Is Bruno Lage A Good Manager Or Should He Go?

[Aikiwolf]

We've acquired a nasty habit of not being able to get a PL win over the line, very dangerous and he needs to sort it this week

He needs 9 points from the next 3 games. He's not a good enough manager to get 3 points from the next 3 games and the players know it.

 

[The Bear]

How is it a poor comparison? Brighton have had very similar opening fixtures to us, arguably we have had the easier set of 4, yet we are 8 points behind them. That's the point I'm making.

As has been pointed out, Potter has had more first choice players leave also so has had to integrate new players into his system. Something Bruno hasn't been able to do whilst picking up wins

Leicester have also had two big 6 teams and two easier ones. Very similar opening fixtures. They're below us.

Everton have had arguably easier fixtures than us. Same points.

West Ham have a massive one point more than us and have only scored a single goal this season.

Villa also have one more point than us and have had easier fixtures than us.

Why not compare us with those teams? They're all big clubs who have been in the league longer than us so should be well ahead of us. Leicester and Everton have lost players, West Ham and Villa have been buying players. It's almost as though trying to directly compare clubs and managers is bollocks.

 

[PuntsWolf]

2 of those are on the brink of the sack and the other two have had recent and very recent success.

So he doesn’t come out very well from those comparisons…

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Leicester have also had two big 6 teams and two easier ones. Very similar opening fixtures. They're below us.

Everton have had arguably easier fixtures than us. Same points.

West Ham have a massive one point more than us and have only scored a single goal this season.

Villa also have one more point than us and have had easier fixtures than us.

Why not compare us with those teams? They're all big clubs who have been in the league longer than us so should be well ahead of us. Leicester and Everton have lost players, West Ham and Villa have been buying players. It's almost as though trying to directly compare clubs and managers is bollocks.

Gee whizz, where to start.

Pretty clear Leicester have been dysfunctional for a year or more and Rodgers will probably get sacked soon.

Everton are shit and have been for a few years now. I don't want to be like them or compared to them. If we are, then we're doing something very wrong. We qualified for Europe way more recently than they have and regularly finish above them.

West Ham made a Europa League semi-final last season. Qualified by league position for Europe in the last two years. Actually played very well in one of their losses this season unlike us, and one was against Man City, who will win 90%+ of their games. You know what, I think they'll be ok.

Villa fans hate Gerrard. They are on a dreadful run after he's been heavily backed. They wouldn't bat an eyelid if he was sacked tomorrow and nor would you. Guess what, we're on an even worse run, and we've also had massive backing.

So why on earth is this any defence of Bruno Lage? How do we look way worse than Brentford, Brighton, Palace, even Fulham and Leeds?

He is shit, I don't get the non-sequitur "it's not that bad" comments that you're readily coming out with - increasingly in isolation, it has to be said. We are no good to watch with appalling results. He is blatantly unqualified for the job on every level.

Since he took over, do we play better football? No. Do we get better results? On the whole no, we're on one of the worst prolonged runs we've had since we were getting crowds of below 3,000 and virtually bankrupt, 35+ years ago. Does he have any track record to suggest he'll turn it around? No, because most of his career is putting cones out and picking up bibs.

This is the reality of the situation. If you want us to lose more and more games on some weird basis of "fairness" then I don't know what to say. That is what will happen though if he stays.

 

[Trips]

Leicester have also had two big 6 teams and two easier ones. Very similar opening fixtures. They're below us.

Everton have had arguably easier fixtures than us. Same points.

West Ham have a massive one point more than us and have only scored a single goal this season.

Villa also have one more point than us and have had easier fixtures than us.

Why not compare us with those teams? They're all big clubs who have been in the league longer than us so should be well ahead of us. Leicester and Everton have lost players, West Ham and Villa have been buying players. It's almost as though trying to directly compare clubs and managers is bollocks.

I compared to Brighton because their opening fixtures have been very similar. Both us and them have played Newcastle and Leeds, none of West Ham, Everton, Leicester or Villa have played either I believe. So it's simple enough to make a direct comparison - we took 1 point from those 2 games, Brighton took 4.

After that, both have played a sky 6 side away - them 3 points, us 0. And then one other fixture each - ours at home to Fulham, theirs away at West Ham

We also finished level on points with Brighton last year, so again a comparison (although early in the season) is easier to make.

You want to hang your hat on Lage, despite what we have all watched for 42 league games now - you crack on!

 

[Lupollet]

Fuck off you fucking fuck head. Fuck off now.

Was that aimed at me or Bruno? If it was me, I’d say it’s an over-reaction, if it’s Bruno, I’d say it’s fair.

 

[The Bear]

Again I wasn't defending any one and it has nothing to do with Lage. I was just pointing out, again, that comparisons to other teams are pointless and don't work.

So what that we've played two of the teams Brighton have. Results from different clubs in isolation are meaningless and incomparable. It's like saying "We drew with Newcastle and they drew with Man City, therefore we're as good as Man City".

It's the same as that poster on here who kept saying, well we beat this team last year and drew with that team instead of losing so it's obvious we're going backwards this season.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Rather than comparisons to other teams ask yourself these four questions.

Do we create many chances?
Is there a pattern of play that suggests things will improve?
Is the use of subs and in-game management inspiring?
Is 13 points from the last 18 games anywhere near acceptable?

The evidence suggests the answer to all four is no and therefore the answer to “should he be given more time?” is also no.

 

[Lupollet]

He needs to go now. Today. Ideally within the next 5 minutes. In fact he should have gone last season. He is completely clueless and has been found out Big Time. We are unlikely to win another game
With him in charge

Let’s start the future today rather than waiting another month when Bruno we have consolidated our position in the bottom three and turned ruined Nunes completely.

 

[sycophantia]

I have a small amount of sympathy with the 'he's only had his players' for 2 games, but then also you can't refuse to look back to last season.
It's not like he had a load of duffers. His in game management was poor from the start and some of his team selections were bizarre. Alarm bells ringing at our home game with Brentford last season, after an even 20 minutes we gave away a stupid pen, a rash challenge and we were 2-0 down, we then fell apart, under 10 style throwing forwards on and lost our shit at their time-wasting. After the loss away to Arsenal he dropped half the first team in a game we should have been targeting a win, it just got worse and we look no further forward now even with 3 decent signings. I would say were not as bad as end of last season but we only play well in patches and fall off a cliff after 60 minutes.

 

[prawnking]

He needs to go now. Today. Ideally within the next 5 minutes. In fact he should have gone last season.

We should send you back in time to kill his parents before he was even born

 

[WsWolf]

We should send you back in time to kill his parents before he was even born

Start the just giving page.

 

[prawnking]

This is the reality of the situation. If you want us to lose more and more games on some weird basis of "fairness" then I don't know what to say. That is what will happen though if he stays.

I wonder what it's going to take before he gets pushed though?

Didn't detect much anti-Bruno sentiment from fans at the match, obviously if he continues in the vein of not being able to buy a win it won't go unnoticed by Jeff and Fosun, but how ruthless are they, and how wedded to a Mendes 'yes man' option are they?

 

[The Bear]

Yes it's mostly online so far. If we fail to get a result at Bournemouth and then go behind against Southampton next Saturday then I think feelings will very likely turn in the ground and he'll get plenty of stick.

 

[jd1981]

To be fair I didn’t hear any “Bruno out” comments yesterday. Neither did I hear comments of support for him either.
It’s one of those where you don’t want be seen as a pant wetter or bad supporter etc
Once a few start expect the majority to follow.
I’ve never known someone on such a poor run be given such an easy ride.
Likes of MM etc would be hounded by now.
Probably didn’t help that MM went to war with the fan base and was very patronising at times.

 

[WsWolf]

Yes it's mostly online so far. If we fail to get a result at Bournemouth and then go behind against Southampton next Saturday then I think feelings will very likely turn in the ground and he'll get plenty of stick.

If you could guarantee he'd be gone I'd take losing Wednesday. I'm confident that if you got a competent manager in charge of this squad we'll fly up the table.

 

[prawnking]

I’ve never known someone on such a poor run be given such an easy ride.

I think the fact that run is split over two seasons has watered it down a bit in people's minds, and also the sense he wasn't backed in the market last season for 'his' players too.

I could be wrong, but I think your average fan is some way off being done with Bruno.

I was talking to my brother-in-law yesterday about how impressed I was with a lot of Collin's play (in spite of a couple of errors) and he said he was shite and we never should have gotten rid of Coady...so there are some weird takes out there!

 

[jd1981]

I think the fact that run is split over two seasons has watered it down a bit in people's minds, and also the sense he wasn't backed in the market last season for 'his' players too.

I could be wrong, but I think your average fan is some way off being done with Bruno.

I was talking to my brother-in-law yesterday about how impressed I was with a lot of Collin's play (in spite of a couple of errors) and he said he was shite and we never should have gotten rid of Coady...so there are some weird takes out there!

Put it this way if he’s sacked in the morning would many be that upset? No not at all.
You’re probably as some on here think the new season is a reset button and all debts are cleared.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

It’s one of those where you don’t want be seen as a pant wetter or bad supporter etc
Once a few start expect the majority to follow.
I’ve never known someone on such a poor run be given such an easy ride.
Likes of MM etc would be hounded by now.
Probably didn’t help that MM went to war with the fan base and was very patronising at times.

We were 1-0 up until the 90th minute and nobody is going to have a go at the manager to the detriment of the team in such circumstances. Hopefully he’ll be gone before Southampton and we can move on, like waking up from a bad dream.

 

[Wolvensam]

Not sure why there is any comparison going on with any team. I made the Potter 14 games without a win comparison as a sign that sometimes clubs can stick it out regardless of results if they see progress statistically/on the pitch generally. I’ve only seen the Spurs and Newcastle games this season so couldn’t possibly comment, but to me our biggest downfall is our attacking play currently and that may come as the new players bed in.

I do think Bruno deserves some credit that we’re defensively sound in spite of transitioning to a back four - I had all sorts of question marks around Jonny, Semedo and Kilman and their ability to be in a back four successfully.