Bruno Lage has clear remit to last another year as Wolves patience wears thin

"How many managers come, play four or five games in the Premier League, and they get sacked? You have a contract and you can be fired the next day.”

Bruno Lage said those words on February 23, when Wolverhampton Wanderers were seventh in the Premier League. At that stage, the Champions League places were within reach and Wolves were ahead of Tottenham Hotspur - who eventually finished fourth, with 20 points more than 10th-placed Wolves.

Even at the peak of his popularity amongst Wolves’ supporters and hierarchy, Lage wasn’t taking anything for granted. He understands the perilous position of being a manager having been sacked by Benfica for finishing second, 12 months on from miraculously winning the Primeira Liga title after being appointed midway through the season.

Football is a cut-throat business and changing a manager is much easier than overhauling a playing squad. A wretched end to the season, which saw Wolves lose nine of their final 14 matches to finish 10th in a one-horse race for eighth, has used up most of the credit Lage had banked.

Lage was appointed Wolves head coach a year ago today, but the chances are that he won’t see another 12 months in the job if results continue in the same vein at the beginning of next season. Managers have been sacked for less, but the majority of Wolves supporters are happy to give the Portuguese the benefit of the doubt.

That is because they understand that Lage is having to contend with owners who don’t share his ambition to put Wolves ‘on a different level’ on the field. Jeff Shi and Fosun continue to prioritise the club’s growth off the pitch, while the first team stagnates on it.

Signing the players to improve Wolves’ squad falls outside Lage’s remit, but there are things