“Right decision, wrong timing” St George sacks Pinto

After a two month preparation and signing number of new footballers including five foreign players, Saint George head coach Carlos Vas Pinto parted ways with the club last week. “A shocking wrong timing to sack a coach and the worst situation for whoever comes in to the hot seat,” Coach Mesay Assefa remarked about the unexpected departure of Pinto. “The coming coach would have a readymade excuse not to deliver what is expected of him,” Mesay added.
Most soccer fans agree the sacking of the Portuguese Head Coach although he was genuinely struggling to change the usual kick and run football the trade mark of Saint George. But failure to bring any silverware at the end of the season and denying the club a place in international football for the first time in half a dozen years, Saint George could do nothing except sacking him even before the end of his two years contract. The least Pinto should have won was the knock-out trophy but lost it to humble side Mekelakya and that was the last straw his adversaries were waiting.
Why the club’s officials let him stay all through the preseason and signed players who are suitable for his style is what makes the situation a bit bizarre. Above all Saint George opens the new season without a Head Coach and this could have its negative implication at the end of the season. Well it is common experience for the club could easily collect local championship titles. But what about the big picture of building a strong Saint George that could do something at international level appeared to be no one’s concern.
Carlos Pinto is the ninth foreign Head Coach to reign at Saint George since the club decided to turn backs on local Head Coaches since 2003. Saint George won the Premier League for a record fourteen times since the new format introduced in 1998. The rumor is that of an English Coach to come to the hot seat.