Manchester City in turmoil again as United celebrates reaching Champions League final
Source: The Associated PressPublished: April 30, 2008
MANCHESTER, England: While Manchester United fans celebrate reaching the Champions League final, the other half of the soccer city is in turmoil again.
United's 1-0 victory over Barcelona means that the Red Devils are on their way to Moscow for the May 21 final in an all-English showdown with either Chelsea or Liverpool, who played their semifinal on Wednesday night.
The United fans are again laughing at their rivals at Manchester City, which has been in United's shadow for almost three decades.
And, even after a season in which it beat United home and away, City seems about to fire its manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The former England coach was hired at the start of this season and initially gave the City fans brief hopes of winning the league title for the first time since 1968.
But City, now owned by millionaire former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has slumped badly, winning only seven of its last 26 games and sliding down the standings now with no chance of gaining a place in next season's UEFA Cup.
That was the least Thaksin wanted and it means that Eriksson, who still has two years of his contract to run, looks certain to be leaving the club when the season is over. By then, United could well be celebrating a Premier League-Champions League double.
City is currently ninth with 55 points.
Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers Association, has called on City to stick with Eriksson through his three-year contract.
"Success for Manchester City is getting into the top 10, Sven has delivered that," Bevan said Wednesday.
"He has got two games to go and he is focusing on those two games to go, and we implore Dr. Shinawatra to rethink his strategy and to keep Sven on for the three-year period. And I'm sure Sven will deliver, not only for the players, the club and the owners, but most importantly the fans.
"Just look across the way to Manchester United, one manager in almost 22 years, look what they have won and look what Manchester City have won in the last 20 years."
That's nine Premier Leagues, five FA Cups and maybe two Champions Leagues in the case of United. Nothing for City.
City fans also want Eriksson to stay.
Celebrity supporter Noel Gallagher of rock group Oasis is furious that Thaksin looks likely to fire the Swede.
"It's ludicrous to get rid of him after the best season we've had that I can remember," he told BBC radio. "For a club that's been going nowhere fast for the past 25 years and to get a manager in who's the best bar (Jose) Mourinho and to turn it round with a bit of style and dignity and grace and bought some great players, I think it's beyond a joke (to fire Eriksson).
"If Shinawatra comes in and thinks we're going to qualify for the Champions League, he's tripping. It's like Everton sacking David Moyes in the morning because they didn't qualify for the Champions League and Villa sacking Martin O'Neill because they didn't finish fifth. It takes more than one season."
Gallagher said almost all the City fans wanted Eriksson to stay.
"I would be amazed and appalled I met a Man City fan who thought getting rid of Eriksson was a good thing. We all love him up there."
for the city fans [ even though he's loaded ]
