Wolves have endured a really tough start to the 2024/25 season, but the hope now is that the club will kick on after the win over Southampton.
Wolves beat the Saints 2-0 to get their first three points of the season, and Gary O’Neil has bought himself a bit more time to turn things around.
Some fans still wanted O’Neil sacked after the win over Southampton, but that now appears extremely unlikely to happen over the international break.
This season, with the club taking just six points from a possible 33, a number of players have been quite disappointing.
The fixtures have been very tough, but there are a few players who have really seen their level dip compared to last season – and Molineux News looks at three big offenders who have potentially dropped off the most.
Hwang Hee-chan
Hwang Hee-chan has been injured for the past few weeks but that aside, it has not been a good season for the South Korean.
Hwang was fantastic for Wolves last season, especially in the first half of the campaign.
He finished as the joint-top scorer alongside Matheus Cunha on 13 goals (12 in the Premier League), and he was rewarded with a new contract back in December 2023, making him one of the top earners at Molineux.
But this season Hwang has really struggled and is yet to open his account.
The star has just lacked influence and is nowhere near the same threat he was last term – and O’Neil must try and help him rediscover his mojo. Doing so could potentially help ease the pressure on him significantly.
Hwang was a transfer target for Marseille in the summer and some theorised that the speculation may have affected his focus in 2024/25.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
It perhaps seems harsh to place a player with five goal contributions in 12 appearances on this list.
But the reality is that Rayan Ait-Nouri is not performing to the same standards as he was last season. Especially from a defensive standpoint.
Ait-Nouri had two very shaky performances against Arsenal and Chelsea at the start of the season, and the Algerian’s defending has continued to be been suspect at times.
Fans really criticised Ait-Nouri for his showing against Chelsea, and that will have been a wake-up call for him.
Gary O’Neil admitted this week that Ait-Nouri can slow the game down, and that the Wolves coaching staff are working on that with him.
Journalist Liam Keen also suggested Ait-Nouri has been giving the ball away too cheaply, in an assessment that many fans will share.
Mario Lemina
Mario Lemina was voted the Supporters’ Player of the Season for 2023/24, and many rejoiced when he became Wolves’ new captain after Max Kilman.
But it’s been a tough campaign so far for the Gabon international, who’s been way below the levels of last season.
Perhaps the responsibility of being captain has weighed heavier than he imagined. His emotional reaction after Wolves’ defeat to Liverpool was something that got fans talking, and wondering if he was really up to the job.
Lemina admitted he gave his worst-ever performance for Wolves against Brentford, and as recently as a couple of weeks ago, there were calls from some for him to be dropped. And O’Neil actually obliged against Crystal Palace, with Lemina starting that game from the bench. He did come on for the final 30 minutes though and was actually very good.
Previously, it had been unthinkable that Lemina could ever be dropped from this team.
Lemina actually hasn’t been too bad statistically. He is making a lot of tackles and interceptions. But fans know Lemina definitely has a couple more gears to go through, and they’ll back him to return to his best given the character he is.