Source: Daily_Mail
THE MIDLANDER: Hop aboard, Sven Goran Eriksson. Welcome to the Leicester City rollercoaster...
Let me see whether I've got this right, then. The out-going owner of Leicester City Milan Mandaric needs the Foxes to be bottom of the Championship like a drink-driver needs 'one for the road.' [LNB]So, he sacks the man lauded as the club's saviour less than 12 weeks ago, a few weeks after allowing Nigel Pearson - one of the best managers Leicester have employed in the past decade - to slip through their fingers. [LNB]What does Mandaric do? [LNB] Latest stop: Sven Goran Eriksson is now in charge of struggling Leicester[LNB]Does he replace Sousa with an up-coming manager of pedigree (which 10 or 20 years ago used to be the Leicester's way - think Brian Little, Martin O'Neill, Mark McGhee etc)? [LNB]Or does he turn to a 'name' who will raise the profile - if not the league position - so the owner can escape quietly via the nearest exit, pronto? [LNB] It's obviously the latter answer. [LNB]I think that adequately sums up the present situation at the Walkers Stadium.[LNB]Why? Why? Why?[LNB]Just what is it with this football club? Until the American owners at Derby County took over, I thought it was the Rams who were the Midlands' champions at attracting people at the top who just could not get it right (and even when they did, Billy Davies ended up at loggerheads with his paymasters.) [LNB]But ever since O'Neill left, there have been problems in Leicester. First, with John Elsom's disastrous reign. Then administration and relegation. [LNB]Micky Adams got the Foxes back up but it was an empty triumph really as promotion could not be backed up by any significant investment. [LNB]Then Mandaric came in and worked his way through five managers in a couple of seasons and was rewarded with relegation to the third tier for the first time in the club's history. [LNB]OK, there has been promotion since then when Pearson was allowed free reign to right the floundering ship. And what a job he did, by the way. But where will it end? [LNB] You know, I've sat in front of Leicester's chairman. He may be fantastically charming, plausible and passionate. But his record for dealing with managers just recently is pretty poor. [LNB]I accept that whatever Sousa was doing needed to show improvement, but nine games isn't enough to implement any kind of change.[LNB]And who do we get as a replacement? Welcome back to the east Midlands, Sven. Welcome. [LNB]Difficult to blame Eriksson, isn't it, really? If someone out there is mug enough to hand over another pileof cash, then more fool them. Never mind that he has now become a parody of himself. [LNB]Theepisode at Meadow Lane saw to that. A 'fake sheikh' sting. Without the sting. [LNB]Personally, Ithink it's all smoke and mirrors as far as the Swede is concerned. He bought the title with Lazio, did a par-for-the-course job with a decent bunch of England players (until the point when he needed to do something against Brazil in the 2002 quarter-final and was shown-up) andspent over £50m lifting Manchester City a couple of places in the Barclays Premier League. [LNB] Sven Goran Eriksson[LNB]Mexico couldn't get rid of him quickly enough. While he (commendably) hung around at Meadow Lane, once the takeover was confirmed and his cheque was in the bank, he was off. [LNB]As ever in all of this, it's the 20,000 punters who turned up at the weekend who really deserve the plaudits. That's support. When your club is lying bottom of the pile with the season looking like a write-off and when, economically, times are hard. Proper supporters. [LNB]Look, it won't be the first time I've ever been wrong, although those who point to an earlier blog about Sousa should note I'm not conceding defeat on that one as I'm not convinced nine games is sufficient time to judge anyone. [LNB]But I hope Eriksson turns out to be Messiah for the sake of those who will be there long after Mandaric and the Thai consortium are a distant memory. Because if he isn't a success, it's unlikely they will find another Nigel Pearson in a hurry. [LNB] Eriksson eyes Premier League return after unveiling at Leicester CitySven is back! Eriksson returns to England to take charge of Leicester[LNB] Explore more:People: Martin O'Neill, Nigel Pearson, Billy Davies, Brian Little Places: United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil
