HUGHES MAY BE COURT OUT

Only this week Shinawatra faced two more allegations — one of making an illegal loan to the military-backed regime in Burma and the other involving a lottery scandal.

His passport has been seized and he can no longer leave the country.

The full impact of City’s embroilment with the former Thai Prime Minister is yet to be discovered but the feeling remains that it is an accident waiting to happen.

Suspicion among City fans is rife and that is far removed from the welcome Shinawatra received when he was unveiled as the club’s billionaire benefactor a year ago.

The euphoria that greeted his arrival, the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as manager, the import of new signings and a surge towards the upper end of the Premier League was immense.

Shinawatra was seen as a quirky eccentric but someone who brought a feel good factor to a club that had suffered too long in the shadows of neighbours United.

But the mood against the owner began to shift dramatically when, at the end of a season which saw City finish a respectable ninth, Eriksson was dismissed.

Despite the appointment of Mark Hughes as replacement, the sacking of the Swede left a nasty smell behind at Eastlands and raised doubts about whether Shinawatra had the vision or patience to build a successful club.

That unease increased when he returned to stand trial in his homeland. More important than the freedom of their owner, in the eyes of City fans, was the well-being of the club.

What was anticipated as a token trial held by sympathetic investigators appointed by a newly elected pro-Shinawatra regime became nothing of the sort.

With almost £1billion of his funds already frozen, the fear now is that the rest of his fortune might be seized and that would rebound massively against City.

Appetite

Meanwhile back at Eastlands, the club appears to be in safe hands. Garry Cook, a former Nike executive recruited from the States, has already built up a solid working relationship with manager Hughes and together they are striving to bring in new signings.

The capture of Brazilian striker Jo and Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim has whetted the appetite but the ill-conceived attempt to sign Ronaldinho brought only disappointment.

There are murmurs that Cook and Hughes are themselves becoming frustrated with Shinawatra’s style of ownership but will soldier on regardless. Certainly Hughes has the personality to steer a more consistent and predictable course than his predecessor. Cook has the commercial expertise to run the club’s off-field activities with a steady hand.

The playing resources are not the worst in the Premiership and Hughes will relish the opportunity to work with such outstanding young players as Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Michael Johnson, who have already made their mark. Other emerging talent like strikers Daniel Sturridge and Ched Evans is waiting in the wings.

The new City manager’s track record at Blackburn suggests he will bring a more solid backbone to a team than has proved brittle at times.

And the legacy of Sven’s era has left him with quality players like Elano, Vedran Corluka and Martin Petrov.

There will be greater discipline and organisation. The holiday camp atmosphere which existed under Eriksson has already been banished.

But new additions to his squad are vital if City are to prosper and put in a genuine challenge for the top four place which remains their ultimate aim.

That puts the ball firmly back in the court of Dr Thaksin – or rather the Bangkok court which will determine his fate.

If the City owner escapes conviction, then he must focus his full attention and wealth in fulfilling the promises he made when he brought the club.

The alternative would be to sentence City to a new era of uncertainty - or something even worse. Without Shinwatra’s continued backing they would stand on the brink of a financial crisis.

The future offers a stark choice for Manchester and it all depends on whether their owner emerges through his courtroom ordeal as a saviour or sinner.

KEY TRANSFERS

IN: Jo (Spartak Moscow, right) £19m; Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea) £3m.

OUT: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven) undisc; Bernardo Corradi (Reggina) free; Sun Jihai (Sheffield Utd) free; Geovanni (Hull) free.

SCORE PREDICTION: 8th

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