City to Take Backdoor into Europe (Again); Fans Rally for Sven in Manchester; Sven Demands Decision on Future

Plenty of news has been unfolding in the buildup to City’s season-close fixture at Middlesbrough Sunday. On Friday, it was announced that England will get an extra place in next year’s UEFA Cup through the Fair Play table, a place Manchester City is in pole position to claim going into the season’s final match. City previously qualified for the UEFA Cup by this route under Kevin Keegan in 2003.

So Sven Goran Eriksson, albeit via the backdoor, is on the brink of delivering European football to City in his first season in charge. He’s still, however, also on the brink of losing his job, as he confirmed in comments during his Friday weekly press conference.

Meanwhile, on Saturday Blues fans gathered outside the City of Manchester Stadium to show their support for Sven. Press accounts of the rally have yet to appear, but poster Markmakaveli from the Mancityfans.net forum has posted some videos on Youtube providing a sense of the atmosphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZZ7GaWixjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN0wgkV9gSg&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LngKewMc9r0&feature=user

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O4oQUezogQ&feature=user

Finally, The Telegraph reports Sven’s comments from Saturday saying he expects as a matter of decency to receive word about his future very soon. This account is particularly interesting and insightful, as it suggests that even City insiders have little clue about Thaksin’s intentions; Thaksin is described as “volatile and unpredictable.”

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