Lopetegui

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Cunha and co cost 88.5m Euros in the winter
Our previous winter spend in the years before was 5.3m Euros, 3m Euros, 19m Euros due to Podence, 21m Euros due to Jonny and 2.5m Euros.

Have to be fair and compare winter windows, as the spend is drastically different.
In the interests of being fair too, Cunha was a loan with a clause to buy in the summer.

He was backed extremely well.

Your Neto point again is valid, but has been more important to us simply because we have lacked options, which JL did not.

Well the window was unique for us, so I don't think the comparison to other January windows is really relevant. He was well backed though, I'm not disagreeing, the money was also very well spent (credit Hobbs there too of course).

I'm not really sure JL had that many attacking options, who's in your mind? Half fit Raul, occasionally fit Adama, never fit Costa? He didn't leave because he didn't have options last season, he left because he knew he didn't have options for this season.

O'Neil basically had exactly the same experience, said the same things to the board, got the same answers, this January. He's stuck at it, credit to him, but we also have to acknowledge that his circumstances are very different.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Can you give us a lie he's told?

As far as I can tell, Gary is now complaining of the exact issues JL forsaw.

Jeff's the liar, although those lies probably secured our PL status, so I'm not sure if he should be vilified for them.

 

[North West Wanderer]

In how many of those winter windows were we bottom of the league and in serious danger of relegation?

If he's that capable a coach, he could have done better with that group of players inherited, who were nowhere near the worst squad in the league, and Cunha hardly starred from memory too. We did have Lage though and Davis, the worst managers in the league.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Well the window was unique for us, so I don't think the comparison to other January windows is really relevant. He was well backed though, I'm not disagreeing, the money was also very well spent (credit Hobbs there too of course).

I'm not really sure JL had that many attacking options, who's in your mind? Half fit Raul, occasionally fit Adama, never fit Costa? He didn't leave because he didn't have options last season, he left because he knew he didn't have options for this season.

O'Neil basically had exactly the same experience, said the same things to the board, got the same answers, this January. He's stuck at it, credit to him, but we also have to acknowledge that his circumstances are very different.

I think he has a vastly weaker squad and it is credit to his management agility and style that we have done so well.

Especially pleasing is the work done with RAN to make him a star, whereas JL didnt rate him

 

[Wolf316]

If he's that capable a coach, he could have done better with that group of players inherited, who were nowhere near the worst squad in the league, and Cunha hardly starred from memory too. We did have Lage though and Davis, the worst managers in the league.

Maybe but was it worth the risk?

 

[North West Wanderer]

Maybe but was it worth the risk?

I don't think we needed to spend that level of money if he is such a good coach.

I don't like the man, respect what he did for us but find some posts about him to be way ott.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

If he's that capable a coach, he could have done better with that group of players inherited, who were nowhere near the worst squad in the league, and Cunha hardly starred from memory too. We did have Lage though and Davis, the worst managers in the league.

It's not what he signed up for though. He took the job believing his remit was to first stay in the PL, then build from there with available funds...

Not stay in the PL, then stay in the PL. I don't know what more JL would have been expected to achieve with the small squad and subsequent injuries suffered...

With no injuries, I was hoping JL would push for Europe, which is exactly what GON done. With injuries I'd have expected our season to peter out under JL just as it has this season.

Lopetegui didn't want a mid table scrap that seemed so likely. I don't blame him for that

 

[Jefe]

To me he came across as an arrogant man who thought Wolves were beneath him. The way he treated Raul in that last game of the season was very poor.

Why do you think Lopetegui accepted the Wolves job if he thought Wolves were beneath him?

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Why do you think Lopetegui accepted the Wolves job if he thought Wolves were beneath him?

Accepted the job when a family member was ill, meaning he'd be working in a new country.
Accepted a job of a side who were bottom of the league and set for the Championship, which would massively damage his reputation.
Agreed to stay at the club when they inexplicably changed transfer plans the first time.

But he thought he was too good for us!

I accept people have different opinions. But when you hear O'Neil moan about the same things then I don't know how it hasn't opened peoples eyes up to the real issue.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I think he has a vastly weaker squad and it is credit to his management agility and style that we have done so well.

Especially pleasing is the work done with RAN to make him a star, whereas JL didnt rate him

I would love to know the ins and outs on RAN, but I don't think any of us does. I'm sure he loved him at Everton. I think maybe they fell out after Newcastle. I suspect there's personal stuff to Rayan though too, it's hard to be sure. He's been great this season though, there's no arguing there!

I don't think the squad is really much worse as I said, the business we did with the Nunes money made it small, not ridiculous, the players we lost were sensible pruning, only Neves going really weakened us. Raul, Moutinho & Adama look like bit losses on paper, but they weren't in reality.

Anyway have a great day, match to go to, let's see if Gary has a Nunoesque plan today!

 

[WickedWolfie]

I know you like him, and know you'll hear no criticism without a strong rebuttal, but it's not just us, do you think ANY club's fans will accept him without strong reservations?
Whataboutism won't crack it with Lopetegui, it is possible to rise above a situation, but he chose not to.

The end of your last para could be rewritten as "but he chose not to eat crap and accept constantly shifting and broken commitments" (source for the last five words? Hobbs).

 

[WickedWolfie]

Accepted the job when a family member was ill, meaning he'd be working in a new country.
Accepted a job of a side who were bottom of the league and set for the Championship, which would massively damage his reputation.
Agreed to stay at the club when they inexplicably changed transfer plans the first time.

But he thought he was too good for us!

I accept people have different opinions. But when you hear O'Neil moan about the same things then I don't know how it hasn't opened peoples eyes up to the real issue.

Re your last para it's not as if Nuno or Lage said similar things though... Oh, wait....

 

[Mugwump]

Too many people blinded by their dislike of the man to give him credit for the job he did. Ridiculous. You need to seperate the two things. He had to pull together an unfit and fractured playing group who were low on moral. Then he had to get us playing a style of football that was basically going to grind out results to get us safe. He did it pretty easily in the end.

If he stayed, we wouldnt have been playing the same football we did last season.

 

[Wolf 82]

Although he left me feeling cold in the end, it’s a mark of how much respect I have for him as a manager, that I really hope the West Ham fans get their wish and he doesn’t take over.

I think he will probably do a very good job there.

 

[North West Wanderer]

It's not what he signed up for though. He took the job believing his remit was to first stay in the PL, then build from there with available funds...

Not stay in the PL, then stay in the PL. I don't know what more JL would have been expected to achieve with the small squad and subsequent injuries suffered...

With no injuries, I was hoping JL would push for Europe, which is exactly what GON done. With injuries I'd have expected our season to peter out under JL just as it has this season.

Lopetegui didn't want a mid table scrap that seemed so likely. I don't blame him for that

I refute that it was a small squad.

I have zero issue with him leaving by the way, I do have a huge issue with how he pimped himself out via GB

 

[Wolf316]

I refute that it was a small squad.

I have zero issue with him leaving by the way, I do have a huge issue with how he pimped himself out via GB

I think most of us would agree with that.

 

[brianm]

Too many people blinded by their dislike of the man to give him credit for the job he did. Ridiculous. You need to seperate the two things. He had to pull together an unfit and fractured playing group who were low on moral. Then he had to get us playing a style of football that was basically going to grind out results to get us safe. He did it pretty easily in the end.

If he stayed, we wouldnt have been playing the same football we did last season.

Yeah, the last guy was so **** that he needed to just be fine to do the job. It's not like he had to get a tune out of a **** squad that had no business being in the league.

Lage's man management is catastrophic. It has been shown at Wolves and away from Wolves.

That he is such a dog **** manager as soon as things get tough made Lop's job easier, not harder.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I think most of us would agree with that.

Not me. He wanted out. It's neither here nor there, how he decides to "pimp himself out".

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I refute that it was a small squad.

I have zero issue with him leaving by the way, I do have a huge issue with how he pimped himself out via GB

Gary thinks it's small. With injuries and suspensions this season it's proven to be small too.

 

[Wolf316]

Not me. He wanted out. It's neither here nor there, how he decides to "pimp himself out".

So he’s not allowed to want out?

 

[Urko]

You really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

So he’s not allowed to want out?

I've not said that. I've no problem with him wanting to leave. I'm outspoken on where I stand with Jeff Shi's lies.

I don't agree that most fans are upset with how he "pimped himself out".

 

[Wolf316]

I've not said that. I've no problem with him wanting to leave. I'm outspoken on where I stand with Jeff Shi's lies.

I don't agree that most fans are upset with how he "pimped himself out".

Aah my bad. I’m hoping Jeff is moved on in the summer as he should have been after the debacle of not sacking Lage at the end of the season.

 

[Corporate Wolf]

If you take into consideration all the rumours and reports JL wanted 2 players that were the basis of his future plans - Scott & Gyokeres - he clearly wanted Shi & Hobbs to act early and get them in. He was reportedly told that we needed to offload players to avoid the risk of breaching PSR and the transfer strategy had changed to “players around the 10-15m range”. Rumours suggest he accepted this assuming we tried to still get Scott & Gyokeres players within that budget. But then the strategy changed again and that was his tipping point which we know was at the end of July (after the Celtic friendly). Many may despise him for the way he went about his departure, but it’s worth remembering that in an interview with Guardian after the end of the season his words were: “The future does not depend on me, it depends on the club,”

As others have said, he clearly didn’t want to manage Wolves to survive but to compete so decided to go. I don’t think anyone can fault his ambition for Wolves or cynically, in improving his CV.

GON was willing to go into a gun fight with a knife and he has won the battle. Whether JL should have shown his pedigree in wanting to do the same is no longer relevant. He didn’t - he’s gone and Wolves have moved on.

Let’s just hope we don’t see a “wash, rinse, repeat” of last summer’s **** show.

 

[loppers86]

He did.

Expensive. Didn't live up to reputation and left early when I refused to pay for an unlimited mini bar

But you told him you were going to the maldives, then changed it to Torquay, and he ended up in Darlaston.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Real Madrid, Mendes and our last manager orchestrated his sacking by Spain, days before the World Cup started. Real Madrid wanted the new manager in place and weren't prepared to wait for him during the World Cup campaign.
There are lots of different stories going around, but only one reality and that is, when Real Madrid signed our last manager, all concerned in the deal, new and know that in Spain, Real Madrid come first and that meant preparing Real Madrid for the new season. There is no way that Real Madrid would have signed our last manager and waited for Spain's conclusion in the World Cup and Mendes and our last manager would have known that.
There are plenty of media stories about, making out that Mendes and our last manager were taken by surprise, but anyone who follows Spanish football know that Real Madrid come way ahead of the Spanish national team and it is the chance of the lifetime to manage the world biggest club and unfortunately for our last manager, his opportunity came at the beginning of the World Cup campaign. I have no opinion whether he should have signed the contract or not, till after the World Cup, but I don't believe that Mendes and our last manager were the innocent parties that they make out. As our last manager said after he signed, it was his dream to manage Real Madrid, the biggest team in the world.
When Real Madrid come calling in Spain, you take it and the Real Madrid chairman, would not have wanted to take the risk of announcing our last manager, if there had been a bad World Cup campaign by Spain. He, Mendes and our last manager would have all known, that signing for Real Madrid, means you need to be at the helm of Real Madrid and getting on with your job and putting Real Madrid first.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Aah my bad. I’m hoping Jeff is moved on in the summer as he should have been after the debacle of not sacking Lage at the end of the season.

I do blame Jeff for the disastrous decisions of first, parting ways with Nuno, secondly replacing him with Lage, thirdly reacting too late in sacking him, and the painful debacle in replacing him.

However he should take some credit for appointing Nuno and GON. Also the employment of JL did save us and thinking about it, maybe his lies and conniving were the only way that was happening.

I think at the moment I'm fairly neutral in regard to Jeff. He's definitely got more wrong than right, but has overseen the club's most successful period in my lifetime (45).

I'd not be upset to see him go, but am a little concerned at who may replace him. Better the devil you know and all that.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Real Madrid, Mendes and our last manager orchestrated his sacking by Spain, days before the World Cup started. Real Madrid wanted the new manager in place and weren't prepared to wait for him during the World Cup campaign.
There are lots of different stories going around, but only one reality and that is, when Real Madrid signed our last manager, all concerned in the deal, new and know that in Spain, Real Madrid come first and that meant preparing Real Madrid for the new season. There is no way that Real Madrid would have signed our last manager and waited for Spain's conclusion in the World Cup and Mendes and our last manager would have known that.
There are plenty of media stories about, making out that Mendes and our last manager were taken by surprise, but anyone who follows Spanish football know that Real Madrid come way ahead of the Spanish national team and it is the chance of the lifetime to manage the world biggest club and unfortunately for our last manager, his opportunity came at the beginning of the World Cup campaign. I have no opinion whether he should have signed the contract or not, till after the World Cup, but I don't believe that Mendes and Lopetegui were the innocent parties that they make out. As our last manager said after he signed, it was his dream to manage Real Madrid, the biggest team in the world.
When Real Madrid come calling in Spain, you take it and the Real Madrid chairman, would not have wanted to take the risk of announcing our last manager, if there had been a bad World Cup campaign by Spain. He, Mendes and our last manager would have all known, that signing for Real Madrid, means you need to be at the helm of Real Madrid and getting on with your job and putting Real Madrid first.

You know you actually accidentally used his name once and now he'll be able to haunt you forever.

 

[colincameron]

Talk of the Bayern job now

 

[Rabid Wolf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1787137369516265813

 

[TelfordWolf]

It’s happening.

West Ham fans could be some of the most deluded around. They seem to think they’re much bigger than they actually are.

 

[JadeWolf]

 

[Perton Wolf]

Lopetegui to West Ham done according to Fab.

Big upgrade for him in terms of budget from us.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Good luck Julen. Good fit for me, just don't come back for anyone or be surprised when the game starts and there's no noise.

 

[StaffordWolf]

I don't like his character but west ham fans will be pleasantly surprised at how good a coach he is.

 

[clivewolves]

I think it's a good choice. I did hear one West Ham fan on the radio the other day talking about how he didn't like Lopetegui's style of football at Wolves but I think he missed the context of how bad Wolves were when he was appointed and he had to just get results. Maybe looking at his work at Sevilla is better. Plus he will have a better grasp of English now so that should help.

 

[North West Wanderer]

I don't like his character but west ham fans will be pleasantly surprised at how good a coach he is.

fair.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

I don't like his character but west ham fans will be pleasantly surprised at how good a coach he is.

He demands a lot of players good luck to Jules

 

[Lou Pine]

Those West Ham fans concerned about his style of play should watch the Europa League match we played v Sevilla when we couldn’t get the ball off them.

 

[Kingswood Wolf]

Jammy ungrateful ****ers don't know what they've got. The fight for the top 10 next year will be nuts.