Home > Football > Hype and hope: Becks and Sven in the same boat at LA Galaxy and Manchester City

Hype and hope: Becks and Sven in the same boat at LA Galaxy and Manchester City

The former England manager and captain are drawn together once again - in a battle for survival.

by Steve Bott on 17 July 2007

Email this Article (16) Comments

100%

Problems already for Sven-Goran Eriksson? (Gettyimages.com)

Related Bet:

Free £10 bet when you register at

Submit this article to Punditit

I don't know which is more ridiculous. All the stupefyingly inane hype surrounding Sven Goran Eriksson's arrival at Manchester City, or that involving David Beckham's move to LA Galaxy.

Sven has alway appeared to me to be more suited to being a white-coated gynaecologist or one of those mad Swedish boffins that used to appear on the TV adverts, than a football manager. He did have a decent track record as a club manager at one time way back and actually was a winner in Italy - but we all know what he did for England - absolutely NOTHING!

The gynaecologist image is backed up by the one thing he does appear to be good at - attracting the interest of attractive, high profile women. Maybe he is big in other departments after all!

'Not since the Mercer-Allison days, with a team that boasted Colin Bell, Franny Lee and Mike Summerbee, have they (City) had anything like trophy-winning material on the pitch'

But he won't pull up any trees at City. Even if he does get it half right and some of his unheard of signings make a bit of an impression, City are doomed to be the poor relations forever now. Not since the Mercer-Allison days, with a team that boasted Colin Bell, Franny Lee and Mike Summerbee, have they had anything like trophy-winning material on the pitch.

They don't even own their own ground - the magnificent City of Manchester Stadium belongs to the city council, and the only people who go there to collect anything at the moment are the binmen - twice a week on a regular recycle! But much as I do like the City stadium - it's got great Press facilities - the major design fault that was evident at Maine Road too is there again. The seats are facing the pitch!

As for Becks, the latest ballyhoo is over a proposed tour of England by the Galaxy next year. Well, knock me down with a feather duster, that's a real surprise isn't it. Just another merchandising opportunity geared to raking in loads of cash. The Galaxy are already planning a world tour more immediately and they are going for the quick kill with Chelsea due to visit Hollywood at the weekend.

All geared to raking in the cash as quickly as possible. Maybe the American powers-that-be know, too, that the Becks thing has a limited time span in the popularity stakes - even in the publicity-mad States. But I suppose it's only like Manchester United jetting off to Japan, the Phillipines and China for their pre-season tour. Milk the masses despite the fact they are in a country that isn't necessarily that big on football.

A year is a long time - especially in football - so the whole daft Becks/Galaxy circus might have turned into more of a Punch and Judy-type sideshow by then.

Becks best bet now is for Posh and himself to don Mickey and Minnie Mouse outfits and waddle up and down Hollywood Boulevard for the duration of his Galaxy contract. That would suit those two monkeys to a tee!

Comments (16)

by wtfigo on July 17, 2007

Another clueless piece of hack work. No doubt written by a rag.

by Adz - Blue on July 17, 2007

You must be an Arsenal fan from the George Graham era. How negative can you be? The reason England flopped under Sven was because of you (the media) forcing him to play your superstars. Remember that this man has won doubles in 3 countries. It was only because he came here and managed those overpaid egos that his reputation was tarnished.

by Barry Bithel on July 17, 2007

What an unfunny clown you are, grow up half-wit.

by bluemoon on July 17, 2007

stupid rag moron. more anti city shit.

by shuttphil on July 17, 2007

who employs these guys?

by whatever on July 17, 2007

old, old jokes. You're the kind of guy that would fuck a man in the ass and not even the common courtesy to give him a reach-around.

by Lawrence on July 17, 2007

"Decent Track record"? I hope no-one paid you for this crap. Expressing your dumb views is one thing. But the facts are that Sven has a better record than all but one current Premier League Manager. Don't give up your day job......

by Peter on July 17, 2007

As terrible as this piece is, the writer is a ordinary guy airing his views. He's hardly employed but has written this rant for free. Clueless, sure, but a product of a country which has let themselves be subjected to the propaganda machine called the tabloids. Sven is really well regarded in football, but the clueless average readers of the sun and the mirror still thinks he has "wasted the golden generation". A generation with the only difference from earlier England internationals being their fat salaries and large egos. The rest of the world still thinks Sven worked wonders getting England to three quarter finals with a very average squad of players. But the average sun reader still thinks England is the best football nation in the world and that the only problem was having a "forrin" coach. Well, now the coach is English. Is the team doing better or worse?

by O'Fortuna on July 17, 2007

What drivil the writer has produced. He clearly spends his time with his head up his own backside and only whips it out to watch the dvd of the lady boys 101 best pouts and tumbles. Worse he cant get his facts correct or even write a remotely worthy article. Sven has the best win ratio of any England manager ever. Only 5 managers across the whole of europe have won more trophies...EVER! So to write that off as "decent" and to suggest it was not in the modern era is the words of a total prat who as I say spends his time watching the lady boys 101 best pouts and dribbling his lousy writing on here as some sort or denial of his sexuality. He forgets it is Mcutd with the $1.5 billion of debt they may wanting to use our ground again before long. And we will never be in the shadow of a time who's crowd attendance drops to 22000 if they go two years without a cup! fact. Thats a shallow pile christina ronaldo lovers if you ask me. We have gone 31 years without a cup and still pull 40 thousand every week. Some thing

by Ed on July 17, 2007

Poor journalism...

by Jon on July 17, 2007

As long as there are knobs like you writing this drivel the longer Manure will remain the most despised team in the world ! lol You really do embaress yourself little man.

by Steven on July 17, 2007

Er, your profile says it all: I am a freelance journalist colleague of your current writer and sub editor Donna Gee and have been in the business for 34 years writing at national and regional level. I currently cover football matches for The People as part of my work There's a reason you're freelance; no editor would have you on his books with rubbish like this. You write for 'The People' and I think that's about right for you. No research, no effort, no good. Try harder or give up. If you think this is any good, you're deluded.

by Ur Anus on July 17, 2007

This history is completely bullshit. Get a new job, maybe as a comedian. As a Manu fan, are you afraid of what is coming up in Manchester. Scum going down and City going up?

by Paul on July 17, 2007

You say..."not since the Mercer-Allison days, .... have they had anything like trophy-winning material on the pitch." You forget about the '76 league cup and the FA cup in '81 where, quite frankly, we were robbed of the title. A rubbish little bit of journalism, from someone who mustn't be a Manc. Typical red scum

by Mike H on July 17, 2007

Steve, you sound like a frightened little boy not a grown man who's supposedly been a journalist for 30 odd years. Some of your other articles have posted higher marks so I suggest you get back to what you know before you comment on what you don't know. Simply awful journalism.