Should Manchester City be Targeting one of these Men to Replace Sven at Eastlands?

So Sven Goran Eriksson’s short 9-month reign at Eastlands looks soon to be at an end. Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to wield the managerial axe after City’s two remaining Premier League matches.

The Swede had a superb start to his City tenure making a mockery of the lateness of his appointment. He was able to blend together a winning team almost overnight from a mixture of home-grown youngsters and numerous multi-national summer signings. He managed to turn Eastlands into a fortress (at least for half a season) as well as ending cross-city rivals Manchester United’s local dominance with a League ‘double’ over the Red Devils for the first time in 34 years. He will leave with City assured of a top 9 finish this season which is obviously not enough for Shinawatra (Sinatra to the fans) who wants to do things ‘his way’.

Whether City fans think Eriksson’s departure is a good or bad decision (I expect most to side with bad) they will soon be in the market for a new man. There are a number of obvious choices being bandied about by the much loved British press with Sven’s nemesis ‘Big’ Phil Scolari currently clear favourite. British managers Sam Allardyce and Mark Hughes are also said to be on the Thai’s shortlist. However, if Shinawatra decides to opt for youthful exuberance over experience then there are currently a number of young foreign coaches worth checking out. Here’s my guide to 4 of the best up and coming managerial talents in Europe that could be in City dugout next season.

Will City Come Calling for the Great Dane?

One such potential target for the Thai could be the former Danish superstar Michael Laudrup who is currently plying his trade with unfashionable Spanish club Getafe. The 43-year-old took the reigns at the La Liga club this season replacing the Real Madrid bound Bernd Schuster. This is is 2nd managerial job after a spell with Danish club Brondby where he won the cup in his first season as well as the double in 2005.

He endured a difficult start to his Getafe career but has since led the club to a comfortable mid-table position as well as the Copa Del Rey final where they were beaten 3-1 by Valencia. The small Madrid based club have also performed well in Europe where they were narrowly beaten in the Uefa Cup quarter-final by favourites Bayern Munich on away goals. In that run they beat the likes of Tottenham at the Lane and Benfica home and away so they’ve performed well above their lowly station. Laudrup has also proved his coaching ability against the La Liga big boys after leading Getafe to a 1-0 League win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and a 0-0 draw at Barcelona in 2008. He has already been linked with both the Barca and Chelsea jobs, both of which are feasible moves as he not only fits the required attractive football style tag but also possesses an extremely high profile gained from being one of the greatest players of his generation.

Would Thaksin Love Laurent?

Another former top player who could be a potential City managerial candidate is Laurent Blanc. The 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winner enjoyed an incredibly successful playing career with the likes of Napoli, Inter, Barcelona, Marseille and Manchester United. He took his first coaching job at the start of the season with French club Bordeaux and they currently sit 2nd in the French League just 4 points behind reigning champions Lyon with 3 games left. They look destined to qualify for Champions League football next season after an excellent campaign in which they also reached the quarter-finals of the French cup narrowly losing on penalties. He has an excellent reputation throughout Europe and was voted 4th best French footballer of all time behind the likes of legends Michel Platini, Zinidene Zidane and Raymond Kopa. He also has experience of the Premier League after a short spell with Manchester United which included 2003 title success. Whether being a formed Red Devils player would endear him to the Eastlands crowd remains to be seen. However, the 42-year-old could prove to be a useful acquisition if he continues to impress domestically.

Croatian Mastermind to Make Move to Man City?

One coach that is intrinsically linked to Monsieur Blanc’s playing career is the Croatian mastermind behind England’s failure to qualify for the European Championships, Slaven Bilic. The former West Ham and Everton defender was infamous for feigning injury when clashing with Laurent Blanc during the 1998 World Cup semi-final resulting in the dismissal of the Frenchman and his subsequent ban from playing in the final. However, those events have been overshadowed by the incredible upturn in fortunes of the Croatian national team under his tutelage.

The 39-year-old took charge in the summer of 2006 after serving his apprenticeship with the U21 side. His appointment immediately brought results including a 2-0 win over World Champions Italy in Livorno in the Italians first match since winning the cup. His team of relative unknowns also humbled England home and away to top their qualifying group. He speaks fluent English and has already reportedly attracted the interest of former club West Ham, strugglers Fulham and French club PSG. Shinawatra may have to move quickly as he is currently in negotiations with the Croatian Football Association to prolong his contract for a further 2 years. However, money talks and few clubs around the world can compete with those from the English Premier League. So don’t be surprised if Bilic joins City after the upcoming Euro Championships as his stock should have risen dramatically, however his side performs.

Emery to Eastlands?

One man who’s not a household name but has performed extremely impressively on a small budget is Unay Emery. Who? I hear you say, well he’s the current Head Coach of La Liga side Almeria. Again you are possibly asking who they are; well they are a small club currently performing heroics amongst the Spanish footballing giants in La Liga.

Under Emery the club have more than held their own and sit comfortably in 8th position in their first season in Spain’s top flight. Despite Almeria being a small provincial club with a 20,000 capacity stadium, the Spaniard has led them to impressive victories over the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla. Almeria’s rapid rise is even more impressive as the club was only founded 27 years ago. The 36-year-old led the club to promotion to the Primera Liga as runners-up last season and has already been touted for moves to the likes of Valencia and Real Betis. He may need a higher profile position in Spain before joining his compatriot’s Benitez and Ramos in the Premier League. However, he could be a very, very dark horse for the City job if Thaksin Shinawatra has ever heard of him. Whether he is in the running for the Eastland position or not, he remains a name to look out for in the future.

These are 4 of the top young foreign Coaches who could be prime candidates to join Manchester City next season. Each man has had a successful season in his own right although whether any will be of interest to City’s Thai owner remains to be seen. However, don’t be surprised if you see the likes of Laudrup, Blanc, Bilic and Emery plying their trade over on our shores soon whether at Manchester City or elsewhere. After all, it’s not like we have enough foreign talent over here already, is it?

Written by Christian Goodbrand

Click here for previous feature: ’Citizens Cane Shinawatra: Is this the Sven-d of the Road for Eriksson at Eastlands’

Tags: Laurent Robert, Manchester City, Michael Laudrup, Slaven Bilic, Sven Goran Eriksson, Thaksin Shinawatra, Unay Emery

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