawatra has proved he is so important to the English Premiership side that his presence can spur the team to triumph.

When their Thaksin was away to fight corruption charges in Thailand, City were like a sinking ship. The players seemed to lack motivation and inspiration and had poor results which affected their ambition to secure a Uefa Cup berth.

This prompted the former prime minister to return to England to "tighten the bolt" and "steady the ship" as well as hold talks with Sven-Goran Eriksson about future plans to make City a major force in England, and perhaps Europe.

The former prime minister instantly made his presence felt at City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday as the Blues came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 for their first win in four games.

Despite facing corruption and abuse of authority charges, Thaksin is still popular at City. He is often mobbed like a rock star by fans who seek his autograph.

Few football club chairmen receive such treatment from their supporters. This is not surprising as Thaksin has turned around City's fortunes since he took over the club last year.

At the stadium before Sunday's match, Thaksin was all smiles and pretended to fight with British boxer Ricky Hatton, one of the club's best known fans. Whether Thaksin or Hatton is more popular in the blue part of Manchester is debatable.