Collins:Impossible to escape speculation over the next Wolves manager
‘Even friends and family ask questions about who is coming in’: Wolves defender Nathan Collins admits its been impossible to escape speculation over the next manager at Molineux following Bruno Lage’s sacking
- Bruno Lage was sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in October
- Since then Julen Lopetegui and QPR boss Michael Beale have turned down role
- Interim boss Steve Davis will now be in charge until at least the new year
- Nathan Collins admits speculation over next boss has been impossible to escape
Wolves defender Nathan Collins admits it’s been impossible to get away from people quizzing him about the identity of Bruno Lage’s successor at Molineux.
The Midlands club, who face Leicester on Sunday with both clubs in the bottom three, have been rejected by former Spain manager Julen Lopetegui and QPR’s Michael Beale after sacking Lage on October 3 – leaving interim Steve Davis in charge until the end of the year.
Collins acknowledges the soap opera has been a challenge for players to stay concentrated on their jobs.
Nathan Collins admits it has been tough to escape speculation over Wolves’ new manager
‘As a player, you have to focus what is in your control but it’s not easy,’ he said. ‘There are distractions everywhere, even friends and family ask questions about who is coming in.
‘It is not nice to see your manager get sacked and things being up in the air. There are always stories about the (next) manager but you have stay focussed on the objective in hand.
‘As players we can only try to get three points, the rest is up to the hierarchy. Steve has come in and done well.
‘The tactics have been spot on and the lads have been enjoying it so far. Long may it continue.’
Republic of Ireland international Collins returned on Tuesday night from a three-match ban for kicking Jack Grealish in a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City last month.
Bruno Lage was sacked by the Molineux outfit earlier in October after a poor run of results
He admits it was an important learning curve and is pleased he was able to speak to the £100million star to avoid any longer-term issue.
‘I pulled him after the game and said there hadn’t been anything malicious in the tackle. He understood and we’ve moved on,’ explained Collins.
‘I apologised to our lads as well. I put them in a bad spot playing an hour with 10 men against the champions. I let the club and fans down, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
‘It was stressful having to watch games on the sidelines. I don’t want to go through that again.’
Wolves are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with only five goals in 11 games with Raul Jimenez injured and Diego Costa still getting up to match sharpness.
Wolves have struggled during this campaign and lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the midweek
Despite leading at Palace, they succumbed 2-1 with a frustrated Collins saying: ‘We created chances and on another day we go and win. We’ve not felt down and out in any match. We just need to finish teams off.
‘Leicester are similar to us, they aren’t bad despite the league position. It will be a high-intensity game.’
Davis, a boyhood Wolves fans asked to step in after Lage had won just once in 15 games, doesn’t fear a relegation battle this season but wants his players to be streetwise in this afternoon’s six-pointer, even if it means collecting more bookings.
‘I believe we’ll get out of this situation,’ he insisted. ‘Sometimes you hear on the TV “that’s a good booking’ because a player is breaking an attack. I think you’ve got to play that game sometimes.
‘I’m not saying we’re dirty or reckless but that’s the fight we’ve got to show and those are the professional parts of the game we’ve got to be better at.’
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