Kratky pays price for a poor start

Dec 6 2007 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

ALL week the under-performing Newcastle Vipers squad have been left in no doubt they are in coach Rob Wilson’s bad books, but it is expected to get even worse for one player today.

Vipers are set to sack Czech defenceman Petr Kratky this morning as Wilson looks to reshape a squad which started the season so impressively but for whom Sunday’s victory over Basingstoke Bison was their first for seven matches.

The club are refusing to name who will be released today but The Journal understands Kratky will be the unlucky man after a miserable time since moving to Tyneside.

The much-travelled left-sider arrived with high expectations, billed as a more effective defenceman than former Vipers star Jan Kraijeck.

But he broke two fingers on the opening day of the Elite League season at Hull Stingrays and has failed to convince on his return.

His prospects were not helped by the fact the team was in outstanding form in his absence – with home-grown youngsters Jez Lundin and Richie Thornton impressing at the back – and have been on a losing streak since his return. It will be the second time Kratky has been removed from the Vipers’ roster this season.

He was temporarily removed during his injury to allow the club to sign another import, American winger Todd Jackson. But once he returned to fitness, Aleksandr Shevchenko was shown the door.

Wilson has shown his ruthless streak in the past. By Christmas last season, six players had left the club by one route or another, four having been signed that summer.

The decision to make Kratky the second player sacked this term is to give Wilson the option of bringing in another import player with immediate effect.

But he said after Saturday’s 5-1 Challenge Cup semi-final second leg defeat to Nottingham Panthers he would have no qualms about playing inexperienced but committed youngsters rather than draft in another overseas player for the sake of it.

With Jackson suffering a groin injury, Wilson will have little choice but to do that away to Sheffield Steelers and at home to Nottingham in the Elite League this weekend.

The Canadian will be looking closely for signs of improvement after his team’s half-hearted performance in the 6-3 win over Basingstoke.

“It’s Wednesday and they haven’t seen a puck yet,” he said yesterday. “They won’t do on Thursday either. I told them if they’re not prepared to work on the ice during games, they can work on it out of them. I’ve showed them plenty of video from the Nottingham (Challenge Cup) series that I wasn’t particularly happy with. Right now , it’s down to them understanding that we’re not a skills team.

“We’ve had more skills here in the current squad than we’ve ever had but the most important thing is we work harder than the opposition. Until we do, results won’t pick up.”

His blast for the players after the Nottingham debacle did not seem to have the desired effect at home to Basingstoke.

“To be 5-0 up we played well up to a certain point but I don’t know if they got complacent and then when they got another goal back to make it 5-2, maybe the nerves kicked in,” he argued.

“Even at 5-3 I never thought we were going to lose the game but I was more frustrated with them that there was even the possibility of them getting back into it.”

As for Jackson’s prospects of facing the Panthers, he commented: “I’m working with the physio to have him on the ice on Sunday, but I’d say there’s a 30% chance of his making it.”