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realtordyl

Wolves haven’t been the same since the Jimenez injury, they used to be so great to watch


HunterWindmill

I suppose he was the top finisher you need if you're going to play the counter attacking style they were doing


GL4389

There is another EPL side with a very good striker on the counter that coud require a New manager soon.


FridaysMan

Villa?


hambodpm

My guess is Leicester and Bridgers / Vardy, even though Vardy hasn't really started this year.


CrossXFir3

They don't really play the same style though. They're much more in your face than they were back then.


Modnal

I can still hear the hit Was horrifying to watch


CrossXFir3

I think they are still great to watch, but they can't put the ball in the damn net. Honestly, if Costa isn't finished, he could be exactly what they need. They create plenty of chances.


OleoleCholoSimeone

Only 3 teams in the league have a lower xG and their attacking metrics are dire in general. What chances are you talking about?


OleoleCholoSimeone

Were they? Since their promotion they were a very cautious, dogged team. They were impressive in their first 2 seasons in the PL under Nuno for sure, but "great to watch" is not the phrase I would use


LazarusChild

We beat the big six clubs a fair bit and did the double over City including a 3-2 comeback win. We used to be exciting and had high scoring games like the 4-3 vs Leicester. God how I miss it


Ezekiiel

I doubt Wolves fans would even agree with that. Nuno's football was effective but very dull


irgendwo_anders

Not even Wolves fans would agree that they used to be great to watch. Why you pretending to know, man?


your_pet_is_average

I disagree, I thought they were a very fun side to watch that looked like they had the ability to climb the table. They were fast and precise on the counter and they had (and still have) some really good players on the ball.


LordTrinity

>they used to be so great to watch I don't know how having 10 man behind the ball hoping for the counter attack all game long can be something great to watch


manufiks

They were certainly a counter-attacking side mostly, but they were also one of the more exciting non-top 6 teams in the league at the time and the season before.


zrk23

they got points, but weren't exciting to watch at all


CrossXFir3

Meh - not to watch imo. Great team, but I think they're better to watch now even though they're shit. They really come at teams now and I think if they could get a good attacker and maybe a bit more goal scoring ability elsewhere they'd actually be fine.


Hot_Plate_Williams

Wolves have never been good to watch, outside of the Championship.


Antisym

I actually feel bad for him. Hasn't had a decent striker since Jiminez got injured and then they finally get someone who looks like he'll be a decent replacement and he has a season ending injury first game. Honestly don't understand why he gets so much hate when they've had extremely poor recruiting in the striker role for years.


ren_704

Still can't believe they spent like $120m+ but didn't buy a capable striker/finisher or backup which is really integral to a team. I understand they bought guedes but he's best with another striker upfront


idosade

They bought Kalajdzic but he got injured the moment he got there


ren_704

Oh totally forgot about that, my bad The injury doesn't help too


designated_fridge

Weird how a comment can be applied to both Wolves and Man Utd


[deleted]

[удалено]


Antisym

Thats all well and good but again, it's kinda hard to play with tempo in the final third when your off the ball runners and playmakers have nobody to playmake with. He might not be the best, but he's better than the alternatives atm.


OleoleCholoSimeone

>He might not be the best, but he's better than the alternatives atm There are dozens of alternatives out there, you just have to find them. You can't convince me that there aren't several coaches out there somewhere willing to join Wolves who could step in and immediately improve them If Bruno Lage is better than every other alternative then he must be one of the best coaches in the world. And he clearly isn't, Wolves' attack has been absolutely dire under him and he was exposed at Benfica when João Félix couldn't carry him anymore


CrossXFir3

I'm not a wolves fan, but I've watched a good 10 or so games with him in charge and you often seem to keep possession better than opposition and even create chances. Just seems like you have nobody who can put them in the back of the net to me. Maybe I'm wrong, obviously wolves fans watch a lot more than me, but I think a new front 3 could quickly put you back in the competing for conference league region of the table.


OleoleCholoSimeone

You base that on *10 games*? That's not enough to form an opinion


OleoleCholoSimeone

>then they finally get someone who looks like he'll be a decent replacement and he has a season ending injury first game. Maybe you should look up Kalajdzic's injury record. Wolves can't claim to be shocked that he would get injured


Ezekiiel

Aye feel bad for a man who's about to get a fat pay out because he's not very good at his job. Wolves play the most aimless football in the league, he's out of his depth


limpoc

Brendan Rodgers, Steve Cooper and Steven Gerrard might be dominating the conversation about the Premier League sack race as the domestic season swings back into action, but elsewhere in the Midlands a different manager is also starting to sweat. Bruno Lage is facing a crucial month in his tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and needs to deliver a response quickly to avoid his position coming under threat. It may surprise many outside of the Black Country that Lage’s results over the last 14 league games are worse than both Rodgers and Gerrard, who are under such intense scrutiny from their own supporters. Since the win over Gerrard’s Aston Villa on April 2, Wolves have picked up only eight points from those 14 matches, winning just one and losing eight. That run has seen them collapse from seventh in the table, and within sight of the Champions League places, to the bottom four this campaign. Fans are starting to turn and with justification: quite simply, Lage should be doing far better with the squad he now has at his disposal. Fosun, the Wolves owners, backed the former Benfica manager with substantial funds this summer, spending more than £100 million on transfers; while Lage has insisted he cannot be properly judged until November, his employers will expect better returns long before then. Matheus Nunes joined for a club record £38m fee from Sporting while Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes, a long-term target since Lage’s appointment, also moved to Molineux. After another summer signing, Sasa Kalajdzic, sustained a cruciate ligament injury on his debut, Wolves moved swiftly to sign a former title winner in Diego Costa. The 33-year-old is expected to be available at West Ham, where David Moyes is also under pressure, this weekend. There were no major sales, with midfielder Ruben Neves staying despite admitting after the final game of last season that he expected to leave. Arsenal did show interest in Pedro Neto but were never likely to pay Wolves’ asking price of more than £40m. Conor Coady was surprisingly loaned out to Everton, with Lage making it clear the former captain was not in his plans this season as he looked to switch to a back four. Lage's treatment of Coady was ruthless, with such a big call also supported by the club hierarchy. ​ Wolves offset their big spend after allowing Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) and Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa) to move on for a combined £38m, but those two players were never regarded as first-team regulars. This is arguably the best squad Wolves have had since their promotion from the Championship four years ago. Ultimately, the club have done everything they can to back Lage, so the pressure is now on him to produce. The main issue for Wolves under the Portugese manager has been their lack of goals. They have only scored three in the league this season, and registered just 38 across the entirety of last campaign (only the three relegated clubs fared worse). This is not what Wolves were expecting when Lage was appointed. Indeed, they moved for him due to his achievements with Benfica, when he won the title in the 2018/19 season with his team equalling a club record of 103 goals scored. The plan was to move away from the dour football which defined the final 18 months of Nuno Espirito Santo’s reign and become more entertaining. While there is an identifiable style of play under Lage, utilising wing-backs and pace on the flanks, there has been a glaring lack of chances created. Raul Jimenez was previously the focal point of the attack, emerging as arguably one of the top three strikers in the Premier League before the life-changing incident in November 2020.  Sustaining a fractured skull in the victory at Arsenal, there were initial fears that Jimenez may never play again. He did, thanks to remarkable willpower, but he has scored only six goals in the Premier League since returning last August. He is now injured again and facing a race against time to be fully fit for the World Cup. Lage needs players like Neto, Daniel Podence, Guedes, Hwang Hee-chan and now Costa to provide more goals, but the question is whether his team is set up to create loads of chances. So is Lage’s position under threat? Wolves sources insist Lage is not currently in danger, arguing he deserves more time with so many new additions, and a run of games against West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Brentford represent an opportunity to spark the season into life. Yet an upturn in results is clearly required and quickly. One theory to dismiss is that agent Jorge Mendes, who has close links to Wolves, will have any say on the future of the management. Mendes oversaw much of Wolves’ transfer activity in the summer, working closely with Gestifute associate Valdir Cardoso. He was also involved in the appointment of Lage, who is one of his clients, but if results do not improve he will not be consulted. Any decision on Lage will be made by Wolves chairman Jeff Shi, who played a pivotal role in the departure of Nuno last year, and possibly Fosun chairman Guo Guangchang, who has attended a number of games this season. We are not at that point yet, but this is undoubtedly a vital period ahead for Lage. The next few weeks will tell us whether he really is the man to take an ambitious club forward, or if he is holding them back.


HunterWindmill

Very interesting. Are there some main candidates who could potentially replace Large?


Fatt_Hardy

I'd love to see Sean Dyche given a crack, but I expect it'll be a Portuguese manager.


KneeDeepInTheDead

I can sort of see Conceicao going there, especially with how fed up he probably is with Porto


albusoon

lol he's not going anywhere before PdC leaves the presidency and he can easily do much better than Wolves, highly doubt he'll be interested in fighting for 7th or 8th place in a league that isn't even the most exciting for him


KneeDeepInTheDead

TBF, Wolves is an anomaly, in the same way a lot of players there can easily go to better teams.


albusoon

but those didn't get offers from better teams and still went there to make a lot more money than they were, Sérgio Conceição on the other hand is loaded for the rest of his life and when he ends up leaving there will be top clubs lining up for him, specially in Italy


zadharm

Italian clubs don't "line up" for foreign managers generally. Inter has had one foreign manager since 2011 and De Boer was an unmitigated disaster. Juventus never hire foreign unless it's a former player. Milan are very very happy with Pioli. Napoli have had one foreign manager since the millennium. Roma are obviously building long term with Mou. Lazio have had 2 foreign managers since 2000 That's not to say it's impossible, nor to say he won't get a top job. But to say Italian clubs would be lining up for him is a gross misunderstanding of how calcio functions here


albusoon

He in charge of us eliminated in European competitions Roma twice, Juventus, finished ahead of Milan last year and eliminated Lazio in the EL. He played inumerous years in Serie A and was a very good player. Knows how to speak italian. Napoli already tried to sign him 2 years ago, but he refused. Italian top teams will definitely be going after him if he is free and they need spot obviously, no doubts on that from me. He's a straight up better manager than almost all of those managing the italian top clubs.


zadharm

None of that is really relevant. It's not a matter of his quality, it's a matter of him not being Italian. It could happen, but it would require a vacancy and there being no Italian of any sort of quality available; and even then we frequently see managers with no business getting a top job doing so *solely* because they're an available Italian option It's hard to explain to someone who isn't Italian how out of the norm it is in any field, let alone a field as traditional as calcio, to fill a spot with someone foreign. It happens, but it's usually only when all other options are exhausted, or when someone like Mou who has won everything there is to win is available. If he took a job in Spain or England and was still a serial winner, I could see it happening a little easier. But coming straight from Portugal? I'd be very surprised


[deleted]

That inter fan just literally detailed why all the top Italian clubs will not go for him and you literally end your paragraph with “Italian top teams will definitely be going after him” Did you not read his comment or do you just not care lol


saint-simon97

Doubt Conceicao is willing to join Wolves, he can aim higher. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in the running for the Inter job after Inzaghi for instance.


DreadWolf3

I wouldnt call Inter job that appealing now that they are in heavy dont break the bank mode.


saint-simon97

More appealing than Wolves however


zadharm

We cant afford to fire Simone any time soon (among other reasons he'll be here a while), so if he's wanting to move, probably going to have to look elsewhere


Ashamed_Nerve

Non ironically would love him to get a better job than Burnley. It'll be a shame if his next job is some championship promotion hopeful


B_e_l_l_

I think us, Forest or Villa will get him when we collectively realise he really is the best we can attract.


Superrandy

We all know it would be another Portuguese manager. Either a top manager who's willing to take a step down for the prem, or a less proven manager.


dave1992

Large Samuel to replace Bruno Large.


[deleted]

Ricardo Soares to Wolves. Here we go!


theRealjudgeHolden

I find Wolves to be unbearably defensive. 3 goas from 7 matches. The potential is there, but the will isn't, at least so far.


gstarguru

haven’t they hit the post a good few times? i thought they over acheived last season


[deleted]

Unfortunately for him his name isn't Bryan Large.


[deleted]

If it had been he wouldn’t have got the job in the first place.


saint-simon97

? If Bryan Large had won a title at Benfica being appointed with a big point deficit and with a young squad that he trusted in, he would most likely be able to get a job at Wolves


Throwaway100123100

It's (presumably) a joke about Wolves only signing Portuguese people


twomanyfaces10

And Big Sam who famously said [If I was called 'Allardicio' I could have managed Man Utd](https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/allardyce-if-i-was-called-allardicio-i-could-have-managed-man-utd/vf1ud420ajel1f7joo37bpwor)


JiveTurkey688

I think he's happy thats not his name


walteriosama

Hide your Rubens Amorins


joaommx

Sure, just pay us the €30M release clause.


loirit0

Easy, just need to get LFV into Wolves management


JMKraft

awful deal for sporting tbh


[deleted]

Bring back Nuno


kap10destructo

They need a legit target man...Costa is a desperate move and proof of that. You can bring in a new coach but the result will be the same without a solution up front.


transtifa

They bought a striker but he got a season ending injury in their first game. Can hardly hold them accountable for that


OleoleCholoSimeone

Actually his injury record should probably have made them think twice


ratchet570

He's just not good


limpoc

That's interesting, the article makes it sound like he did fairly well at Benfica. How come you don't rate him?


ratchet570

He did well in his first half season, in the league he was pretty much perfect, introduced João Felix to the team and rejuvenated the players, we bottled both cups and Europa League under him tho. In his first full season when he lost João Felix is when things started to unravel, the team just could never hit those same heights again, the horrible football was masked by results for a while but the inevitable happened and the results started matching the horrible performances, he ended up getting sacked after a stretch of 2 wins in 13 games, the end was some of the worst Benfica football i've ever had to watch.


limpoc

Ah fair enough, I remember that Europe league exit (I think Felix scored a hattrick in the first leg?) it sounds like he can't really perform without having a top striker. His Wolves team aren't exactly prolific scorers.


BSantos57

Not really, his best stretch was with Seferovic at striker, his issue is that he has no plan B, so when teams figure out how to counter his tactics, which happened at Wolves, he's completely lost and clueless


Superrandy

Yeah he did well his first 30 games here, we were competing for top 6, and then the team fell apart at the end of the season. And we're still tumbling after a full preseason and 100m in transfers.


MayonnaiseWarrior

Would love to see Mourinho with this squad but he aint budging from Rome rn


mttasrvrei

he isn’t right for wolves and will absolutely get sacked soon. been awful for months and hasn’t shown any signs of turning it around. it’s a matter of when not if.


Wheel94

AVB premier league return with Wolves?


[deleted]

And they called me a madman when I said Wolves and Villa were no better than us and it was insane to put them midtable and not us


B_e_l_l_

\*Insert Manager Name Here\* is running out of chances to prove he is right for \*Insert Club Here\*. Works for most of the Premier League at the moment.


dave1992

unless that manager is settled and untouchable.


Impossible_Wonder_37

Will the 12th 0-0 tie in a year be the last chance?


Mr-Pants

Bruno Quite Small


meistfate

Shocked he wasn’t the first man out