Tag Archives: Michael Johnson

It has taken a few days to find but back in October 2011 I interviewed Sven-Göran Eriksson for a feature I did back then called ‘Talking City with Gary James’ – it was a feature I did for the Manchester City match programme. To mark Sven’s passing here are the words from the full piece as originally published. I always feel it’s best, where possible, to highlight an individual’s views on their career when they die rather than something less personal.

Here goes:

Earlier this season (2011-12) Gary caught up with former City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as he prepared for a Championship game with his present side Leicester City.  Sven moved into coaching in 1975 after a knee injury had brought a premature end to his playing career.  By the time he was 40 he had found UEFA Cup success and won domestic honours in Sweden, Italy & Portugal.  In 1999 he guided Lazio to ECWC success (with Roberto Mancini in his side) and later managed England to the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals.

A year after guiding England to the World Cup quarter-finals you decided to return to club management.  Your record suggests you could have gone anywhere and there were certainly various other clubs rumoured to be interested, but you chose City.  What were the specific reasons for joining the Blues?

It is a huge job and a huge club.  With new owners in place and the club in the Premier League, I felt that they were prepared to match my ambition and invest in new players.  I never for one moment regretted taking on the role.

Was the Club what you expected when you arrived?

Yes, definitely. It was and still is a good club, with great people.

Many fans felt the Club had stagnated for a while, so when you came it lifted spirits enormously.  Supporters loved your time at the Club and your presence boosted everything from atmosphere around the place to fans’ self esteem.  That was very important.  Could you feel that at the time?

Of course, Gary.  I felt it, yes.  We hit the ground running with some excellent football, entertaining the supporters and winning games.  I had a very good feeling around that time, and I sensed that the fans shared that feeling.

They did absolutely.  How did the fans treat you when you arrived?

They were first-class as they always are.  Recently, when I came back to the stadium with Leicester City for the FA Cup 3rd round replay (2010-11), they were great to me then and they will always mean a lot to me.

Your arrival brought immediate results.  You started the League season (2007-08) with three straight victories (West Ham 2-0, Derby County 1-0 & Manchester United 1-0) and topped the table.  What are your memories of these games?

We had six or seven players who had just signed for us and started very well, playing good, entertaining and attacking football.  I remember the Manchester United home game, when Geovanni scored.  We may have been a little fortunate, but it was a great result.

You made some excellent signings during your time at City, which player impressed you most and why?

There were many players we brought in who I thought had a great impact on the team, but I would have to say Elano and Martin Petrov – they were first-class.

I think their immediate impact was the most impressive part.  It all seemed to fit together nicely at that time, and the fans certainly appreciated the immediate transformation.  There were also several quality players already at City when you arrived.  Which of these impressed you the most?

A collection of players did very well and impressed me.  I would probably pick out Michael Johnson, who was a great talent and I am very pleased to have him on loan at Leicester, Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, Richard Dunne and Joe Hart.  I also felt that Stephen Ireland was incredible in training, he had such ability.

You mentioned earlier that City had new owners.  This was, of course, the early days following the takeover of Thaksin Shinawatra.  What did you make of him?

At the time he was very good for the club, no doubt about that.  The previous season they were struggling and then he could be seen, perhaps, as the transition between that period and what is going on at the club now (following the takeover by Sheikh Mansour).  

Is there anything you would like to ask Thaksin if you met him now?

I hope that one day he may actually explain to me why I was sacked, as he never did at the time.

City had some great results, including the Old Trafford victory over United to complete a double, what did you feel was the best game during your time and why?

Yes, that (United match) was definitely the game for me.  It was a very memorable match.  The club were a little concerned about the fact that it was on the anniversary of the Munich Disaster, but no one needed to worry as the City fans observed the silence perfectly.  It was such a silence I seem to remember that I actually felt it, if you know what I mean?

Yes, I do.  I was in the away section and had been a little annoyed that in the build-up to the match people had assumed City fans would disrupt the silence, but most genuine fans knew the truth.  I wrote several articles in the build-up to the anniversary explaining what it really meant to fans.  Post match City’s support were rightly acclaimed for their impeccable behaviour.  Thinking about the end of the season, can you explain why the final match at Middlesbrough ended in a 8-1 defeat?

Mentally we were not right at all that afternoon and obviously the scoreline reflected that.  It was a bad day, one that everyone wanted to forget and no one wanted to be a part of.

After the season ended you went on the Club’s tour to Thailand, was that a surreal experience and how did it feel knowing how the future was likely to go for you?

It was very strange I have to say.  A lot of people didn’t really want to go, but I urged people to go as we needed to show our professionalism.  In the end, I think the staff enjoyed the trip and the time out there was probably welcome given how things had gone at the end of the season.

How did your dismissal come about?  There were lots of rumours of you being dismissed before the Middlesbrough match.  Would you have stayed if asked?

I was told in Thailand, definitively that my time at the club was over.  Given the choice, of course I would have wanted to stay.  We were keen to build on what we had done in the first season and improve in the second season.  I had another year on my contract, so for me it was very disappointing the way it all ended.

Now that your former player Roberto Mancini is at City and found success, how do you feel the Club will develop?

I am certain that City will be one of the most important clubs in world football, I have no hesitation in saying that.  They have invested in quality players and also in improvements off the field.  They will be in the elite group of teams with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

That’s nice to hear and I hope it’s true.  Remembering your time in Manchester, what was the highlight and why?

I liked the job, the place and I loved the people too, but the weather I could do without.  It was too short a time to be there, but a time I look back fondly upon.

I think most fans share those views, although we have got used to the weather a little.  Apart from Manchester’s rain, what was the biggest disappointment and why?

The sacking of course, nothing else comes close.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share with fans?

Yes, Gary.  I want to wish Roberto, the club and the supporters all the best of luck.  Manchester City is a great club, one of the best and I hope that next season we will be able to join you in the Premier League.

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