Is Bruno Lage A Good Manager Or Should He Go?

[WsWolf]

Maybe football forums aren't for you, mate

Haha yeah I see that. Probably comes across like I hate him, I was quite pleased when we went for him (you can see on here) I liked what I'd seen of his Benfica side and thought he would get us playing with freedom. However he's had over a year and we've been completely toothless for the entire time he's been here. It's not completely his fault, but he has to bear a big responsibility for it and although we probably are easier on the eye now it hasn't ever looked like being that much different than last year.

 

[The Bear]

He'll have Raul

Is a 6 goal per season striker enough?

 

[Lupollet]

Is a 6 goal per season striker enough?

Raul has proved he’s better than 6 goals in the past. I think he can do it again. Everyone seems to have completely given up on him which is a little unfair I think.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's a silly point, like calling Alan Shearer a "2 goal per season striker" because that's how many he scored in 1997/98.

 

[prawnking]

Raul has proved he’s better than 6 goals in the past.

Adama clocked up our best ever PL assists in a season in the past too

 

[The Bear]

Raul has proved he’s better than 6 goals in the past. I think he can do it again. Everyone seems to have completely given up on him which is a little unfair I think.

And here we get to the same argument that the Lage OUT crew state time and time again.

What has he done last season to make you think it will get any better? How long do you give him before you write him off as never going to be the same again?

Undortunately I don't think he has the heart for it any more to put himself about the pitch with as much energy and physicality and be the same striker he used to be.

 

[WsWolf]

And here we get to the same argument that the Lage OUT crew state time and time again.

What has he done last season to make you think it will get any better? How long do you give him before you write him off as never going to be the same again?

Undortunately I don't think he has the heart for it any more to put himself about the pitch with as much energy and physicality and be the same striker he used to be.

He pretty much finished any good chance that came his way. He was superb in games where he had adequate support around him (Newcastle H, Liverpool A, Everton H.)

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

We have been putting the ball in good areas for months, but we haven't had a striker who puts himself in the those areas to convert.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

We have been putting the ball in good areas for months, but we haven't had a striker who puts himself in the those areas to convert.

Think that's a bit of a stretch personally. Hard to really consider somewhere a 'good area' when it's flooded with defenders, who are more often than not we'll set and far taller than Wolves attackers. If they played the ball in earlier then 'good areas' are far more prevalent and easier to hit, unfortunately Wolves rarely play with the tempo or having the movement required to do so.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I disagree, i feel RAN and Neto (Neto has put in more crosses than anyone else in the league) etc have put the ball in good areas, or they've hesitated in trying to pick someone out and we've got a corner at best, because as you say we lack a bit of tempo and/or we don't have those bodies in the areas they should be.

Often Raul will do some good link up play further up the pitch and therefore not be in the right area by the time the ball comes in, or he just won't instinctively be in the right areas like a proper "poacher" would because that isn't the player he is.

Raul suited us with a counter attacking Nuno side, i'm not sure even he in top form would be the best fit for what I think Lage wants to do with us.

I find it odd that there were a number of fans that felt Nunes would mean we start scoring goals, we will start scoring goals when we have a striker that suits the way we want to play, and only then.

 

[WsWolf]

Think I read that on average you get a goal from 45 crosses in the premier League.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Think I read that on average you get a goal from 45 crosses in the premier League.

Depends how you define a cross.

City have scored dozens of goals with a pass across the floor that's pulled back or across the 6 yard box for Sterling to tap in, and i'd certainly define those as crosses.

We get in those sorts of positions constantly, but we aren't able to pick anyone out due to a lack of forward players who have the intelligence to find a bit of space, or a general lack of numbers so they are easy to defend against.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm not sure that a big lump of a target man is necessarily the solution either - certainly not for crosses into feet, but at least it would be a different option in general.

 

[Lupo]

I'm not sure that a big lump of a target man is necessarily the solution either - certainly not for crosses into feet, but at least it would be a different option in general.

If he has a good leap on him he may come closer to one of Adama's crosses!

 

[WsWolf]

Depends how you define a cross.

City have scored dozens of goals with a pass across the floor that's pulled back or across the 6 yard box for Sterling to tap in, and i'd certainly define those as crosses.

We get in those sorts of positions constantly, but we aren't able to pick anyone out due to a lack of forward players who have the intelligence to find a bit of space, or a general lack of numbers so they are easy to defend against.

I don't think anything from inside the box counts from that study.

 

[Lupollet]

And here we get to the same argument that the Lage OUT crew state time and time again.

What has he done last season to make you think it will get any better? How long do you give him before you write him off as never going to be the same again?

Undortunately I don't think he has the heart for it any more to put himself about the pitch with as much energy and physicality and be the same striker he used to be.

I don’t know why you need to link it to the ‘Lage out crew’?

I just think that he still has the same ability - he just needs to recover how to apply it. I certainly haven’t seen him missing a load of chances - he had one of the most serious ever injuries - and it will take time to regain his confidence - a little bit will come back with every game.

If (say) Neto has a blinder next games and sets him up with two good chances he will probably score them both - once he’s on a roll who knows?

Ps I still think we need to buy a first choice striker and have Raul as competition or backup.

PPS Unlike Raul, I have seen nothing from Bruno that suggests he is capable of operating in the top third of the premier league.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I disagree, i feel RAN and Neto (Neto has put in more crosses than anyone else in the league) etc have put the ball in good areas, or they've hesitated in trying to pick someone out and we've got a corner at best, because as you say we lack a bit of tempo and/or we don't have those bodies in the areas they should be.

Often Raul will do some good link up play further up the pitch and therefore not be in the right area by the time the ball comes in, or he just won't instinctively be in the right areas like a proper "poacher" would because that isn't the player he is.

Raul suited us with a counter attacking Nuno side, i'm not sure even he in top form would be the best fit for what I think Lage wants to do with us.

I find it odd that there were a number of fans that felt Nunes would mean we start scoring goals, we will start scoring goals when we have a striker that suits the way we want to play, and only then.

I think this is the fundamental disagreement, to me there isn't really such thing as a good area when you take so long to deliver. Defenders get back, get set and then you're just lumping something in there out of hope more so than anything else, might work if you've got the biggest bloke in the box but Wolves don't. Other than some Peter Crouch style freakshow I don't see how any striker solves than, it's very difficult for any individual to find space when the slow approach play has made it so hard to come by.

Look at the about of joy the likes of de Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold get with crosses. It's because they play them early, there's always a gap for them to hit as a result, then you're just relying on a forward anticipating that ball to attack that space.

I don't think Wolves currently have any of the constituent parts capable of making deliveries from wide areas a success for them. They don't get the ball to the wide players quickly enough to create great crossing opportunities, none of the wide players have consistently good delivery, they don't cross early enough when there are gaps to he exploited and it's very rare than anyone really attacks the right areas in the box either. I think as much as anything it becomes the default because there's hardly ever an option through the middle so they go wide to find more space and just throw it in out of hope/desperation.

 

[AndyWolves]

I think he's got until we've played West ham.

No noticeable improvement then the natives will get untenably restless as will Fosun.

 

[Johnny75]

We have been putting the ball in good areas for months, but we haven't had a striker who puts himself in the those areas to convert.

I think it's deliberate from Lage (and stats driven) and it's absolutely the wrong thing to do

 

[prawnking]

I think this is the fundamental disagreement, to me there isn't really such thing as a good area when you take so long to deliver. Defenders get back, get set and then you're just lumping something in there out of hope more so than anything else, might work if you've got the biggest bloke in the box but Wolves don't. Other than some Peter Crouch style freakshow I don't see how any striker solves than, it's very difficult for any individual to find space when the slow approach play has made it so hard to come by.

Look at the about of joy the likes of de Bruyne and Alexander-Arnold get with crosses. It's because they play them early, there's always a gap for them to hit as a result, then you're just relying on a forward anticipating that ball to attack that space.

I don't think Wolves currently have any of the constituent parts capable of making deliveries from wide areas a success for them. They don't get the ball to the wide players quickly enough to create great crossing opportunities, none of the wide players have consistently good delivery, they don't cross early enough when there are gaps to he exploited and it's very rare than anyone really attacks the right areas in the box either. I think as much as anything it becomes the default because there's hardly ever an option through the middle so they go wide to find more space and just throw it in out of hope/desperation.

I agree with much of this, I some is ingrained into many of our players for a variety of reasons, but a manager worth his salt would be all over sorting it out