Wolves Manager Gary O’Neil Addresses Captaincy Change, Job Security, and Transfer Strategy

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil addressed reporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match versus Ipswich, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Nelson Semedo has taken over the captaincy from Mario Lemina. This change occurred after conversations earlier in the week involving O’Neil, Lemina, and other senior team members. O’Neil stated: “Sometimes these things can be tough to deal with and sometimes you can come out of them in a good spot, and I feel like we have. I have a lot of respect for Mario. When we get the best out of him on the pitch, his level is so high that he’s still going to play a very big part for us, which he’s still extremely keen to do.” Regarding the events involving Lemina following the final whistle at West Ham on Monday, O’Neil commented: “What happened after the game can’t happen. We all understand that emotions can rise, that we’re in a tough moment and everyone’s fighting and giving everything under big stress and pressure. But they’re scenes we won’t see again, definitely.” Chairman Jeff Shi has publicly supported O’Neil amidst rumors concerning his job security. O’Neil remarked: “I’ve always been in contact with Matt [Hobbs, sporting director] and Jeff, and the situation we’ve been in, everyone here is aware of. If I’d been put into a situation where we were free-spending, I was cherry-picking Premier League players and we’d won three games in whatever it is, I’d have lost my job a while ago. But the situation we’re in is very different to that.” He added: “I understand the importance of results and we’re working hard to improve them. Of course we need to do better – nobody wants to be on nine points after 15 games – but there have been good conversations with Matt and Jeff about what we do now, what we do with January approaching and the direction that we try to push the club in.” Regarding whether the club’s transfer strategy for the upcoming January window has been re-evaluated, O’Neil stated: “January will be very different. Whether that’s a lesson learned or it’s just an adjustment, these things always evolve. But my focus is on this group and how much we can get out of them. I’m excited to get them going again for tomorrow and I’m excited for this group to prove everybody wrong and change the situation.” For the match against Ipswich, Jose Sa and Pablo Sarabia are still sidelined due to injuries, and Joao Gomes is unavailable due to suspension.