Shock news broke on Friday afternoon as Gary O’Neil announced that Mario Lemina would no longer be Wolves captain.
Upon Max Kilman’s departure to West Ham. Lemina became Wolves captain in the summer and has overseen the first half of the season.
However, despite being named Wolves’ Player of the Season last campaign, the midfielder has struggled to match these performances.
Throughout the season he has struggled with Lemina’s performance against Brentford particularly poor.
Yet, it was his actions after the West Ham defeat that stood out.
Lemina was involved in a brawl at full-time which saw him push Toti Gomes and square up to assistant manager Shaun Derry.
Now, it appears that he has paid the price with Lemina no longer Wolves’ captain going forward.
It was no doubt a surprise decision that caused plenty of debate among Wolves fans online.
Wolves fans believe stripping Mario Lemina of the Wolves captaincy is the right choice
Taking over from the midfielder is Nelson Semedo who had been captain against Crystal Palace when Lemina was benched.
It had become clear that the armband was affecting the midfielder’s performance and there is now hope that without this extra pressure, he can now regain his previous form.
As for the appointment of Semedo, many Wolves fans online were accepting of the news. However, they were concerned at how many captains the club have had over the past few seasons.
Wolves need stability in its leadership
When looking back at Wolves’ rise in the Premier League, the one thing that stayed constant was the leadership.
Conor Coady was Wolves’ captain for years with Ruben Neves being the vice. Yet, since the two departed two summers ago, the club are now on their third captain in less than 18 months.
It is a concerning turn of events which may point towards a lack of leaders in the dressing room.
Wolves could well be in danger of appointing a new captain in the summer as well with Semedo’s contract set to expire.
While it has been suggested that Semedo could sign a new contract, it is not a guarantee, especially if Wolves do get relegated.
Hopefully, the right-back will hold the armband for the coming years and help lead the Old Gold back to glory.