Coaching bridge: will SKA decide to replace Larionov with Tambiev

One of the most high-profile coaching changes may occur in the KHL in the near future. Igor Larionov, who is having a bad season at SKA, is rumored to be replaced as the club's head coach by Leonid Tambiev, who recently left Admiral. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

Changing assistants

There are a little less than two months left until the end of the regular season in the KHL, and an understanding is coming of what will happen next with one club or another. Some teams are already preparing for the playoffs and fixing their problems in the game, while others are trying their best to cling to the opportunity to gain stability so as not to lose their place in the top eight. SKA, which is experiencing another crisis, can be classified as a team that is once again in a state of turbulence.

Any team can have downturns, but the meeting with Torpedo (0-6) was a real failure and the biggest defeat for the army team in the history of the KHL. At the same time, SKA is significantly superior to its opponent in terms of player selection.

"To be honest, it's nice to be in this city, but it's unpleasant to lose with such a score," Larionov said at a press conference. — This is probably the biggest disappointment in my coaching career. One team played with a clear advantage, congratulations on their victory. As usual, there is good support and a lot of fans. I can only apologize to them for the hockey and, I'm not afraid to say this, the indifference that we showed. But tomorrow will be a new day — we need to regroup and prepare for the next match. I don't see any other way out.

Such a blow led to the dismissal of two assistants at once — Vladimir Filatov and Maxim Semenov, who were responsible for the attack and defense, respectively. Yuri Babenko remains at the headquarters, whose appearance during the season has largely led to positive changes in the army team's game.

Among the replacement candidates, one could only hear the name of Mikhail Vasiliev, who helped Larionov at Torpedo. A specialist could have joined the staff of the "Professor" back in the summer, but then the club's management did not allow this. This time they did not allow it again.

As a result, Boris Mironov was appointed Larionov's assistant. As Lada's head coach, the specialist did not have time to prove himself on the positive side, but in a limited role at Traktor he was very successful, the Chelyabinsk team was able to reach the Gagarin Cup finals last season. Mironov knows how to mount reliable defenses, but he doesn't look like a man who can fix the situation alone.

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Scandals in the locker room, suspension from training

On deadline, the St. Petersburg team made only one exchange. SKA sent Andrey Loktionov to Siberia, having received Scott Wilson. Career options for the ex-army forward have been sought for a long time, as described by the "Professor". Surprisingly, the specialist himself insisted on acquiring an experienced striker in the summer, but after six months he abandoned this idea.

This is not Larionov's first such conflict with the players. At the beginning of the season, the SKA head coach had complaints about Nikolai Goldobin, who spent several matches in reserve. There were problems with foreigners who were also brought for the "Professor". We are talking about Rocco Grimaldi and Joseph Blandisi, who were publicly criticized by a specialist without being included in the team.

It was also not possible to find contact with Pierrick Dube, who was traded from Traktor during the season, paying an impressive compensation. The Frenchman did not go on the ice for a long time, and then the "Professor" said that there was no such player in the team.

There are also problems with leaders. According to Sport-Express, the SKA head coach kicked one of the key players of the team, Mikhail Vorobyov, out of training and did not put him in the match with Torpedo. Instead, Sergei Plotnikov took on the unusual position of a center forward. There are also moments that go back to last season. SKA decided not to invite experienced goalkeepers, only returning Sergei Ivanov from the lease in Sochi. But neither he nor Artemy Pleshkov look like the ones who are able to carry the team on themselves. Yes, they have high-quality matches (especially Pleshkov's), but in general, there is no confidence in the goalkeeper line of the army. SKA's unsuccessful streak began with Ivanov's disastrous game in the match against Sochi (1:2), when he threw the puck into his goal at the end of the second period.

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There is no unified team in SKA, there is no mutual understanding between the head coach and the players, there is no margin of safety and depth of the squad. Only individuals can spark a team in the playoffs - Khairullin, Goldobin, Grimaldi. Young Dishkovsky, Nedopekin, and especially Polyakov look good. But it won't be enough to get through the first round.

There are also rumors that many players are dissatisfied with the level of work of a physical fitness specialist, and on the evening of January 27, information appeared that Leonid Tambiev could replace Larionov as the helmsman of St. Petersburg.

The former Admiral head coach has built a serious team over several years of work and was able to reach the second round. After his dismissal from the club, it became clear that Tambiev would not be left without a job.

It is surprising that a specialist can become an assistant to a "Professor." Both coaches promote completely different styles and are unlikely to be able to get along in one place. If SKA continues its decline, then the dismissal of Larionov and the appointment of Tambiev to this post will be a logical step. Leonid Grigorievich knows how to get out of the most difficult situations.