Hyperactive Wolves boss is box office
HE has taken charge of only seven matches, but already Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui is showing he is one of the Premier League’s most combustible characters. Whether he is making spicy remarks before and after a match, haranguing officials or clashing with rival managers, Lopetegui appears determined to be in the thick of it.
In less than a month of competitive football, he has shown his anger in public when Wolves have been on the wrong end of calls in their matches at Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The Spaniard was on the pitch as players brawled in the aftermath of Forest’s victory on penalties in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and held a 90-minute briefing with referees’ chief Howard Webb to discuss his grievances at the Wolves training ground last week. If that conversation was designed to calm Lopetegui, it has not had the desired effect. From the first minute here the Spaniard was agitated, leaping about in his technical area whenever there was a mildly contentious incident. When Harvey Elliott put Liverpool ahead with a fabulous strike from distance, Lopetegui and coach Edu Rubio were straight in the ear of fourth official Stuart Attwell. Perhaps Lopetegui felt Joe Gomez had handled Rayan Ait-Nouri’s strike moments earlier, but VAR did not back his claims.
That made the already grumpy Lopetegui even more irritable. Every time a Wolves player was fouled, his stress levels went up a notch. When Kostas Tsimikas brought down Adama Traore, the Wolves boss raced towards the touchline and waved an imaginary yellow card.
He was back on the pitch again moments later to give Dexter Lembikisa a clap on the back after the young right back failed to control a bouncing ball and conceded a throwin. Then it was time to give the Liverpool manager a flea in his ear. Lopetegui reacted furiously when Raul Jimenez was chopped down by Stefan Bajcetic and it was too much for Jurgen Klopp, who marched up the touchline to say his piece. Lopetegui did not like that and turned on the German, forcing Attwell to step in and keep them apart. Even when they had retreated, Lopetegui was still incensed and wagged his finger in Klopp’s direction.
The last straw came when Traore was the first player into the book. Lopetegui clapped sarcastically before having an obligatory word with Attwell. He will be walking a risky line with the FA if he continues like this, but Wolves fans love it. They have already warmed to him more than they ever did to his predecessor Bruno Lage and it was telling to hear captain Ruben Neves say Molineux felt like home again after last Saturday’s win over West Brom. Despite an encouraging start, Lopetegui still has a job on his hands to keep Wolves up.
One thing is for sure — the officials will be glad to see the back of him come the end of May.