Sven hails Elano impact
Eriksson is pleased with the start Elano has made
Also In The News
|
Vertigo, out November 12th. |  |
Wednesday, 14, Nov 2007 08:52
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has hailed the impact made by Brazilian playmaker Elano since his arrival in the Premier League.
Eriksson says the 26-year-old has the same presence on the field as Barcelona star Ronaldinho and believes that fans from all teams enjoy watching him play.
The Swede said: "If you're a footballer, if you're a fan, you want to see players like Elano. You don't have to be a Barcelona fan to like Ronaldinho.
"You want to see those who have something special and Elano is one of those."
Elano joined City for £8 million from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer and is the club's top scorer with four league goals as well as one in the Carling Cup.
However, Eriksson does not see the Brazilian primarily as a goal-scorer but rather prefers to perceive him as more of a creative player behind the main forward.
"You can call him a playmaker. He's not a striker and he's not a midfielder, I think his best position is behind the strikers," Eriksson explained.
"He is very good at finding space, he can bring in players, and he can shoot. He sees things very quickly, sometimes I wonder if he has got eyes in his back. It's a gift some players have and some will never have it," he added.
Eriksson said that the play of Elano and the other recent recruits to the City of Manchester Stadium has confirmed that they are a good side but he refuses to get carried away despite their strong start.
The former England boss said he would rather wait until after Christmas to set his squad a target for finishing in the league.