Only ‘liars and cheaters’ will blame Gary O’Neil for Wolves’ struggles, fumes Mario Lemina

MARIO LEMINA let on Wolves are struggling to understand Gary O’Neil’s tactics.

And captain Lemina conceded if they keep on defending the way they did at Brentford then relegation is inevitable.

Four first-half goals, including one 75 seconds after kick-off, set up a defeat that has put O’Neil in fear of his job.

O’Neil took responsibility and admitted his instructions were not being carried out.

He said: “The fact the players are making mistakes means there is a disconnect somewhere in what’s being asked or where they need to be.”

Midfielder Lemina, handed the armband in the summer when Max Kilman was sold to West Ham, confirmed that.

He admitted: “We need to work harder to understand the gameplan.
“We can’t concede goals in the first minute.

“In the Premier League that is not possible.

“The way we are playing, the way we are defending right now, is going to get us in relegation and we have to be honest about that.

“We know our issues. If we understand and follow the plan then these kinds of things can never happen.”

Many Wanderers fans have already concluded O’Neil is out of his depth.

His decision at 4-2 down to take off defensive midfielder Andre for attacker Hwang Hee-chan was met with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing”.

Lemina argued that was down to frustration with no wins in seven games, Wolves’ worst Prem start in 20 years.

He said: “If you say Gary O’Neil is the problem then you are liars and cheaters as he has given us a lot of things we didn’t have before.

“I think the fans really love him as well. Now it is a point of view because of the results, which is understandable.”

Wolves were the fourth team in a row to concede an early goal to the Bees.

If you say Gary O’Neil is the problem then you are liars and cheaters as he has given us a lot of things we didn’t have before.

Mario Lemina

Ex-Wolves man Nathan Collins nodded in when he stormed forward but O’Neil’s side responded with Matheus Cunha’s fourth-minute equaliser.

Bryan Mbeumo fired Bees ahead from the spot after the VAR spotted Lemina’s foul on Collins.

Jorgen Strand Larsen levelled again for Wolves, before Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock made it 4-2.

Sub Fabio Carvalho tapped in a fifth with Rayan Ait-Nouri replying in stoppage time.

Mikkel Damsgaard, who set up the early opener, joked: “The fans were disappointed there was 16 seconds more to wait but it is still very good and crazy to score in the first two minutes of four games straight.

“Now we just have to not let the opponent score straight after we score and keep a clean sheet next time.”