Bruno Lage

[Big Saft Kid]

Do you think Lopetegui is any different in that regard though?

I get where you are coming from. And yes, by no stretch would I describe JL as a proficient speaker of English either, and he has said as much himself. That's because he is far more self-aware than Lage, which helps. I watch his pressers and I find him much more comprehensible. Partly also I think that it's because he has more to say and doesn't ramble like Lage. He addresses the points put to him directly as best he can, and with practice he'll get better. He certainly seems to be able to communicate with the players during the game better, but that's largely because, unlike Lage, he knows what he's doing.

 

[chignalwolf]

I will always believed he must have had a past gripe with Wolves and came to destroy us, or possibly be a Blue nose, Albion or Vile fan, but don't think any of them have or had a job, or even have the brains to think this up.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

He was a decent coach, that's about it.

We probably should have finished around 14th/15th in his first season and we probably would be in that position now.

It's not his fault that Lopetegui is a better manager, who is top 8/top 10 in the league. So, we've certainly upgraded which is fantastic but some of the comments here are unfair to Lage.

It certainly appears he could've been a much better man manager but he doesn't deserve that much stick here because he was a decent bloke and wasn't backed.

If I was him I'd certainly feel a bit aggrieved that I wasn't backed like Lopetegui has been.

Ultimately, good for us though as we're in a better position but Lage gets a lot more stick than he deserves on here which is harsh, IMO.

 

[Contrarian]

I called out the language issue numerous times on here and was told by the 'experts' that (a) they all speak Portuguese anyway (not true) (b) his English is fine (ludicrous). I have taught languages (not just English) for 40 years, have a PhD in Linguistics and would rate him a poor speaker of English who struggles with expressing anything other than very simple ideas in the language. I was listening to Ruben Neves in a post match comment yesterday and he is what I would call a proficient speaker of English -- perfectly fluent delivery, grammatically accurate, correct vocabulary choices, near-native level of communication. By comparison I would put Lage in the same category as the Syrian refugees I used to teach as a volunteer -- minimal ability to express complex ideas, misuse of common words, would struggle to get ideas across and would be failing to understand much of what he was hearing. Not a small problem in a job in which precise and accurate articulation of your ideas is key. Not the main problem, but a big one.

Yes, often his words were fine and a good English accent...the problem was when the words were all joined up, they made little sense!

Contrast with JL, whose English is considerably behind Brunos. However, I still find it a lot easier to figure out what he is getting at, despite the (perfectly natural) fumbling around to get the right word and even getting the wrong one occasionally. JL does have translators that he uses.

What I didn't understand about Bruno was , given the high profile role and lack of experience, why he didn't get some top advisors in to help out? If I was given a role out of my depth, the first thing I'd do is insist on getting the best possible people in key roles for advise. Yet he had hardly anybody, a couple of mates and relatives. Most (all?) the big clubs are managed by a team now, the manager is the figurehead, but there's too much for one person at this level. Yet Bruno just allowed himself to get overwhelmed by it. Will be intriguing to see where he turns up next.

 

[Banks's Mild]

He was a decent coach, that's about it.

We probably should have finished around 14th/15th in his first season and we probably would be in that position now.

It's not his fault that Lopetegui is a better manager, who is top 8/top 10 in the league. So, we've certainly upgraded which is fantastic but some of the comments here are unfair to Lage.

It certainly appears he could've been a much better man manager but he doesn't deserve that much stick here because he was a decent bloke and wasn't backed.

If I was him I'd certainly feel a bit aggrieved that I wasn't backed like Lopetegui has been.

Ultimately, good for us though as we're in a better position but Lage gets a lot more stick than he deserves on here which is harsh, IMO.

All about opinions and each to there own but for me the one thing I now feel when watching us is we not only look fitter and better organised but also it feels like we have a desire to win a football match whereas before under Lage I sometimes felt like it was like watching a team having a kickabout in the park.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

All about opinions and each to there own but for me the one thing I now feel when watching us is we not only look fitter and better organised but also it feels like we have a desire to win a football match whereas before under Lage I sometimes felt like it was like watching a team having a kickabout in the park.

I agree entirely but that's just because Lage isn't as good a manager as Lopetegui.

The point was more Lage seems to get a lot of real hate when all he did was get us 10th in his first season, which was good, and then left after about 7 games was it? So too early to say he ruined this season.

All whilst he wasn't backed financially (or when he would've wanted at least) and he's a pretty inoffensive guy.

Not really defending him as a coach, I think he's average/decent but more he doesn't warrant any fierce criticism.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Hard to judge his true value as he simply wasn’t supported with signings

 

[Bill McCai]

He was averaging less than 0.8PPG for his last 22 PL games (over half a season). He could not motivate the side, and they were unfit. That is on the manager.

 

[Burford T Justice]

Good question, but irrelevant. About half the squad he had weren't Portuguese (and before any clever dick tries to say otherwise, Portuguese and Spanish are related languages but not at all the same). Besides, he is managing in the EPL and the working language is English. Mixers who have watched him take training sessions in English have said they couldn't understand what he was saying. That tallies with my impression. I spent a lot of my working life conversing with, and teaching non-native speakers of English and have a high tolerance of error and misuse of the language, but I struggled to understand what he was trying to say in many of his press conferences.

You think the working language at Wolves between playing staff is genuinely English?

 

[lycophilos]

Hard to judge his true value as he simply wasn’t supported with signings

It certainly appears he could've been a much better man manager but he doesn't deserve that much stick here because he was a decent bloke and wasn't backed.

If I was him I'd certainly feel a bit aggrieved that I wasn't backed like Lopetegui has been.

I don't agree with the constant comments from some in this forum that Lage wasn't supported/backed.

Consider, for example, the spending last summer. That was while Lage was manager.

I think that all three of Nuno, Lage, and Lopetegui have been backed as much as the club could consider reasonable at the time.

And whether or not he is a "decent bloke", whatever that means, Lage was clearly destroying the quite remarkable team spirit which Nuno had built up at Wolves. You wouldn't get Nuno treating players in the way Lage did with e.g. Hoever. You wouldn't get Nuno blaming every failure on others, and taking no responsibility himself.

It seems that Lopetegui is restoring much of the family/pack mentality that Nuno instilled. For myself, it is restoring much of the love and admiration for Wolves which I had when Nuno was in charge.
[I cannot claim to be a Wolves fan, as I have no particular link with your club or the city of Wolverhampton, but it was Nuno and his management style which turned me into a Wolves "lover"]

 

[lycophilos]

You think the working language at Wolves between playing staff is genuinely English?

It was when Nuno was in charge.

 

[Surrey Wolf]

Lage is a decent coach but not a manager .. JL is very good at both

 

[Greeno]

I don't/won't pay him any mind now. He's gone and good luck to him with whatever he does next. No ill-will or hard feelings from me.

I don't dread the thought of watching us again now though, I do know that much.

 

[Contrarian]

I agree entirely but that's just because Lage isn't as good a manager as Lopetegui.

The point was more Lage seems to get a lot of real hate when all he did was get us 10th in his first season, which was good, and then left after about 7 games was it? So too early to say he ruined this season.

All whilst he wasn't backed financially (or when he would've wanted at least) and he's a pretty inoffensive guy.

I wish I could be given £100M to spend then claim I owe nothing as I was not backed financially.

 

[Jawwfc]

He wasn't ready for a Premier League job and I doubt ever will be, can't blame the guy for taking a job which was probably life changing for him financially.

It seems as though that Bruno and Nuno to an extent were living out suitcases and hotel rooms, it shows Lopeteguis commitment if his family have moved out with him.

I hope fosun have realised that when we try and find managers on cheap e.g. Zenga, Lage and Lambert then it doesn't work, a manager of Lopeteguis reputation should have replaced Nuno.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

He was a decent coach, that's about it.

We probably should have finished around 14th/15th in his first season and we probably would be in that position now.

It's not his fault that Lopetegui is a better manager, who is top 8/top 10 in the league. So, we've certainly upgraded which is fantastic but some of the comments here are unfair to Lage.

It certainly appears he could've been a much better man manager but he doesn't deserve that much stick here because he was a decent bloke and wasn't backed.

If I was him I'd certainly feel a bit aggrieved that I wasn't backed like Lopetegui has been.

Ultimately, good for us though as we're in a better position but Lage gets a lot more stick than he deserves on here which is harsh, IMO.

Sorry I don't see for the life of me how we get 14/15th this season under Lage. You trying to tell me this summer he wasn't backed? We made more signings this summer than in January.
Experiences pros desperate to leave. 3 goals. It wasn't turning around under him. We shouldn't have been in a dog fight. He was the guy that got our team and squad in an absolute state.

 

[SoCal_Wolf]

I agree entirely but that's just because Lage isn't as good a manager as Lopetegui.

The point was more Lage seems to get a lot of real hate when all he did was get us 10th in his first season, which was good, and then left after about 7 games was it? So too early to say he ruined this season.

All whilst he wasn't backed financially (or when he would've wanted at least) and he's a pretty inoffensive guy.

Not really defending him as a coach, I think he's average/decent but more he doesn't warrant any fierce criticism.

I agree with you - this is a much more balanced assessment of Lage's time at Wolves. Compared to Lopetegui, he was not backed with the players he needed. He wanted to play a high-energy, high press like Lopetegui, but only had three senior midfielders, who are all slow as molasses! Compare the first three games to the rest of the season - what changed? The window closed so he had to get practical. Coming into the second season, he only had three CBs with any starting experience and two with very little (Collins and Toti). That is not being backed. And his striker blew up in his first game--so no healthy senior striker either.

Good things that Lage did: implemented more tactical time in the video room, decent defense over his time, and I think that Neves definitely improved. He's definitely knowledgeable about the game, IMO.

Bad things that we know or were hinted at: poor man management, poor in-game tactics, and poor fitness. Completely mismanaged Fabio - not sure why he didn't get more minutes at the end of last season.

Towards the end, it appears that he lost the locker room as the players stopped playing for him as seen by the complete capitulation to Brighton. Once that happens, then a manager has to go.

He's probably better as a coach and not as a manager. I don't have hatred for him and we definitely have an upgrade in JL who is a top, top manager. So, I'm excitedly focused on the future, not the past.

 

[ToastedWanderer]

I can't forgive Lage for how unfit he made these players. Tale end of his reign the team was done by 60 minutes each match, before you even take into account playing players riding an injury.

Lopetegui being appalled how unfit the squad was when he took over made so much sense. Make no mistake, Lage was relegating this team..

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

I don't agree with the constant comments from some in this forum that Lage wasn't supported/backed.

Consider, for example, the spending last summer. That was while Lage was manager.

I think that all three of Nuno, Lage, and Lopetegui have been backed as much as the club could consider reasonable at the time.

And whether or not he is a "decent bloke", whatever that means, Lage was clearly destroying the quite remarkable team spirit which Nuno had built up at Wolves. You wouldn't get Nuno treating players in the way Lage did with e.g. Hoever. You wouldn't get Nuno blaming every failure on others, and taking no responsibility himself.

It seems that Lopetegui is restoring much of the family/pack mentality that Nuno instilled. For myself, it is restoring much of the love and admiration for Wolves which I had when Nuno was in charge.
[I cannot claim to be a Wolves fan, as I have no particular link with your club or the city of Wolverhampton, but it was Nuno and his management style which turned me into a Wolves "lover"]

What , backed 4 weeks after the season started after our easy run of games?

Then sign a striker who wasn’t fit for 2 months?

 

[lycophilos]

What , backed 4 weeks after the season started after our easy run of games?

Then sign a striker who wasn’t fit for 2 months?

There are quite a few posters in this forum who seem to be claiming to have a detailed knowledge of who, how, and when Wolves make decisions about buying, selling, loaning players, appointing managers etc. I suspect that they really know no more than others on this forum.

Of course ultimately it is the board, including Jeff Shi, who have the final say on what happens. But nobody outside the higher echelons of Wolves - and those they personally inform - can be really sure about how those decisions have been reached. For instance, how much say would Nuno have had in decisions about signings? I think he had a very great say, especially because Shi admitted he knew little about football. And Nuno proved immediately, in his very first season, that he was a very capable manager. If Lage had any less power in this than Nuno, it would probably be because Shi and the board felt that he would have to show that he could be as capable as Nuno. This may be why they were as patient with him as they were - or that might be because they were waiting for Lopetegui, the manager they really wanted. In any case they kept him long after the majority of Wolves fans, to go by this forum, wanted him sacked.

This is speculation, but I believe it is valid speculation because it is at least consistent. What I find unreasonable are those who want to blame Shi and the board, for instance, for all the decisions which have turned out to be bad, while giving them no credit for the decisions which have turned out to be good.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

You think the working language at Wolves between playing staff is genuinely English?

Yes. What do you think it is?

 

[Mugwump]

He was a decent coach, that's about it.

We probably should have finished around 14th/15th in his first season and we probably would be in that position now.

It's not his fault that Lopetegui is a better manager, who is top 8/top 10 in the league. So, we've certainly upgraded which is fantastic but some of the comments here are unfair to Lage.

It certainly appears he could've been a much better man manager but he doesn't deserve that much stick here because he was a decent bloke and wasn't backed.

If I was him I'd certainly feel a bit aggrieved that I wasn't backed like Lopetegui has been.

Ultimately, good for us though as we're in a better position but Lage gets a lot more stick than he deserves on here which is harsh, IMO.

He obviously isnt a decent coach. Regardless of backing, a good coach would never have allowed us to be as disorganised as we were or as unfit as we were. A good coach would never have allowed the squad to be stripped of the influences in the dressing room either and destroyed the morale at the club. Going back to the backing he did or didnt get, as i have said many times, if he felt he wasnt backed, he should have walked out the door, and he made the choice not to.

 

[Mugwump]

Hard to judge his true value as he simply wasn’t supported with signings

Guedes, Nunes, Trincao, Collins, Hwang, Kaladzic, Ait Nouri, Costa, Sa, to name but a few. But he wasnt backed

Pull the other one.

 

[Deleted member (smith)]

Guedes, Nunes, Trincao, Collins, Hwang, Kaladzic, Ait Nouri, Costa, Sa, to name but a few. But he wasnt backed

Pull the other one.

It’s very simple…managers are judged only on results ….may not be fair but there it is.

 

[Mugwump]

It’s very simple…managers are judged only on results ….may not be fair but there it is.

I think you can get away with poor-ish results to a point if you can see there is something developing and there are good signs something is around the corner. Lage basically had half a good season where we picked up points without looking good then it all fell apart.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Guedes, Nunes, Trincao, Collins, Hwang, Kaladzic, Ait Nouri, Costa, Sa, to name but a few. But he wasnt backed

Pull the other one.

But, but, but..... How very dare you let the facts get in the way of the perceived wisdom (to be fair in my view Lage was not fully backed in his first season) or a rant....

 

[WickedWolfie]

I don't/won't pay him any mind now. He's gone and good luck to him with whatever he does next. No ill-will or hard feelings from me.

I don't dread the thought of watching us again now though, I do know that much.

Also, unlike Nuno, l don't hate the idea and indeed fear him becoming boss at a rival....

 

[Irish_Wolf]

As poor as he was it was recruitment or lack of quality in recruitment that really cost him.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Guedes, Nunes, Trincao, Collins, Hwang, Kaladzic, Ait Nouri, Costa, Sa, to name but a few. But he wasnt backed

Pull the other one.

That doesn’t really back up your point.

He had Nunes for five games, Kaladzic for one half, Costa for literally 30 minutes and Ait-Nouri was already here.

The summer window was a shambles.

We had no striker for a few games, we had to play MGW who was desperate to leave and the bench was one of the worst I’ve ever seen at Leeds.

We weren’t ready for the new season and that fell on Shi/Sellars.

You make valid points about his coaching but totally unfair for you and others to say he was backed when whilst the money was spent eventually, he didn’t have time to put the side together as it came far too late.

 

[lycophilos]

He had Nunes for five games, Kaladzic for one half, Costa for literally 30 minutes and Ait-Nouri was already here.

The summer window was a shambles.

We had no striker for a few games, we had to play MGW who was desperate to leave and the bench was one of the worst I’ve ever seen at Leeds.

We weren’t ready for the new season and that fell on Shi/Sellars.

You make valid points about his coaching but totally unfair for you and others to say he was backed when whilst the money was spent eventually, he didn’t have time to put the side together as it came far too late.

Unless you are really "in the know", you have no more idea than the rest of us, as to what really caused the summer "shambles". How do you know that it wasn't Lage who was largely responsible for the shambles rather than Shi/Sellars? Yes, Shi/Sellars shouldn't have allowed it to develop, but, given that Nuno had been manager not that long previously, and I believe there is strong evidence that he had a very strong say in transfers/loans (rightly so, as he generally made good decisions) they may very well have continued with that policy.

As for "Nunes for five games, Kaladzic for one half etc.", you have a point with Ait-Nouri. The reason why he had Kaladzic for one half is of course that he got injured. Perhaps the apparently injury-prone Kaladzic shouldn't have been signed, but who knows who was mostly responsible for his signing? As for Nunes and others, the reason why he only had them for such a short time was that he was sacked. If a club spends a large amount of money on signings, but then a little way into the season the manager is sacked, that does not mean that the manager wasn't backed. It's that the manager was backed, but showed that he couldn't produce good results even if backed. And IIRC, there was a huge majority of opinion on this forum that Lage should go, well before he was finally shown the door.

And then Lopetegui comes in, and in the space of a few games, clearly transforms the team in fitness, cohesion, and most importantly, morale and team spirit. Consider how much (or little) time he had to do this. Consider how much time (not a lot) Nuno had to make the stunning transformation in the fortunes of the club in 2017 - and that with minimal "backing"!

So it is not "totally" unfair to say that Lage actually received a great deal of backing, and proved that he was unworthy to receive it. On the other hand it is very unfair to automatically blame Shi/Sellars or whoever for all that is perceived has gone wrong, while giving them no credit for what has gone right. Which is what some in this forum do, even when there is little or no evidence to support their assertions.

 

[Muscat]

Guedes, Nunes, Trincao, Collins, Hwang, Kaladzic, Ait Nouri, Costa, Sa, to name but a few. But he wasnt backed

Pull the other one.

Guedes was punted instantly by Lop. Nunes has done very little in a Wolves shirt. Trincao we didn't even think was worth buying. Collins immediately dropped by Lop. Hwang terrible footballer. Kaladzic played a half. Costa hasn't scored for us and hadn't played for months. Ait-Nouri was 18 I think. Sa the only one of those who was ready for the first-team and actually proven worth the fee. Our recruitment under Bruno was crap.

Criticism of his in-game management, squad fitness, man management is fair enough, but wheeling out Costa as evidence he was backed shows how weak your argument is.

 

[Muscat]

The fact that Lop came in and has immediately signed half a team worth £70m should tell you that a) our recruitment was rubbish and b) the squad was weak in certain areas.

Lage was not a good manager and would have taken us down, but so would most managers, including Lopetegui I suspect. Hence why him joining us was contingent on investment.

 

[sillytuna]

Can we agree that everyone was crap and now things are being put right?

 

[Jonzy54]

I don’t watch all of the training clips from Compton but it was noticeable early in the season that when Lage was on the training pitch he didn’t seem to convey much to the players and everytime he blew his whistle it was weak and that was how he came across generally .
Julen has a more commanding presence and seems to get his point across including on the touchline where he is far more animated and ,confident, and has been able to improve the fitness of the players which has resulted in improved performances.
Obviously time will tell if we have enough to stay up but we certainly have a chance now which wasn’t the case under Lage ,under whom we were in danger of being cut adrift .

 

[Shergar]

I had difficulty with the video interview he did with Johnny Phillips walking on the field at Compton with many on here claiming it to be a great interview. I listened to it twice and could not understand any of it and was getting frustrated with myself…. Turns out it wasn’t just me, the players hadn’t got a Scooby-Doo what his word salads meant either.

 

[lycophilos]

I don’t watch all of the training clips from Compton but it was noticeable early in the season that when Lage was on the training pitch he didn’t seem to convey much to the players and everytime he blew his whistle it was weak and that was how he came across generally .
Julen has a more commanding presence and seems to get his point across including on the touchline where he is far more animated and ,confident, and has been able to improve the fitness of the players which has resulted in improved performances.
Obviously time will tell if we have enough to stay up but we certainly have a chance now which wasn’t the case under Lage ,under whom we were in danger of being cut adrift .

This may be very, if not totally, unfair, but the image I have in my mind of Lage is of an ineffectual, worried-looking individual rushing around with a clipboard.

This may be a "false memory" - did it ever happen?

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

An imposter?

He'd managed Benfica to a title win - it didn't work out here and he wasn't able to adapt at all, but now you're just being dramatic.

Ultimately, it didn't work out at Benfica either.

 

[Ginger Chimp]

I'm excitedly focused on the future, not the past.

This.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

The players were not fit - plainly obvious to the fans.
That was down to Lage and his team - unforgiveable

 

[Norway Wolves]

I called out the language issue numerous times on here and was told by the 'experts' that (a) they all speak Portuguese anyway (not true) (b) his English is fine (ludicrous). I have taught languages (not just English) for 40 years, have a PhD in Linguistics and would rate him a poor speaker of English who struggles with expressing anything other than very simple ideas in the language. I was listening to Ruben Neves in a post match comment yesterday and he is what I would call a proficient speaker of English -- perfectly fluent delivery, grammatically accurate, correct vocabulary choices, near-native level of communication. By comparison I would put Lage in the same category as the Syrian refugees I used to teach as a volunteer -- minimal ability to express complex ideas, misuse of common words, would struggle to get ideas across and would be failing to understand much of what he was hearing. Not a small problem in a job in which precise and accurate articulation of your ideas is key. Not the main problem, but a big one.

Spot on.

As someone who works in his 2nd language (Norwegian) I could recognize straight away that his English wasn' t sufficient to operate at the level he was at.

Learning words is one thing, communicatiing, being understood and commanding respect is quite another and it was clear to me that he would have struggled.