Sport
Wolves must become an attacking team after the dull conservatism of Bruno Lage
No team has scored fewer Premier League goals this season than Wolves. In eight games, the Molineux side have found the back of the net just three times and it was this lack of cutting edge that ultimately cost Bruno Lage his job as the Portuguese coach was sacked after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham.
It wasn’t just that Wolves have been toothless in front of goal this season, it’s that they are creating so little. Only Bournemouth sit lower in the Premier League table on the basis of Expected Goals (xG) with Lage’s approach so conservative that it verged on boring. A change was needed.
Lage hasn’t been replaced yet, but Wolves must consider what sort of team they want to be before making an appointment. Before Lage, Nuno Espirito Santo was another naturally conservative coach. At that time, though, Wolves had a squad that lent itself to this approach. Now, they are stronger in attack than they are in defence.
Few Premier League clubs have the attacking strength in depth that Wolves have right now. Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence, Goncalo Guedes, Hwang Hee-Chan and Sasa Kaladzic are all talented players, but only one of them has mustered a Premier League goal so far this season – Podence.
Ruben Amorim is the current favourite to take over at Molineux. The 37-year-old would be an extremely ambitious appointment considering what he has achieved at Sporting CP. Amorim also favours a more dynamic, attack-minded style of play than Lage did during his time as Wolves manager.
Wolves made a strong impression on the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship in 2018. Nuno led his team to back-to-back seventh place finishes, but suffered a drop-off in subsequent seasons as the Portuguese coach struggled to add another dimension to Wolves’ play.
Last season, Wolves under Lage were safe from relegation, but dull. The problems the Molineux outfit have suffered from this season are nothing new – Wolves were also excessive conservative last season. Under Nuno, Wolves were at least able to provide a platform to individuals like Jimenez and Diogo Jota. Lage wasn’t even capable of that.
Whether Wolves end up appointing Amorim or not, they need a manager who can evolve their team on the pitch. This might require a change of system. The back three worked well for Nuno, but Lage never had the players to justify it, especially after Conor Coady left the club for Everton this summer.
Ruben Neves played as a member of the back three in the dismal defeat to West Ham when the Portuguese midfielder is so much more effective and influential in the centre of the pitch. Why did Lage persist with this system when it was forcing some of his best players, like Neves, into unfamiliar positions?
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo are talented full backs and should permit Wolves’ next manager to shift into a back four. This would give Wolves an extra player in midfield and should afford them greater control and creativity. Wolves paid €45m to sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting CP this summer, but have yet to truly integrate him – a change of system could help.
Whoever takes over at Wolves will also have good number nine options with Kaladzic signed from Stuttgart this summer to compete with Jimenez for a starting spot. Diego Costa is also still to make his debut after joining the Molineux club as a free agent last month. After the mundane tedium of Lage’s tenure, Wolves can now look forward to something more exciting.
