Quitting in the middle of the playoffs is always a huge risk and a huge surprise. This is resorted to in cases where the management does not see prospects or simply panics.
This happened in Avangard. Omsk decided after 0-7 against Lokomotiv to dismiss coach Mikhail Kravets. This act provoked many controversial comments. The decision proved extremely controversial.
We turned to Mikhail Grigorievich Kravets himself to ask him to comment on Avangard’s decision. The specialist answered a series of questions:
what do you think about his resignation; how he evaluates his work at Avangard; what are Omsk’s chances of advancing to the next round; how you evaluate Avangard’s composition; what do you think about the 0:7 defeat against Lokomotiv; What do you plan to do next?
“I am very grateful to destiny for having had the opportunity to work at Avangard”
— I would like to know your opinion about the resignation…– Well, as for the opinion, I think you should ask those who made this resignation (laughs), who fired me. But here the only thing I can say is that the training is like that, no one here is immune to these layoffs. I am very grateful to fate that I had the opportunity to work in the Avangard team, to work in Omsk, with such wonderful fans, with such wonderful people who give all their heart and soul to hockey. Not even to work, but to play in the presence of the people we play for. And I am glad that for two years the team and I have always had a good relationship, and all the guys grew, played better and achieved good results.
— Maybe there was an opportunity to achieve something more? Still, this season Avangard showed great play, there were great hockey players.— What do you mean by cool hockey players? Every team has great players. Isn’t there a troika in “Salavat Yulaev” that plays very decently? Great players – you mean Tkachev, Boucher and Spooner?
Mikhail Kravets
Photo: Victoria Trufanova, foto.khl.ru
– Not only. Avangard strengthened well at the deadline, signing Zhafyarov, Prokhorkin, Yurcho. Well, the team has, of course, great defenders. For example, Damir Sharipzyanov is a true leader, an iron man.— Here I completely agree with you about these players and that these players are worthy. But Damir Sharipzyanov is not the only one playing defense. And there should be six defenders who play like Damir Sharipzyanov. And the same thing happens in attack. And before the arrival of Yurcho and Prokhorkin, we were also in second place. These guys, of course, made the team stronger.
And I think we didn’t fail at anything, we passed the first round and the first game against Lokomotiv was decent. In yesterday’s game we didn’t let the opponent do many things, they only had six opportunities and they converted them all. This is hockey, everything can be different here.
“Avangard’s chances of overtaking Lokomotiv? Yes, there are always possibilities!
—What didn’t work during your stay at Avangard?– Yes, in principle everything went well. All the players who came, they all contributed, they all played. It doesn’t matter who played, everyone did their job. Maybe everyone did it differently. Of course, I wanted us to play more consistently. Although it is enough that we have won 43 games and set a record in the KHL championship.
— By the way, everything has gone quite well during the season…—What about the playoffs? We have passed the first round, it is still not known how we would have played later and I hope that the guys will gather themselves, do their job and return to Omsk after such a defeat.
—What are the chances that Avangard now has of beating a Lokomotiv like this?– Yes, there are always possibilities! There are good possibilities, I repeat. If the goalkeeper catches, if the guys do their job 200%, Avangard will go to Yaroslavl.
—What do you plan to do next? Are you looking for new clubs or a short getaway, rest?– I won’t look for anything. If someone contacts me I will always be willing to start any job. And now, while I rest, I will return to St. Petersburg.
