Lopetegui

[SteveBullsKnee]

You do know that Lopetegui walked straight up to Hobbs and said he was finished, right? And negotiated a favourable severance package. So the idea he was using the interviews to get fired make little sense, when he can just walk up to his higher ups and end it as he did. The interviews IMO were an effort to pressure Fosun to give him the funding they promised, by going public. Not saying he behaved well here, but that's how I read it.

The quotes about the team GON inherited (Lopetegui's) being a bunch of individuals with no team ethic are out there, they are no secret. You can feed me a line about how that's his honest view and not a lie - I think it would take a very credulous person to think he genuinely believes that, and it's not deflection for his failures. We had an outstanding team ethic under JL, particularly at Molineux. A loss of form away from home at the end of the season doesn't change that.

I think he is a very strong candidate for the Brighton job if de Zerbi leaves. You underestimate his abilities as a manager.

You don’t know he did that with Hobbs. His interview today out of his own mouth was he knew at the start of pre season the project was over and he wanted to part ways. Why did it take him 5 weeks to negotiate his severance package. All this talk of his integrity is laughable. He cried and will always be a wolf, utter BS in that case that it took so long to sort his severance. If he loved the fans, players and club so much that’s done in 48 hours maximum. He’s making himself out to be a liar as what he’s said to the athletic is different to what he said to bellague in his last interview.

I don’t underestimate his abilities as a manager at all, I wanted him in the first place.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Can only assume that it took that long to negotiate the way out.
But if everyone knew, begs the question how we ended up with GON.

5 weeks is a long time to negotiate a severance for a bloke who was apparently crying about it and loved the fans and club. Here’s an idea if you love them that much then go quickly to help them and leave more coffers in the pot to replace you.

I’ve seen GON called a chancer and a liar on here so many times but this with JL in the Athletic shows the man he is. He was lying through his teeth then in his interview with Ballague as that was 4 weeks into pre-season

 

[Stourport wolf]

I think he is a very strong candidate for the Brighton job if de Zerbi leaves. You underestimate his abilities as a manager.

Lopetegui will go to a club that will invest in Mendes' players.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Has JL ever done anything right in your opinion?
Asking for a friend.

Is the friend JL?
Seems to me like certain people can't find fault in anything that he is done, and won't entertain for a moment that he could tell a lie.

 

[Bill McCai]

Hobbs confirmed the decision was made post Celtic game in pre season. I would think Lopetegui going to the press was him seeing if Fosun would relent and get on with Plan B (which was later shelved, as was Plan A).

Our Sporting Director;

"I had a conversation with him in the tunnel, he was honest with his opinion and what he thought should happen.

"What was great was he was happy for us to take our time and interview other candidates and he was willing to wait until we found the right person, continuing to work and prepare the team properly.

"The way he and his staff worked during that period tells you everything you need to know about them. It’s allowed us time to go through a thorough process."

 

[Jefe]

You don’t know he did that with Hobbs. His interview today out of his own mouth was he knew at the start of pre season the project was over and he wanted to part ways. Why did it take him 5 weeks to negotiate his severance package. All this talk of his integrity is laughable. He cried and will always be a wolf, utter BS in that case that it took so long to sort his severance. If he loved the fans, players and club so much that’s done in 48 hours maximum. He’s making himself out to be a liar as what he’s said to the athletic is different to what he said to bellague in his last interview.

I do know that, because it was widely reported last month that the decision to part ways was made and agreed with Hobbs after the Celtic game. This was reported most explicitly in the Athletic:

Lopetegui told Hobbs around the time of the Celtic friendly on July 29 that they should start discussing the terms of his exit and the sporting director has since been tasked with identifying a successor.

And directly from Hobbs' mouth:

I had a conversation with him in the tunnel, he was honest with his opinion and what he thought should happen. What was great was he was happy for us to take our time and interview other candidates and he was willing to wait until we found the right person, continuing to work and prepare the team properly.

I am afraid you've taken his quote in today's article, “When we started pre-season, they told me that it’s impossible to develop this project. And we decided to part ways" too literally without proper consideration for the chronology of the situation. Fosun told him Plan B was out at the start of pre-season, that's not to say he decided he could not continue there and then. He felt like this at the time of the Celtic game.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Hobbs confirmed the decision was made post Celtic game in pre season. I would think Lopetegui going to the press was him seeing if Fosun would relent and get on with Plan B (which was later shelved, as was Plan A).

Our Sporting Director;

He is hardly going to say "He really dropped us in the ****, and ran off with a years wages for about 2 weeks work" is he?

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I do know that, because it was widely reported last month that the decision to part ways was made and agreed with Hobbs after the Celtic game. This was reported most explicitly in the Athletic:

You've taken his quote in today's article, “When we started pre-season, they told me that it’s impossible to develop this project. And we decided to part ways" too literally, leading to a misinterpretation of Lopetegui's subsequent actions. Fosun told him Plan B was out at the start of pre-season, that's not to say he decided he could not continue there and then. He felt like this at the time of the Celtic game.

Ha how can a direct quote like that be taken too literally???? He’s literally said at the start of pre season they decided to part ways then he’s dragged it out for weeks and sat there in a club tracksuit and LIED to the fans in an interview with Ballague and STILL stayed for longer. Then we have crocodile tears.

He’s literally laughing at those supporting him.

 

[Bill McCai]

Or he is correct and Lopetegui prepared the team for Luton and Rennes and managed those games whilst Hobbs and co 'took their time, interviewing other candidates until they found the right person' and ended up with..................Gary O'Neil.

 

[Bill McCai]

So Hobbs is lying?

 

[henri_camara]

I wonder how people would feel if they carried on spending this year and we had a points deduction for breaching FFP.

No doubt people would be still be saying the club has been mismanaged.

there wont be any points deduction

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Or he is correct and Lopetegui prepared the team for Luton and Rennes and managed those games whilst Hobbs and co 'took their time, interviewing other candidates until they found the right person' and ended up with..................Gary O'Neil.

So what was the point of his whole charade of last interview with Ballague then? I’ve no fondness for GON or the job he’s doing but if he’d openly lied through his teeth like that and gone through this whole pantomime of an interview already knowing he was going to then do another talking about the tears he shed, the vultures would already be building a funeral pyre to put GON on the top of it.

 

[Jefe]

Ha how can a direct quote like that be taken too literally???? He’s literally said at the start of pre season they decided to part ways then he’s dragged it out for weeks and sat there in a club tracksuit and LIED to the fans in an interview with Ballague and STILL stayed for longer. Then we have crocodile tears. He’s literally laughing at those supporting him.

You're doubling down on your mistake and it's making you look silly. If he literally said they agreed to part ways at the start of pre-season, then that means Hobbs is lying that they agreed to part ways after Celtic!

Take the following: "I murdered a man in April. And I went to prison." You do realise there is a chronological sequence of events that can be reasonably inferred between those two sentences, yes? In Lopetegui's case, Fosun told him there was no money at the start of pre-season. He struggled with whether he wanted to stay or not for several weeks thereafter, then decided he could not after Celtic.

 

[lobodelsur]

If he was solely money motivated why not just see out the rest of his contract (2 more seasons), go through the motions and pick up another £20m?

Staying on the terms offered (and consequent results) could have damaged his reputation as an elite coach.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

You're doubling down on your mistake and it's making you look silly. If he literally said they agreed to part ways at the start of pre-season, then that means Hobbs is lying that they agreed to part ways after Celtic!

Take the following sentence: "I murdered a man in April. And I went to prison." You do realise there is a chronological sequence of events that can be reasonably inferred between those two sentences, yes? In Lopetegui's case, Fosun told him there was no money at the start of pre-season. He struggled with whether he wanted to stay or not for several weeks thereafter, then decided he could not after Celtic.

That fits fantastically into your rhetoric.

 

[Bill McCai]

Who was sold the wrong dream? Wolves or Lopetegui? If they had enacted the plan they sold to him (acknowledged by Hobbs) I'm sure he would still be here? You can see exactly what we are now - a club in managed decline with Gary O'Neil as manager.

It feels to me like Lopetegui was too big for us, and the club prefer Gary O'Neil as he more in line with our current ambitions. He also wont make any challenge upwards, which is what we want for the moment.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

It's the tears that gets me. You never reqlly wanted to be here, and you wanted gone. You couldn't even cheer the goals against Rennes. You are only saying this **** because you know some of the fanbase want to hear it and will lap it up.
To me you'll never be a little wolf. You never came across as wanting to work here. It was always about wanting to manage in the premier league. You always gave me the impression that you thought we should be lucky to have you, and in reality we got form that was nothing out of the ordinary and hold the record for our largest defeat in the premier league.
The idea of you and your football was always better than the slightly dull reality we got. You were here for 9 months and got paid for 21.
You are a mercenary, nothing more.

 

[Jefe]

That fits fantastically into your rhetoric.

Evasion is cringe.

 

[Bill McCai]

It's the tears that gets me. You never reqlly wanted to be here, and you wanted gone. You couldn't even cheer the goals against Rennes. You are only saying this **** because you know some of the fanbase want to hear it and will lap it up.
To me you'll never be a little wolf. You never came across as wanting to work here. It was always about wanting to manage in the premier league. You always gave me the impression that you thought we should be lucky to have you, and in reality we got form that was nothing out of the ordinary and hold the record for our largest defeat in the premier league.
The idea of you and your football was always better than the slightly dull reality we got. You were here for 9 months and got paid for 21.
You are a mercenary, nothing more.

You know he is not reading this mate?

 

[Sussex Wolf]

I wonder how people would feel if they carried on spending this year and we had a points deduction for breaching FFP.

No doubt people would be still be saying the club has been mismanaged.

You do realise that there is a gulf between what we did in the summer in selling players, and what we needed to do to balance the books? You also know that other clubs have demonstrated ways of smoothing their spending to stay within FFP? Even Wolves under Fosun when they wanted to, but weirdly in recent months they forgotten how to, or chosen not to.

Do you imagine that Fosun and Jeff are so incompetent that when they spent the summers transfer budget in January (as Hobbs and Shi said) that they didn’t know exactly how much they needed to recoup in the summer? So either Jeff lied or he is incompetent at financial mgt. Take your pick.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I wonder how people would feel if they carried on spending this year and we had a points deduction for breaching FFP.

No doubt people would be still be saying the club has been mismanaged.

Well time will tell, but it anyone wants to try to convince me that we needed to do what we did in the Summer to avoid breaching FFP, then feel free to try. Start with £146m in sales ......

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Evasion is cringe.

Referring to anything as “cringe” lol. My 15 year old lad has grown out of saying that

 

[Wolf316]

Miraculously at the same time as we offered him more money.

Proof of that along with proof the players aren’t sad to see him go?

 

[wolfgar]

I wonder how people would feel if they carried on spending this year and we had a points deduction for breaching FFP.

No doubt people would be still be saying the club has been mismanaged.

Our approach of replacing a first rate coach with a third rate one, whilst selling anything that moved before making some last minute budget signings appears to be us implementing our own ongoing points deduction.

Fosun don't want to spend, and I'm sure it suited them to have us all thinking that generating mega profits in the summer was the only way to avoid the certain doom of a few points deduction. We seem to be looking at certain doom anyway funnily enough.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I do know that, because it was widely reported last month that the decision to part ways was made and agreed with Hobbs after the Celtic game. This was reported most explicitly in the Athletic:

And directly from Hobbs' mouth:

I am afraid you've taken his quote in today's article, “When we started pre-season, they told me that it’s impossible to develop this project. And we decided to part ways" too literally without proper consideration for the chronology of the situation. Fosun told him Plan B was out at the start of pre-season, that's not to say he decided he could not continue there and then. He felt like this at the time of the Celtic game.

Yes, I mean he's clearly having his doubts in Portugal for the Belague interview, but I think that's an attempt to squeeze some money out of Fosun and he still wants it to work. As I said that probably was ill-judged as it wasn't a tactic likely to work with them. The biggest 'lie' we got told was Shi's sneaky 'he's getting the team ready for the season' after he'd resigned, which was literally true, but missed the key piece of information!

 

[wolfgar]

Hobbs confirmed the decision was made post Celtic game in pre season. I would think Lopetegui going to the press was him seeing if Fosun would relent and get on with Plan B (which was later shelved, as was Plan A).

Our Sporting Director;

Honestly if they were able to conduct a thorough process in preseason only to end up with GON as o/s candidate, then I'd say don't get your hopes up for a saviour arriving when he's sacked during the season. Which really might not be too far away tbh. ****ing hell!

 

[Jefe]

Referring to anything as “cringe” lol. My 15 year old lad has grown out of saying that

As immature as refusing to accept you put out misinformation on the forum? Hobbs said Lopetegui and he agreed to part ways explicitly after the Celtic game, there are quotes to prove this from the man's mouth. So why you persist in claiming they agreed to part ways at the start of pre-season (which conveniently gives you a manufactured stick with which to beat Lopetegui) only you know.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Proof of that along with proof the players aren’t sad to see him go?

Proof that he cried when he left Wolves.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

You know he is not reading this mate?

Why, are you with him? Can you tell him to have a gander?

 

[Wolf316]

Proof that he cried when he left Wolves.

 

[WinchWolf]

You’re going to have to give me direct quotes from GON where he’s blatantly lying and blaming JL as I’ve not seen any. He’s said the club was in disarray when he walked in (it was), that we got 41 points last season (we did) and we had a net transfer of £80 million (we did).

Of course JL engineered his move and callously shafted us on the eve of the season. What do you think the purpose of his interviews in the summer for if not that? Particularly the last one sitting in his club tracksuit spouting off. If that shows a man of dignity then I really am bemused

Well according to Hobbs he was asked to stay on until a successor was found. Would you have preferred him to leave immediately and leave preseason with no manager or coaches?

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Yes, I mean he's clearly having his doubts in Portugal for the Belague interview, but I think that's an attempt to squeeze some money out of Fosun and he still wants it to work. As I said that probably was ill-judged as it wasn't a tactic likely to work with them. The biggest 'lie' we got told was Shi's sneaky 'he's getting the team ready for the season' after he'd resigned, which was literally true, but missed the key piece of information!

Maybe he was still hoping he would stay. For all the pitting of Jeff against against Julen on here Julen was still Shi's pick and him leaving leaves a massive amount of egg on his face.

 

[The Clock]

You know he is not reading this mate?

How do you that? If he loves Wolves and Wolverhampton so much maybe he enjoys the mix too!

 

[SuperGran]

Why, are you with him? Can you tell him to have a gander?

He’s probably laughing his head off whilst counting his money.

 

[Kingswood Wolf]

crocodile tears with his fat wallet and bigger ego

He's the ex Spain and Madrid manager, of course he's got an ego!

Mad that people see him as the issue and not Jeff/Fosun.

Anyways, joke's on all of us now, we've got a ****ney PE teacher in charge.

 

[Stourport wolf]

Well according to Hobbs he was asked to stay on until a successor was found. Would you have preferred him to leave immediately and leave preseason with no manager or coaches?

Do you really think that Lopetegui stayed from the goodness of his heart and he just wanted to help us out?
Forget what Hobbs said, he was being diplomatic, you can't expect him to say he is shafting us. He stayed because of an agreed pay off and was looking for his own exit since the first interview with his TV chum.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Things are that bad that Lopetegui wouldn’t try and keep us up on a £10m a year contract despite the league being weaker than ever.

Why would he when he can just walk away with 10million?

 

[North West Wanderer]

If he was solely money motivated why not just see out the rest of his contract (2 more seasons), go through the motions and pick up another £20m?

because he’s gambling on getting another job in the meantime, and look what today was. basically a pitch.

I find it a bit bemusing that GON (who I don’t want before anyone jumps on me as some kind of apologist) is having his character ripped apart in all directions but somehow JL gets a free pass for how he engineered his way out and left us in the lurch a week before the season started but that’s ok as he had his professional integrity to hold up!

So the goal posts moved, Is he the first manager that’s happened to? If he worked in the “real” world that happens on a daily basis, that’s life. Most businesses move in a market, wolves are no different, they have owners globally in a precarious position. How many other fosun businesses have changed direction in the last 6 months? A lot I imagine.

What he could have done but something HE chose not to do was fight for the club (saying he will always be a little wolf is pathetic by the way after his u turn) and really show the elite manager he is. All he’s realistically done is jump ship when things aren’t going his way. Now there’s nothing particularly wrong in that, professionally I’ve done it in the past as well but don’t bleat on about it.

Amazing how many are desperate for GON to fail (why anyone would want a wolves manager to fail is beyond me) but I’m sure the same folk will be touching themselves vigorously when he rocks up at Fulham in his next elite role

he’s gutless and that little wolf stuff is an insult to us everywhere as he wipes his eyes with our hard earned cash.

I'm baffled how people can still defend Fosun, they'll literally grabbing their lunch, opening the sandwich, taking a **** in it, handing it back to you and then telling you how much more delicious they've made it, and weirdly, some people are agreeing, this **** sandwich is more delicious.

who is defending Fosun? it’s possible to think equally as bad about both you know? why the obsession with polar opposites?!
this is also the lopetegiu thread

Worth noting that his article in the Athletic he says he knew at the start of Pre-Season the project was over. Why didn’t he just go then instead of stringing us along for another 5 weeks.

Money money money

That what his interviews with Balague were about. Putting pressure on the club to get rid of him with a pay off.
He did exactly the same last year with Seville, but they refused to pay him off. They found out the hard way.

indeed. track record.

Miraculously at the same time as we offered him more money.

all i’ll say here is that i hope his father is well.

Ha how can a direct quote like that be taken too literally???? He’s literally said at the start of pre season they decided to part ways then he’s dragged it out for weeks and sat there in a club tracksuit and LIED to the fans in an interview with Ballague and STILL stayed for longer. Then we have crocodile tears.

He’s literally laughing at those supporting him.

but you can’t be angry at Lopetegui as it means you love Fosun. dems the rules.

It's the tears that gets me. You never reqlly wanted to be here, and you wanted gone. You couldn't even cheer the goals against Rennes. You are only saying this **** because you know some of the fanbase want to hear it and will lap it up.
To me you'll never be a little wolf. You never came across as wanting to work here. It was always about wanting to manage in the premier league. You always gave me the impression that you thought we should be lucky to have you, and in reality we got form that was nothing out of the ordinary and hold the record for our largest defeat in the premier league.
The idea of you and your football was always better than the slightly dull reality we got. You were here for 9 months and got paid for 21.
You are a mercenary, nothing more.

couldn’t have put it better

He's the ex Spain and Madrid manager, of course he's got an ego!

Mad that people see him as the issue and not Jeff/Fosun.

Anyways, joke's on all of us now, we've got a ****ney PE teacher in charge.

who said i don’t see it as Fosun? the two aren’t mutually exclusive! Mad that people can’t take a holistic view!

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

He’s probably laughing his head off whilst counting his money.

He’s probably trying (and failing) at lying down straight in bed

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

View attachment 37583

Is this a joke? A picture of him looking 10 years younger, crying when he got the real Madrid job?