Is Bruno Lage A Good Manager Or Should He Go?

[Tredman]

Patience to not actually create or score anything is one virtue I guess

 

[jd1981]

IMO I don't count last season as Lage had no support from the board, little option but to revert to the previous tactics, no effective signings, Key players out injured for extended periods or recovering from life threatening injuries. So far this season, the same team for the first 2 games, no effective bench, and only now we have the 'final' squad available starting with Southampton. No time to gel. Yes, would've been great to have all the new players weeks before the season started and all players from pre-season returning at 100%. It all seemed to change from when Guo attended a game. For me the season starts now and my opinion of Lage will be based on how we perform from now on. Fantastic window in my opinion which has to be at least in part down to Bruno. Would've liked to keep MGW but understand the economics and the players input, also would've kept Fabio here, I think this would've been a breakthrough season for him. Now putting on my tin helmet

Where to start with this, erasing last season from history?
It’s evidential proof that he was unable to firstly get a tune out of whoever he played upfront.
Towards the end of last season it was blatantly obvious he couldn’t organise us as unit either.
The Leeds game at home really said a lot and how he completely mismanaged the situation.
Even if you think he was working with limited resources which he wasn’t I might add then going 12 games without a win is unacceptable at any level.
That’s 12 times he hasn’t worked out why we can’t win, 12 times he’s not able to get the better of the opposing manager.
If he was so hampered why when we had nothing to play for v Norwich did he persist with the same old rubbish and not try something different.
This season starts the formation changed but results and scoring haven’t.
People saying it’s a lack of forward options, so 0-0 draws are the best we can possibly get.
I think if you get what you want and sadly you might it’ll be a case that he’s eaten up 16 games and we’re in desperate trouble.

 

[b3h]

IMO I don't count last season as Lage had no support from the board, little option but to revert to the previous tactics, no effective signings, Key players out injured for extended periods or recovering from life threatening injuries. So far this season, the same team for the first 2 games, no effective bench, and only now we have the 'final' squad available starting with Southampton. No time to gel. Yes, would've been great to have all the new players weeks before the season started and all players from pre-season returning at 100%. It all seemed to change from when Guo attended a game. For me the season starts now and my opinion of Lage will be based on how we perform from now on. Fantastic window in my opinion which has to be at least in part down to Bruno. Would've liked to keep MGW but understand the economics and the players input, also would've kept Fabio here, I think this would've been a breakthrough season for him. Now putting on my tin helmet

This is where a couple of my mates are who are STH. I think the tides are slowly changing though and won't be long til it's a majority that prefer we ditch him asap.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

He is an awful manager and he consistently talks utter shite. Why some fans are so desperate to make excuses for him is beyond me.

 

[jd1981]

I just think you have base your judgement on the evidence that’s been put in front of you.
Now to look at things from the most simplistic way coming 10th good effort you’d say.
But as I said it’s to simplistic once you dissect it and look at which parts of the season were a complete disaster it tells a clear story.
When we were in the mix for Europe and faced pivotal matches we froze badly. West Ham a, Arsenal a, Newcastle a. All games where the door was open for us and we were turgid.
Once the rot set in he could resolve it and still hasn’t.
Sitting behind the goal gives a good insight into how a team is shaped up organised etc
Games V leeds, BHA and Man City we looked an absolute rabble at times.
We keep hearing of regular unrest or things not being as they should could be just rumours but a good chance there’s truth to it.
The Hoever situation yes Hoever was out of order and thankfully is away from the club. Whether you agree or not a public flogging isn’t a good look and tells of a dressing room not in a great place.
Evidence to support him is one great season in Portugal, With Benfica and with a player who was sold for £90million.
Being brave and adventurous when you’re the biggest gang in town is a completely different scenario to ours.
Look how his second season developed once he lost some key players and was levelled up more with the rest of the coaches in the division.

 

[Bigbadwulf07]

Few dents in the tin hat as expected but we're each entitled to our own opinion. The list of players available shows the recovering Raul up front, Semedo injuries, Jonny Injuries, Neto injuries. Mouts missed games, Saiss off to the the African tourny, Boly covid, Adama wanting out, and no effective back ups. We were having to play Toti which you guys are now saying 4th choice CB.
I'd just say be careful what you wish for! Zenga? Solbakken? Saunders? anyone? The knives have been out for Lage since day one. I say the last season was on the board, not on Lage. there's 33 games left this season and now we have a competitive squad. Of course I'd like a top manager coming in but who's available and in any case, I doubt it is going to happen.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

1) The "knives have been out" because it looked from the outset as if he were blatantly unqualified for this kind of job. He is

2) So never appoint a new manager in case they're shit. Great. By the way, we already have a shit manager

3) We can get anyone we like outside the very elite managers, we're in our fifth year as a Premier League club and we've just spent well over £100m on new players

 

[Law's Bus]

I'd just say be careful what you wish for! Zenga? Solbakken? Saunders? anyone? The knives have been out for Lage since day one. I say the last season was on the board, not on Lage. there's 33 games left this season and now we have a competitive squad. Of course I'd like a top manager coming in but who's available and in any case, I doubt it is going to happen.

I'd rather have Solbakken than Lage.

 

[Bigbadwulf07]

I'd rather have Solbakken than Lage.

Wow!

 

[Tredman]

I'd rather have Solbakken than Lage.

Hmm, thats an interesting one. I think I agree.

 

[jd1981]

Few dents in the tin hat as expected but we're each entitled to our own opinion. The list of players available shows the recovering Raul up front, Semedo injuries, Jonny Injuries, Neto injuries. Mouts missed games, Saiss off to the the African tourny, Boly covid, Adama wanting out, and no effective back ups. We were having to play Toti which you guys are now saying 4th choice CB.
I'd just say be careful what you wish for! Zenga? Solbakken? Saunders? anyone? The knives have been out for Lage since day one. I say the last season was on the board, not on Lage. there's 33 games left this season and now we have a competitive squad. Of course I'd like a top manager coming in but who's available and in any case, I doubt it is going to happen.

The knives came out at the end of last season when it was blatantly obvious he was out of his depth.
Keep him in charge because the next one might be bad? How could it be worse? Bottom 3 and don’t score.
You’ve offered small amounts of mitigation on why he struggled but offered no evidence that he’ll succeed.
Seems like people are giving him a chance because it’s the nice thing to do.
Can people stop making out he was left with a side similar to that of 2011/12 season he wasn’t.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's a cock and completely rubbish, and not managed anyone in 16 years, but I'd take Hoddle over Lage.

A slightly better version of the same thing.

 

[Keef]

Why not Solbakken over Lage?

Wow!

Why not, Solbakken was maybe the right man, wrong time, our squad and morale was shocking, he’s gone on to do pretty well afterwards with various tams

 

[Johnny75]

I'd rather have Solbakken than Lage.

Nah, Solbakken was as dull as Hoddle.

Lage isn't that level of shit. He's not good enough for us though and we do need better.

 

[Sniffer]

The list of players available shows the recovering Raul up front, Semedo injuries, Jonny Injuries, Neto injuries. Mouts missed games, Saiss off to the the African tourny, Boly covid, Adama wanting out, and no effective back ups. We were having to play Toti which you guys are now saying 4th choice CB.

Raul played all season, when we lost Semedo Johnny was back and started off excellently, Neto coming back was a bonus as we were already competing for a European spot, we didn't miss Saiss being away, Boly barely played, we were competitive for a time after Traore left (a shit deal from our side - I'd have insisted he stayed considering the deal was so bad), Toti played well when called upon.
The season went tits up because we were crap for the final 7 games of the season and the manager started throwing players under the bus with comments such as "we were better when we had less players available" - This season has started no better although I'll give him a minor pass for the first game due to the lack of signings. There are no excuses for not winning in 12 games.

 

[Bigbadwulf07]

It was only January that football pundits gave Lage the manager of the month award but of course they know nothing!
You get me wrong. I'm not saying he's the Messiah, I'm saying he's what we have and now we have a decent squad, partly at least due to his input, we should give him a chance. Or maybe he is just a naughty boy

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We shouldn't have him. He should be binned. Poch is out there ffs.

 

[Tredman]

He was trading off a massively over-performing defense and goalkeeper, now they have reverted to the mean its obvious that there is nothing else to him

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It was only January that football pundits gave Lage the manager of the month award but of course they know nothing!
You get me wrong. I'm not saying he's the Messiah, I'm saying he's what we have and now we have a decent squad, partly at least due to his input, we should give him a chance. Or maybe he is just a naughty boy

Actually pundits gave him nothing.

It goes to the statistically best performance by default.

We played 3 and won 3. We were superb at Man Utd, very lucky to beat Southampton at home then had two shots at Brentford and both went in.

 

[Law's Bus]

Wow!

Yes, definitely - taking everything into account.

And actually, thinking about it he's the only manager since Ian Greaves (other than Nuno) I'd vaguely consider as having the potential to mesh OK with this set of players and these circumstances.

As much as I loved Mick at the time, his tactics just wouldn't work with these players. The thought of Dave Jones, Colin Lee, McGhee, Turner, Taylor with these players is even more unlikely to bring any success. And the least said about the likes of Hoddle, Zenga, Saunders and Docherty the better.

Note: This isn't an actual wish to get Solbakken back at all - just that actually, he would probably the least terrible option of any non-Nuno Wolves manager from the last 40 years for these players, this league and these circumstances.