Is Bruno Lage A Good Manager Or Should He Go?

[PuntsWolf]

I agree with everything that’s been said. My only issue is “being clear of a relegation battle” doesn’t really happen.

Everton were 9 points clear after 20 games and then after 30 we’re bang in it.

Southampton were 10th after 27 games and then got 5 points from the last 11 finishing a point ahead of Everton. We only got 8 points in that time.

What I’m getting as is you’re never really “safe” unless your in the top half consistently in the year. If your 12-14th after 30 games and a 6 point gap you may think your safe. But your only a bad run (or regressing to the mean) away from being bang in it.

So by January you might have people saying “but we’re 10th FFS” ignoring all the metrics going only to be in deep shit in March and too late to change.

Fortunately I think it should be pretty obvious where we are at by November, especially given this bad run to finish the season where any goodwill has been lost. So we should be able to make a change if necessary.

 

[Lupollet]

If we have no ambition other than making money on transfer deals and Google ads then:

1. I’ll stop watching because the dream has gone
2. Someone very high up will get sacked because they won’t make any significant money in the medium to long term

Bruno’s sacking will happen when significant pressure of any kind builds on Jeff. It’s Bruno’s job to be sacked as a fall guy.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I agree with everything that’s been said. My only issue is “being clear of a relegation battle” doesn’t really happen.

Everton were 9 points clear after 20 games and then after 30 we’re bang in it.

Southampton were 10th after 27 games and then got 5 points from the last 11 finishing a point ahead of Everton. We only got 8 points in that time.

What I’m getting as is you’re never really “safe” unless your in the top half consistently in the year. If your 12-14th after 30 games and a 6 point gap you may think your safe. But your only a bad run (or regressing to the mean) away from being bang in it.

So by January you might have people saying “but we’re 10th FFS” ignoring all the metrics going only to be in deep shit in March and too late to change.

Fortunately I think it should be pretty obvious where we are at by November, especially given this bad run to finish the season where any goodwill has been lost. So we should be able to make a change if necessary.

I accept a bad run can suck a team in from seemingly safe mid-table but given we are going to be seeing quite a lot of changes you'd hope that we should improve as they bed in. Get a bit of clear water by the end of October and it will mean new players are bedding in nicely and Lage has turned around the end of season form. I won't hold my breath mind...

 

[PuntsWolf]

I accept a bad run can suck a team in from seemingly safe mid-table but given we are going to be seeing quite a lot of changes you'd hope that we should improve as they bed in. Get a bit of clear wate by the end of October and it will mean new players are bedding in nicely and Lage has turned around the end of season form. I won't hold my breath mind...

I thought that this season! I thought we weren’t great but had managed to get into a good position so if we got some form together for the last part of the season then then top 7 was a given!

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I thought that this season! I thought we weren’t great but had managed to get into a good position so if we got some form together for the last part of the season then then top 7 was a given!

First three games aside we defended well with Saiss rejuvenated and Sa a revelation. Maybe Neto will be rejuvenated and a newcomer will be a revelation. Fine margins in the PL.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

All I want to see is Bruno creating a new identity for the team that includes wanting to score goals. That starts with the transfer window - getting new players who fit with what he wants. If we screw that up then Jeff cannot (but will anyway) blame the manager for on the pitch failures.
I don't care how Bruno does or does not talk to the press. I don't care if we play 3, 4, or 5 at the back, just so long as we create and score more goals, and try to win games instead of managing them. I don't mind if that means we finish the season with 40 points rather than 50, though the glass half full person within me believes that recruitment plus positive identity will bring us a top half finish.
Be a man with a plan (plus plans B and C). Show the fans what those plans are.

 

[Paul]

Bruno’s sacking will happen when significant pressure of any kind builds on Jeff. It’s Bruno’s job to be sacked as a fall guy.

Assuming Jeff hasn't ran off with your wife (you are obsessed, mate). Fosun are a holdings company and as such expect certain returns on their investment, they will also demand growth, for the first part (seeing as none of us know what Jeff's KPI's are) I think they'll have no problem with him, he's maintained previous standing with negligible outlay, his problem will be the latter, as soon as their investment is deemed, in any way, in jeopardy Jeff will disappear in the night and you revenge porn fantasies will be fulfilled, the problem you'll have is within a couple of days , or even the next day, the 'new Jeff' will be installed.

ps. Bruno will be sacked for far more obvious reasons than being a 'fall guy'

 

[Tredman]

Assuming Jeff hasn't ran off with your wife (you are obsessed, mate). Fosun are a holdings company and as such expect certain returns on their investment, they will also demand growth, for the first part (seeing as none of us know what Jeff's KPI's are) I think they'll have no problem with him, he's maintained previous standing with negligible outlay, his problem will be the latter, as soon as their investment is deemed, in any way, in jeopardy Jeff will disappear in the night and you revenge porn fantasies will be fulfilled, the problem you'll have is within a couple of days , or even the next day, the 'new Jeff' will be installed.

ps. Bruno will be sacked for far more obvious reasons than being a 'fall guy'

No one buys a football club expecting return on investment in any way apart from flipping it later on.

 

[Paul]

No one buys a football club expecting return on investment in any way apart from flipping it later on.

I'm not doubting that, although there are several clubs who's owners tenure are counted in decades, I think if they wanted maximum returns on their money they should have cashed in two seasons ago (pandemic apart), I cannot envisage how stripping the brand of any key selling points (as appears to be happening) is in anyway a viable option on an investment to be flipped ?

 

[Tony Towner]

I cannot envisage how stripping the brand of any key selling points (as appears to be happening) is in anyway a viable option on an investment to be flipped ?

I don't think that they think they are. Jeff is too smug to question his strategy, you can be damn sure nobody who works for him will be and his bosses will be looking at the helicopter results, which as you've pointed out are positive.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

No one buys a football club expecting return on investment in any way apart from flipping it later on.

Apart from the Glazers.

 

[Jinky]

Lot of short memories on here. We were abysmal from pretty much January onwards after Jeff & co decided not to back Lage in the window when there was a real, genuine opportunity to push for a top 6 finish. After that, we were a team in free fall and thank God we had the points on the board already.

I wanted Lage gone towards the end of last season, such was my apathy towards the way we were playing - and that hasn’t particularly changed now. Do I think Lage is the right man to take us forward? No. Do I feel sorry for him because he hasn’t been backed properly by our appalling chairman and recruitment team? Yes. But that doesn’t excuse any of the many, many poor in game decisions/line ups that were made. Why are so many people suddenly thinking he can turn it around next season? Blind faith?

It’s a viscous circle on here where there seems to be an acceptance that we “will judge them at the end of the window”. We’ve been saying that for 4 years! Shi is a patronising muppet and I want him gone. But as that’s clearly not going to happen we have no other option then to wait and see what they can muster during this window.

The only way they’ll start to win some of my faith back is with 3-4 top, top signings - and even after that it won’t excuse their mistakes of the past (especially as we’ll probably have to sell our best player to achieve this).

 

[Tony Towner]

You've built your own straw man there Jinky. Arguing against something which hasn't been said

 

[sycophantia]

Lot of short memories on here. We were abysmal from pretty much January onwards after Jeff & co decided not to back Lage in the window when there was a real, genuine opportunity to push for a top 6 finish. After that, we were a team in free fall and thank God we had the points on the board already.

I wanted Lage gone towards the end of last season, such was my apathy towards the way we were playing - and that hasn’t particularly changed now. Do I think Lage is the right man to take us forward? No. Do I feel sorry for him because he hasn’t been backed properly by our appalling chairman and recruitment team? Yes. But that doesn’t excuse any of the many, many poor in game decisions/line ups that were made. Why are so many people suddenly thinking he can turn it around next season? Blind faith?

It’s a viscous circle on here where there seems to be an acceptance that we “will judge them at the end of the window”. We’ve been saying that for 4 years! Shi is a patronising muppet and I want him gone. But as that’s clearly not going to happen we have no other option then to wait and see what they can muster during this window.

The only way they’ll start to win some of my faith back is with 3-4 top, top signings - and even after that it won’t excuse their mistakes of the past (especially as we’ll probably have to sell our best player to achieve this).

Think there have only been 1 or 2 on here said that Bruno should get a chance with his own signings, most of us wanted him sacked.
As it is, he's obviously staying for now, but we're all still hoping for some decent signings I would have thought, just not convinced Lage will be able to do anything with them.

 

[Lupollet]

Assuming Jeff hasn't ran off with your wife (you are obsessed, mate). Fosun are a holdings company and as such expect certain returns on their investment, they will also demand growth, for the first part (seeing as none of us know what Jeff's KPI's are) I think they'll have no problem with him, he's maintained previous standing with negligible outlay, his problem will be the latter, as soon as their investment is deemed, in any way, in jeopardy Jeff will disappear in the night and you revenge porn fantasies will be fulfilled, the problem you'll have is within a couple of days , or even the next day, the 'new Jeff' will be installed.

ps. Bruno will be sacked for far more obvious reasons than being a 'fall guy'

I don’t understand your reference to revenge porn fantasies.

The reason I’m worried about Jeff is his change in strategy from becoming the next Man City in a modern mega stadium, to his obsession with diversification, his disdain for the 200,000 customers that care the most, and his objective of selling players and staying up. (I don’t know of any club, anywhere that has pulled this off for a sustained period).

This isn’t going to end well for wolves and I care about it - I’m not going to shrug it off with ‘well they must know what they are doing’ and ‘he’s meeting his KPIs’.

That’s like saying the captain of the titanic knew what he was doing because he was captain of a large ship owned by a successful shipping line.

 

[From Distant Shores]

That’s like saying the captain of the titanic knew what he was doing because he was captain of a large ship owned by a successful shipping line.

I think that neatly sums up the situation at Wolves. The White Star Line happily appointed the captain of the Titanic. Fosun have been happy to give Jeff Shi total control over Wolves (he wasn't in the beginning).

Shi mentioned a monthly meeting with management in a way that suggested it was the only contact with Fosun. Fosun probably isn't much better informed about the situation at Wolves as the White Star Line was about the maiden journey of the Titanic.

I'm even starting to wonder if Jeff Shi would be replaced if we were relegated.

 

[Loki]

He would be retained to oversee the sale of the Club probably.

 

[Sniffer]

We are safe from Gattuso for now. He's gone elsewhere on the Mendes merry go round.

Valencia appoint Gennaro Gattuso as new manager on two-year deal

Gennaro Gattuso is the new Valencia manager, replacing the sacked Jose Bordalas on a two-year deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Lycan]

Valencia fans, just like Spurs, protested the appointment because of historical racist comments Gattuso has made. Gattuso responded by saying, 'How can I be racist when I signed Bakayoko for Napoli'.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Just to preface this with I'm not saying he should be sacked right this second, but it's tied in and I couldn't be bothered starting a new thread.

We know Nunes is coming (surely won't play on Saturday though) and hopefully Ramos will arrive too. If no-one important leaves then I think we'd all be happy with that window and the squad it leaves us.

Now, we have 1 point from 2 games. For us to be averaging 1PPG at the first international break, we need a minimum of 7 points from the following:

Spurs (A)
Newcastle (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Southampton (H)
Liverpool (A)
Man City (H)

1) Can we get those points?

2) If we're sub 1PPG after that City game - 8 games gone in total, and would mean we'd won an absolute maximum of 5 of our last 22 games - do you think the board would pull the plug? After that we're into an away double header at West Ham and Chelsea.

With a £100m+ investment and keeping our star player, you can't see them tolerating bottom half results for very long, let alone if it's relegation form.