Lage pays price as £100m spend fails to spark Wolves

BRUNO LAGE has become the third manager to lose his job in the Premier League after he was sacked by Wolves yesterday.

Saturday’s defeat at West Ham was Wolves’ fourth of a campaign in which they have scored just three times in the League, despite owners Fosun backing Lage with £100million in the summer transfer window.

Wolves are in the bottom three and their next fixture is at Chelsea on Saturday. They have been studying possible successors but have not ruled out placing a coach already on the staff, such as Under 21 coach James Collins or his Under 18 counterpart Steve Davis, in charge for Saturday’s match. MailOnline reported yesterday morning that the Portuguese was under significant pressure after winning only one of his past 15 league games across this season and last, and Wolves moved to dismiss him later that day.

While Lage has had little luck with injuries — summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic damaged knee ligaments on his debut while fellow striker Raul Jimenez remains sidelined — the form since last spring has been alarming.

Pedro Martins, the former Olympiacos coach, is targeting a move to the Premier League. Martins is thought to have links to Jorge Mendes, head of the powerful Gestifute agency who have a strong relationship with Fosun. Both Lage and his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo are Gestifute clients, as are many of the Wolves squad.

Chairman Jeff Shi said in a statement last night: ‘I honestly have no doubts about Bruno’s ability, and I’m sure he will succeed elsewhere, however the team’s form and performances over the last few months mean that we have no choice but to act.’

Lage was brought to Molineux at the start of last season to replace Nuno, and had Wolves in the race for European football for the first half of the campaign before their form collapsed. He has tried to bring a more attacking style this season, switching from a back three to a back four and allowing club legend Conor Coady to join Everton on loan. But Wolves have looked toothless for much of the campaign, even though they have top talent like Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes and Pedro Neto in their squad.

They also brought in former Chelsea forward Diego Costa on a free transfer following the injuries to Kalajdzic and Jimenez. Neto, meanwhile, faces a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury at West Ham.

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7; Kehrer 7, Dawson 7, Zouma 7, Cresswell 7; Soucek 7, Rice 7; BOWEN 7.5, Paqueta 7 (Emerson 74min, 6), Cornet 6.5 (Fornals 34, 7); Scamacca 8 (Antonio 66, 6). Scorers: Scamacca 29, Bowen 54. Booked: Rice, Cresswell. Manager: David Moyes 7. WOLVES (3-4-2-1): Sa 5; Jonny 5, Neves 5.5, Kilman 5; Semedo 5 (Traore 73, 6), Nunes 5 (Campbell 73, 6), Moutinho 5, Ait-Nouri 5; Neto 5 (Traore 24, 5.5), Podence 5; Guedes 5 (Costa 58, 6). Booked: Neves, Moutinho. Manager: Bruno Lage 5. Referee: Paul Tierney 6. Attendance: Not provided.