Man City have made their first big summer signing, but will the Swede's revolution turn the blue's into a Premiership force or just send them spinning out of control?
Saint
If Sven’s appointment heralds the start of a vertical assault on the Premiership by Manchester City, they’ve certainly secured a big name manger who would seem to be more than well equipped for the job.
Eriksson’s pedigree as a top level coach has been built over years of experience assembling title winning sides in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, before successfully leading England to the knockout phase of every major tournament during his tenure as national coach. This last appointment in one of the most scrutinised jobs in world football has also given the Swede an extensive look at the British media juggernaut, something that may have flattened a less experienced foreign manager the first time it fixed him in its headlights.
Sven’s reluctance to panic and intelligent reading of the game, combined with his minimalist approach to emotion are all traits that will stand the Swede in extremely good stead for the frantic nature of the Premiership. On top of this, his knowledge of how to achieve success under the weight of huge expectations will be of great benefit to a giant of a club which may not be sleeping any more but, until now, still found itself counting sheep for far too much of each season.
Of just as much importance to fans as any of the above, though, will be that Eriksson’s reputation gives his new team the ability to attract players and support staff other lesser known candidates could only dream of. For a club like Manchester City Sven is the kind of manager who only normally comes along once in a blue moon.
Sinner
While many fans may see Eriksson’s appointment as a declaration of intent it could lead to some difficult times ahead.
Before the arrival of any success at City the first thing departing will be substantial amounts of money. Some of these may be for exciting new players but the only ones guaranteed so far are to pay the large salary of a coach who has been out of club management for nearly a decade.
Even if there is a new reservoir of cash for Sven to tap into there may be concerns whether Eriksson should be the man allowed to drain it. Having been given the keys to the England talent vault all too often he struggled not only to get players to replicate their club form but also to find a balance of individual talents that combined to make a team that was at least equal to the sum its parts.
Furthermore, in situations of extreme tension, such as the 2002 World Cup match against Brazil, Sven’s icy persona appeared to reach such sub-zero levels that it caused him to freeze; failing to act at the crucial moment. Even more worryingly, the years of continual pressure seemed to cause great cracks to appear in his cool exterior, culminating in the selection and subsequent rejection of Theo Walcott for the 2006 World Cup.
The final problem with Sven is that a lot of his media experience has come from his previous non-footballing activities and while almost every City fan would love lots of media attention a circus is never really that great if the main attraction’s the ringmaster.
Ultimately, whether Eriksson succeeds or fails at Manchester City lies out of his hands and in those of the club’s supporters and new owner. At the present time, no one knows how high either have set their expectations or how long they are willing to give Sven to realise these.
