Eriksson is ready for bumpy road ahead

Sitting third in the Premiership just a point behind neighbours United, City travel to Chelsea this weekend four places above them and with an undeniable sense of purpose.

But there were holes in their win over an unfortunate Birmingham side at the City of Manchester Stadium and privately Eriksson knows his team's league position is a little false.

A first-half goal from the enthralling Brazilian Elano was enough to earn another home win — their sixth — but a draw would have been a fair result after Steve Bruce's team put together an admirable second-half comeback.

With hardly a single injury of note to bother him — apart from striker Valeri Bojinov — Eriksson is currently in the enviable position of being able to field the same team every week and he knows that he will need extra players in January to cope with the rigours of the rest of the season following a festive programme that will be alien to the plethora of foreign players in his squad.

Eriksson said: "I'll be very curious to see what happens to our squad during the Christmas and New Year period.

"There are a lot of foreigners who are not used to playing games every two or three days, so that will be an interesting time for us. That will show how good our squad really are.

"If somebody had said at the start of the season that we would be above Chelsea then I would have started laughing.

"But it doesn't really matter where we are now. It's where we are at the end that matters and there are a lot of things that could happen between now and then."

Whether Eriksson was just bowing to his own innate pragmatism or trying to send some kind of message to the City board, it was hard to gauge. One sensed, however, that it was merely the former.

The Swede has already been told by owner Thaksin Shinawatra that there will be money available in January so there is no need for him to play games through the media. Anyway, it is not really his style.

Eriksson knows he needs a centre forward and a holding midfield player and the likelihood is that he will get them.

Especially if there are many more afternoons like this.

His City fired in patches but it is hard to function without a decent striker and currently the earnest but limited Emile Mpenza is offering Eriksson's team very little up front. The Greek, Georgios Samaras, when he came on, offered even less to his side.

And when Birmingham finally came in to the game in the last half-hour — thanks to the energy and impetus given them by substitute Daniel de Ridder — City lacked the experience and savvy to paper over the cracks that suddenly appeared at the base of their midfield.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart saved a point-blank effort from Olivier Kapo with his shoulder as the momentum swung and Micah Richards headed one effort from the goal-line.

The home team were lucky to survive and they knew it. So, of course, did Birmingham.

Bruce said: "Mr Eriksson is the fourth manager this season to tell me how well we've played but that's no consolation when you look at the league table and realise we should have had quite a few more points. We deserved something from this game. Mr Eriksson said that to me himself."

It was hard not to feel some sympathy for Bruce, especially given the uncertainty that surrounds his own position as his club go through the processes of a takeover.

He was, however, wrong to criticise referee Mike Dean for failing to blow for a foul in the run-up to Elano's goal. Michael Johnson's tackle on Fabrice Muamba was clean.