EPL, Premiership, English Premier League

Strapped for Success:

Following their disastrous league campaign last season which saw them finish in the 7th spot on the tables, a new day of reflection has dawned at Anfield. The best way back to the top is debated by the Liverpool faithful far and wide, but in order to really understand how to move forward, Roy Hodgson and his staff have to take a good hard look at the past. There is more than enough blame to go around, from the seemingly hapless ownership, to the spendthrift managers and staff, and the players poor performance on the pitch, each have played their part. But the true culprit behind the Reds’ downfall is financial.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett have never been loved in the stands of Anfield, but as the true scope of Liverpool’s financial problems come to light, it seems the anger was justified. It has become clear that years of mismanagement, and poor planning, have put the club years behind the Top 3 and may put them out of the Premiership entirely.

Liverpool’s most recently published accounts, for the financial year of 2009, showed the Reds’ earnings swallowed up by interest repayments of £40 million, a reported loss of almost £53 million. And this figure represents a period where there were no new signings, and overall expenditures were cut back. Without new investment it is impossible for Liverpool to ever get out from this mountain of debt.

How did it go so wrong?

The issue goes back to the way in which the club has been run over the last couple of decades. Galling as it is for fans to acknowledge, the success of Manchester United on the pitch in the Premier League era has gone hand in hand with a slick commercial operation that left the men in Liverpool jerseys far behind. By a mixture of exploiting a new Asian fan base and clever management, United are far stronger financially and as a result can sustain more debt.

For almost two decades, previous Liverpool owner David Moores struggled to bankroll the heavy net transfer spending of the club. When he ran out of money, a search for new owners began. Whether or not this was the reason for choosing the Americans, Moores placed Liverpool in the hands of men who bought a club with debt.

The simple fact is “Liverpool’s is not a long-term business model,” Philip Long of accountant PKF told theTelegraph recently. “There simply is not a happy ending to leveraged buy-outs. The burden of the interest outweighs any profits the club make, and that becomes unmanageable.”

All of which begs the question: Why would anyone want to buy Liverpool?

If no buyer can be found by the October deadline, then the prospect of administration becomes a real possibility. Beyond the crushing financial penalties this would involve, the automatic 9 point deduction, and subsequent sale of players, may be enough to knock Liverpool out of the running for a top 10 finish, or even result in a nightmare, relegation.

On the Pitch

On the pitch, there has been a lack of consistent performances from the men from Anfield. While the likes of Javier Macherano and Stephen Gerrard have been rightly praised for their efforts, in the end, the game is played with 11 men, and the others just haven’t been there. Confidence was shattered last season as they lost their way under Benitez and a seventh-place finish was their lowest for 11 years. Remember, the first team was soundly beaten by Wigan last season. If the club goes into administration, no one can say how many top players will have the confidence to stay. Roy Hodgson recently said that the Reds’ are a long way behind the top 3, how much further would they find themselves in administration?

The uncomfortable truth is that in the Premiership, financial success translates to the success on the pitch. Until Liverpool is bought by someone willing to make a large investment in the franchise, the hope for a return to the glory of the past will remain faint.

Written by: Matthew Wall Sports Correspondent for soccerpro.com

Matthew gets all his soccer jerseys at soccerpro.com

Arsene Wenger is extremely frustrated by the string of injuries that his squad has received by Stoke to the point that he suggested they intentionally injured his players. “The only intention is to hurt you and I can show some tackles where I can prove what I say. Do you think (Rory) Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott? Or that [Ryan] Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch. All the players have been injured deliberately. Adebayor will be three weeks. Walcott could be days or weeks. It is the shoulder he had the surgery on.” This just before Arsenal’s Champions League game against Fenerbahce (tied 0-0). Not only that but Robin van Persie is serving a three match ban after earning a red card against Stoke. Luckily, Gallas and Sagna may be coming back to help bolster the squad.

Tony Pullis commented on Wengers insult:
“In Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday evening Mr Wenger talked openly about Arsenal’s encounter with Stoke, as being a ‘typical English encounter’. He commended my team’s organisation, my team’s commitment and confessed that on the day Stoke City thoroughly deserved to win the game. Very open and very honest. In London 48 hours later and 150 miles away from Stoke-on-Trent, Mr Wenger changed tack and has tried to rewrite history. His comments about my team are there for everybody to read and certainly made me smile, along with I’m sure 27,000 supporters at the game, millions of TV viewers and the massed press who interviewed him after the game. Remember there was only one red card on Saturday and the last time I watched the game it certainly was not a Stoke City player who received it. I and my Football Club have tremendous respect for Mr Wenger and Arsenal football club, but as Mr Wenger is such a learned professional and on a great day in American electoral history, I would like to remind him of Abraham Lincoln’s great quotation, ‘You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time’.”

Arsenal will be playing Manchester United on Saturday.

Chelsea suffered a humbling defeat to Roma in a night where little worked for Chelsea. Deco obtained two yellow cards and was sent off in the 80th minute. He obtained his 2nd after taking a free-kick before the referee had signalled he was ready. The loss is puzzling and unexpected partially because Serie A competitors Roma are struggling to remain out of the relegation zone having only obtained 7 points out of 9 games played. Its even more puzzling because Chelsea had 65% possession; they were completely unable to produce serious efforts on goal however.

Scolari commented on the loss,
“We gave too many opportunities to Roma. We made too many mistakes, made wrong passes and had bad positions. [The] first goal there was not any player covering him [Panucci] when they crossed. After this, we were anxious and gave more opportunities. It’s okay, all of the groups are difficult. We lost one game here and there are other team arriving behind us. If we draw today we are in good condition but we did not play very well and it was impossible to draw or win. We now have two chances to win against Bordeaux and Cluj. We’ll try.”

Liverpool played Atletico Madrid and somehow managed to scour a point in the 1-1 tie. Atletico deserved to win and had victory within view only 2 minutes away when Gerrard jumped high to head a ball for possession. He was in the penalty box but far from goal when he jumped for the ball, Pernia umped late to compete and only managed to bump into Gerrard’s back. Gerrard went down and was awarded a penalty; the call was a bad one which gave Liverpool a goal in the 92nd minute.

Gerrard commented on the penalty and game:

“I think we controlled the game but first half we weren’t good enough. We raised it at half-time and it finally came in injury time. I’m not sure it was a penalty. I got their first and I think if that is outside the area you get a free-kick. If it happened at the other end we would be livid. That’s football. It’s a point and we move on. It is important because we have got a point. Good teams don’t usually lose two in a row and we showed a lot of character.  I think so, watching the replay. I think it was the linesman who has given the penalty but it is better not to talk too much about the referee.”

Wenger announced that Arsenal had suffered several injuries during the past week of International World Cup qualifyers. Gallas injured his hamstring, Bendtner sprained his ankle and Sagna undured a knee injury. The 3 are expected to be out for at least a week. Fabregas obtained a broken nose, Johan Djourou a concussion and van Persie pulled a muscle.

Wenger commented on the string of injuries that plagued Arsenal:

“Unfortunately we have lost some players over the 10 days - William Gallas, Bacary Sagna and Nicklas Bendtner. These are heavy losses and we have to compensate them. Fortunately the three of them don’t look to be out for a long, long time but they will be out for the weekend game and I think the game on Tuesday. As well as them, Djourou got concussion during his game with Switzerland and will be assessed tomorrow to see if he is available. He does not look too bad and he could have a good chance to play. I am still waiting for Robin to come back so I don’t know about him. However, he should be okay. He went with a muscle problem but he came on after 56 minutes last night and, from the reports I got, he should be all right. Both of them will be assessed. Also I am told Cesc has a broken nose. It should not stop him playing. He is here now and is being assessed.”

He succeeded in not sounding as annoying as Benitez who recently complained about Torres’ injury during World Cup Qualifying games. Benitez Vents

Arsenal will be playing Everton this weekend, Fenerbace on Tuesday in the Champions League, and West Ham next weekend. Fortunately, Abou Diaby has just recovered from a thigh injury and will be starting. “At least Abou Diaby is back in the squad again.” said Wenger. “Even though he has not played games he will be used, at the least in the squad, because we have lost those three players.”

Fernando Torres was injured during Spain’s 2-1 World Cup Qualifying win against Belgium in Brussels. Torres limped off witha  hamstring injury only 16 minutes in compunding his earlier hamstring problems in September. Ryan Babel was also playing in World Cup Qualifyers and received an ankle injury during the Netherlands 1-0 win in Norway.

Benitez expressed his discontent with how many World Cup Qualifying games professional club players are required to play. He suggested that their should be 2 tiers to the qualifying games with stronger teams playing stronger teams and weaker teams only playing stronger teams once they have moved up. This would effectively minimize the number of games that teams would play. While I’m not sure if this is feasible, I do know that Liverpool will have some real challenges if Torres and Babel are not fit soon. In the next 10 days Liverpool will be playing Wigan, Chelsea, and a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.

Xabi Alonso described the injuries as a real blow: “It is undoubtedly bad news. We have to wait and see what the tests say, but we do not stop now until around Christmas, and we have a big calendar coming up - we cannot let up. It is not the first time this has happened [to Torres] with the national side, and it is a blow to have an injury when he is in such a good streak of form.”

Torres is expected to be out for about 10 days while Babel’s injury recovery time has not been assessed yet.

Line-up:

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Cani, Eguren, Edmilson, Pires, Fernandez, Franco.
Subs: Viera, Santi Cazorla, Ibagaza, Llorente, Javi Venta, Senna, Fuentes.
Booked: Franco, Ibagaza, Diego Lopez.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Nani, Hargreaves, Fletcher, Park, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Brown, Ronaldo, Anderson, Giggs, Vidic, O’Shea.
Booked: Tevez.

Villarreal have had few opportunities so far with United producing almost all of the offense.

In the 60th minute Villarreal winger had the ball on United’s right flank with United defenders lagging about 15 yards behind. He crossed the ball low and hard into the middle of the box and Franco did a backwards flick which bounced off the back post. Villarreal seemed to be gaining some offense for the first time in the game. Only minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted in for JS Park and made his first appearance of the season; Anderson came on for But United were determined to score with Tevez and Rooney putting in plenty of effort creating multiple chances. Tevez created multiple opportunities for the United offense as he dashed forward into the Villareal box it was obvious that Villa’s defense were unable to stop him.

In the 72nd minute Ronaldo gave Rooney a great through ball which he ran on (few players can compete with Rooney’s speed). He beat the defender of course but passed the ball through a defenders legs directly to the right of him to Tevez; however, the ball was slightly out of Tevez’s pass and when he kicked it at goal a Villa defender cleared it from the line.

Tevez has described Ronaldo’s reappearance akin to having ”an extra player” on the field. “Cristiano is a massive player for us and it is great to have him on our side. It is like having an extra player when he is there because he is such a danger to our opponents. It will be a big boost to have him back.”

Tevez was recently offered a €30 million deal to keep Tevez at United. “From the first moment I came here I would have loved to sign a long-term contract. Last year was a very happy season and it would be wonderful if the chairman put a long-term contract in front of me. If he did that I would sign it without a doubt.”

Ferguson recently stated that United’s performance against Liverpool demonstrated defense that was not worthy to be seen in the EPL. Tevez described what enabled Manchester United to win the League Title last season. “Whenever we lost a game last season we came back and showed ourselves to be stronger. That was the reason we won two titles last year. I am sure we will see a reaction from the players tonight.”

Manchester United versus Chelsea

United started with their strongest lineup with one unusual change: Hargreaves started in right midfield. In the 26th minute Scholes had the ball on the right wing. He was surrounded by 2 players until Brown came in to help, Scholes made a quick pass back to Brown (only a few yards away), who then passed it back and then made a run, Scholes immediately one touched it perfectly into Browns run who then took a touch and then made a curling cross. Ronaldo, covered by Essien, jumped into the air and then perfectly headed the ball with machine-like accuracy into the left side of the goal inches away from the post .

Minutes later, Ballack ran onto the box during a cross with Rio Ferdinand defending between Ballack and the goal. Ballack pushed Ferdinand’s head downwards almost forcing him into scoring an own goal. Ferdinand used great strength to keep his head up and head the ball over the goal. The ball came back into play near the United goal and Rooney stole the ball from Ballack. He took a step and then kicked the ball across almost the entire field to Ronaldo who ran all the way to the other side of the field with one defender on him. Rooney’s ball curled in to Ronaldo somehow perfectly who then made a short cross to Tevez who headed the ball low to the left of Cech from about 6 yards away. Somehow Cech managed to block it and it rebounded, rolling on the ground out of the penalty box. Carrick ran on it and fired away; the perfect opportunity for a center mid, Carrck shot it too close to Cech who once again blocked the ball.

In the 40th minute Tevez got a great ball from Rooney who crossed it by megging a defender. Tevez should have had it but missed the ball by inches. 2 minutes later Ferdinand elbowed a defender outside the box and got a yellow card and United got a free kick. Ballack took the shot but it went high over the wall and goal.

In the 45th minute, after a good amount of possession by Chelsea, Essien took a shot which deflected and landed into Lampard’s path (right in front of the goal) who then put the ball in. The lucky deflection gave Chelsea the chance to frustrate United.

In the 57th minute UEFA thought really hard about replacing the ball on the field because Ballack ripped a shot from 29 yards out when he got a clear opening on the goal. The ball went wide by a yard as it curled but it was a good time to take a shot and force United to pull their defense out more.

Chelsea really began to possess and push United back in the 2nd half and they probably got more opportunities. Ronaldo played largely perfect throughout most of the game and beat Essien multiple times on the wing.

But chances were available throughout the game just like when Drogba got the ball at the top of the United box and while falling, kicked a curling shot which hit the United right post. However, the game was destined to go into overtime with Giggs coming on for Scholes (who had a bleeding nose) 6 minutes before OT.

Three minutes in OT Lampard got the ball within the box, spun around and shot the ball to the top right and hit off the post. In the 96th minute the camera showed a bunch of really drunk Russian soldiers taking off their Jerseys and putting on United jerseys.

In the 100th minute Giggs got a clear shot on goal when Evra won the ball just outside the Chelsea box and pass it right backwards right over the PK area. Terry was there however and headed the ball over the goal preventing it from going in.

In the 116th minute, after every single player spread his legs and started stretching for some odd reason (after anyone thought they made a dumb foul they started stretching), an argument erupted between Tevez and every other player on the field. Tevez ended up getting a yellow card, Drogba a red card and Ballack a yellow card. Everyone seemed to be pushing each other as rain started falling with the referees trying to break it up. Drogba did lightly slap a United player in the face as the referee came up behind him. The arguments were an escalation of the entire game as their were many bad fouls and stupid tackles.

The game proceeds to Penalty Kicks:

Tevez took the first shot and kicked it the the right with Cech (wearing bright orange with his safety pad headpiece) diving to the Left.

Ballack fired esentially the same way as Van der Saar

Carrick, this time to the left. (The rain continued to fall)

Beletti (who just got subbed in for this purpose), this time to the right against Van der Saar.

Ronaldo against Cech, he kicked it to the left and Cech dove and blocked it!

Frank Lampard, to the right and Van der Saar almost stopped it!!

Hargreaves against Cech and he kicked it to hte upper left, Cech dove the right way but couldn’t get to it.

Ashley Cole against Van der Saar, he kicks it to the right and Saar almost stopped it, it may have been because of the rain.

Nani puts in an excellent kick against Cech.

John Terry against Van der Saar (for the win): HE MISSED!! He slipped last second and it hit off the right post!

It continues!!!

Anderson puts it in against Cech.

Malou puts it in against Saar.

Giggs puts it in against Cech.

Anelka shoots but its stopped by Edwin Van der Saar.

UNITED HAVE WON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!! THEY HAVE OBTAINED THE DOUBLE!!! Players sag in relief and complete fatigue! Terry cries in the rain hugging Grant. Ronaldo falls to the ground.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea

In the first all English Champions League Final, Chelsea and Manchester United will battle in Moscow to earn the right to call themselves the best European Club Team.

Last night while Chelsea were practicing at the Luzhiniki Stadium Ashley Cole was injured by a tackle from Claude Makelele. The right back defender sustained an ankle injury but according to Chelsea officials he may be able to play today in the Final.

“In a challenge with Claude Makelele in front of hundreds of cameras and the world football press, Ashley Cole hurt his right ankle. He was treated, it was tested, then strapped - but after consultation between Grant, club doctor Bryan English and physios Dave Hancock and Thierry Laurent - Cole resumed and took full part in the final training game - only disappearing down the tunnel after the players had listened to Avram’s address and been stood-down for a final kickaround.” English International Wayne Bridges was ready to play in his stead if Cole was unable to.

Terry was being resolute and indifferent to any pre-game wagers. “It’s a different ball game to the league. They deserved to win (the title) but it’s a one-off game tomorrow. There are no underdogs or favourites. We’re hoping we are going to be on our game, fully fit and determined to lift the trophy. They have a lot of quality players in their side and hopefully it’s a good game but if it’s a bad game so be it. It’s about getting our hands on the trophy.”

Though some people have complained about the pitch, none of the players, coaches, or UEFA officials seem to think anything is wrong with it. ”

Ferguson thought the stadium and pitch were fine. “I think UEFA have done their best. The fact they have relaid it from Astroturf to turf is a big delight to me. We are happy in that sense. You have to remind yourself that Old Trafford in January or February is not the best in the league.”

“The pitch is the same for both sides and if get the footwear right we will be fine. We are not worrying about that at all.” said Terry.

Lampard continues to mourn for his mother Pat Lampard who died between the two semi-final legs against Liverpool; he went to go see Harry Redknapp lift the FA Cup at Wembley. Redknapp’s wife was Pat Lampard’s twin sister and both families have been completely distraught. “I was at Wembley on Saturday to see Harry win the FA Cup. It was a great day for the family and Harry in his career. He deserved that for what he has given to the game. I was fully supporting him on Saturday and I’m sure he and all the Redknapp family will be supporting me. I hope we can make it a family double.”

While Manchester United did win the Premier League they are surely still smarting from the loss at Stamford Bride. “Chelsea are physically stronger than most of the Premier League teams but we do not need to match that. We have to play with our main strength, our movement and our passing, our ability to create openings in the game. We are in good shape and I do not want us to change too much. Maybe we don’t have the overall experience like Chelsea in terms of age but we have courage” said Feguson.

“Part of the plan is to have Carlos Tevez at the club in the long term. There is no question we want him to stay. I think David Gill (chief executive) is progressing on that as best he can. One of the reasons we are here in Moscow and won the title is because of Carlos. He has that ability to score important goals for us, just like Eric Cantona used to do. Carlos has been a revelation for us and is a fantastic professional. The final is a big challenge for every one of my players. I depend on them all to be at the top of their game. That way we have a massive chance.”

Ferdinand described the emotion and importance of the Champions League very well: “The pressure comes from within, from your own personal pride in wanting to do well. The history of Old Trafford, the characteristics of the club from the past and the manager all work as an inspiration. You want to become part of the furniture, to be remembered in the history of Manchester United. To do that we know we have to win big things. Tonight we have a great chance to do that and become part of the history.”

“This match is the stuff of dreams. These opportunities do not come around every weekend. You have to step up to the moment when it comes. The main thing is to approach it as we would do any other game, not to do things differently. If the occasion gets to us or we change the way we approach the game then that will be to the detriment of the team.”

Just as ready was Peter Cech, Chelsea’s goalkeeper. “Having won the title, you would say it’s a big boost from them and they celebrated, which in one way can be distracting. When you know you’ve already won something, even if you don’t want to, you can relax. In the back of your mind, you have already that you have succeeded. This could be the advantage for us. Cech is expecting a tight game tomorrow because the two sides know each other so well. If you ask me if we can surprise each other, I say no, because we have played them so many times over the last years and both teams haven’t changed much.”

However, prepared as he is he agreed that Cristiano Ronaldo could be the deciding factor in the game. The way he scores the goals is unbelievable,’ Cech said. “Because he can score from the free-kick, he can score from the penalty, he can score with a header from a corner, and he can score with both feet.”

“You need to remember as well they have a great team. They have an attacking threat, with (Wayne) Rooney, you’ve got (Carlos) Tevez, you’ve got (Ryan) Giggs. They can use the ball quickly and they change position, they rotate a lot. That is why they are dangerous and can score a lot of goals because not everyone can cope with that.”

The Champions League Final is being held in Russia, Moscow, at the Luzhinki Stadium Wednesday.

Wayne Rooney is determined to show fans that Manchester United is the best club team in the world by winning the Champions League Final against Liverpool. Liverpool won the Champions League during the 2004/2005 season against AC Milan; the score was 3-3 with Liverpool winning in penalties 3-2. Any Manchester United fan would hate to see Liverpool take the Champions League from them especially if they could earn a “double” by winning the Champions League and Premier League. Rooney could think of nothing better than downing Liverpool in the Champions League. “It is difficult when you see one of your rivals winning things. When Liverpool took the trophy, it was hard to take. Because they haven’t really been challenging for the league in the last few years, they’ve had chances to rest players before big Champions League games and that helped them. By Liverpool winning the Champions League, it’s made us want to win it even more.”

“We just need to go out there and try and enjoy ourselves. If we enjoy playing, I’m sure we will do well. If we go out there thinking a bit negative then it becomes harder. The players are well educated in the history of the club. When you walk around the training ground, you see the players from 1958, 1968 all the way through to today.” He insists that there’s always room for improvement in his game, despite having scored 18 goals this season. “I can score a few more goals, possibly with my left foot and a some more headers. I keep working on all different things, my passing, my fitness and scoring. I’ve changed my game a little bit. Instead of playing in the hole or off one forward, I’ve mainly been the striker looking to get in behind. I’ve enjoyed doing it this year - to be honest a lot more than I thought I would. It has brought me a few goals in different games.”

Wayne Rooney seems to be ready for the game, in shape but dreading the anticipation. “It’s a horrible feeling waiting for the final. I’d like to go to bed tonight and wake up on Wednesday. It’s a bit like Christmas when you’re a kid, so I just can’t wait. I’ve been playing FIFA on X-Box with my mates. My girlfriend’s not too happy with me, but it keeps me occupied. I’ve played in three cup finals, winning one and losing two, so hopefully I can even that out.”

After the great season they had it would be ridiculous for the young duo to separate. “I hope the partnership will continue for years. Ronaldo is a great player and it will be brilliant if we can keep him at the club for as long as possible. He’s an unbelievable player” said Rooney. “What he’s done for United in the last few years is brilliant and it makes you work hard. For Ronaldo to score those goals is helping the team. I’ve got no problem if he scores 60 goals in a season and I don’t get anywhere near that” he said.

Eriksson has been informed by Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra that he is “not the right man for the job”. Shinawatra is the former President of Thailand; he was President until 2006 when a military coup ousted him from power. While he is said to have reduced the amount of corruption in Thailand he was still accused of embezzling money and engaging in corruption.

Ever since the turn of the year Manchester City has lost their form; when Eriksson informed his players about the decision the players were outraged. “I think it is crazy that his job is even being talked about as being in danger - he has been good for everyone at City” said City defender Micah Richards. Thai billionaire Shinawatra decided upon the move when City lost to Fulham 3-2 after having a 2 goal lead. After the game Shinawatra told Eriksson who “Reacted calmly, as usual, but he was very surprised and disappointed. He doesn’t want to leave the club and will not resign. He loves working with the players and his work at Manchester City has only just begun.” He will be in charge of the last 2 away games against Liverpool (which they just lost 1-0) and Middlesbrough according to a City spokesman though no comment was made about what would happen during the summer.

Erikson’s assistant Tord Grip said: “We will be here for the two last matches. They probably think that we haven’t done a good enough job. Sven will receive new offers soon I’m sure.” Erickson took over City 5 weeks before the season; in November they held 3rd place; however, since Christmas they have failed to produce results and have fallen to 9th having won only 4 of their past 15 games. “The team has not been playing as well as it should have or getting the right results since Christmas. But overall it has been a good season. Thaksin agreed a five-year plan with Sven in the summer and the target for the first year was to finish in the top 10.”

Thaksin signed 8 new player during the summer for £46m shortly after buying the club. However, he has had little contact with Eriskon. They met several times personally at the start of the season and then nothing. Sven has had a list of players he wants to sign next summer for several weeks, but he hasn’t been able to get the go-ahead to get them. He talks to Alistair Macintosh (City chief executive), but things break down when he then goes to the chairman”. With Eriksson going out the door City will have to get a new manager; as of now, Portugese Luiz Felipe Scolari may in serious consideration. We can expect the new manager to be able to buy a lot of new players with Thaksin determined to have Manchester City playing in the Champions League in the next two years. The Thai billionaire is currently involved in a lawsuit in Thailand with hundreds of millions of pounds currently frozen; however, he expects to be able to use them by the summer.