As Manchester City fall over themselves to remain tight-lipped about the Sven saga, City fans are mobilising support for Sven and various protests are planned.  MCFCfans continues to cling onto the hope that Thaksin Shinawatra sees sense and backs Sven for another season.  However, it seems that a major recruitment search is well underway and we speculate that Thaksin's ego won't back down.

While Thaksin is frantically searching the globe for a replacement, City fans are doing everything they can to support Sven.  Last night's impromptu protest near St.Peters Square in Manchester, seemingly arranged online, was reported on MEN to be fairly poorly attended.  The Save Sven page on MEN's website carries a video of a fan at the protest.  MCFCfans is not sure that the protest had quite the right speaker leading the event.

However, The Save Sven Goran Eriksson from the sack petition will have over 13,000 signatures before the day is out.  A rally is planned by the MCFC Official Supporters Club (supported by CSA, MCIVTA, and King of the Kippax) on Saturday 10th May outside the City of Manchester Stadium.  The away end at the Liverpool game on Sunday looks likely to be dominated by Save Sven protests.  There must be flag sellers shipping in large batches of Sweden flags as we write.  Get your Sven mask here for the Liverpool game.

The decision when it comes will be a leading indicator of how City's new owner intends to run club affairs.  What is so baffling to many is that his original objective of a decent league finish in season one has been achieved.  Fans are questionning whether Thaksin would have run one of his businesses like this.  Achieve objective, sack manager. 

Conspiracy theories aside, two themes have emerged.  The first is the belief that Thaksin has a basic lack of understanding of how a football club is run and what it takes to make a club successful.  As an owner of a business this is usually fairly important.  Successful leaders tend to surround themselves with personnel who do have the expertise and can therefore guide affairs in the right direction.  By most accounts this advice was, and still is, forthcoming but is being ignored.

The second point is simply that Thaksin's ego is not going to back down following the less than cordial meeting that took place between the pair.

MCFCfans continues to believe that a change of heart still offers Thaksin a solid face-saving option, particularly if big Phil says no.  The list of reasons of why not to sack Sven are endless as are the list of reasons why not to hire most of the rumoured candidates.  If Sven is shown the door we will have witnessed one of football's most ludicrous management decisions.  Only at City.

P.S. Currently our poll shows that most fans would consider boycotting home games next season if Sven is sacked.  Keep your votes coming !