Thaksin points at biased Chelsea fan at Stamford Bridge last season!

Manchester City’s game against Villa on Sunday was largely one to be forgotten for City fans. But it was pleasing for one reason in particular. Both fans and players appeared to leave off-the-field issues aside, and focus on supporting and playing respectively.

City now have a home game against West Ham on Sunday. As we pause for breath in between games, MCFCfans has been trying to gauge City fans’ feelings over the Thaksin situation.

In trawling blogs and chatting with fans it’s obvious there are divisions of opinion. Generalising completely, there seem to be broadly two groups of fans' opinions, with a long list of subtle variations thereafter.

There are those fans who were against Thaksin taking charge all along and who now feel that their worst fears are beginning to materialise. Most fans in this category are not taking an, “I told you so,” stance right now. They are genuinely worried about the future of the club based on their interpretation of the situation.

Then there are fans who can see a funny side to Thaksin’s decision to go ‘on the run.’ It brings back memories of Nick Leeson in a City top! Joking aside, fans before the Villa game interviewed by Al Jazeera English showed their support for Thaksin. (Al Jazeera is clearly taking an active interest in this story and their latest video along with others can be viewed on our new Thaksin Watch page).

Somewhere in the middle there are fans who can’t make their mind up, who feel that they don’t have enough information to make their mind up, or who are slowly travelling from the supportive group to the concerned group as they learn more of the facts.

One thing is certain: nothing is certain. There are simply more questions than there are answers and since the team need to get winning some games that is probably a good thing for now. It’s conceivable that quite a few of the open questions on fans’ minds will probably never be answered.

Our view, based on the average lay attempt to brush up on Thai politics and the Premiership rules, is that much depends on the UK government’s interpretation of how legitimate any court decision to convict Thaksin is. The stance they might take is far from clear. The Premier League seems certain to follow the UK government’s lead. The Premier League must be pooping themselves at the possibility of having to enforce the rule and make Thaksin sell.

 

Thaksin’s next moves now, in relation to City at least, must surely rest on his judgment as to how this will all turn out. If he thinks he has a chance of being forced to sell because everything goes against him, then surely he’ll be looking for a buyer now so that he doesn’t have to sell at a knock-down price. But that’s before we’ve thought about all of the other permutations. Could he find new investors, dilute his stake, and do a deal or wangle a pass with the Premier League, which would allow him to continue as chairman? A loan in the meantime starts the bank-rolling debt cycle off again (Times article just out)

Whatever the outcome, MCFCfans has setup the Thaksin Watch page in an attempt to help fans find information, facts, reporting, and commentary about the Thaksin situation, and to create an area where members can air their views. The page is intended as an information centre and sets out to be neither anti-Thaksin nor pro-Thaksin (@ City that is!). A poll is also on the page asking for your current view on Thaksin.

What's your view?

Keep the faith.

MCFCfans