Wolves have been urged to call on Mario Lemina to help ease Gary O’Neil’s concerns as the Old Gold prepare for the run-in to the end of the season with a depleted squad.
It’s been an outstanding season for Gary O’Neil in his first campaign at Molineux.
Not many would have anticipated that Wolves would be just three points behind the European places in the Premier League with 10 games left to play, but that is the reality that O’Neil’s squad find themselves in.
Wolves would have had their doubters at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, given Julen Lopetegui’s swift departure days before the season began after seeing a host of his star players exit.
FFP restrictions saw Fosun unable to rebuild the squad to compensate for the lost talent, handing O’Neil a monstrous task to get Wolves to compete for survival, let alone push for a European finish.
Now, the squad face one of their biggest challenges, with the majority of their attack out injured with extremely limited resources there to fill the void, making the final 10 fixtures difficult to call.
Mario Lemina identified as the figure to help Wolves push through squad woes
After seeing his side lose to Coventry City in agonising fashion last week, O’Neil admitted that it will be “really difficult” for his players to push through their current injury crisis.
The manager’s concerns have been echoed by journalist Liam Keen, who on the Wolves Weekly Podcast, identified one player that could ease the Old Gold’s woes.
“You need someone like a Mario Lemina, who I thought was below his usual very very high standards at the weekend.”
“He almost has dragged this side through games this season, you will need that siege mentality to get Wolves through because to go into Premier League games now without several of what is already a very small squad is a very tough ask.”
Mario Lemina has been one of Wolves’ best players this season
It’s difficult to imagine where Wolves would be without the expertise of the £45k-a-week Gabon international this season.
Lemina has not only been exemplary in midfield but has acted as the squad’s leader when called upon, rarely seeing his performance levels drop below par.
As per WhoScored, the 30-year-old is the third-highest-ranked Wolves player this season based on his average match rating, as well as topping the charts for his rate of interceptions in the squad with 1.4 per game.
O’Neil has been able to rely on the former Juventus midfielder’s experience to marshall the players on the pitch, showcasing his ability to shapeshift into a number of positions purely for the benefit of the club.
Keen’s comments on Lemina ring true, with him being one of the shining lights as a trusted and reliable senior member of O’Neil’s ambitious and resilient squad.