Russia U20 National Team - WJC-2021

cska78

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Nov 27, 2006
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Lol, what coach Bragin is we see pretty well in the KHL. Larionov at least sees any place but 1st as a failure. His team played well untill about post Sweden games, where they looked gassed. Let's see, what he'll do next year.
Let's not compare Bragin Junior coach to Bragin KHL coach. He proved it at CSKA and is proving it at SKA - he is an average (if that) KHL coach, who cannot utilize strong players to improve the quality of play.
I only referred to him as a Junior coach, who knew how to allocate talent/experience for a u20 team to win a medal.
 

Yakushev72

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Dec 27, 2010
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Tretyak could have also given him the spot with the "former teammate" card. They should've just let Bragin continue, eventually one of his teams would've "punched through" to Gold (they came very close last year) regardless of talent level. His teams had grit and fight in them.

Tretyak and Larionov could have developed a kinship because of their mutual contempt for Tikhonov, and they may or may not be personal friends. I have no idea. You would think that Tretyak would have learned enough hard lessons since he took over the FHR to not make the mistake of appointing someone with no coaching experience to a high profile job because he is a former player. But that could very well be how it happened. Now it looks like they are stuck with him at least for another season...
 
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BlitzSnipe

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Dec 28, 2014
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Tretyak and Larionov could have developed a kinship because of their mutual contempt for Tikhonov, and they may or may not be personal friends. I have no idea. You would think that Tretyak would have learned enough hard lessons since he took over the FHR to not make the mistake of appointing someone with no coaching experience to a high profile job because he is a former player. But that could very well be how it happened. Now it looks like they are stuck with him at least for another season...

I guess one can compare it this way: assuming a former great player is a great coach is like assuming that a great translator automatically makes a great language teacher. Whatever clever moves Larionov may have made to get that post, he certainly didn't make them on the ice. Witnessing this Brownian motion and the purposeless actions of the Team Russia players during the course of the WJC, one was tempted to ask oneself why this guy's nickname was the "Professor"? Where was the ambition to do create the right strategy, to motivate the players, to make changes as the game went along? That was his job, which he simply wasn't doing as far as I'm concerned.
 
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Yakushev72

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Dec 27, 2010
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I guess one can compare it this way: assuming a former great player is a great coach is like assuming that a great translator automatically makes a great language teacher. Whatever clever moves Larionov may have made to get that post, he certainly didn't make them on the ice. Witnessing this Brownian motion and the purposeless actions of the Team Russia players during the course of the WJC, one was tempted to ask oneself why this guy's nickname was the "Professor"? Where was the ambition to do create the right strategy, to motivate the players, to make changes as the game went along? That was his job, which he simply wasn't doing as far as I'm concerned.

Yes. My thought was, there have been problems in the past, but Russian hockey has never been emptiness and confusion - until now! I have no hope at all that things will be better next year. It will be a waste of the lives of everyone involved, and more unfulfilled hopes for the fans
 

Jussi

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Feb 28, 2002
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Yes. My thought was, there have been problems in the past, but Russian hockey has never been emptiness and confusion - until now! I have no hope at all that things will be better next year. It will be a waste of the lives of everyone involved, and more unfulfilled hopes for the fans

Repeating myself from another thread: considering all European teams were at a major disadvantage of not having a proper training camp before tournament, due to having to quarantine before travelling, I'd say it's a no-brainer to let Larionov have another crack with a proper preparation for the tournament. This was a highly unusual tournament and blaming Larionov for it doesn't make sense for it.
 
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Atas2000

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Jan 18, 2011
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I'd say if the western crowd praises Laionov and wants him to continue we should get rid of him ASAP.
 
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Yakushev72

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Dec 27, 2010
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Repeating myself from another thread: considering all European teams were at a major disadvantage of not having a proper training camp before tournament, due to having to quarantine before travelling, I'd say it's a no-brainer to let Larionov have another crack with a proper preparation for the tournament. This was a highly unusual tournament and blaming Larionov for it doesn't make sense for it.

The decision has already been made to bring him back, so that is a done deal. I agree with your point about how the covid protocol affected European teams unfairly. But the criticism of Larionov is justified, and it was just painful to watch. Appointing him was a stunt to bring a celebrity name from the past to the forefront of Russian hockey again, but his inexperience and inability to make simple adjustments resulted in unnecessary embarrassment to the program, and disappointment for the players and fans. Coaching is a profession that takes a lifetime to perfect, and you can't just dabble in it.
 
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BlitzSnipe

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Repeating myself from another thread: considering all European teams were at a major disadvantage of not having a proper training camp before tournament, due to having to quarantine before travelling, I'd say it's a no-brainer to let Larionov have another crack with a proper preparation for the tournament. This was a highly unusual tournament and blaming Larionov for it doesn't make sense for it.

The Russian U20 team did have some practice in the form of the Karjala Cup though, which would apparently put them at somewhat of an advantage.
 

wings5

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Jan 6, 2008
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I've been trying to track some of the players in their return to the KHL action, doesn't appear players such as Afanaseyev ,Chayka, Knyazev have played since returning from the WJC, is there a reason for this? I am going based off Eliteprospects though
 

Caser

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I've been trying to track some of the players in their return to the KHL action, doesn't appear players such as Afanaseyev ,Chayka, Knyazev have played since returning from the WJC, is there a reason for this? I am going based off Eliteprospects though

Not sure how you were expecting to look that up with eliteprospects, but Afanasyev and Chayka are playing. Knyazev is back in the QMJHL already.
 

wings5

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Jan 6, 2008
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Not sure how you were expecting to look that up with eliteprospects, but Afanasyev and Chayka are playing. Knyazev is back in the QMJHL already.

I realize it is not the most reliable source, but I had not seen much change in gp since before wjc, it's good they are back playing though
 

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