No fear for Eriksson ahead of Man City meeting

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident he will emerge from an upcoming meeting with the club’s owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, with the backing needed to continue in his post.

Eriksson has been under pressure after the former Thai prime minister revealed he would review the Swede’s position at the end of the season.

However Eriksson, a former England manager who took over City at the start of the season, believes he has nothing to fear.

“Am I worried that I still have a job? No, I’m not worried at all, absolutely not,” said Eriksson.

“You can’t go in life and be worried about things like that – I think I will be sitting here in this chair next season.

“He (Thaksin) said something, if he means it or not I don’t know, I will see him next week.”

Eriksson saw his side beat Portsmouth at the weekend, leaving them eighth in the Premier League table.

Although they are within kicking distance of a place in Europe for next season, he believes any final position between seventh and ninth would be “a good result” and above that “fantastic”.

“This was important for the team, the club, the fans and with three games to play, we still have a small possibility to play in Europe so that’s good.

“I remember before the first game of the season I was asked ‘what’s the target’ and we really didn’t know as we were bringing in seven players and mixing them together.

“After a while people talked about the Champions League, then the UEFA Cup then it was heads down for a bit but recently we have come back and are playing rather good football.”

City’s best hope of Europe is through the Intertoto Cup – although Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp said he did not envy his City counterpart in his bid for that honour.

Redknapp said: “I was hoping to go on holiday. That’s all I need to start playing again in June. No, I think I will give that one a swerve.”