Keith Pelley fires his first figurehead in Toronto; Shanahan put on notice

Yesterday, MLSE announced that Bill Manning, the President of the Toronto Argonauts and Toronto FC was fired. It's the first significant change made by Pelley since joining MLSE on April 1st and it should serve as a warning shot for the Maole Leafs' President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan.

When Pelley was introduced as CEO and President of MLSE, he made one thing very clear; that he is not a patient man and wants to see results. He wants to win championships.

The firing of Manning is evidence of that as both TFC and the Argos have struggled to begin their seasons. TFC sits 9th in the MLS' Eastern Conference and have lost their last 5 games. The Argos are only 3-2 but after having lost just 2 games all of last season, their start is far from ideal.

With Manning out, Shanahan should take notice as he enters the reported final year of his contract. Under Shanny, the Leafs have won just one playoff round in nine years and a first-round exit this upcoming season would certainly mark the end of his tenure with the Leafs and the "Shanaplan" era in Toronto.

Many seem to believe that Shanahan is the one that has kept the Leafs' "Core 4" together for this long, and is ultimately pulling the strings behind the scenes. It will be something to keep an eye on throughout the season as to what happens if the Leafs under-perform. Shanahan could potentially even be replaced before the final year of his deal ends if the Leafs struggle this season.

Source: The Athletic
Toronto FC president Bill Manning parting ways with MLSE after disappointing stretch