Boss Bruno Lage raising Wolves’ standards
Bruno Lage has challenged his Wolves players to push beyond their comfort zone as he sets strict standards on the squad.
Although he is an amicable character with fans and the media, Lage has taken a tight grip over his squad since taking charge.
He is hands on in training and demands the best from his team and in a passionate monologue in a recent press conference, the head coach revealed what he expects of his players.
“I don’t want anything from my players that I don’t want for me,” Lage said.
“If you look at my career 20 years ago and now, it’s come from hard work and the mentality that I want more for me. Even now I want more for me and for the guys that work with me. I asked all my players after the game at Leeds, ‘why don’t you play more for your national team?’
“Sometimes they need to listen to some truth to be better. I don’t want to say names, but why do some of my players go to the national team and not play.
“That is the standard. We need to be better every day. If they are better every day, I will be better every day and the club will be better every day.
“I don’t want anyone comfortable with their own careers. If they are comfortable at Wolves then they are going to the national team and watching other guys playing. Why? Work hard, improve and get your minutes.
“It’s a small career so why are you comfortable with what you have? More, more, more. That’s what I want for everyone.
“The standards will be here every time. As long as I’m here, I don’t care if they’re 35 or 19, the standards should be here to improve. They need to give more every day.
“That comes with ambition and mentality. I don’t want anyone comfortable, I want more and more from my players.
“Then I will be proud on the couch watching them playing for their national team.”
The key for Lage, too, is taking Wolves to the next level and challenging for silverware as he demands more.
When asked how far away the squad is from the mentality he wants, Lage added: “It’s about the way you want to live your life. That’s the most important thing.
“We beat Aston Villa and gave them two days off. After that maybe the players thought it would be a comfortable training and it was the hardest one of the season.
“It was the way I grew up, I didn’t waste time being comfortable or just being happy with what I have in the moment.
“I want more and I’m working hard every day for that. When I look at the players we have and their careers, sometimes they need to listen to that.
“Guys at 24, 25 or 26 and they are comfortable with what they have. For what? Why are we on the sofa seeing the other guys play Champions League?
“Why do they go to the national team and sit on the bench? Why are other guys winning trophies and we are not?
“The mentality comes with that. Today it is most important to work hard and get three points in the next game.
“What Wolves have done with the mentality is very good, but I want more.
“The club will not forget what they did and I respect a lot about the past years, but now they will work and play for me and I want more from them. If not, we are wasting our time and I am too young for that.
“I want more and I want to push the players and the club to a different level.”
