Bruno Lage

[Brian Law’s buses]

I fear for next season, from February we are in relegation form. We look stale and easy to read and play against and unfortunately a rebuild is now required, the last big rebuild was the championship winning season and then the first year of the premier. The old guard needs a change, love Neves but for the sake of his own career he needs to move on and if that helps finance new players then great.

I am on the fence with Bruno, carried on with Nuno’s good work- with the odd tweak but I am unsure if he will be able to stamp down our next phase. We do not have the exciting new talent coming through from U19/u23 at the moment. Killman hopefully will continue to step up and hopefully MGW will have a spring in his step

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Let's be honest, he isn't going to work out. This is an important moment in our recent history, though. Fk this up and we are going down next season.

Strange. Looked back in the thread and you've said:

May 23 2021: Let’s face it, hire this guy and we are likely to go down
Same day: I think it's relegation for us next season.
Same day: Relegation beckons

I loved Nuno too mate and thought getting rid of him was a mistake (still do) but we're going to finish top half - evidently exceeding your expectations. So...isn't that good?

I know I'm picking on you here but I get irked by this 'never happyism'. As another poster said, we are 8th in the league after being tipped to go down and we want the manager out.

Strikes me as a very entitled move on behalf of the the fanbase. Woy's words always come to me here: Be careful what you wish for.

I know we all want Wolves to get into Europe and it feels close at times, but 7th is a very realistic ceiling for us, annoying as it is.

I know we are playing poorly and the trend is poor, but I'd hate to be one of those clubs we looked like being initially under Fosun where one bad run equals manager gone. I'm sure I'll get pilloried, but a bit of perspective is required imho

 

[Chris H]

If Fabinho and Mane were teenagers maybe. I'm struggling to see a link between prime willy and prime Virgil though.

Wolves were by no means favourites for promotion. Nuno took a weirdly cobbled together squad, added some real quality and coached the **** out of them and formed a team of effort, style and endeavour to give us an identity.

Our identity under Lage is different from one game to the next. For six months we were defensively sound (Sa was a massive help) and we could pass it about quite nicely. Not so much of late.

I’m not saying Boly is as good as VVD, I’m saying comparatively for his ability at the level he was playing at it’s an equivalent.

Boly found the championship too easy, the mistakes he did make were usually because he was so bored of brushing off inferior players he lost concentration.

The point I’m making is Bruno didn’t get the fresh injection of players to freshen up and change the squad to suit his style that Nuno got.

It’s not a Nuno didn’t do a good job or a Bruno is hard done by, simply saying that your original assertion that Nuno took someone else’s squad and made them good so Bruno should be able to too isn’t a fair reflection in my opinion.

Of course Bruno inherited a much better squad than Nuno did, but then he was expected to do more with it as a result.

Last summer should have seen more changes made than it did, instead Bruno was given a squad that was shaped by Nuno but had already started to lose its identity the season before and expected to make them in to something they weren’t. We were a perfectly setup counter attacking side who’d lost that clear identity and don’t have the right profile of player to play on the front foot and with the ball.

It’s not that our players aren’t good, it’s that the profile of the squad is off for what we apparently want to do with it.

Whether it’s Lage or someone else, if that’s the style we want to implement then changes need to be made.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Strange. Looked been in the thread and you've said:

May 23 2021: Let’s face it, hire this guy and we are likely to go down
Same day: I think it's relegation for us next season.
Same day: Relegation beckons

I loved Nuno too mate and thought getting rid of him was a mistake (still do) but we're going to finish top half - evidently exceeding your expectations. So...isn't that good?

I know I'm picking on you here but I get irked by this 'never happyism'. As another poster said, we are 8th in the league after being tipped to go down and we want the manager out.

Strikes me as a very entitled move on behalf of the the fanbase. Woy's words always come to me here: Be careful what you wish for.

I know we all want Wolves to get into Europe and it feels close at times, but 7th is a very realistic ceiling for us, annoying as it is.

I know we are playing poorly and the trend is poor, but I'd hate to be one of those clubs we looked like being initially under Fosun where one bad run equals manager gone. I'm sure I'll get pilloried, but a bit of perspective is required imho

One final point I would make is that Nuno was sacked after 13th was deemed not to be good enough.
Bruno will steer us to 8th or 9th. Few quid difference but naff all really.
Say, for the sake of argument, Fosun sack him.

Then if the new manager is 10th at Christmas....do they sack him? If we finish the season 9th....do they sack him then?

We have to a realistic basis for what success is

 

[WickedWolfie]

I've no confidence we'll get a positive result.

I absolutely agree. I'm dreading it

 

[WolfLing]

I absolutely agree. I'm dreading it

If we don't, I can see it getting quite toxic and the atmosphere not being very nice at full time.

It would be very sad if that was the final moments of a lot of player's time playing at Molineux.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I’m not saying Boly is as good as VVD, I’m saying comparatively for his ability at the level he was playing at it’s an equivalent.

Boly found the championship too easy, the mistakes he did make were usually because he was so bored of brushing off inferior players he lost concentration.

The point I’m making is Bruno didn’t get the fresh injection of players to freshen up and change the squad to suit his style that Nuno got.

It’s not a Nuno didn’t do a good job or a Bruno is hard done by, simply saying that your original assertion that Nuno took someone else’s squad and made them good so Bruno should be able to too isn’t a fair reflection in my opinion.

Of course Bruno inherited a much better squad than Nuno did, but then he was expected to do more with it as a result.

Last summer should have seen more changes made than it did, instead Bruno was given a squad that was shaped by Nuno but had already started to lose its identity the season before and expected to make them in to something they weren’t. We were a perfectly setup counter attacking side who’d lost that clear identity and don’t have the right profile of player to play on the front foot and with the ball.

It’s not that our players aren’t good, it’s that the profile of the squad is off for what we apparently want to do with it.

Whether it’s Lage or someone else, if that’s the style we want to implement then changes need to be made.

All things considered, Bruno hasn't done a bad job. For five months, results were very good. For four months they've been appalling. It's the last four months I'm concerned about.

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

All things considered, Bruno hasn't done a bad job. For five months, results were very good. For four months they've been appalling. It's the last four months I'm concerned about.

yeah there is a trend setting in and we don't seem able to reverse it, really don't want that carrying in to next season

 

[Chris H]

All things considered, Bruno hasn't done a bad job. For five months, results were very good. For four months they've been appalling. It's the last four months I'm concerned about.

Yeah that’s fair. I’m not sure whether I think Lage should stay or not, he’s clearly made mistakes this season but has show glimpses of good stuff too.

I just don’t really understand what the plan was last summer at this point, we decided to let Nuno go and bring someone in touted as playing positive front foot football, it all looked set for an overhaul and then we didn’t really change much at all.

Lage gave us a glimpse of what we’d hope to see those first 3 games, talked incessantly about wanting 3 more players and then nothing happened, the window shut and we reverted to type.

Those 3 games still give me some hope that if he had the right squad at his disposal we could be the team he wants to make us, but will we get it right this summer for that to happen?

That’s a question that needs answering whether it’s Lage or someone else to be honest.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

One final point I would make is that Nuno was sacked after 13th was deemed not to be good enough.
Bruno will steer us to 8th or 9th. Few quid difference but naff all really.
Say, for the sake of argument, Fosun sack him.

Then if the new manager is 10th at Christmas....do they sack him? If we finish the season 9th....do they sack him then?

We have to a realistic basis for what success is

It's not as black and white as that. Our current position is not an issue. All of us would have accepted 8th at the beginning of the season, even 9th.

But finishing 9th now would be seen as a massive failure in my eyes. 10 points from our last 12 fixtures is relegation form, we're likely to have accrued less than a point a game for 14 fixtures come seasons end.

No one is complaining about Lage's performance before February, it's since that concerns us and that's with Jonny and Neto joining the ranks.

 

[JOSWolf]

He is back and doing the press conference today. Hope he is asked a bit about plans for the summer.

 

[Flaneur]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525088255137431552

 

[hollo]

Well liam keen is giving second by second updates on twitter

 

[JOSWolf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525088255137431552

I reckon he is leaving.

 

[hollo]

Saying the summer will be 'busy'.

 

[Deleted member drgr12429]

I reckon he is leaving.

How do you reckon from that? He's never going to say either way is he...

 

[hollo]

Something happened behind the scenes spanning back to the hoever incident that has grown.
Are you seriously saying nothing is wrong when johnny otto runs around half heartedly in the brighton game?
Spiers won't tell us but there is something toxic under the surface.

 

[Hot Fuss]

Have we really lost 12 of 16????

That's awful.

It’s 9 out the last 16 league games

 

[hollo]

That extra money for finishing 8th will do nicely in paying him off.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Something happened behind the scenes spanning back to the hoever incident that has grown.
Are you seriously saying nothing is wrong when johnny otto runs around half heartedly in the brighton game?
Spiers won't tell us but there is something toxic under the surface.

While there is no firm evidence my sense is that you are correct. Things just don't feel right.

 

[DasWolf]

The most recent 3rd of the season has been relegation form. For all the "we're 8th" crowd... how can you guys not see that?

 

[hollo]

If we could get the seville manager it would be good.

 

[Deleted member drgr12429]

The most recent 3rd of the season has been relegation form. For all the "we're 8th" crowd... how can you guys not see that?

Everyone can see it, but people need perspective. We are 8th on merit. We could be 17th on merit but we are not, however much people want us to be it seems.

 

[Ebbo]

Strange. Looked back in the thread and you've said:

May 23 2021: Let’s face it, hire this guy and we are likely to go down
Same day: I think it's relegation for us next season.
Same day: Relegation beckons

I loved Nuno too mate and thought getting rid of him was a mistake (still do) but we're going to finish top half - evidently exceeding your expectations. So...isn't that good?

I know I'm picking on you here but I get irked by this 'never happyism'. As another poster said, we are 8th in the league after being tipped to go down and we want the manager out.

Strikes me as a very entitled move on behalf of the the fanbase. Woy's words always come to me here: Be careful what you wish for.

I know we all want Wolves to get into Europe and it feels close at times, but 7th is a very realistic ceiling for us, annoying as it is.

I know we are playing poorly and the trend is poor, but I'd hate to be one of those clubs we looked like being initially under Fosun where one bad run equals manager gone. I'm sure I'll get pilloried, but a bit of perspective is required imho

Great post.

 

[Jawwfc]

The Liam Keen Tweet doesn't mention about "his future" it mentions about next season, Lage says he doesn't look forward bit of a politicians answer,

The spiers one indicates he was asked about his future... could be a clever play of words to get some clicks.

 

[WolfLing]

Something happened behind the scenes spanning back to the hoever incident that has grown.
Are you seriously saying nothing is wrong when johnny otto runs around half heartedly in the brighton game?
Spiers won't tell us but there is something toxic under the surface.

We won 3 of the next 4 games after the Hoever incident.

The reality might be that Bruno was spot on regarding the attitude of some players, hence the short term improvement.

We've got to a stage where there's probably too many players operating in their comfort zone and Bruno has probably called them out on it.

If that is the case, if we want to progress, we have to back Bruno and back the calls he makes on every player.

 

[Fenrir_]

One final point I would make is that Nuno was sacked after 13th was deemed not to be good enough.
Bruno will steer us to 8th or 9th. Few quid difference but naff all really.
Say, for the sake of argument, Fosun sack him.

Then if the new manager is 10th at Christmas....do they sack him? If we finish the season 9th....do they sack him then?

We have to a realistic basis for what success is

If Lage gets sacked though it isn't to do with league position, can't find a single person complaining about the league position. The style of football has been awful, and the alarming drop in results has been more reflective of the football we've seen for most of the season than the league table has

I don't think a manager gets sacked for being 10th in the table at Christmas if we're playing good stuff, and if we'd continued to play the style we did for the first month or so, I'd imagine most would be calling for Lage to be backed in the summer. As it is, the way this season has gone is a massive red flag for next season if things don't change

 

[Ian]

One final point I would make is that Nuno was sacked after 13th was deemed not to be good enough.
Bruno will steer us to 8th or 9th. Few quid difference but naff all really.
Say, for the sake of argument, Fosun sack him.

Then if the new manager is 10th at Christmas....do they sack him? If we finish the season 9th....do they sack him then?

We have to a realistic basis for what success is

I think the Nuno decision was more the style of play , rather than the league position.......
I imagine Lage won't be our manager by xmas if things remain as they are.

 

[Ian]

If Lage gets sacked though it isn't to do with league position, can't find a single person complaining about the league position. The style of football has been awful, and the alarming drop in results has been more reflective of the football we've seen for most of the season than the league table has

I don't think a manager gets sacked for being 10th in the table at Christmas if we're playing good stuff, and if we'd continued to play the style we did for the first month or so, I'd imagine most would be calling for Lage to be backed in the summer. As it is, the way this season has gone is a massive red flag for next season if things don't change

Snap!

 

[Don Corleone]

Have we really lost 12 of 16????

That's awful.

As I counted mate I’m afraid so…happy to be wrong but not sure I am.

 

[JOSWolf]

Then again now he is talking about the summer and it being busy. Maybe he is staying after all.

 

[Mugwump]

Strange. Looked back in the thread and you've said:

May 23 2021: Let’s face it, hire this guy and we are likely to go down
Same day: I think it's relegation for us next season.
Same day: Relegation beckons

I loved Nuno too mate and thought getting rid of him was a mistake (still do) but we're going to finish top half - evidently exceeding your expectations. So...isn't that good?

I know I'm picking on you here but I get irked by this 'never happyism'. As another poster said, we are 8th in the league after being tipped to go down and we want the manager out.

Strikes me as a very entitled move on behalf of the the fanbase. Woy's words always come to me here: Be careful what you wish for.

I know we all want Wolves to get into Europe and it feels close at times, but 7th is a very realistic ceiling for us, annoying as it is.

I know we are playing poorly and the trend is poor, but I'd hate to be one of those clubs we looked like being initially under Fosun where one bad run equals manager gone. I'm sure I'll get pilloried, but a bit of perspective is required imho

As i said earlier, I still think its the manner of our performances rather than our defeats thats the worry. We just look clueless and our only get out of jail plan is throw everything we have and play gung ho football once we have nothing to lose.

 

[Don Corleone]

All things considered, Bruno hasn't done a bad job. For five months, results were very good. For four months they've been appalling. It's the last four months I'm concerned about.

Agreed 110%

 

[Burford T Justice]

If we could get the seville manager it would be good.

That the Sevilla manager who has Sevilla in "relegation form' over the last 3rd of the season?

 

[DasWolf]

Everyone can see it, but people need perspective. We are 8th on merit. We could be 17th on merit but we are not, however much people want us to be it seems.

But those wins were predicated on keeping it tight at the back and maybe nicking a goal. Also Sa playing a blinder a lot of the time.

It hasn't been that way for a very long time, as reflected by goals conceded and points won. And I don't think it will go back that way, because the weaknesses with Wolves are very clear to see. High press to stop playing out, and you can nullify the threat. Not that there's much of a goal threat as evidenced by our pathetic tally.

You say it's on merit. I think it's a false position, and the platform on how we achieved that has crumbled a long time ago.

 

[Joshwolf218]

Lage says no update on Neves. "If I was in a top club I would look for this kind of player. Good man, top player, that's what all the top clubs want. So it's no surprise clubs are looking for this. "I really don't know (what will happen)."

Doing himself no favours lage

 

[mr_j_007]

If those tweets are correct from Tim, he’s throwing the players under the bus again: all I want is players who are hungry and grow up.

Seriously Bruno, he is driving a wedge into a group of players he is killing the changing room. He started on the young players, and now putting it all on them. I expect a very poor performance and a toxic response. Time to go Bruno, turn the lights out the electric costs a bomb at the minute

 

[Chris H]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525103350223626242

 

[stevev53]

If those tweets are correct from Tim, he’s throwing the players under the bus again: all I want is players who are hungry and grow up.

Seriously Bruno, he is driving a wedge into a group of players he is killing the changing room. He started on the young players, and now putting it all on them. I expect a very poor performance and a toxic response. Time to go Bruno, turn the lights out the electric costs a bomb at the minute

Why is that throwing players under the bus ? If anything he is too honest about the players . I for one have no problem with him talking this way if certain players are not performing properly . I’m fed up with players deciding the manager is not good enough . If you don’t like playing for him then ***k off somewhere else .

 

[Deleted member drgr12429]

If i was Bruno i'd be fuming. Because the board gave away the best option he had to get us up the pitch quick. Every defender and manager in the PL had to think about Traore. He was our most devastating weapon to get the ball up the pitch. It's no surprise to me we've been **** up front since he left.
As much as people hate him on here he was a weapon that every team wants. Devastating pace, can beat players for fun, can set up goals. Without him in the team the opposition defences are comfortable in the knowledge that Wolves have no attacking option.
Maybe Chiquinho might be, but right now we have zip, especially with no Podence and a half fit Neto. Hwang, Trincao and to an extent Raul can't hold the ball up, or get past players to put the opposition under pressure.
Immediately that puts pressure on our midfield and defence, and it's one of the big reasons we've looked shakier in the middle and at the back.