Thaksin Shinawatra may be reluctant to clear up the uncertainty over the future of Sven-Göran Eriksson, but the Manchester City manager appears to have the backing of the club's first-team squad.

Eriksson, the former England head coach, whose team occupied third place in the Barclays Premier League at the end of November, will have a top-ten finish to show for his first season in charge at the City of Manchester Stadium, but Thaksin, the owner, has resisted several opportunities in recent weeks to clarify the manager's position.

City fans have voiced their support and Michael Ball, the experienced defender, said yesterday that “every player is 100 per cent behind him. We like his methods, the way he trains, the way he goes about his tactics. If the club wants to go forward, we have got to keep the coaching staff and, obviously, add a few more players.”

Eriksson met Thaksin last weekend and is understood to have made clear his displeasure at recent speculation about his future. Having said a fortnight ago that he would evaluate Eriksson's position at the end of the season, Thaksin has refused to give the Swede his full backing. He did not discuss the issue during a wide-ranging interview in the club's match-day programme for the final Premier League home match of the season, against Fulham on Saturday, and later that evening he skirted questions about Eriksson's future from fans at a dinner to celebrate the club winning the FA Youth Cup.

The City owner is not believed to have given Eriksson any assurances about his future during a 45-minute meeting at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester on Sunday, when the former England head coach raised the issue before discussing the club's summer transfer strategy.

Despite his public protestations not to be worried about the situation, the Swede is believed to have taken a dim view of Thaksin's remarks to reporters in Dubai that he would “assess the club and the people involved at the end of the season”. Despite sitting close to each other at the fundraising dinner on Saturday, Eriksson and Thaksin were said to have barely exchanged glances.

Thaksin Shinawatra may be reluctant to clear up the uncertainty over the future of Sven-Göran Eriksson, but the Manchester City manager appears to have the backing of the club's first-team squad.

Eriksson, the former England head coach, whose team occupied third place in the Barclays Premier League at the end of November, will have a top-ten finish to show for his first season in charge at the City of Manchester Stadium, but Thaksin, the owner, has resisted several opportunities in recent weeks to clarify the manager's position.

The Swede has told friends, however, that he has no intention of stepping down and was in good spirits last night as he attended an All Parliamentary Group dinner in London. Athole Still, Eriksson's agent, said last night: "There is no way he will quit after the successful job he has done."

City fans have voiced their support and Michael Ball, the experienced defender, said yesterday that “every player is 100 per cent behind him. We like his methods, the way he trains, the way he goes about his tactics. If the club wants to go forward, we have got to keep the coaching staff and, obviously, add a few more players.”

Eriksson met Thaksin last weekend and is understood to have made clear his displeasure at recent speculation about his future. Having said a fortnight ago that he would evaluate Eriksson's position at the end of the season, Thaksin has refused to give the Swede his full backing. He did not discuss the issue during a wide-ranging interview in the club's match-day programme for the final Premier League home match of the season, against Fulham on Saturday, and later that evening he skirted questions about Eriksson's future from fans at a dinner to celebrate the club winning the FA Youth Cup.

The City owner is not believed to have given Eriksson any assurances about his future during a 45-minute meeting at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester on Sunday, when the former England head coach raised the issue before discussing the club's summer transfer strategy.

Despite his public protestations not to be worried about the situation, the Swede is believed to have taken a dim view of Thaksin's remarks to reporters in Dubai that he would “assess the club and the people involved at the end of the season”. Despite sitting close to each other at the fundraising dinner on Saturday, Eriksson and Thaksin were said to have barely exchanged glances.