Thaksin “Makeover” (Read Purge) Continues at City as Mackintosh Departs

Few City supporters will be surprised to learn that chief executive Alastair Mackintosh has left the club; clearly his expertise was redundant in the wake of the recent hiring of Garry Cook. What it is a bit unnerving is the fact that Mackintosh’s departure has been pinned to his willingness to challenge Thaksin on the [...]

Simon Hattenstone on the “New” Manchester City

Guardian columnist and lifelong City fan Simon Hattenstone has a hard think about what Manchester City has become under Thaksin Shinawatra, and has decided he just can’t take it anymore. Hattenstone is sure to catch a lot of abuse for his column announcing his intention to swear off supporting City until Thaksin is gone, but [...]

Garry Cook Interview; Signing Off (For Awhile)

New City executive chairman Garry Cook has given this rather informative interview to the BBC discussing Mark Hughes and transfer targets; Cook however sidesteps questions about Sven’s departure. The guess here is that most City fans will be impressed by what Cook has to say on the footballing front. On the commercial side, Cook makes [...]

Thaksin Lays Down Gauntlet For Hughes: Top Six or Bust; 50 Million Available for Transfers; Wide-Ranging Thaksin Interview

Mark Hughes has yet to be officially unveiled as City manager as I type this, but already word has hit the British press that the new Blues boss must finish in the top 6 and qualify for Europe next campaign if he doesn’t want to become Thaksin’s next managerial casualty.
Reports indicate that between 35 and [...]

“That Sometimes Means Making Ruthless Decisions”

I’ve been re-reading of late Duncan McCargo’s excellent study “The Thaksinization of Thailand,” published before the coup, which devotes considerable attention to how Thaksin managed and manipulated the media as prime minister of Thailand. There’s a lot to chew on there, and I continue to be amazed at the fact that leading British journalists don’t [...]

Sven Out, Hughes In; The Myth of Thaksin

This blog was initiated as a way to explore, as evenhandedly as possible, the pros and cons of Thaksin Shinawatra’s takeover at Manchester City Football Club in 2007. As a City fan who had watched some pretty dire football in the 2006-07 season, I understood full well the appeal of a fresh new investor with [...]