Thaksin Shinawatra

RELAXED Thaksin Shinawatra headed to London on Tuesday night happy that City's 'bolts' did not need much 'tightening' and his Blue revolution is still on course.

The chairman, who watched his side clamber back into the race for the Premier League's top six by coming from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 on Sunday, held a two-day series of meetings with key personnel at the stadium during his stay.

Sources close to the former Thai Prime Minister reported that he was happy with what he heard - so happy he took one afternoon off to browse the stores in Manchester with his family!

Earlier it had been Sven-Goran Eriksson's shopping list that was occupying Shinawatra's mind and not that of his children as the two men, chief executive Alistair Mackintosh, vice-chairman John Wardle and Eriksson's close ally and recruitment chief Tord Grip, discussed possible summer targets.

As the manager had hoped, the owner reportedly made it clear there would be money to spend without going into specific sums and re-iterated his three-year plan for the club that has called for a UEFA Cup place at the end of next season.

He told the meeting he was happy with the progress and impact the team had made this term.

Shinawatra, who is still fighting through the courts in his homeland to free up £800m in frozen cash assets, also met Academy chief Jim Cassell to hear the Platt Lane chief's ideas for the future. The chairman expressed his pleasure at the kids' successful run to the final of the FA Youth Cup.