Bruno Lage

[Fenrir_]

Inside the mind of Bruno Lage: The teacher turned coach - a football and U2 obsessive

The Athletic has been to Portugal and spent a day at Wolves training to find out what makes Bruno Lage tick - he lives for football

theathletic.com

The bloke lives for football, he might not always get it right but the thought he puts in to upcoming games as detailed here where he explains to Spiers pre Villa how they will set up and the game will play out and is completely on the money is impressive.

Given time and some backing he could really do something special whether that’s at Wolves or, eventually, elsewhere.

He's done that a few times to be fair to him, Man U and Spurs away were two prime examples of him absolutely nailing the set up of the team. He does need to get a plan though when it doesn't go how he envisaged and he needs to switch things around because there is a lot of "if plan A doesn't work, stay with plan A"

 

[Chris H]

He's done that a few times to be fair to him, Man U and Spurs away were two prime examples of him absolutely nailing the set up of the team. He does need to get a plan though when it doesn't go how he envisaged and he needs to switch things around because there is a lot of "if plan A doesn't work, stay with plan A"

I think that was true under Nuno to be fair too. They have very different ideas about plan A, Nuno was all about focusing on our game where as Bruno is more about the opposition. We were good at comebacks under Nuno but it was never really about a tactical change, more so a slow start and building our way in to the game.

Both can be very good at plan A but occasionally lacking with plan B. Both are reasonably young as managers though so perhaps that’s to be expected and can be improved with experience.

Or perhaps it’s a Portuguese thing as the same can be said for Mourinho too who could absolutely nail a game tactically or completely lose it.

 

[Royal wolf]

What moron watches this game for 75 mins and only decides to make a sub then.

 

[Starsky]

Absolute stinker tonight.

**** starting XI and awful timing of subs.

 

[Royal wolf]

Absolute stinker tonight.

**** starting XI and awful timing of subs.

Again

 

[Willywolf]

Hopeless and what he sees in some of these players I’ll never know

 

[Willywolf]

By and large though he’s done a reasonable job this year as I fully expected us to be around 11th in truth.

 

[Ewok vs Wolf]

Hopeless and what he sees in some of these players I’ll never know

Who else is he supposed to play.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Done a great job this year and it looks very much like we will finish 8th, which is really good.

But in a few key away games we have been absolutely ****ing awful.

 

[Willywolf]

Who else is he supposed to play.

Ait Nouri, Saiss, Neto…

 

[Ewok vs Wolf]

Ait Nouri, Saiss, Neto…

They obviously not fully fit

 

[Starsky]

Why wouldn't you give Chiquinho a chance ahead of those pair of gutless ****ers?!

 

[Leigh72]

Some strange decisions from Bruno, was crying out for subs at half time, really really poor management, especially considering Newcastle are absolute dross

 

[Timberwolf]

I wouldn’t give two $h!ts if he was gone at the end of the season.
Thanks Bruno but your decision making is horrendous.
At least Nuno had credit in the bank to allow me to swallow games like tonight.

 

[VancouverWolf]

Bruno is a good coach, maybe even great but after some of the games I‘ve seen this season, that’s the highest I rate him.
And I’m not buying the transfer excuse that’s always trotted out.

 

[Willywolf]

They obviously not fully fit

Not fit to be on the bench then. Why not let them start the game and attacking first, then sub them if needed?
It’s just poor management of the players he has available. No excuses. Cundle deserved a chance, but Jesus, Hwang can’t trap a bag of sand and Marcal is a terrible footballer. Then, seeing Cundle not cutting it tonight, you don’t make any changes to either give him some support, or remove him.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Baffled why he didn’t take hwang off after 20 mins

 

[WufflerMuffler]

I'd like to say "Why wouldn't you give Chiquinho a chance ahead of those gutless ****ers?!" but you have already said it, and absolutely spot on. Sadly, it's looking like Bruno is getting to be the gutless one. What's so hard about attacking? And what's so hard about deciding to sub players who think/have been trained to think that attacking is what the other team do?

Travelling fans deserve better than having to see old gold turned to coward yellow.

 

[Timberwolf]

There’s always the chance that Bruno is saying to Jeff, “look, when I play the players you want to sign, this is what happens.”
Possibly!

 

[goldeneyed]

Lage has done a great job so far but why so hesitant to put Neto on today? Should have been on at half time. Chiquinho also should have had 30 minutes at least along with Ait Nouri when we were offering so little in attack. Far too cautious. We need a morer attacking mentality but of course our midfield and striker options are poor off the bench. It only takes two or three injuries to expose the squad's weakness.

 

[WickedWolfie]

There’s always the chance that Bruno is saying to Jeff, “look, when I play the players you want to sign, this is what happens.”
Possibly!

There's always the chance, if Lage is playing those sort of games, that Jeff will say "Bye"....

 

[sc91]

A coach with no balls.

 

[sc91]

Done a great job this year and it looks very much like we will finish 8th, which is really good.

But in a few key away games we have been absolutely ****ing awful.

Managers earn their crust in those key games, he's failed most.

Said before, said all along so no flip, meh if he stays, meh if he goes, we would be where we are with or without him.

 

[Timberwolf]

Did he just say we controlled the first half??? Clueless!

 

[Timberwolf]

Managers earn their crust in those key games, he's failed most.

Said before, said all along so no flip, meh if he stays, meh if he goes, we would be where we are with or without him.

He can go for me. Don’t want him sacked now but this isn’t the ‘style’ of football I want to watch for the next three years.

 

[goldfish]

Lage has done a great job so far but why so hesitant to put Neto on today?

Fitness, I'm assuming. He'd have got pelters if Neto picked up an injury after coming on earlier.

 

[Royal wolf]

Did he just say we controlled the first half??? Clueless!

Probably the most passive first half I’ve seen from us and thats a massive achievement in its self.

 

[Cousins78]

Baffling comments from him then, just wish he would have the guts to say we were rubbish. His subs were too late not for the first time

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

He can go for me. Don’t want him sacked now but this isn’t the ‘style’ of football I want to watch for the next three years.

Need a lot of new players then. We have of protect our CMs because they aren't athletic, our CBs because none of them are great 1v1 defenders suited to a higher line and we don't have attackers who play interchange stuff well apart from Podence.

 

[sc91]

Baffling comments from him then, just wish he would have the guts to say we were rubbish. His subs were too late not for the first time

He hasn't got that in him. Weak.

 

[Timberwolf]

Lage has done a great job so far…

Has he? Our position is down to us not conceding. I can remember many MANY games this season where our defence has been all at sea and somehow a last ditch tackle, woodwork or Sa’s complete brilliance has saved our skin.
I’m sorry but after tonight, he’s just not the man for the job. He got out played by Eddie ‘kick & rush’ Howe ffs!

 

[Timberwolf]

Need a lot of new players then. We have of protect our CMs because they aren't athletic, our CBs because none of them are great 1v1 defenders suited to a higher line and we don't have attackers who play interchange stuff well apart from Podence.

Then we’re ****ed!!!!

 

[sc91]

Its the same as last season just luck has been on our side rather than not. That's the difference.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

Has he? Our position is down to us not conceding. I can remember many MANY games this season where our defence has been all at sea and somehow a last ditch tackle, woodwork or Sa’s complete brilliance has saved our skin.
I’m sorry but after tonight, he’s just not the man for the job. He got out played by Eddie ‘kick & rush’ Howe ffs!

Eddie Howe for all his faults has never been a kick and rush manager

 

[Mighty Thor]

I wouldn’t give two $h!ts if he was gone at the end of the season.
Thanks Bruno but your decision making is horrendous.
At least Nuno had credit in the bank to allow me to swallow games like tonight.

Agree. Would not care at all.

 

[Fenrir_]

Said it pretty much all season, he can set a side up, and when it works - great, when it doesn't - he can't change it. Reactive rather than proactive, his in game management is non-existent. Might be a good coach, but a good tactician (in game) he isn't and I really don't see him as the man to take us forward, haven't for months

 

[1972 i began]

He's doing it on a purpose,to show Jeff Shi he hasent got squad depth.What dow yow lot understand.

 

[Fenrir_]

Its the same as last season just luck has been on our side rather than not. That's the difference.

Far too accurate a statement for many to admit

 

[RMNottm]

It seems we are now the new Charlton fans; we know how this ends.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I wouldn’t give two $h!ts if he was gone at the end of the season.
Thanks Bruno but your decision making is horrendous.
At least Nuno had credit in the bank to allow me to swallow games like tonight.

**** me what an overreaction