Wolves are ending the 2023/24 campaign with a dip in form after the highs Gary O’Neil’s side achieved earlier in the season, seeing one player’s recent performances come under question.
It’s been an impressive season for Wolves, who have one game remaining of the 2023/24 campaign before the summer break.
Back in August, it was difficult to see the Old Gold as anything other than candidates to be involved in a relegation battle after Julen Lopetegui walked away just days before the start of the Premier League calendar.
Gary O’Neil took charge and has inspired a higher level of performance from the squad that is dangerously low on depth however, for all of the hard work seen earlier in the campaign, Wolves’ season has fizzled out.
There could be a list of reasons why the Midlands club has seen their results take a turn, with player performance being a key factor, seeing one usually reliable figure critiqued for his recent displays.
Nathan Judah doesn’t think Mario Lemina has been good enough for weeks
Last week, Mario Lemina was crowned Wolves’ Supporters Player of the Season for his impeccable contribution to the squad throughout the season.
It was a deserved award for the midfielder, who has been one of the most reliable players in O’Neil’s squad this campaign however, the Gabon international has joined his teammates in suffering a slight slump of late.
Journalist Nathan Judah picked up on the 30-year-old’s dip in quality amid Wolves’ poor run of form, adding Lemina to the list of players that haven’t ‘been the greatest’ recently when speaking on the E&S Wolves Podcast.
“Mario Lemina quite rightly won Player of the Season, saying that, I don’t think he’s had the best month, probably five weeks.
“I don’t think he’s been the greatest, but I don’t think a lot of players have.”
There’s no doubt that Wolves players have tired legs having endured a tough season battling the reality of having a small squad in the Premier League, seeing key players such as Lemina have to step up.
Wolves suffer a poor end to a Premier League season again
Lemina’s form was called out in the context of discussing Wolves’ end-of-season awards, with the Gabon international’s dip in standard noticed.
While the drop in quality is disappointing for the Old Gold, it’s an unsurprising narrative, considering how the club tend to end their Premier League calendars.
Lemina has simply followed an unwanted trend at Molineux by dropping off before the final day of the season, with O’Neil’s side currently on a run of form that has seen them win just one of their previous nine in the league.
Lopetegui’s class of 2022/23 was no different, as the Midlands club won just one of their final five games in the league, following on from the abysmal end to 2021/22 in which Wolves were winless in their last seven.
After the quality of display that Wolves fans became accustomed to throughout this campaign, there may have been hope that history wouldn’t repeat itself.
One game remains of the 2023/24 calendar, with Liverpool away an opportunity for Lemina and his teammates to go out on a remarkable high by crashing Jurgen Klopp’s leaving party.