Bruno Lage explains 'lesson' Jeff Shi must learn from Wolves sacking

Latest Wolves news from BirminghamLive includes former manager Bruno Lage on his Molineux exit

Alex Dicken Senior Football Writer

18:08, 02 Nov 2022Updated 18:11, 02 Nov 2022

Bruno Lage was sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers after a run of poor results

Bruno Lage believes Wolverhampton Wanderers' board must learn that they 'cannot compete in the Premier League without a striker'.

The Portuguese was sacked by Wolves chairman Jeff Shi a month ago after a run of poor results in the Premier League, stretching back to April. He left the team in the relegation zone and things haven't improved since his departure, with Wolves taking four points from a possible 15.

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Wolves' main problem this season has been their inability to score goals, just as it was in the previous two campaigns. Wolves have managed a Premier League worst six goals from 13 matches this term.

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READ: Julen Lopetegui has told Wolves what to expect as Jeff Shi closes on top target

READ: Frank Lampard disagrees with Bruno Lage about Conor Coady after Wolves exit

Injuries to strikers Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic handcuffed Lage, while Diego Costa - who was signed as an emergency replacement - hasn't found the net in five appearances and now faces a three-game ban after being sent off versus Brentford.

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Lage believes Wolves' striker shortage caused his downfall. Speaking at Web Summit in Lisbon today, Lage addressed his Wolves exit with a message for the club's board.

“My time at Wolves was very good and I think the main point was that,” Lage said, via PA. “When we received the invitation it was to change a little bit the way the team should play and we did that with same system.

“We played a different way and I remember in February we were in the fight for top four, in March we were in seventh position and the last games it was hard to have five players injured. But the good signs were the way we played in the season and especially the victory at Old Trafford, the first time Wolves beat Manchester United there.

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“The second season was difficult and the schedule, it is different due to the World Cup and the games are coming. I think the big lesson that not just me, but all the board should have is that we cannot compete in the Premier League without a striker.

“Unfortunately at Wolves we didn’t have that striker and I knew that every time we played with a striker – not just the team but the players – the performances were completely different.”

Wolves ended Lage's first season in 10th place and, despite a positive pre-season, results didn't improve at the beginning of 2022/23. Wolves' record of one win in 15 Premier League games forced Shi's hand after the 2-0 defeat to West Ham on October 1.

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After mixed success in his only two senior management positions at Benfica and Wolves, Lage is now looking for his next opportunity.

He added: “I think the big lessons I take from these two experiences are that I need to convince people that things don’t come naturally. In both situations, it was maybe our fault but we created expectations where we did very well and maybe people don’t think we need players.

“I had good ideas for Benfica, I had good ideas for Wolves but I didn’t have time and in some individual situations I didn’t have the right players. The right players are not the expensive players.

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“My experience in Benfica and Wolves mean the next step should be the right project because also it is a big lesson to me that I need to know how to convince people we didn’t have what we needed to have in that moment.”

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