Wolves were pulled apart by Everton on match day 14 of the Premier League season.
Goodison Park played host to the Toffees’ 4-0 thrashing of Wolves on what was a bleak night for the visitors.
Wolves fans made their feelings about Gary O’Neil known at full-time as the manager’s future hangs by a thread.
It’s understood that O’Neil is likely to be in charge for West Ham but pressure is really on the Englishman if he has any chance of turning things around.
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What Mario Lemina and Craig Dawson did against Everton
As expected, the focus of the result is firmly on O’Neil, whose job is in critical danger.
That being said, the manager isn’t solely to blame for what was seen from those on the pitch, with plenty of dreadful Wolves performances against Everton.
The defence leaked four avoidable goals against the Toffees who before facing the Old Gold, hadn’t scored in 360 minutes of Premier League action.
Reacting to the game at full-time, Liam Keen dissected Wolves’ wrongdoings at Goodison, reliving a concerning passage of play that didn’t result in conceding.
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“There was a dangerous low cross, it flashes across goal and goes out,” the Express and Star reporter said before calling out three senior players.
“Mario Lemina the captain, turned his head, looked at the floor, walked in the opposite direction. Craig Dawson, 300 games in the Premier League, turns his head and walks in the opposite direction. Jose Sa picks the ball up and slumps over to take a goal kick.”
It was an astoundingly poor showing from those on the pitch on Merseyside, leading Keen to question the lack of in-game management from the squad’s leaders.
“Someone in that back line needs to get hold of those players in that moment and shake the living daylight out of them. That was the first time this season I’ve not seen the players fighting.”
Gary O’Neil was warned of defensive mistake pre-Everton
The actions of Lemina, Dawson and Sa were rightly called out by the journalist, who was shocked by the lack of leadership and organisation on show.
Such behaviour is unacceptable but that being said, O’Neil can’t be surprised by what he saw defensively from his side.
It was only four days prior to the Everton defeat that O’Neil was warned about playing Lemina in defence, as the boss took a chance on the midfielder.
Despite being made aware of the concerns regarding the Gabonese captain playing out of position, the manager stuck with his gut, which was catastrophic.
Lemina starred against Fulham in central defence but in football, one size does not fit all when coming up against Premier League opposition, something O’Neil had to realise.
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