Lopetegui (sacked 8.1.2025)

[maverick180]

I was thoroughly looking forward to the start of this season

Was also prepared that things might take some time and wasn't expecting miracles over night What I didn't expect was a manager who after spending 6 weeks with the total dross he'd been left by Moyes would deem them fit to start in a premier league game And low and behold all of them played absolute shit

We're now 1 game in and none of our new players are any closer to bedding in or learning anything from their new team mates cos they barely spent a second on the pitch, half of them not at all I think it's gonna take somewhere between 6-10 games before we see the team anyone with an ounce of sense would play cos this bloke can't identify shit when he see's it I thought we was handed a miracle at half time when we went in level and low and behold he changed nothing I'm sure people are gonna make excuses for him and say it's too early to judge

But from what I've just seen today, this cսnt is David Moyes in a mission impossible mask

[Massive Attack]

*Correction - Forgot to add they got knocked out by eventual winners Barcelona in the Semi Final of the Copa Del Rey the season they started off in 16th, on top of finishing 4th in the League managing their highest ever La Liga points total of 77 points....

What a FRAUD

Of all the things to have a pop at Lopetegui, his Sevilla record isnt the one.

[Massive Attack]

The Fella gets them 3 lots of Champions League revenue in a row in every single full season in charge and a European Cup win, yet because of his mismanagement they are somehow in financial trouble now because of him, nothing to do with the Clubs Owners? I bet there's a Spanish David Sullivan running about in Seville loving your gaslighting spin on how Lopetegui reign was actually something of a disaster for the Club the way you are trying to blame him for their current position. 

By the way, in his 2nd season in charge of Sevilla they got off to a poor start and were lying in 16th position in the League after 8 matches, just 1 position better off than the season they sacked him in 17th. He went on to finish that season in 4th qualifying for the Champions League when given the full season. 

[Jaan Kenbrovin]

Jokers

Sevilla hadn’t finished outside the top ten since promotion in 2002. They have had 3 consecutive finishes in the bottom half since he left and are suffering money problems after his lavish reign.

He's left Sevilla well over 2 years ago now and STILL getting the blame!

Prior to Lopetegui taking over Sevilla they had only finished once in the top 4 qualifying for the Champions League in 9 seasons. In all his 3 seasons in charge of Sevilla they finish 4th in every single season whilst also winning the Europa League which is well known. Funny coincidence then since he left they have struggled in the League to finish in the top 4 and actually ending up in the bottom half. 

Let me guess, that unprecedented 3 seasons in a row qualifying for the Champions League whilst winning a European Cup as well as challenge for the League title in his last full season in charge were alll flukes.... 

They had qualified for the Champions league 5 times in the ten years prior. His success came at the expense of his legacy,  leaving them with their equal worst ever start to a season, with a failing aged squad, they have never recovered from from due to financial troubles since.

You can’t credit him for the club he took over but you can credit him for how he left it.

[Massive Attack]

 

a spell at Sevilla that has ruined them either.

Jokers

Sevilla hadn’t finished outside the top ten since promotion in 2002. They have had 3 consecutive finishes in the bottom half since he left and are suffering money problems after his lavish reign.

He's left Sevilla well over 2 years ago now and STILL getting the blame!

Prior to Lopetegui taking over Sevilla they had only finished once in the top 4 qualifying for the Champions League in 9 seasons. In all his 3 seasons in charge of Sevilla they finish 4th in every single season whilst also winning the Europa League which is well known. Funny coincidence then since he left they have struggled in the League to finish in the top 4 and actually ending up in the bottom half. 

Let me guess, that unprecedented 3 seasons in a row qualifying for the Champions League whilst winning a European Cup as well as challenge for the League title in his last full season in charge were all flukes.... 

[Jaan Kenbrovin]

I've already addressed that elsewhere.  23 goals in 23 league games with a squad that would have rivalled ours in 2003 to be the best ever to have been relegated. The team were massively underperforming prior to his arrival and he benefitted from a mid-season 'pre-season' (despite which he still achieved just two away victories, at Everton and Southampton, courtesy of very, very late winners and lost 6-0 loss at Brighton and 5-0 at Arsenal).

So, advantaged by the winter world cup and a better squad, he still sits alongside such legendary managers as Bryan Robson, Gus Poyet and Nigel Pearson for avoiding relagation despite being bottom at Christmas. 

Despite what you believe, he's no fucking genius

 

a spell at Sevilla that has ruined them either.

Jokers

Sevilla hadn’t finished outside the top ten since promotion in 2002. They have had 3 consecutive finishes in the bottom half since he left and are suffering money problems after his lavish reign.

[Massive Attack]

I've already addressed that elsewhere.  23 goals in 23 league games with a squad that would have rivalled ours in 2003 to be the best ever to have been relegated. The team were massively underperforming prior to his arrival and he benefitted from a mid-season 'pre-season' (despite which he still achieved just two away victories, at Everton and Southampton, courtesy of very, very late winners and lost 6-0 loss at Brighton and 5-0 at Arsenal).

So, advantaged by the winter world cup and a better squad, he still sits alongside such legendary managers as Bryan Robson, Gus Poyet and Nigel Pearson for avoiding relagation despite being bottom at Christmas. 

Despite what you believe, he's no fucking genius

 

a spell at Sevilla that has ruined them either.

Jokers

[Jaan Kenbrovin]

I've already addressed that elsewhere.  23 goals in 23 league games with a squad that would have rivalled ours in 2003 to be the best ever to have been relegated. The team were massively underperforming prior to his arrival and he benefitted from a mid-season 'pre-season' (despite which he still achieved just two away victories, at Everton and Southampton, courtesy of very, very late winners and lost 6-0 loss at Brighton and 5-0 at Arsenal).

So, advantaged by the winter world cup and a better squad, he still sits alongside such legendary managers as Bryan Robson, Gus Poyet and Nigel Pearson for avoiding relagation despite being bottom at Christmas. 

Despite what you believe, he's no fucking genius

 

 

Yep. I don’t know when we suddenly aspired to being a struggling Wolves side with a manager that had a lesser win ratio than Moyes.

We’ve spent 150m and gone backwards. Can’t excuse him due to an 18 month trophyless Porto reign and a spell at Sevilla that has ruined them either.

[Massive Attack]

I've never claimed he was a fucking genius, but he did do well to steer Wolves off the foot of the table to finish comfortably out of the bottom 3 to the point they even finished above us. And I'm supposed to believe that no cսnt can understand him? It's myth. 

[onsideman]

I've already addressed that elsewhere.  23 goals in 23 league games with a squad that would have rivalled ours in 2003 to be the best ever to have been relegated. The team were massively underperforming prior to his arrival and he benefitted from a mid-season 'pre-season' (despite which he still achieved just two away victories, at Everton and Southampton, courtesy of very, very late winners and lost 6-0 loss at Brighton and 5-0 at Arsenal).

So, advantaged by the winter world cup and a better squad, he still sits alongside such legendary managers as Bryan Robson, Gus Poyet and Nigel Pearson for avoiding relagation despite being bottom at Christmas. 

Despite what you believe, he's no fucking genius

[Massive Attack]

It's obvious to everyone except you mate

And yet what he did at Wolves blows that myth apart alone. Unless that too was just another fluke of his time as a Coach?

[onsideman]

It's obvious to everyone except you mate

[Massive Attack]

Come on, he either has a big language problem coaching players or he doesn't, which is it?

[onsideman]

I would simply suggest you take your tongue out of his arse and open your eyes.

[Massive Attack]

What the fuck are you going on about, obsessedman? "Obviously stopped learning"..  How the fuck would you know what English lessons he is or isn't taking

You're clutching at straws suggesting his English is so piss poor to Coach and yet was instantly understood successfully at Wolves. 

Let me guess, he fluked his translation as well...

[onsideman]

Lol! What the Wolves squad with about 3 English-speakers?

You either think it's important (enough so to post a link to a 2 year old club article that actually suggests he hasn't improved since then despite the lessons) or you don't think self-improvement is important and don't think it reeks of complacency. You can't have it both ways.

Iraola, by comparison...



 

 

English, South Korean, French, Portugese all of which he got more than a tune out of the instant he rocked up there. So an alleged language barrier wasn't an issue communicating his ideas then although out of respect to the Country he now Coaches in he was willing to improve his English further which never harms and he did it even as far back as then. How is that being complacent when he's been learning it all the way back at the start of his Wolves spell?

Because, he obviously stopped learning... and if that isn't obvious to you, Mrs Lopetegui, you should maybe ask him for proof of where he was all those nights when he said he was with his English tutor

[Massive Attack]

Lol! What the Wolves squad with about 3 English-speakers?

You either think it's important (enough so to post a link to a 2 year old club article that actually suggests he hasn't improved since then despite the lessons) or you don't think self-improvement is important and don't think it reeks of complacency. You can't have it both ways.

Iraola, by comparison...


 

 

 

English, South Korean, French, Portugese all of which he got more than a tune out of the instant he rocked up there. So an alleged language barrier wasn't an issue communicating his ideas then although out of respect to the Country he now Coaches in he was willing to improve his English further which never harms and he did it even as far back as then. How is that being complacent when he's been learning it all the way back at the start of his Wolves spell?

[Lee Trundle]

I prefer to simply ANALyse what Lopetegui is doing now, with us.

And it really isn't any good, regardless what he did with he likes Savill 10 years ago.

[Sir Alf]

The nerdy blokes on Analytics United ( who are verbose like me which is why I like their insights )  also conclude regularly that they can see what Lopetegui is trying to do but the players aint executing whats been asked which is why we are looking such a mess.  They, like us, are saying the players dont understand what it is they are being asked to do and / or are not suited to it hence they do it very poorly and look like poor players. 

But we have to think of the context for Sullivan hiring him. It was made clear he had to get us playing an attractive possession based style, get us into Europe in 2 years while integrating 8 or 9 new players.

Thats perhaps why he has been so inflexible tactically and wedded to this high line, advanced wing backs and players trying to press high leaving huge spaces. Its been suicidal at times.

We didnt get the recruitment right but quite a few of them are decent players. But the foundations were not there for new players to integrate easily as the existing players were being asked to play in actitally unfamiliar way.

He should have gone for evolution not revolution ( which I think Massive is also saying) .  But now seems  ironically a bit like Moyes in the sense that he keeps revertimg back to this preferred style. But is it because of the expectation of sullivan and board for this new entertaining, possession style?

Anyway, whatever the case, we look a confused mess that gives up 20 chances a game to every team. So no surprise, the better teams turn those chances into a lot of goals.

I do think we need to prioritise getting “legs” in midfield but even that might not be enough if the tactics are not adjusted to fit the team as a whole. Currently it looks like they wont change so Lopetegui will be canned in summer. Lets hope we scrape 15 points asap

[onsideman]

Lol! What the Wolves squad with about 3 English-speakers?

You either think it's important (enough so to post a link to a 2 year old club article that actually suggests he hasn't improved since then despite the lessons) or you don't think self-improvement is important and don't think it reeks of complacency. You can't have it both ways.

Iraola, by comparison...
 

[Massive Attack]

Why, when he clearly had no issues at all relaying his ideas and communicating to his Wolves Squad to successfully stay up? No one questioned the way he spoke then and his players clearly understood what he was asking of them, including Kilman.

Not to mention a number of Spanish speaking players we have in our Squad with Soler, Rodriguez, Alvarez, as well as speak portugese to both Paqueta and Emerson if needs be.

Not that the game isn't a global one at this level anyway, when he successfully communicated to his successful Sevilla side. No issues with his alleged communication then either.. 

Not that he hasn't been learning better English since arriving in England to coach.

https://www.molineux.news/news/julen-lo ... h-lessons/

Far too much has been made of that.

[onsideman]

Also, if he was so keen on staying in England after Wolves he should perhaps have invested a bit of time on learning the language and he may have been better able to convey and to motivate

[onsideman]

Analysis paralysis mate. You're overthinking again

He's an average manager who has enjoyed a career beyond his limited ability.

With the exception of the Madrid job, which is baffling, I'm not sure he's ever been poached but he has been sacked from every position other than Wolves. 

He was party to the curation of this squad which has been an abject failure and has failed to deliver on the pitch and, remarkably, he still doesn't know his best team after half a season.

I didn't have any fears about relegation and I still think it's unlikely that we'll be dragged into it, but I wouldn't be massively surprised given the Antonio and Bowen issues may signal a change in our previous good fortune with injuries

[Massive Attack]

It feels to me like Lopetegui has been trying to run before he can walk with this set of players that are ill suited to the style of play he's trying to instill in the side.

The ideas are good and worked fine when managing Sevilla in La Liga or in the Europa League and Champions League where he had the quality to to perform it. Problem is he's asking the likes of Areola, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Fullkrug and a painfully out of form Paqueta to make it all happen in a highly demanding Premier League. They collectively lack ability on the ball, mobility, Football intelligence, or in Paqueta’s case his head up his arse because of the betting scandal to the point he might as well not be playing anyway. 

So with that in mind, I think he should have stuck more to the basics when it looked like they were struggling with these new ideas early on until he could get more players in better suited to what he wants them to do and a few more out the door that are simply pony. 

When I recall how he went about managing Wolves, he wasn't asking them to reinvent the wheel with style of play with Kilman or an ageing Dawson at the back. He stuck to a more rigid basic style of defending because staying up was all that was important at the time and succeeded in doing so with ease 7 places off the bottom. So he proved he can get decent results and performances out of similar quality players where he still relies on Kilman now in the Premier League. 

They are just not getting it though and because of that, Lopetegui needs to change for the meantime and I felt he did that at Newcastle with a more structured organised defence. None of this splitting the Centre Halves allowing a defensive midfielder to drop in and over complicating it malarkey. The good coaching 1 touch Football was then happening higher up the pitch doing Newcastle serious damage as it all worked effectively and looked quality. It did also require playing our best Defence in Fabianski, Todibo (even then he could only last an hour before having to go off with his persistent groin injury), Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Emerson, Soucek.

The lack of quality in depth beyond that however we really do struggle, which is why I was nervous seeing Areola back in the side, Soucek suspended and Mavropanos playing his customary dud half a game because Todibo struggles to last a full 90 minutes. 

He either goes more back to basics defensively until we get in a better quality of players, or it won't end well for him. As I just can't see this current crop of players being good enough yet to perform what he really wants them to try and do. And it's highly unlikely we're going to get in about 3 new quality signings in January to be the difference to finally make it click with Sullivan at the wheel. You're talking signings of the calibre of Bono, Kerkez, Neves with Todibo staying regularly fit so try to work with more of what you've got and don't over complicate it until then. The summer is when we tackle the Squads deficiencies once again and why I said it would take about 3 windows to rectify a poor small injury prone ageing standard of quality in our Squad thanks to what Moyes left behind.

So manage accordingly Lopetegui or adios Amigo...

 

[Manuel]

We are going to be over half way through the season tomorrow - if you look at the large percentage of sackings in football they are usually made early on after a shit start or late on if there is a fear of the drop, we are not likely to fit into either situation. Who gets sacked in February when you're around mid table? Not many. So it's likely now he will be here until the summer, I doubt we will lose at home to Fulham and Palace anyway.

Delusional!

 

 

Noted!

[Jaan Kenbrovin]

I can’t see us winning without Bowen. Even if we buy or loan someone it could take weeks for them to settle in. So I fully expect us to get dragged back to the relegation pack. Palace have Leicester and Brentford either side of playing us, and as shit as Man Utd have been I don’t expect to stay above them for long.

Honestly can’t wait for the season to end. It’s been another total write off where we are no further forward towards any positive, and we require a massive overhaul of players to stop the rot of the oldest squad in the league.