The Blues' new owner has set out his ambitions in an exclusive interview with M.E.N. Sport after his drawn-out bid to buy the club came to a successful end on Thurdsday.
Shinawatra, who first became interested in buying City last December, admitted the takeover took longer than even he expected.
But having acquired 55 per cent of the club's shares - a figure he expects to rise to 75 per cent during the next month - he is now concentrating his energies on making Eriksson City's next manager.
The former England boss is back in his native Sweden mulling over the final details of a contract offer. If he accepts, it will make Eriksson the highest-paid boss in City's history on an annual salary of £2m. However, Blackburn boss Mark Hughes and Sevilla's Juande Ramos remain on the short list if Sven turns the Blues down.
Shinawatra believes such a high-profile appointment as Sven will help attract the stars who can bring glory to City.
But the ex-Thai PM warned success would not come overnight, and that the timing of the takeover that will, with share purchase, debt and a £50m transfer fund, cost him £130m, had left the Blues short of days to build a top-six squad for next season.
Top six
Shinawatra said: "I would like to see City in the top six. It will not happen overnight. Especially this season. It is a bit late for us to do much. But I think this year will be much better than last year. Within three seasons, you will see a big change at City."
Shinawatra admitted he had spoken to Eriksson about the manager's job vacated by Stuart Pearce, even though Sven's agent Athole Still amazingly continues to deny any contact.
And the 57-year-old ex- policeman added he hoped to appoint a new boss next week.
He said: "He is one of the potential managers I met, and my adviser has talked to him.
"I leave it to my adviser to decide. They will recommend to me the person they think is fit for the club.
"Mr Eriksson is a good coach. He knows all the players in the Premier League and in Europe.
"If he agrees, and if my adviser recommends him, he can bring good players."
Shinawatra followed City's fortunes closely via television last season, but said he would attend every game in person next term if he remained in the United Kingdom. He lives in London, but has been ordered back to Thailand to face corruption charges later this month, and may yet have to return home in a bid to clear his name.
"If I stay in the UK, I will attend every match," Shinawatra said. "If not, I will attend every game I can. I think we have the room to improve the club, because we can bring in a new coach and new players. They have a good team, and we can add more strikers and midfielders to create a better team."
What do you make of Shinawatra's first thoughts? Have your say.
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Sounds very convincing. Talks the talk but can he walk the walk?????
Don't like the fact that Wardle and Mackintosh are staying though.
what a way to be woken up this morning eh?
still.. it could all go so wrong
He comes across as a man with a clear vision for what he wants to achieve at City, and a man who very rarely(if ever) fails to meet his goals,which can only be good for our club.I know he has probably got little else to do with his time than watch CIty every weekend, but did anyone see his face light up when asked if he was looking forward to the first game of the season...like a kid who is being taken to his first match, hopefully that enthusiasm will rub off on the team and give us a season to look forward too.
Just love it - Redski you must be pig sick.
David... you sound such a fun person.
We're doomed, doomed I tell you. Is it a pre requisite of being a City fan that you also need to be a manic depressive. I am not an Eriksson and would much prefer Ramos but at least we appear to be going fowards once more. As for a fit and proper test if the Stock Market can allow him to buy the shares who are the Premiership to assess anyones worthiness. We all know how incompetent they are.
ARE YOU WATCHING SILVAN DISTIN?
Whether it ends well or not I dont care its certainly going to be more interesting then the dross of last season. May the Thai lead us to a better place.
No matter what anyone else thinks, Im excited and think this could be the beginnings of the rebirth of MCFC.
why ruelfox? could you please elaborate on the reasoning behind those comments..?
Anybody tried to put Shinawatras name on the back of a shirt yet?
I loved the last sentence where he talks about the midfield and attack .... hopefully Corradi is reading!
the man is a miracle worker already....he has got Edski in a positive frame of mind!!
I actually think fortune has smiled on us. Here is a person with some drive and charisma and is prepared to take a very calculated risk. He will put in 50m for next year alone! For this he expects improvement without expecting miracles. He will invest more the year after to build a competitive squad. He can handle the media and is actually quite charming it seems. Most importantly, I reckon we are lucky because he will open up a huge market for us in Asia, no doubt about that. He has risen from relatively humble beginnings to become a multi-billionaire in the Asian markets. His commercial networks must be fantastic and he must have a fantastic grasp of footballs potential in a massive Asian marketplace, given that regions passion for the game. I live in the Asian football region in Australia and people in this part of the world (Asia) are football mad (the game has really got its act together in Australia I'm proud to say) and the Thais particularly so. Given the cult like status that the EPL is exerting in world interest in our style of football, for our club to be the pick of Thailand's rabid football fans will mean greater media exposure and piles more spondoolik. Said spondoolik well managed will buy better players and move forward. Thaksin is prepared to gamble 50m plus on Eriksson to take the club forward over the next three years. This is shrewd I reckon. Eriksson has an outstanding advantage in his exposure to the world's finest talent and players just on the fringe of this group due to his role as England manager. He has evidently been a very impressive coach and would obviously be the sort of manager capable of bringing top quality players to the club. Maybe not worldbeaters but top notch nevertheless. Imagine that, City in capable hands with an internationally recognised coach and a cashed-up chairman who actually speaks eloquently about our traditions and potential to succeed. Someone with a tidy wedge who loves football and knows its power in Thailand and will be there cheering us on because he's rich, loves football and loves winning. Nuff said - City to finish comfortably in the top six in 2010.
Great to hear that a deposed and dishonoured PM has managed to get a decent job. Anything going that I might be interested in?
Lets go for Owen and show Barmy Barton who is the BIGGER club !!!
and now, the end is near
and so we face the (cup-)final curtain
my friends, we'll say it clear
we'll state our case, of which we're certain
we've lived a life that's full
we traveled each and ev'ry highway
and more, much more than this, we did it the thai way
regrets, we've had a few
but then again, too few to mention
we did what we had to do and saw it through without exemption
we planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
and more, much more than this, we did it the thai way
yes, there were times, i'm sure you knew
when we bit off more than we could chew
but through it all, when there was doubt
we ate it up and spat it out
we faced it all and we stood tall and did it the thai way
we've loved, we've laughed and cried
we've had our fill, our share of losing
and now, as tears subside, we find it all so amusing
to think we did all that
and may we say, not in a shy way,
"oh, no, oh, no, not us, we did it the thai way"
for what is a man(city fan), what has he got?
if not himself, then he has naught
to say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
the record shows we took the blows and did it the thaiiiiiiiiiiiii way!
Im with the positive brigade here. I listened to Thaksin's interview on Five Live last night. He struck me as an intellegent football supporter, humourous (although I doubt the drug pushers back home thought so!!) and in possession of that great human gift of humility. I really think we can look forward to some great times, but lets have some realism. Staying up next season will be enough after the truama of this close season - we're 4-1 to go down and with a strong Sunderland and possibly Derby in the Prem we cannot rely on the promoted clubs to underpin the table this year so someone's in for the chop if you ask me - hopefully Fulham and/or Wigan. Lets do a repair job on the squad in the time available, add in the January window and establish a longer-term plan for next Summer and so on. But I did wake up this morning feeling pretty good!
At last this club has something to smile about, Thaksin seems like a man with a vision, and that is to put us back where we belong, this club has been with the deadmen for to long, if he gets it right, and its a big if, we have the support and stadium to be as big as anybody, no one has ever truly seen the potential of City or what a huge fanbase we actually have, this club hasn't won a trophy for 31 years and we can still command crowds in excess of 40,000, imagine if we get it right!!?? We are as big as anyone, we just haven't had the chance to prove it.
Now this is getting boring now , has anyone seen BBN today , I cant take all these happy City fans posting on here !
I think it could all end in tears, but for the time being it's heady stuff. If nothing else it should be good fun.
Ramos for manager. Uwe Rosler as deputy. Pedersen from Blackburn as best big buy.
Ali Benarbia and Shaun Goater coaching the youngsters. = Champions!
Fly us to the Blue Moon Franky Babeeeee!!
DISTIN GIVE US A WAVE!
Will the last one out please turn out the lights.
Out with the old and in with new etc. That should include our chants/songs. They have become stale, predictable and lame.
Any chance we blues could put our thinking caps on and try drum up some new material??
Lets get the campaign going before kick off. Anyone interested?
Just looking at next seasons fixtures, I remember many seasons ago playing Newcastle, last game of the season and it being one of the best days ever!!. Can history repeat itself, or am I dreaming too much?