O'Neil or Lopetegui? - Poll

[wolfslair]

One smashed it out the park to keep us up when bottom of the league.

The other has grown into the role and growing every week, so is smashing it out the park.

So each have done/doing well.

No need to compare

 

[Foiled]

One of them wants to be here, the other made it clear he didn’t. Easy answer.

I think GON has proved most of us doubters wrong, hats off to him, and long may it continue

 

[WickedWolfie]

One of them wants to be here, the other made it clear he didn’t. Easy answer.

I think GON has proved most of us doubters wrong, hats off to him, and long may it continue

I agree with your second para. Personally I'm not sure that l could work for a boss who keeps shifting, negatively, the goalposts either. Particularly if that is contrary to what l was told when being head-hunted. At least GON knew exactly what he was getting into.

 

[Redrockwanderer]

Thankful for what JL did, however he ruined it by leaving in the manner he did!

Having seen and heard what really happened, I fully support Fosun’s actions. Not sold on GON initially and thought we made a big mistake… glad I’ve been proven wrong and he’s gone on to do a tremendous job so far! Keep it up GON!

JL is now a distant memory…

 

[Darvo]

Much as Julen is a spineless coward he is still a better manager as well but i am happy with where GON is heading with us so far.

I’m not so sure about that. GON has worked miracles here and got us playing some pretty decent stuff. Only time will tell who has the best managerial career … but one thing for sure is that JLo doesn’t stop in one place for very long.

 

[WickedWolfie]

I’m not so sure about that. GON has worked miracles here and got us playing some pretty decent stuff. Only time will tell who has the best managerial career … but one thing for sure is that JLo doesn’t stop in one place for very wrong.

Another in a glorious series of predictive text issues over the last couple of days..... long methinks lol....

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Voted JL

He kept us up from a very hard position

 

[Bossworld]

Yeah I'll admit I've fully changed my mind. Sheff Utd obviously a horrendous result for GO'N but the rest of the games are clearly not a flash in the pan.

You perhaps wonder how much influence Lopetegui had on this season's team and tactics while still in charge over the summer, but he's history now.

 

[Wolf in the Lions' Den]

Loppers would definitely be banished much earlier than GON in this list!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1750183817472614449

 

[Scallywolf]

Voted JL

He kept us up from a very hard position

Looking at what GON did at Bournemouth and this season, he would have probably kept us up as well.

JL was backed in January with 6 signings to help him. GON knew none of the players when appointed 4 days before the season started. He has made most of the players better..

 

[North West Wanderer]

was what Primark Jose did that impressive?
Or did it simply show Lage for the Saunders esque clown he is?
If PJ is that good then by the same measure with a smaller squad missing a load of stars, then GON is much better?

 

[Jefe]

Looking at what GON did at Bournemouth and this season, he would have probably kept us up as well. JL was backed in January with 6 signings to help him. GON knew none of the players when appointed 4 days before the season started. He has made most of the players better..

I doubt that very much. GON had already been a part of the Bournemouth set up for some 18 months, and was well accustomed with their players which stood him in good stead going into it. And the crucial year's experience he had as their manager in the Premier League relegation picture stood him in good stead for the Wolves job.

If he came into last season with the team on 10 points after 15 games, as a total novice with no fore knowledge of the players and the coaches, to lift a group lacking confidence... yeah, that would have been an enormous, enormous ask for him at the time. We saw how he badly struggled to get his ideas across at the start of this season; could you imagine if we'd gone another 7 or 8 games with ~0.7 PPG? We'd have been looking at Burnley territory, something like 15 points from the first 23. No, we needed an experienced Lopetegui-type big personality for that job, someone who could hit the ground running with the players.

 

[VancouverWolf]

Let’s have a poll about whether polls are useful or useless.

 

[SoCal_Wolf]

Let’s have a poll about whether polls are useful or useless.

Depends on how useful or useless the poll writer is.

 

[Wolf 82]

I never would have expected to feel this way, but I am enjoying life as a Wolves fan under GON a lot more than I did under Lopetegui.

I expect Lopetegui would probably have us in a similar position in the table had he stayed.. so it isn’t really about ability.. I just enjoy watching us play again.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

What difference has GON really made though?
We are STILL playing three central defenders, like we were under as far back as Nuno.
Bournemouth split from him because they didn't want low possession counter-attacking football, which we have now.

Although I love GON and what he's done for us since he's took over, it's not comparable to what Lop did when he took over IMO.

I was one of the fans hoping we'd make the permanent step to two central defenders and I feel we've gone backwards now, as GON has permanently gone back to three central defenders, he's not even bothering to try it anymore.

This weird obsession some have about playing with just two CB's FFS!

It was never the formation that was holding us back, it was the tactics and personnel.

And to moan about our possession this season, suggests you've not really been paying attention.

 

[Fenrir_]

There are a different set of circumstances. What O'Neil took over from Lopetegui was almost akin to what McCarthy took over from Hoddle. I don't think we'd be any worse off positionally than we are had we held on to Lopetegui, but O'Neil, to his massive credit, has galvanised the team and reinvigorated the fan base. He's got the players playing for him and he's proving a lot of (understandable) doubters including myself, very wrong

Would I say O'Neil is better than Lopetegui as a head coach? Probably not

Would I swap O'Neil for Lopetegui now? No

 

[Streathamwolf]

Much as Julen is a spineless coward he is still a better manager as well but i am happy with where GON is heading with us so far.

Fairly sure GON will end up with a much better career path and more success. Just compare Brighton results.
Totally agree re spineless!

 

[VancouverWolf]

I doubt JL would have us scoring so many goals this had he stayed……or have the lads playing with a great attitude like Gary has them playing.
We‘ve seen the players come from behind and win several times….that’s all due to Gary.
Hes picked them up and now they believe in themselves.

 

[Chris H]

Bournemouth split from him because they didn't want low possession counter-attacking football, which we have now.

Probably been covered already as I’m a few days late to this but, how’s that going for Bournemouth?

 

[Starsky]

GON has improved the skills of players way more than elite Lop did.

This player development (with a view to selling for profits) is crucial to us surviving/thriving at PL level.

 

[Mugwump]

If i was making the decision ignoring the dramas that went on, its Lopetegui. He's proven himself over many years, and he's a quality manager. GON has basically got half a season under his belt with us, we need to see more.

Making the decision based on current circumstances, its GON because we need a manager who will tow the line at the moment and is happy working under strict financial constraints If he keeps up the current trajectory for the rest of this season and carries it on into next season, make no mistake about it, he will want more from the club financially and i dont think we are going to be in a position to give it to him, so he will probably go the way of Lopetegui but hopefully with a bit more class.

 

[Mancwolf56]

If i was making the decision ignoring the dramas that went on, its Lopetegui. He's proven himself over many years, and he's a quality manager. GON has basically got half a season under his belt with us, we need to see more.

Making the decision based on current circumstances, its GON because we need a manager who will tow the line at the moment and is happy working under strict financial constraints If he keeps up the current trajectory for the rest of this season and carries it on into next season, make no mistake about it, he will want more from the club financially and i dont think we are going to be in a position to give it to him, so he will probably go the way of Lopetegui but hopefully with a bit more class.

Do you not think it‘s far more enjoyable watching us this year?

 

[QB Wolf]

If i was making the decision ignoring the dramas that went on, its Lopetegui. He's proven himself over many years, and he's a quality manager. GON has basically got half a season under his belt with us, we need to see more.

Making the decision based on current circumstances, its GON because we need a manager who will tow the line at the moment and is happy working under strict financial constraints If he keeps up the current trajectory for the rest of this season and carries it on into next season, make no mistake about it, he will want more from the club financially and i dont think we are going to be in a position to give it to him, so he will probably go the way of Lopetegui but hopefully with a bit more class.

The vast majority of the PL will be working under strict financial constraints, which means getting the most out of what you have. Anyone know where GONs family are?

 

[Mugwump]

Do you not think it‘s far more enjoyable watching us this year?

We are, but its not really a comparable situation. Lopetegui had to come in, fix the Lage damage, get the morale back and do whatever it took to get points on the board. I think it was pretty clear in pre season if Lopetegui stayed in charge we would have been playing a more open, attacking style anyway than what we saw last season.

No matter how much of a spoilt brat Lopetegui acted like, the team he left were in good shape, had a good pre season behind them and were well prepared when GON took over.

 

[North West Wanderer]

We are, but its not really a comparable situation. Lopetegui had to come in, fix the Lage damage, get the morale back and do whatever it took to get points on the board. I think it was pretty clear in pre season if Lopetegui stayed in charge we would have been playing a more open, attacking style anyway than what we saw last season.

No matter how much of a spoilt brat Lopetegui acted like, the team he left were in good shape, had a good pre season behind them and were well prepared when GON took over.

so you’re giving Lopegegui credit for the work GON had done in essence.
couldn’t disagree more. GON has openly said what he’s had to do in terms of tactical awareness and fitness. Damning indictment of Primark Jose

 

[Mugwump]

The vast majority of the PL will be working under strict financial constraints, which means getting the most out of what you have. Anyone know where GONs family are?

Everyone having to work under financial constraints really isnt the point though in this whole saga. I dont think anyone is denying that we got in Lopetegui based on a set of promises we couldnt keep. Then we shifted the goalposts on him, and he was still prepared to stay, then we shifted the goalposts on him again so i totally get he felt let down, probably lied to and the relationship was then more than likely broken beyond repair. I dont agree, or like how he acted, said as much at the time, but i understand how he would have felt about it all.

GON came into the situation from day one knowing what the circumstances were. Thats the big difference between the two imo. GON knew the funds werent there, Lopetegui was told something totally different. From my perspective, its hard to try to play them off against one another because one had the facts from day one to make a decision and the other kept getting the facts changed.

 

[Wolf316]

so you’re giving Lopegegui credit for the work GON had done in essence.
couldn’t disagree more. GON has openly said what he’s had to do in terms of tactical awareness and fitness. Damning indictment of Primark Jose

Did his Sevilla side who beat our best side in a generation look unfit and tactically unaware?

 

[Mugwump]

so you’re giving Lopegegui credit for the work GON had done in essence.
couldn’t disagree more. GON has openly said what he’s had to do in terms of tactical awareness and fitness. Damning indictment of Primark Jose

Dunno how you get that really, its a bizarre take. Its very black and white when you take the drama of what went on with Lopetegui out of the equation. Lopetegui came into a sitatuion taking over from lage with a squad low on morale, a squad who were totally unfit, disorganised and lacking in belief. We were bottom of the league for a reason and he did what he needed to do at the time to get us out.

You also cant really deny we looked good in pre season. We had been prepared well, we looked sharp and we werent looking like a side who were lacking in confidence or a mess either. Its pretty obvious there was a more than solid platform there for GON to take over and build from, which he has. Just because a manager says something about fitness and tactical awareness doesnt mean its true either. I think pretty much every manager who comes into a new club says the same thing. GON obviously would have had to tweak things to suit how he wanted to play, which he did but i merely made the point he had a solid platform to work from which Lopetegui didnt, not that everything thats happening now is down to Lopetegui.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Looking at some of these thread titles....we're on a 7 match winning run, and it's fabio this Lopetegui or O'Neill...
Call me paranoid but there's gotta be some baggies fans on the WUM on here stirring it up.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Did his Sevilla side who beat our best side in a generation look unfit and tactically unaware?

what on earth does that have to do with Wolves 2023?

 

[North West Wanderer]

Dunno how you get that really, its a bizarre take. Its very black and white when you take the drama of what went on with Lopetegui out of the equation. Lopetegui came into a sitatuion taking over from lage with a squad low on morale, a squad who were totally unfit, disorganised and lacking in belief. We were bottom of the league for a reason and he did what he needed to do at the time to get us out.

You also cant really deny we looked good in pre season. We had been prepared well, we looked sharp and we werent looking like a side who were lacking in confidence or a mess either. Its pretty obvious there was a more than solid platform there for GON to take over and build from, which he has. Just because a manager says something about fitness and tactical awareness doesnt mean its true either. I think pretty much every manager who comes into a new club says the same thing. GON obviously would have had to tweak things to suit how he wanted to play, which he did but i merely made the point he had a solid platform to work from which Lopetegui didnt, not that everything thats happening now is down to Lopetegui.

funnily enough, i find your take bizarre, utterly bizarre.
i do admit i can’t see through my utter disdain for Primark Jose, but even why i do, let’s keep this in check!
Enjoy the game.

 

[Wolf316]

what on earth does that have to do with Wolves 2023?

Because your post implied that he cant do those things when he clearly can and you e only have had to watch our preseason games to know it. You can’t separate the man from the manager.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Because your post implied that he cant do those things when he clearly can and you e only have had to watch our preseason games to know it.

it doesn’t. it’s what you’re trying to see when it’s not there.
Pre season means nothing, ironically, apart from getting fit. why was Ran struggling to last 90?

 

[North West Wanderer]

a

Looking at some of these thread titles....we're on a 7 match winning run, and it's fabio this Lopetegui or O'Neill...
Call me paranoid but there's gotta be some baggies fans on the WUM on here stirring it up.

fair. onto the game. **** Lopetegui

 

[Mutchy]

funnily enough, i find your take bizarre, utterly bizarre.
i do admit i can’t see through my utter disdain for Primark Jose, but even why i do, let’s keep this in check!
Enjoy the game.

I think Primark Jose has been done to death now. Enough name calling.

 

[North West Wanderer]

I think Primark Jose has been done to death now. Enough name calling.

i really don’t think it has been, so are we stopping calling Saunders a clown now?!

I will of course respect your wishes, but i think you’re dead wrong.

 

[Hawkguy]

I'm blown away that Lopetegui even has one vote, lol. O'Neil has better performances and far most consistent on a game to game basis.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Probably been covered already as I’m a few days late to this but, how’s that going for Bournemouth?

View attachment 40075

Depending on where you find your stats, Wolves are ranked as high as tenth for possession.