With the news that Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked manager Bruno Lage, Premier League fans witnessed just how brutal the managerial merry-go-round can be. Wolves, who are flirting with the possibility of relegation following a 2-0 loss to West Ham, look out form and disjointed — a state of affairs that ultimately cost Lage his job. It’s the third managerial casualty of the season, with the Portuguese coach joining Thomas Tuchel and Scott Parker, who were relieved of their duties at Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively.
Things had ended poorly last season at Molineux. Despite making a good impression with Premier League fans, Wolves had failed to turn a corner ahead of the new campaign and just one win in their last 15 games represents their disastrous form under Lage. The loss at the London Stadium proved to be the final nail in the coffin, with Jarrod Bowen’s 54th-minute goal the beginning of the end, boos ringing out from the scattered remains of a frustrated away support.
“I can promise we will work hard every day to bring good victories for the team” Lage said before his dismissal. “We will continue to work. I know the fans support us. We try to do our best for them. We’re in a bad moment, we don’t have goals or victories. ”
Ultimately the 46-year-old wasn’t given the time to turn things around, to the disappointment of the Portuguese contingent at the club. Indeed, Lage spent most the summer recruiting his compatriots, but the likes of Matheus Nunes and Gonçalo Guedes have failed to show their worth thus far. However, the next boss in the Black Country dugout also looks set to hail from the Iberian Peninsula, with Sporting Lisbon manager Rúben Amorim the favourite for the job amongst football odds today.
As for Lage, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. Last season they were a pillar of consistency at the back, with goalkeeper José Sá one of the best in the league. A season in transition saw Wolves finish in a respectable 10th place, and Lage looked to be a suitable replacement for Nuno Espírito Santo, who joined Tottenham Hotspur.
However, many believe Lage tried to change things too quickly in his sophomore season, and with experienced players like Conor Coady and Willy Boly shepherded out the door, the defence failed to look as solid this time around.
Going forward there were similar issues. Granted, Lage wouldn’t have foreseen the injury to Sasa Kalajdzic who is out for most of the season following a torn ACL, but Diego Costa is hardly the most ambitious signing as a replacement. The move stunk of desperation, and in signing the 33-year-old they have high wages on the books for an experienced goal scorer, albeit one that lacks the mobility to operate alongside Adama Traoré and Pedro Neto.
Overall, it’s difficult to assess which direction Wolves want to go in. Arriving in the league as fresh-faced underdogs, there was something exciting about their presence when they first came up, but now an established Premier League unit, it will be imperative that new the manager ensures their top-flight status before laying the foundations for any future progression.
It’s certainly not a straightforward task, especially given the owner’s reluctance to hire a manager outside of Portugal, but a belt and braces approach to a relegation dogfight might be the only way Wolves dig their way out of this situation, which is a shame given the amount of talent at their disposal over the last few years.