Soccer AM

Gallagher: don't sack Sven in anger

'Big Phil' sounds like a second-hand car dealer.

Noel Gallagher
Quotes of the week

Noel Gallagher rang up Soccer AM to launch a passionate defence of Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

The Oasis guitarist is a staunch City supporter and was mortified when it emerged that the club's owner Thaksin Shinawatra is planning to get rid of Eriksson in the summer after only one season in the job.

A furious Gallagher said Shinawatra feels threatened by the popularity of the Swede and balked at suggestions that Portugal coach 'Big' Phil Scolari could be the man to take over.

So he called up his favourite TV show to vent his spleen....

"I was furious at first and now it's just gone into sadness," Gallagher said.

"He's the best manager we've had for about 30 years and it defies logic that Shinawatra is going to get rid of him.

"It's blatantly obvious that he doesn't understand English football.

"My opinion is that Sven has become too popular at the club and I don't think he likes the manager being more popular than him. I think he's going to get rid of the king so he can be the big cheese at the club

"We don't want anybody called Big Phil, Big Sam, Big Dave, Little John, Little Barry or anyone that sounds like an East End gangster. We don't want anyone like that, we want Sven to stay."

Gallagher says the only two men in European football who could do a better job than Eriksson are former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Russia coach Guus Hiddink.

Eriksson has spent £50million on new players, but Gallagher insists that is not enough to guarantee you immediate success in modern football.

"I've spent £50million on sweets down the years!" he added.

"Shinawatra couldn't have expected a trophy and the thing that's really annoyed me is that he's done this after the last home game so there can be no massive protests.

"I think that John Wardle and the other directors of the club who sold out to him are still custodians of the club in my eyes and they need to rattle it into his head that Sven is the best man for the job.

"Look at all the people who are going to be unemployed after the European Championships; there's only really two that could come into that club that are better than Sven and who understand European football - Jose Mourinho - and he's not going to come - and Guus Hiddink.

"Phil Scolari has never managed a club in Europe, he doesn't know anything about English football. 'Big Phil' sounds like a second-hand car dealer."

While Eriksson is in charge for the rest of the season, Gallagher feels there is no chance of him staying beyond then and he backed him to get another high-profile job in the near future.

"I think he'll leave," he continued. "You couldn't really stay once you've been humiliated like that.

"It seems like it's a done deal and it's really sad because it seems as if Sven had given us a sense of direction and we are playing great football.

"Although Rolando Bianchi was a really bad buy and maybe one or two others, he got Elano, Martin Petrov, Valeri Bojinov and Vedran Corluka, who's the best right-back in the country.

"The minute's silence at Old Trafford was a reflection of our manager's personality, it was a very dignified day, and I think people are missing the point with Eriksson.

"He's worth more than one season. He's in a good position anyway because I suppose his stock is as high as it's ever been. He was at his lowest after England, but he's turned City round and he could walk into most jobs in football now."