Audacious would be one word to describe Bruno’s team selection.
Stupid would be another.
The problem is a lack of goals and I can’t fathom why anybody would think the solution is picking three full backs.
Moreover, why would you move your best long range shooter, who has scored a third of your Premier League goals (1) into a position where he can no longer shoot?
West Ham did nothing to win this game, knowing they could sit deep to nullify our meagre attack and wait for counter attacking opportunities.
When those moments arrived they had players ready to take advantage.
Scamacca was terrible but did his job by punishing us from a position that Traore fluffed (twice) in the second half.
Jarrod Bowen then killed the game with the type of snap finish none of our wide players can produce.
Only when Diego Costa was finally introduced did Wolves carry any sort of legitimate threat.
His cameo was a morsel of comfort in an otherwise miserable evening. He might have headed wide with the goal gaping but the simple joy of seeing him in there to connect with a cross underlines just how far we’ve fallen.
Daniel Podence worked Fabianski in both halves and can feel good about his overall efforts. He remains the only player, other than Neves, to produce any meaningful output and deserves his place in the team.
Kilman and Neves made the best of a bad situation at the back but the midfield didn’t offer sufficient protection.
Moutinho is one I think isn’t offering enough in either direction to warrant a starting role in this new shape.
Guedes might need time to adjust but considering the grief Trincao endured last season, I know which player I prefer from what I’ve seen so far. There must be more to come from the former Valencia man.
With Neves now suspended and Neto hobbling off it really couldn’t have been much worse.
The calls for Bruno’s head are valid and after this kamikaze team selection my sympathies have rapidly dried up, but I’d give him the next two.
Whether or not Fosun are that generous remains to be seen.
It feels unimportant in the grand scheme, with the unfolding tragedy of what happened yesterday in Indonesia, but we all love football and this is our club.
So it’s almost certainly adeus Bruno. Today, tomorrow, next week ? But who will we be saying Ola to ?
Lage’s imminent sacking is not one of those where there will be much if any sympathy. There will be few if any shouts of “he should have had more time”. He had been given more than enough to show some sustained progress.
It’s the performances. And results. For example, 41 goals in 46 games. Any jury would find him guilty of somehow being able to take such a talented squad and make them look like a League Two outfit.
It’s also the bizarre team selection. The substitutions. The inability to connect with the fans. The apparent lack of passion and personality.
Where’s the team ? The pack ? How many players went to thank the king suffering away supporters last night ?
Then there are the quiet mutterings of dissent and indications from behind the scenes of poor leadership and man management skills and last but not least, the controversial moving on of players like Coady and Dendoncker.
Now, if that had worked, and the replacements supported the team in winning games you’d be forced to shrug your shoulders and say fair enough. He knew what he was doing.
But no. It’s been an unmitigated disaster.
So, who next ?
Based on previous appointments there may be a formal interview process and due diligence on prospective candidates so it may not happen quickly and we will need an interim to take charge in the meantime. Perhaps our charismatic goalkeeping coach Tony Roberts !? He looked the part during Bruno’s COVID absence.
UTW.
Agree with with Thomas and Muttleigh. Lage’s position looks completely untenable. The team selection yesterday was bizarre. Lane clearly doesn’t know how to solve the puzzle. Neves comments regarding training suggest that all is not well. The squad is unbalanced. Too many wingers. Inexperienced options in central defence. Moutinho finally looking as if age has caught up with him. Whilst Nunes and Traore arrived late in the day with MGW and Donk leaving we had actually started the season with the same midfield options as Nuno when we were promoted. The club have been gambling with the strikers one way or another for five successive transfer windows since Jota left and Fabio arrived. If we continue as we are expecting a different outcome is crazy. As part of the due diligence process perhaps a call to Tony Bloom at Brighton. He made his fortune from gambling so may give Shi and Sellers some tips on how to do it successfully? If we don’t get it right and quickly then it could unravel even quicker.
Perhaps our dreadful Performance against West Ham was a blessing in disguise. Had we managed to scrape an unlikely victory or even another nil nil draw, then Bruno would almost certainly have been given yet more time to right our sinking ship. And what an unmitigated disaster that would have been !
The defeat yesterday and the manner thereof, ensured that our Chairman had to act. For all of us fanatical supporters, we can now have hope. Celebrations are surely in order.
Well put.The defeat was a blessing.There is blind hope at least now under someone new.
Yes. For the first time in my life I was hoping for another goal against us at 2-0 just to make it more likely he would go yesterday.
I fear for Bruno from this moment forward. The only point in his defence is his allegedly saying that any other manager would have the same problem with this goal drought.
I really can’t understand why we are so unlucky and for so long.
Why didn’t Ait-Nouri go for goal himself instead of trying to find some other poor unfortunate to finish the job for him?
It was good that Podence had a go from outside the box. On another day that might have gone in. I’ve been screaming “Shoot, shoot, shoot!!” at the TV on so many occasions when players have faffed around outside the box whilst defences have time to consolidate, making scoring even more improbable.
I agree with Thomas with all his comments, so there’s no point in further repeating anything.
What happens now, God only knows…
Get Ange from Celtic he’s sorted them out when they were is a mess he’s a good coach plays attractive football has connections in the Far East which would please FOSUN managed at international level and he could bring Jota who has really impressed but is to good for Scotish Premier………but would he come would he swop Champions League for a relegation battle in the Premier.
Our league position is not very attractive to any manager at the moment they will probably have little or no money to spend in January.
The decision to let Coady, Boly and Fabio go were ridiculous.
Fabio, Coady and DeDonkey plus his not playing Adama criminal decisions and completely ignored Ronan an attacking midfielder.
Also guilty of playing a midfield consistently that could not provide a goal service.
Neves and B.Traore Defensive Midfielders
Moutinho and Nunes Central Midfielders
T’is now a very worrying situation.
I can’t explain Lage’s set up yesteday. Surely Toti Gomes had to start in a back 4, Ruben back into midfield.
Ait Nourri so far out of position to give Bowen the run on the defence time after time, and then failed to short when an open goal beckoned in the 6 yd box. Unfathomable.
It does look now as the manager’s head is on the line and with Chelsea coming up next.
Only when Adama and Costa came on did we ever look like scoring.
The only players that I’d give any credence to after yesterday’s performance would be Max and Danny P.
The ship is in trouble when will a new skipper take over?
Ruben Neves is a VERY good player.
He’s created and scored some of the best goals I’ve ever seen in my 50+ years of watching Wolves.
He is also a passable centre back. Although, who in their right mind would play him there when we have several specialists in that position?
He is however, not a captain to rally the troops when the chips are down.
Conor Coady was more than just a very good captain and centre back for Wolves.
He was the beating heart of the team, a leader and inspiration on the field and in the dressing room.
“But he can’t play in a back four”.
Well tell that to Frank Lampard and the Everton fans.
A large part of my love for Wolves went when he left.
And as far as scoring is concerned, we just haven’t got a clue.
Do Nunes and Ait Nouri know what a goal is for?
Although Costa showed that, given some match time, he might get back to somewhere near the striker he was in his pomp.
Sa was poor again. Kilman did his best and Podence was busy and our most effective attacker.
But we were toothless and basically clueless.
We need to turn this around soon and I don’t think that Bruno has the ability, or support of the players, to do it..
I have to agree with you . Without meaning to be rude, when Conor Coady- and Saiss left, the ‘bollocks’ of the defence went with them. Sa’s form and confidence disappeared at the same time. Coady’s deficiency’s were well aired on this site but he did offer the leadership we are now clearly lacking. We will continue to be haunted by relegation until we get the right defenders settled in. I love to watch the skilful but lightweight midfielders we have acquired but a balanced team needs some aggressive ball winners players too. It looks a mess and the sooner we get a manager in who can produce a team greater than its individual parts the better.
Coady, MOTM on Saturday. And a goal scorer! We’ll never get him back now.
I like to think of myself as a patient supporter who doesn’t get too over reactionary. I’ve given Bruno time and the benefit of the doubt for too long. We’ve won 2 games since February. With the crop of players at his disposal that’s embarrassing.
Agree with everything Thomas says about the team selection, it’s hard to make excuses for him after that. Same as usual from the front 3, plenty of nice touches but no substance and zero ideas in the final third. Costa finally brought us to life when he came on and offered a glimpse of his potential but the fact we’re reliant on someone like him, past his best and in the twilight of his career, and praying for him to work some magic, says it all.
The team looks lost and bereft of confidence. What’s the point in giving Bruno more time? Would it not be better to get someone new in to target upcoming home games against Forest and Leicester, which offer a chance to put points on the board?
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’
Mis- attributed to Albert Einstein but either way you don’t need to be a genius to see a change is much needed. I know a change of manager is not a panacea for everything but these are desperate times , Lage has obviously lost the dressing room, something needs to change. Tuchel or Dyche anyone ,?
Tuchel would be an ambitious signing, but I doubt wolves would be able to give him the financial backing he would want.
Dyche might be a possibility depending on how panicked about relegation the board are but I’d see him as more of a lambert temporary stabilise the ship signing.
I think the more obvious manager that fit the wolves model is Andre Villas Boas.
Tuchel for me. A scruffy bugger but a Champions League winner
Anyone except Dyche. That would be a backward step to caveman football. I’d rather do without than watch a team of cloggers.
Listening to Bruno’s post-match interview yesterday, a part of me felt a little sorry for the guy as he looked utterly bewildered and in a state of complete learned helplessness. However, Neves’s telling remarks show that at least some of the players don’t trust him and are apparently unwilling to really work for him. Whilst not very impressed with that, it’s clear that there is just no way back for Bruno. Sorry to say it, but Fosun must act immediately to terminate his contract. No delay. There is absolutely no point prolonging the agony as our club is in utter free fall. Mutt1eigh’s shout re Tony Roberts is a decent one until the next coach is appointed. Only hope to god Fosun have been doing due diligence on a Plan B. We will have to live with some of the terrible decisions made (e.g. Coady) and the injury blight, but this is all about Fosun getting it right this time with the next appointment. I don’t know who that should be, but believe it needs to be someone with a bit of gravitas and charisma who can offer a clear vision, be firm and clear with the players, whilst emotionally connecting with them to rebuild confidence and belief. UTW.
Resigned to relegation already tbh. This team definetely reflects the current manager.
Confusing , no leadership , no character and lacking a bit of ‘attitude’.
Hoping for good news on Monday and we then wait for the next appointment.
I Ave always supported Bruno but after sat am starting to have reservations how can you put Neves at CH that leaves you short in MF. And what do the two CH think sitting on the bench with MF taking there role it got to change or Bruno goes.
Cast your minds back to Arsenal away during lockdown, a frightening injury to Raul was the start of our decline. Even after the injury we went on to win with a superb goal from Neto and another from Podence – I think.
After that we had to throw in a youthful Fabio and sign a one goal forward who was so bad that I can’t remember his name !
Thereafter Nuno tried to gather points by playing defensively which ultimately resulted in him leaving – in my view prematurely.
Would Nuno still be with us if it had not been for that terrible injury ?
I’ve been a supporter since 1965 and I want this guy to go more than anyone since McGhee who famously dropped Bull and Keane for an FA Cup semi final.
When I saw the team selection yesrterday my thoughts went out to Toti Gomes, did anyone see any critical mistakes he made last year when called upon to stand in foe Romain Saiss ? I certainly didn’t.
Onwards and downwards, no chance whatsoever of avoiding relagation as the vultures will be hovering in the January window and will any of our starts want to stay – doubt it.
I’m done.
I was done at the end of last season and since then Bruno has dismantled the spine of the team and cobbled together a team in his own lacklustre image that completely lacks any cohesion or belief.
The first time i thought Bruno was clueless was Brentford at home when his solution to being 2-0 down was to have six strikers on the pitch to find a goal, that smacked of man without a plan and here we are.
His bizarre team selection yesterday reeked of fear and desperation. The last time Jonny played in a back 3 we got slapped 5-1 by Man City. It didn’t work then and it didn’t work yesterday whilst we have a wealth of options in that position sitting on the bench. On top of playing our best player out of position. Neto yet again getting picked despite his poor form and now he is injured. RAN is a liability at the back and has been for a few games now.
Why would he go to a back 5 against struggling West Ham but not against free scoring Man City. Bruno is lurching from one bad decision to the next.
Too many baffling decisions over his tenure that didn’t work amounts to a failure. The board need to accept that they’ve picked the wrong man and move on.
Lage has to go. He is responsible for this crisis. He let 4 first team cb options leave this summer.
If neves position change was tactical let’s be honest we had a comfortable on the ball, brave centre back with the ability to hit raking defense splitting passes and let him go to Everton for nothing. If it’s not tactical then it’s nuts. The biggest success of Lage reign came by him releasing neves further forward (he even grabbed a couple of goals inside the box). But to compound the stupidity we go a goal down in a big game and he sticks with this bizarre decision rather than pushing neves forward to look for an equaliser.
The simple fact of the matter is a gamble has to pay off with a positive performance. The gamble didn’t and now Lage has to go.
The only positive was Adama playing on his wing getting crosses into a front man again. Maybe Costa can save us. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lage play Costa in goal next week, the man is clueless.
It’s all been said eloquently above. Bizarre management decisions on all aspects of running a team and treatment of and selection of players in non sensical, unsuitable roles; I would think he is purposely looking to be sacked, maybe for financial reasons. No one with an ounce of football nous would treat players in such a ridiculous way. Making an obviously injured Neto continue summed it up for me with Traore rearing to go down the right and then playing Traore ‘God knows where’ til the penny dropped.
He’s gone, Bruno, and it is just a case of what’s next. Tony, Moutiño and Neves to look after things in the short term, with Moutiño’s field time being carefully rationed.
I think Fosun will act quickly now; they may be inexperienced but they’re not stupid. There’s the makings of a good side there with the right guy in charge and a couple of strikers being added as and when. No more wide players please, just straight down the centre into the penalty area goalscorers.
The fat lady is singing!
Time to move on. Lage is incapable of solving our problems. If our poor performances were this season only, then maybe he could have a couple more games, but not now, it’s too late.
With that team and we are in the bottom three! The bottom three! Not the bottom half, but the bottom three! And 3 goals in 8 games is not good enough. And similar at the end of last season.
Lage had some bad luck along the way, but that is how the cookie crumbles! Such is life!
Adios Bruno. I do wish you all the best in the future, but the entertainment factor is God-aweful and we can take no more!
Bring Nuno back !
I’ll pay to fly him back – anytime
Bruno has completely lost his way. He has become obsessed with the technical aspects of coaching, failing to give any priority the one thing which ultimately matters. Getting the ball into the opponents net. For him, looking good seems to be far more important than getting a result !!
Endlessly in post game interviews he talks about ‘playing between the lines’ and ‘recycling the ball efficiently’. But never does he talk about getting players into the box in numbers to create scoring opportunities. Always he seems content that in parts of any game we played some nice pretty football. Never is he concerned that yet again we failed to score. Almost without exception he tells us after each dreadful loss that we didn`t deserve to lose — he even dared to voice this ridiculous conclusion after the debacle of yesterday! Just what match could he have been watching !!
The man is deluded. An utter failure. For him there can be no way back.
OMG.
Clueless team selection imo. If he wants/needs to play those he selected then at least play them in their strongest position.
I am aghast.
Quite simply the ‘ Attack Coach ‘ should get the chop – whoever he is… He should have organised extra ‘ shoot on sight ‘ training after normal training – so sort out our absymal goad scoring record – an absolute disgrace ..
And having two able and eager CF’s in the playing squad and pointedly ignoring them week after week – is an absolute disgrace and have shot their confidence levels to bits – feel for the lads !!
Lage has to go – lost the dressing room – with his bizarre team and substitute selections.
Chris
It’s really not that complicated. We are giving the opposition too much time to get players back behind the ball . There are far too many bodies in the way when we finally get forward.
Troara and Costa showed yesterday how simple it could be but unfortunately Large has other bizarre ideas on how football should play out .
In fact I saw Costa gesturing adama yesterday showing him where and how he wants that simple pass .
Costa looks good though!
He’s gone !
I wish I had a 1,000 upclicks on this site.
It’s on wolves Instagram
Heard it too from another source…
Best thing in the circumstances…
Glad he’s fucked off .. he was shit
Should have gone ages ago, no connection with players or supporters and got rid of our best captain in decades UTW
And Bruno Lage’s dismissal is official.
Just confirming what most of us knew would happen following yesterday’s debacle.
UTW
I wonder if Conor could be persuaded to come back at the end of the season now Bruno’s gone?
Hopefully. Get the back 3 working again.
As manager one day I hope
He said that he was keen to go to Everton when he heard that they wanted him last May
What a surprise, given that he was clearly being frozen out due to Lage’s back four obsession. Anyone following his commitment to and passion for our club surely couldn’t suggest he otherwise wanted to go, especially to the blue half of Merseyside.
Like many comments above .. Lage has run out of ideas..
when I saw the team sheet with the diminutive Jonny in the back four .. I scratched my head .. but then to see Neves in the Coady role .. I found that incomprehensible.
It’s being put around that Coady had more influence with players than Lage .. and that’s why he was so quickly culled and dispatched to Everton.
We’ll if that’s the case it’s our loss … but what will be our gain will be Lage getting sacked…
The man has no man management skills or PL experience.. and I was always puzzled why he got the job in the first place.. (assistant at both Swansea and Sheff Wed).
I won’t blame Fosun for this … as Lage is always talking the talk…
Fortunately it looks as though he’s .. walking the walk… taxi…
As regards Tony Roberts taking on a caretaker role .. I say categorically NO..
His award to Ruben Neves for Wolves’ Player OTM was cheap.. condescending and embarrassingly received…
Ruben deserved more than a fist bump and a few giggles…
As I said .. I saw no respect from Roberts when performing this handover…
Yes. Sorry, but Yes.
I was struggling to justify my time travelling 3+ hours down to Molineux and seeing the same crap each time.
Glad he has gone to be honest and am crossing fingers to see if we get someone in who can make me smile again like Nuno did.
Come on me babbies.
I was at Sevilla last night to see them lose to Atletico. They play exactly the same as us. Lots of fancy passing but no threat up front. The Sevilla fans were screaming for Lopetegui to be sacked at the end of the game. He would be no better than Bruno.
Sounds perfect ,
How was your day out yesterday Matt. History in the making? I am clad we lost to get rid. Onwards and upwards
Let the good times roll. Xxx
I hate going to west ham these days to be honest
Spurs dodged a bullet not getting that ground , it’s awful inside and out . Went to a couple of good bars in Mile end though
Gentlemen I think that Fosun have done the correct thing in terminating Mr Bruno’s contract. Now we need someone to step up and be counted. Would that someone possibly be Nuno Espirito Santos.? We have a good blog with good sensible debate What are your thoughts ? Is second time too much ? Did he take us as far as he could the last time? Or did he show us that you don’t have to come from Wolverhampton to love the football club and the town.
I would love him to come back and I’m not the only one
Can’t think that there would be that many to be honest. Nuno didn’t have a plan B (Bruno didn’t even have a plan A) and it’s time to get in someone with fresh ideas.
mmm … let me think …in a couple of seasons of Nuno … promotion as champions.. fa cup semi final at wembley
europa cup run only narrowly losing to the winners in the quarter finals. What was it ? finnished 7 th in the prem ? A double over peps man city ? oh and best football i’ve seen in my 45 years on the terraces at wolves …
i’m pretty sure quite a few people think the same . you have a point about plan b though , but Nuno was good for Wolves ( with all respect to your opinion by the way )
You are correct with all the above,London but in that last season we became rather predictable and, dare I say boring, as other teams worked our how to combat our system and that plan B never materialised.
Yep. Best I have seen us play was first 2 seasons in Prem with Nuno.
You must have missed all those games against relegation threatened teams.
Nope,. Best I have seen us play was first 2 seasons in Prem with Nuno.
Well said !!
Maybe he can get out of his contact with……..?
They’d probably bump him off if he left
Six months to late. Let’s hope Shi & co perform better on the next appointment.
I’m available !!!
Oh c’mon the allotment is almost finished for the winter and i could devote lots of time to getting us into europe and im not expensive and sonia and i love going on holiday to portugal and we no a portugal word….obrigard see perfect gis a job i will gladly share it with brompton twix wolfstroker marin and doogooder as we know everything about wolves and football .
Hmmm, not sure I know a lot tbh, even though I do love the game.
We could be the fluid intake coaches … oh alright then the drinking coaches…
Shite era and shite result.. goodbye.
Lage made Nuno look like a professor of football and he lost the plot at the end surely it’s time to put in a top manager not a might be.,
We could of won this match and def a draw with the chances we made…
Costa looked ready to go give or take that Miss..
I hope the nxt guy can train ..
We need a run of 3 matches to get out of the gloom and doom league position we are currently in,
I’m sure you will be disappointed.
I’m with the bring back Nuno movement, but it will probably not happen. Even if it’s possible can’t see Shi’s culture tolerating the loss of face,
If that’s a no go let’s try a swing away from the Mendes candidates only monopoly. It closes too many options.
Never called for a manager’s’ head since Saunders who was so out of his depth you couldn’t have reach him with SCUBA GEAR.
But after yesterday I’ve no doubt it’s the right decision to let him go.
After what looks like a bizarre team selection I can only assume he’d lost the dressing room and some of the squad had downed tools. That might have been behind what Neves was inferring when he claimed some of the squad weren’t training properly.
I am so relieved that Bruno has gone, player transfers and performances show he was completely out of his depth.
Onwards and Upwards and FOWB.
That is true to a point but then we had that devastating injury to Raul and a pandemic which seemed to affect certain clubs ( by having no crowds ) more than others .. they were strange times and Wolves lost the momentum . I think if fosun had given nuno the 100 million to replace jota and Raul then we would be in a great place now . I didn’t mind no plan b because plan A was pretty good … solid players who knew what they were doing .
It’s all hypothetical now of course and it’s just opinion eh ? !
Please, for the love of god, stop living in the past.
So … let’s talk about the future … go on then … what’s your contribution ?
If the players aren’t playing for him, then it is best that he go. I hope Ruben names names and they are sold in January or the summer – that is unacceptable.
At least I might be able to get a ticket to an away game again. Now all the glory hunting happy clappers seem to be on their bikes again. Just like I said.
If it were to be done, better it be done quickly……..we now need a replacement in quickly as wolves surely must have been scanning the available market in the last few weeks. Let’s hope it is not another Mendes only solution but a genuine market wide selection. The sacking of Lopetegui is either a worrying sign or a blessing dependent upon what you think of his capability. He was the original fosun choice before Nuno but took the Spain job instead. A few names on the table……Dyche, Rooney,Almorim, Benitez, mourinho, pochettino etc but personally, I hope we go in a new direction and not perpetuate the diet of low scoring Portuguese style football. The worrying thing is the problems we are now encountering are not purely down to Lage. The heart has been ripped out with the exits of Coady and Saiss and not replaced and Fosun’s inability to secure a quality striker that has been an imperative and blindingly obvious for the last 2 years may ultimately cause our relegation this season. However, at least they have acted, now they must move swiftly and make a strong appointment who will be able to grab this talented group of individuals and quickly turn them into a proper team once again.
Getting rid of all the coaching staff could mean they have someone in mind.
Step forward – Pedro Martins.
Portuegese, Mendes client, currently available.
Won 3 Greek titles and a Greek cup, not exactly top drawer and not obviously equipped to deal with thePL. His only qualifications are that he is Portuguese and a Mendes client. When does he start?
Well this is rather a lot of darkness isn’t it ?
Pitch black even
Bugger
Ok a new approach required :
Let’s try round pegs in round holes as a team selection approach ..and have tall opponents not marked with players half their size at corners and free licks
Maybe pass the ball at a speed that restricts the other team’s ability to close down our options ?
It’s going to be a tricky three months for sure but even yesterday there were signs of light with Costa and Campbell on the pitch (and Traore of course )
Energy and a battling spirit are vital and if teams reflect their manager we also need someone who’s smart and confident
30 games to go 34 more points required then let’s take the momentum forward… as the light cometh again
UTW
Good post Marin. We’ve come through a tricky period but, with the squad we have, hopes can justifiably be high that the right appointment will bring the results we all want to see.
Always calm and collected Wolfstroker… no panic whatsoever..
I don’t think it’s a great idea ever to go back. It’s never the same.
Perhaps a manager with PL experience might be a good idea next time?
If we put round pegs into The right shaped holes we’ve got a half decent team. Costa still looks a bit overweight but you can see what he’s going to add. Fingers crossed Raúl can be fixed then we should be ready to fly.
I think we’ll be helped by the World Cup break which will give the new manager time to bed in.
Next couple could be tough though.
I note that Traore’s first contribution yesterday was a perfect cross to the 6 yard box that Semedo somehow completely missed. Put a peach onto Costa’s head in the 2nd half. He will make the wrong choice and run down blind alleys and fall over, but he also creates real goal scoring opportunities – and gets the adrenaline running with hope – which we could all use right now.
So, all in all, we are all quite happy that the man is gone. So who is next, I hear you say. Various names have come up, but I always think outside the box.
Leave the training to the current stand-by team, but on game day, have an IT geek with a PC and in contact with this blog. We tell him what to do. I bet we would would get most decisions right. It took Lage all this time to get the team to shoot from outside the area, but I have been on about it for months on end. So there you have it ! A consortium from Wolves Blog to be the manager of Wolves. (That should make headlines 🙂 🙂
Now if only we had a doctor in the house to sort all these bloody injuries.
I’ve offered mine and a few others services and i think brompton knows first aid having been in the army so whats not to like ….gis a job !
Reading some of the post Lage era comments it seems excellent sense for him to go.
As fans we only really get to know what’s happening on the pitch, and results etc. By any stretch of the imagination Bruno was the wrong pick for Wolves. His era has been singularly underwhelming. He turned me from wanting to persist with him into a definite Bruno out fan. Playing Jonny and Neves at the back after getting rid of 3 centre backs and Dendoncker who could have played there was plain stupid, a massive display of incompetence, how could our players have any confidence in a Manager who does that?
Yes he had bad luck but a good Manager is able to ride that out, and even prosper from it. Bruno struck me as a text book, theoretically on message Coach but poor with the human one to one side. He lacked the air, if you like, of a Premiership Manager.
Nuno had it, but it’s no good getting him back, as the saying is you never go back, it won’t be the same and can easily backfire.
Just hope Fosun, Jeff and Co do their homework, no more poor picks please, I want to see goals, exciting football and wins.
Pick another poor coach and we’re in for a tough time. And no I’m not confident they’ll pick the best or close to the best out there. But I’ll wait as Jeff Shi said in one of his videos the fans should trust us. I do, but…
Well said Allen.
Getting rid of Coady, Boly. Saiss and Dendonker to accommodate Collins – madness.
Plus
Shipping out the albeit enigmatic Silva with Jiminez and Neto clearly crocked and already short of firepower – madness.
Discounting 3/5 at the back as an option – madness.
Neves and Jonny in central defence – absolute madness and shows the above defensive outgoings as criminal
He has been given more than a fair chance now and it’s been getting worse by the week, but too much damage has already been done by his irreversible decisions. Unfortunately a man who was clearly obsessed with doing it exclusively his way at all costs.
Never mind about the “give it 10 games” mantra, we’re already in a relegation battle and this action hasn’t come a day too soon. Getting it right this time is critical and it shouldn’t (but almost certainly will be) open only to Gestitute candidates,
To become the player he’s expected to be this is a move he needed. Another season like last year wouldn’t have helped him or us.
Next year he will be back and hopefully the boy with promise will be replaced by the man with the golden touch.
Not being critical of Fabio – far from it, I’m a believer. My point is that along with nearly all the permanent Lage inspired departures I feel there was a place for him here, especially in view of the way things have turned out; apart from a few weeks early in 2021 playing along with the clueless Willian Jose he’s never really had a proper chance mostly appearing in 10 minute cameos.
Actually PJB he had a fair number of full games so your cameo comments are wide of the mark.Incidentally it’s now 5 games since he last scored.
Yes cheers PJB, I largely agree with you. I do think Collins is a very good player, his sending off was unprofessional though, and it has handed Wolves yet another problem.
Whoever takes over has a tough job because the squad is still light in key areas. I’m sure that Fosun are guilty, as well, of selling players on we should not have I.e Dendoncker. Coady also should still be with us, that one must go down to Lage.
However we face a relegation battle I think. I used to be confident we would be fine, but now I’m not sure. We have to start turning it round asap.
Maybe they wanted to leave so they could have first team football. Do you think Nuno would have let them stay and be on the first team if he thought he had better options?
With the 5 subs rule you needed to keep the likes of Coady and Dendoncker. There’s no guarantee of first team football, but a Manager and a club at our level should be well capable of assuring those who are not first choice they are part of the first team. James Collins and Steve Davis have a big job this Saturday picking a solid side. That job has been made doubly hard by a poorly planned and executed transfer window.
Things keep going wrong for us, unfortunately a lot of it is down to the Club and our former Manager.
I strongly favour a ‘big’ name with good PL experience, but would a said big enough name want to come to Wolves? For me it should be Poch if he’s willing.
I’d also take Nuno back, as he was not given support in the transfer market when needed. If he’d been given the £100+mil given to Bruno instead of the P45, things might be so different now.
We’ve had too many foreign players come in, only to find that the PL is a considerable step up. This also applies to foreign coaches, as evidenced by Bruno. So I’d be wary of most rumoured names from Continental leagues.
Andre Villas Boas anyone. Available now, premier league experience and Portuguese. His record as a manager is good and he has a decent record of managing teams to European football
God NO!
Andre Villas-Boas, great shout, PL experience with Chelsea and Spurs. And he’s Portuguese.
I think with the benefit of hindsight Bruno’s problem was trying to instigate a revolution rather than evolution. It may we’ll have worked eventually but by then we may have found ourselves back in the Championship.
I hope this is a lesson Jeff and Fosun learn from.
It’s a cracking job for any manager so I think they should be aiming high for the new man.
https://theathletic.com/3649315/2022/10/03/bruno-lage-sacking-wolves/
good ole Tim Spiers still peddling his stuff but worth a read ,in my opinion.
I’m not defending Lage, as the lack of any tangible improvement or progression on the pitch and ultimately the results, meant it was the correct decision to let him go – to be truthful it had got to the point where the only question was when, rather than if.
But, I suspect that Lage had very little say on the transfer policy and the incoming/outgoing players. I strongly agree that Lage wasn’t getting the best out of a talented squad of players, but I’d be willing to wager that the decisions to get rid of the likes of Saiss, Ruddy, Boly, Dendoncker, Coady, Fabio etc, were probably made elsewhere within the club.
For me the summer transfer window may have marginally improved our starting XI, but it weakened the strength in depth of the squad, and in this respect I think Sellars and Shi have far more influence than Lage.
And any new manager will have to work within the same set-up.
I’d go the other way round, ie worse starting eleven but greater strength in depth but, unfortunately, that depth is all in the same swimming pool because we have too many similar players in midfield and up front. Just shows how bad the transfer policy has been with no real plan.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11276683/MARTIN-SAMUEL-Portugal-project-left-Wolves-identity-crisis.html
Excellent article by Martin Samuel of the daily mail that neatly sums up the whole problem that wolves now face and that many on here have been pointing to .
I’ve got two tickets for Notts Forest if anyone interested…
(Can’t make it due to holiday)
Billy Wright upper and fairly central…
Notts!!!!??
Well, come on, let’s cheer up!
We know we have some classy players and, with decent man management and logical team selection, substitution and trust in the squad to fulfil their known skills in the correct position, we should start to see the light.
True, we lack out and out goal scorers still, but confidence should help remedy the situation. And there’s the rub; confidence. We so miss Coady but that’s yesterday’s news.
It’s time for Neves, Moutiño and the experienced lads to pick everyone up and encourage, encourage, encourage. We also as the fans.
It’s a new day, it’s gonna be hard, but we’re better than this…. OODCL.
Good, positive post and I could not agree more.
It will be a slog to pull clear of the relegation places though, there appears to be only one truly awful team in the PL this year. I thought Bournemouth and Fulham would struggle. Could be a dog fight come spring and the teams that roll their sleeves up will survive- do we have the players and mindset to do that? Hope it doesn’t come to it.
One thing the Lage sacking does bring home is that reliance on Mendes is a flawed solution, all it does is narrow down the options available to us. This is especially important when choosing a manager as they will be the kingpin of the team.
When we were in the Championship it made total sense to have that strong connection and have the likes of Neves, Jota come to the club but now we are an established Premier club our reliance on Mendes is a disadvantage to us as it excludes a wealth of talent available elsewhere, our reliance on the Portuguese contingent is also a disadvantage as that narrows the choice down even further. As an established PL club we don’t need to have Mendes to attract top players, they will want to come here even if their ultimate ambitions lie beyond this club.
I guess if you have money to burn. Looking for value, this is a good option.
Top, established coaches and players want more than we are willing to pay.
What value have we got from Mendes though in the last couple of seasons? Any savings we made will have been wiped out by Fabio’s transfer fee which was probably about 20mil wide of the mark and he came through Gestifute.
Not to mention Cutrone. These are just 2 examples from the past, the current crop transfers have yet to prove themselves good value either. Lets hope they come good with the new manager.
Examples?
So it looks as if we are to have another Mendes / Gestitute manager. The Nuno revolution through this avenue did wonders for us and the signings of Neves, Jota, Costa, Cav, Mouthinho et al were instrumental in propelling us into the PL and reestablishing us there.
Can’t see a lot of success with that since though.
Yet it seems we are sticking with the same model of Mendes manager and the Gestitute / Fosun (plus Grasshoppers) transfer merry go round to the virtual exclusion of all others again.
Sorry Jeff, it hasn’t been working to our advantage for 3 rears or more.
And don’t let’s forget that this Mendes operation has many more components than WWFC including a significant Fosun holding in his agency. Is it all a bit too incestuous to be to the overall benefit of our football club now? Wheels within wheels doesn’t necessarily benefit all parties equally.
Some of the Mendes candidates actually look pretty good, but my overriding point is that it shouldn’t be to the exclusion of most of the market whether recruiting coaches or players. Speaking Portuguese should not be a prerequisite qualification for key roles at WWFC .