8Gary O’Neil is looking for his Wolves players to improve their discipline moving forwards, and says that rule changes have really had an impact on Mario Lemina especially.
Wanderers are going to be missing key players for the game with Bournemouth after the international break.
Lemina picked up two more bookings against Aston Villa resulting in a red.
And Nelson Semedo was also booked again, meaning he’s now picked up five for the season and will serve a one-game ban.
Lemina getting two bookings to equal a red against Villa essentially means he will stay on four yellows.
So after he comes back after missing Bournemouth, he will still be walking the tightrope
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was also sent off lately against Luton Town.
Wolves have established a practise of having players unavailable due to suspension in recent times, and O’Neil has now shared his thoughts on the matter…
Gary O’Neil discusses the Wolves’ disciplinary concerns and claims Lemina is trying to modify his ways.
O’Neil understands that his team must reduce the number of yellow cards.
But it’s difficult because the potential for players to get cautioned has arguably never been higher following recent rules changes.
It seems players across the board are generally getting booked much more often.
But on his own side’s level of discipline, O’Neil admits (Express & Star): “It depends what they’re for and each booking is different – there’s some I’m disappointed with and we speak about, and there are some that are unavoidable in the modern game and how easy it is to get booked now for certain things.”
O’Neil says that £10 million midfielder Lemina – a tenacious and combative player – is looking to change his ways
“Adapting to new rules and guidelines this year means things Mario’s been getting away with for 10 years, have instantly been stamped out this year,” O’Neil says. “He’s trying to adapt to that.
“I’m trying to make sure we’re controlling our emotions, which can be difficult but is important, because we want everyone available.”
This is something that has actually been a little bit of an issue for some time at Molineux.
Last season, Wolves got the most red cards with six, although one given to Matheus Nunes against Leeds United was eventually overturned. Wolves also finished 2022/23 with 84 bookings – no other Premier League side got more.
This term, Wolves have picked up 24 yellow cards in the league – only Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have more.
It is now much easier to get cards and the Wolves players must try extra hard to restrain themselves and contain their emotions.
It’s very difficult for them sometimes though in the face of refereeing incompetence. But as O’Neil says, he needs everyone available.
