Gary O’Neil has made a huge call as midfielder Mario Lemina has been stripped of his Wolves captaincy in the aftermath of Monday’s defeat to West Ham.
Lemina was involved in a bust-up after the final whistle as Wolves tasted a 2-1 defeat against West Ham.
The 31-year-old didn’t only get physical with Jarred Bowen following a petty exchange but he also took his anger out on his own teammates.
Toti Gomes and Nelson Semedo attempted to calm him down, although his anger increased, and the 31-year-old ended up squaring up to first-team coach Shaun Derry.
Lemina apologised for his actions on Tuesday, owning up to his mistake, but it wasn’t enough to convince Gary O’Neil he is the right man to lead the club and he’s now stripped him of his captaincy.
- READ MORE: Karl Henry gives three reasons why Mario Lemina’s post-match actions v West Ham were justified
Gary O’Neil names Nelson Semedo as Wolves new captain in shock decision
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wolves huge clash against Ipswich, O’Neil revealed he had a conversation with Lemina about what happened at West Ham, deciding he should step down.
“Mario is fine, it was a conversation and nothing more. The other night sparked the conversation, but it was one that had to be had. We now move forward and we’ve dealt with it,” O’Neil said.
Journalist Liam Keen has since confirmed that Semedo has been named as the new Wolves captain, which will perhaps come as a shock to many.
The Portuguese defender, although an experienced member of the squad, sees his contract expire in 2025 and is on high wages.
That being said, Wolves have entered contract talks with Semedo, and that shows how desperate they are to sign the 31-year-old down to a new deal.
Semedo being named captain is a questionable decision
There is no question that Wolves got it correct by taking the armband off Lemina and handing it over to someone else, as his actions against West Ham can’t be excused.
However, the decision to give it to Semedo, especially when a new contract is yet to be agreed, is baffling.
There are arguably some better leaders in the squad than him, most notably Craig Dawson, even if he’s approaching retirement and also Matheus Cunha, who leads by example on the pitch every week.
Semedo being captain will question supporters but it also isn’t a surprise, as the Portuguese international was the stand-in captain when Lemina was out against Crystal Palace.
Hopefully, this change will take the weight of expectation off Lemina and improve his performances while helping drag Wolves out of danger.