Sven-Goran Eriksson admits Manchester City's 'big target' remains to qualify for the Champions League within the next two years.Upon buying the Premier League team last summer, Thaksin Shinawatra outlined a three-year vision to see City competing in Europe's elite club competition.

City have made steady progress this season and Eriksson is confident the club are heading in the right direction following a recent meeting with Shinawatra.

"It was just a meeting and I have many meetings with him," Eriksson told the club's official website. "Before he came here at the weekend he hasn't been here for five weeks I think, for obvious reasons, so when he came back he wanted to see everyone. It was very good and when we talk, we talk football.

"We know the target. He wants to play in Europe, maybe not this coming season, but let's hope we can do it.

"But for sure in the year after, and then the big target of course in a couple of years is to try and get into the Champions League."

Shinawatra believes City's results have exceeded his initial expectations and he is hopeful of fulfilling his long-term objectives.

"I'm very happy with the first year, it's more than I expected," said Shinawatra.

"The plan for the first year was to finish in the top 10, the second year was top six to qualify for Europe and the third year was finish in the top four for the Champions League.

"At the beginning of the season, I planned that we should end up in the top 10. When we were fourth or fifth for a few months I thought, 'why don't we go for the UEFA Cup?'

"That's my dream, but because of the way the cup competitions have gone it's not so easy, we will have to fight hard for the rest of the season to be able to go into the UEFA Cup, but we will try our best. It still looks like we will finish in the top 10, which is as according to the original plan."

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