Eriksson set for exit after City shambles

SVEN Goran Eriksson was last night set to be put out of his misery at Manchester City after being summoned for talks over his future with representatives of the owner Thaksin Shinawatra.

The off-the-field farce that has been City for the past few weeks spilled onto the pitch as Middlesbrough ran up their biggest top flight winning margin for 58 years. “I expect to speak to people from the owner's side,” he confirmed. “Or should I say, they will speak to me.”

City were a shambles as the uncertainty over Eriksson's future clearly took its toll on the players. “To live with this insecurity is never good for anyone,” he added. “I hope to live in the secure very soon, in hours I hope. I expect to speak to his people as soon as I finish here. Not with Thaksin, he's not here.”

Immediate re-employment as Benfica manager and a £3m pay-off will soften the blow.

Eriksson was serenaded throughout by City’s travelling fans and he takes his leave with the club on the verge of qualifying for Europe, their Uefa Cup entrance via the fair play league expected to be rubber-stamped on Tuesday.

Until yesterday, Middlesbrough just didn't do emphatic victories, but they banished that reputation in style with six goals in 32 second-half minutes.

Stewart Downing added insult to Richard Dunne's second red card of the season, awarded for his unintended contact with Tuncay Sanli, easily beating Andreas Isaksson from the penalty spot.

Afonso Alves steered home the second on 37 minutes to kill the contest while Downing's sublime volley just before the hour opened the floodgates.

Alves chipped past Isaksson after being put through by Julio Arca before substitute Adam Johnson's 20-yard effort deflected in off Michael Ball. Fabio Rochemback signed off before his expected return to Sporting Lisbon with a breath-taking 30-yard free-kick. Three goals in the last five minutes saw Elano's well struck consolation from the edge of the box sandwiched between an angled drive from Jeremie Aliadiere and Alves sweeping in his hat-trick in stoppage time.

A bad day for City was made complete when some of their travelling fans clashed with police.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Schwarzer 7, Young 7 (McMahon 76, 7), Riggott 7, Wheater 8, Pogatetz 7, Boateng 7, Rochemback 7, Arca 7 (Johnson 63, 7), Downing 8, Alves 9, Tuncay 7 (Aliadiere 63, 7).

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Taylor.

MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-1-1): Isaksson 6, Jihai 4, Dunne 5, Ball 5, Garrido 4, Fernandes 5, Corluka 4, Ireland 4, Petrov 4 (Elano 71, 5), Vassell 4 (Hamann 62, 5), Benjani 4 (Castillo 13, 4).

Subs Not Used: Hart, Caceido.

REFEREE: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 7: Had no choice to send Richard Dunne off after awarding the game-deciding penalty.

MATCH RATING: *** Not much of a contest once Richard Dunne ensured he had first use of the showers.