Burnley 1-0 Wolves: The Verdict

[Throbber1]

Don’t recall any forwards missing a glut of chances? Hence our XG

They don’t as they aren’t there. Two great crosses first half right in the danger are between defence and keeper and no forward there. Vardy would have made that run and so too would Jota. That 43 million is looking awful business in the cold light of day , even though we could not have kept him.
I am waiting for a managerial Mendes go round in the summer when Lage goes to Portugal and we get the next cab off the Mendes rank.
Sa to Newcastle would strengthen them no end . It is not looking good for the future I am afraid.

 

[Carsy]

They didn't miss any, because we didn't create any.

That’s my point, a ‘goalscorer’ doesn’t change that. Can’t score invisible chances

 

[Tony Towner]

I didn't see the game so can only speak in generalities rather than specifics.
There's a lot of sense being spoken across this thread and put together comes to the following conclusion
a) the recruitment since the first Summer up has been poor and lacking in direction. The 11 who played most of the second half of the first season up is better than the one we have 3 years later. That's a fundamental failure.
b) Linked to that it looks stale, it did last year. It's why Nuno went. What we didn't need is a manager doing a variation of the same theme. It didn't start that way, it is where we are now though
c) Bruno's in game management is pants, has been all season - even in games we've won like Newcastle and Everton at home, games we should have won comfortably and ended up clinging on
d) We have always been a wasteful side not taking our chances or gambling to create more, be that either players playing safe or us not playing in a formation which gets enough men in the box. We aren't ever going to be a team who scores many goals with that mindset. We have also always struggled against sides who just sit behind the ball and ask us to break them down for that reason
e) We overcame that on occasions with Raul and Jota, particularly when they played in a 2. The former scored goals from nothing and the latter was great on the break. Neither of those players are here anymore unfortunately one literally the other figuratively
f) Nuno abandoned what worked because he was seduced by Traore. We lost Jota because of it and we don't even have Adama now. Ridiculous at the time and hasn't aged better.
g) We are dull to watch and have some unlikeable players at the top of the pitch. 8thish would have been a good result at the start of the season, but you can't ignore the way it's played out to get there. We are likely lose at least 9 of our last 14 games. Go into the Summer like that with the same management team and core group of players and it's how teams go down. See Sheff Utd as a recent example.
h) You could sack Bruno, on balance I'd not be bothered, but we'd just get another Mendes stooge so is there any point?

 

[Carsy]

They don’t as they aren’t there. Two great crosses first half right in the danger are between defence and keeper and no forward there. Vardy would have made that run and so too would Jota. That 43 million is looking awful business in the cold light of day , even though we could not have kept him.
I am waiting for a managerial Mendes go round in the summer when Lage goes to Portugal and we get the next cab off the Mendes rank.
Sa to Newcastle would strengthen them no end . It is not looking good for the future I am afraid.

Sorry, I don’t by ‘a couple of decent crosses’ as a huge chance creation.

 

[Throbber1]

Sorry, I don’t by ‘a couple of decent crosses’ as a huge chance creation.

Oh I agree however they were the most dangerous and no one was even close . We do not create enough and what we do create is wasted by either poor finishing or a lack of instinct in and around the box. We have had the fewest touches in the oppositions penalty are this season I think? I saw a stat? No surprise at all.

 

[redvictor]

Sorry, I don’t by ‘a couple of decent crosses’ as a huge chance creation.

It's not, but with a goalscorer we might have got at least a point. Liverpool today, 1 chance = 1 goal.

 

[sycophantia]

I know he hasn't, which leads me to the question again. Who you putting on the pitch today and against Newcastle to score. Unless we are going 1-1-8 i don't see tactically how you are scoring if everyone you play upfront has more chance of hitting it for a throw in than in the net.

As you say, none of our forwards can score, so you need to create more chances so hopefully they do get a few. If you can't change the personnel, you have to change the system.
Now I'm not saying that will definitely lead to more goals but the alternative is to carry on as we are and the season peters out and we finish 8-9th. It would be a waste in my view and Lage should be trying something different.

 

[Carsy]

It's not, but with a goalscorer we might have got at least a point. Liverpool today, 1 chance = 1 goal.

I take that, but the underlying point is for me not our lack of goalscorer, it’s our lack of chance creation

 

[Throbber1]

I take that, but the underlying point is for me not our lack of goalscorer, it’s our lack of chance creation

It’s both and that’s on recruiting for me

 

[Carsy]

It’s both and that’s on recruiting for me

Agreed

 

[Lupollet]

It’s both and that’s on recruiting for me

Yes as Scott Sellars says we have been creative and clever with our recruitment. He must be so proud of himself.

 

[redvictor]

I take that, but the underlying point is for me not our lack of goalscorer, it’s our lack of chance creation

It's a fair point, but didn't we have 50 odd chances in those first 3 games, and zero goals?

 

[Carsy]

It's a fair point, but didn't we have 50 odd chances in those first 3 games, and zero goals?

We did, but no longer play that way. Unfortunately 3 games out of a season is an anomaly. What it does show is we can play a more expansive way with the players we have however. A goalscorer Ofcourse would’ve made a huge difference first 3 games, but since then not so much

 

[thisisgil]

To be replaced by who?

Pretty much this. I can't see a single manager in this division who we could realistically expect to join us and represent an upgrade on what we have. Maybe Eddie Howes before he signed for Newcastle, but who now? Hasenhüttl? Potter? Dean Smith? Lampard? There's not exactly a deep pool of managers elect to be tapped.

8th place with a net negative transfer spend and a clear goalkeeping upgrade is a fantastic result considering where we finished up last season. Until Bruno has been backed for a season and had the opportunity to overhaul the first team squad, I think discussions about his future are quite premature.

 

[Tony Towner]

Yes as Scott Sellars says we have been creative and clever with our recruitment. He must be so proud of himself.

Sellars is just a patsy, over promoted and I'd imagine well paid to say stupid things and protect Jeff/Fosun. Thelwell and Dalrymple left for a reason.

 

[Tony Towner]

Pretty much this. I can't see a single manager in this division who we could realistically expect to join us and represent an upgrade on what we have. Maybe Eddie Howes before he signed for Newcastle, but who now? Hasenhüttl? Potter? Dean Smith? Lampard? There's not exactly a deep pool of managers elect to be tapped.

8th place with a net negative transfer spend and a clear goalkeeping upgrade is a fantastic result considering where we finished up last season. Until Bruno has been backed for a season and had the opportunity to overhaul the first team squad, I think discussions about his future are quite premature.

So the only recruitment you can do is from existing PL managers? I don't see the point in sacking him for the reasons stated in an earlier post, but this one is more about your brand (see avatar) than what you really think I'd imagine. Steve Cooper is someone that would do better with this group of players. We wouldn't look at him though because of his agent and we'd have to pay to get him

 

[Mel Evo]

Pretty much this. I can't see a single manager in this division who we could realistically expect to join us and represent an upgrade on what we have. Maybe Eddie Howes before he signed for Newcastle, but who now? Hasenhüttl? Potter? Dean Smith? Lampard? There's not exactly a deep pool of managers elect to be tapped.

8th place with a net negative transfer spend and a clear goalkeeping upgrade is a fantastic result considering where we finished up last season. Until Bruno has been backed for a season and had the opportunity to overhaul the first team squad, I think discussions about his future are quite premature.

Yeah. Let’s look at the evidence and decide that what this man needs is backing. Really? Is there anything he could do worse to change your opinion? Run on the pitch and lace it in our own net? Neto’s shit now is he, along with the rest of the garbage on our books? Dearie me. It’s dire, and to think to that to question it was deemed ‘asinine’ just days ago. Some Bruno cult out there. Who else could we realistically expect to do better with this terrible hand of technically gifted full internationals. My spaniel? My left knacker?

We would in all likelihood appoint someone even worse if we got shot, so on that front there is likely grim agreement.

 

[thisisgil]

So the only recruitment you can do is from existing PL managers?

A lot of the criticism levelled at Fosun when they appointed Lage was that he had no PL experience. Pretty much anybody we recruit will be like that. My main point was that in comparison to the 19 other managers currently employed in the Prem, he actually stacks up pretty favourably and at the moment I can't see our fans willingly switching him with any other (realistic) alternative.

but this post is more about your brand (see avatar) than what you really think I'd imagine

Negative. Happy to eat humble pie if he fails. Only a Wolves fan could think an improvement of 5 league places and a flirtation with European qualification on a budget of next to nothing counts as a sackable offence .

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

I’d be delighted if we never had to play Burnley ever again. Such a predictable result.

I’m bored with Bruno. I’d say that I wouldn’t care less if he was replaced at the end of the season but that’s not strictly true as I’d have no faith in Jeff/Fosun to appoint anybody decent.

I can’t believe the contrast between this and Nuno’s first couple of seasons. The excitement has all gone. I used to be able to watch Jota every week and now we have the likes of Hwang & Trincao. Meh.

The most frustrating part is that with a bit more ambition and some half decent recruitment we could have been Europa League regulars by now. It wouldn’t have taken much.

Could bankrupt us according to Sellars. Club appear happy to stand still, and we know where that leads.

 

[PuntsWolf]

He doesn’t stack up better though, unless your only reference is position in the league table and ignoring everything else