Though there was strong support for him from the media and public opinion, he was criticized by some athletes for breaking up the team based on his own feelings then just as whimsically retreating on his statement due to the public reaction without properly considering the feelings of the players who had no involvement with the incident. Also, his leadership skills were questioned since he did not take personal responsibility as manager. Furthermore, there was no apology for the fact that other players were involved in the incident.