GEORGE LAKIN SHARES HIS THOUGHTS, OPINIONS & A LIITLE HINDSIGHT ON JULEN LOPETEGUI
Thinking ahead to Monday and the current situation we’re in, you just couldn’t write it.
Provided he’s still in charge of West Ham by then, to have gone full circle in 2 years -learning absolutely nothing from the experience- only to end up back face to face with Julen Lopetegui is just hauntingly coincidental.
Why? Because Lopetegui, in my opinion, fought tooth and nail to prevent the managed decline of our club during his time here.
He prepared us well in preseason despite knowing he wasn’t going to be here, buying us a season of stability in the process.
He’s no villain. In fact, he’s the biggest single reason some of our stand out players (such as Cunha) are at the club at all- which is now our only hope. With him at the helm there was an attraction, a pull, a weightiness.
The only thing he was guilty of was daring to demand relentless ambition in an environment so adverse to it. I imagine behind closed doors he said all the same things many of us would, given the chance. His anger and frustration last summer embodies ours now.
He upset the apple cart because he saw the direction we were headed, he knew what was coming, and refused to stand for it. He used all his clout to try and change the tide, but alternative narratives were inevitably spun.
Any slander towards him is misplaced. He was the best thing to happen to Wolves since Nuno. Similarly to Nuno’s time, I felt an optimism and a proactive raising of standards while he was here- often in spite of the board. Complacency is the killer of success.
I can’t bring myself to revel in his ‘failures’ at West Ham. He offered Fosun a genuine shot at redemption, instead, they shot themselves in the foot.
Rumours now suggest Potter and Moyes aren’t interested, such is the death spiral model. What was once mere complacency might just be moving into outright negligence. The current model is not fit for purpose.
Who are the stewards of our club now? Who dares to step outside the echo chamber? Who sticks their head above the parapet? Who chooses action over inaction? Who takes responsibility? Who leads us in a new direction?
At least Julen tried, but it turns out the Lamborghini was rented. Now how was he meant to know that?
The day he walked out of this club was a dark day indeed. He was the last lighthouse.
And no this was not written by Guillem Balagué, unbelievably.
ARTICLE BY GEORGE LAKIN
George fell in love with Wolves the moment Colin Cameron fizzed one into the bottom corner against Plymouth Argyle on the 31st December 2005- during his first ever Wolves game as a child.
He loves digging a little deeper when it comes to Wolves, often conducting his own research to help him read between the lines and increase his knowledge and understanding of all aspects of our great club. He is keen to share his insight and findings with fans who share in his biggest love, -after his lovely wife, Amy and little boy, Tommy of course!- our mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers!
George is passionate about reaching and uniting all corners of the Wolves family, young and old, near and far. So make sure you don’t miss his weekly column exclusively for Always Wolves this season!