Ellinger sacked

By: Ian Rose | May 3rd, 2007

Well, when a team loses and loses badly, there are usually two easy guys to blame. One is the keeper, especially when its obvious he has not been playing his best. The other is the gaffer. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the team’s success, or in RSL’s case, the lack thereof. We’ve all been noticing just how hot that seat under John Ellinger has been getting lately, and the show finally dropped. Dave Checketts and the RSL front office sacked Ellinger and, though the official announcement is still forthcoming, the word is that current player Jason Kreis is going to be named coach. A-Whaaaa? I still haven’t gotten authoritative word on whether this is an interim situation or Kreis is really jumping into coaching full-time. It seems Ellinger’s move to start Chris Seitz between the posts for RSL was his last gasp for the job – one wonders whether this would still be happening if Real would have been able to rally and win that match against the Rapids. Either way, Ellinger is out, and we’ll stay up to date on the details of this whole Kreis situation … I have my doubts.

Well, come to think of it, thanks to what Roy Keane has done at Sunderland, maybe its the year of the recent player-turned-coach. We can only hope.

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Tags: John Ellinger, Real Salt Lake, RSL, Team News

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• Tom |  May 3rd, 2007 at 9:34 am

  
  
  

  I don’t want to dash your hopes, but Keane did have the experience of working under two of the greatest managers of all-time. I’m not sure Jason Kreis can say the same thing…Interesting choice.

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• Eddiee |  May 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 am

  
  
  

  Replacing one inexperienced and awful coach with an inexperienced player. I hope it works out, but this seems like a bad move.

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• Eddiee |  May 3rd, 2007 at 9:49 am

  
  
  

  *inexperienced coach*

  Kreis has played forever.

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• Ian |  May 3rd, 2007 at 10:15 am

  
  
  

  Yeah, the comparison to Keano was much more of a joke … they’re not in the same league. Interesting is certainly one word for this choice …

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• Wiz |  May 3rd, 2007 at 10:58 am

  
  
  

  I have often wondered where RSL would look for a new coach if and when Ellinger got sacked? Who would the front office bring in with a credible resume? G. Southgate was asked to do the samething at Middlesborough in the EPL–could argue how that is going. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. Will Jason be named as interim coach or will he take it over permantely? It does solve a problem we had in midfield. Now Andy Williams can recover and have a place in the A team.

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• glyconerd |  May 3rd, 2007 at 11:36 am

  
  
  

  Either way, congratulations on the coaching change!

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• Clint |  May 3rd, 2007 at 12:54 pm

  
  
  

  Things can only get better. Good luck, Ian and RSL.

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• Jeff Bull |  May 3rd, 2007 at 1:13 pm

  
  
  

  I dunno, Clint. I was about to post something like, “it sucks to be you.”

  At the same time, it doesn’t suck to be Ian. Maddening as his team may be, they are interesting. They do more crazy crap in one day than the entire Eastern Conference (obviously minus Toronto) did in the entire off-season. Seriously, your team is content-heaven!

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• Ian |  May 3rd, 2007 at 2:09 pm

  
  
  

  Thanks for the reminder, Jeff – if this blog sucks, its totally my fault … you’re right, they do keep it interesting.

  Posted from United States

  

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