Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Gunter Kronsteiner as the new Indy Eleven head coach: sloppy seconds

With the absence of Tim Regan from the latest press release announcing Indy Eleven's partnership with the renamed Indy Eleven NPSL (read my thoughts here) one can only begin to see the tea leafs and draw a conclusion of the future of Indy Eleven's second head coach, Tim Regan.

Now, removing any idea of where Regan would move clubs or stay with Indy Eleven, the name that has poked out of the brush as a possible replacement (from the Bloody Shambles Bloody Podcast Shambles Podcast Show...link here) is now two-time former Strikers head coaching, Gunter Kronsteiner.

Kronsteiner has an impressive resume with the Strikers, leading them to a surprise appearance in the Soccer Bowl (The NASL's Championship) in 2014, being let go after that performance, and being brought back in in 2015 and leading the Strikers to the playoffs again. Gunter Kronsteiner was then let go again in only way the Strikers can:



While Kronsteiner has the resume that Wilt and company seek and has the track record of having done all that, like most things in sports and generally the world, I feel there is more to the story than just what we have been told.

The nature of NASL management continues to hover around mysterious and magical. According to a few reports, the manner as to which Kronsteiner was fired (second time) was by the club not informing Kronsteiner in person, but rather calling the hotel he was staying at and informing him that he needed to leave.

This, coupled with the first firing, are what have been known to the general public. While unfair, one has to wonder if the reasoning behind his firing is squared on the shoulders on the management at which dare not show their face.

And now that I'm done sounding like a Shakespeare poem, let me explain more:

Is Gunter Kronsteiner a quality coach? Yes

Could he do amazing things with Indy Eleven? If given proper control, Yes.

The only thing settling in the back of my mind is the fact he's been let go twice. Yes it could (and probably is) the sole responsibility of the management of the Strikers. Regardless, there is just an aura of awkfulness that is above the head of Gunter with a Deja Vu (all over again) with his departures and casts a shadow of sloppy seconds (thirds?) over Indy Eleven if they choose to go after him.

The long standing problem

What this issue does bring back up is the idea that owners in NASL are beginning to feel the heat of financial success and have begun to adapt a "plan that must not be named" mentality that caused Thomas Rongen to be booted from the Rowdies.

It also stands to see whether or not Gunter Kronsteiner would actually accept the role of head coach in the same league where he's been kicked out of twice now. One insight that hasn't been looked at is the fact that Tim Regan (As well as Juergen Sommer) acted as the Directors of soccer for Indy Eleven. According to my research Gunter worked under a general manager during both stints in Florida.

I'm not going to pretend to know how the insides of teams are run but unless Peter Wilt has a voice in scouting rooms and otherwise Gunter Kronsteiner would be working without a net assuming the same set up that Indy Eleven has had in the past would be the system they would employ under him.

Regardless, a third head coach in three years doesn't do much for a club who struggled with any sort of stability on the field in 2015.

UPDATE:

Comment form Club President Peter Wilt confirms no sign of Gunter Kronsteiner coming to Indianapolis





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