Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Earlier, we asked for your views on Wolves' change of captain, with Mario Lemina losing the armband and Nelson Semedo chosen to lead the side from now on.

Here are some of your comments:

Jim: Lemina is a great player but I do think making Nelson captain is the right decision. He is calm, part of a great Portugal team and highly experienced. If we had a top-performing centre-back, I'd give it to them. We need a new Conor Coady.

Geoff: I agree that Lemina had to be replaced. He is not mature enough yet for the role of captain and let's hope this allows the player more freedom on the pitch. We do need someone in control at the back and I'm not convinced we have anyone of the calibre of Coady or Kilman. Maybe something might happen in January to address this.

Chris: I like Mario as captain. But managed emotion is important in any leadership and he doesn't display that at times. That said, Semedo seems so laid back and not dissimilar to Kilman, he doesn't seem leadership material. It's a problem we could have done without but it does make Lemina 'droppable', which brings more options in midfield.

Peter: Lemina was nowhere near good enough as captain, neither was Kilman who played in all the games in the losing run last season. The whole defence needed a shake-up in the summer, as it does now. No defensive players were bought hence the problem now.

Mike: A good decision to change the captain. A leader should command respect and be able to control their emotions.

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Wolves have a new captain - boss Gary O'Neil confirmed in his news conference on Friday that full-back Nelson Semedo will lead the side from now on, starting with Saturday's game against Ipswich.

The Portugal international has taken on the role from Mario Lemina, following conversations between O'Neil and the midfielder earlier this week.

Lemina clashed with West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen after Monday's 2-1 defeat at London Stadium, with O'Neil saying those types of scenes "can't happen".

Is it the right decision? Have your say

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Ipswich (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Mario Lemina has been replaced as captain by Nelson Semedo following discussions between O'Neil, Lemina and senior players earlier this week. O'Neil said: "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."

• O'Neil said of the incidents involving Lemina after full-time at West Ham on Monday: "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."

• O'Neil has been publicly backed by chairman Jeff Shi following speculation over his position: "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 continued: "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."

• On whether lessons have been learned about the club's transfer strategy heading into the January window: "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."

• Jose Sa and Pablo Sarabia remain out with injury for the visit of Ipswich, while Joao Gomes is suspended.

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Despite remaining in charge, it still seems like the end game for Gary O'Neil at Wolves.

Getting a victory against Ipswich on Saturday was already going to be vital but after Monday's defeat at West Ham, it has become paramount.

A win would move Wolves to within a point of 17th-placed Crystal Palace, who travel to Brighton on Sunday, and three points clear of the Tractor Boys.

Victory would put a plaster over the wound. It would not fix a problem and it feels the next damaging defeat would spell the end regardless.

An Ipswich win would see the atmosphere at Molineux become toxic and leave O'Neil - who faces the media this afternoon - in an untenable position, given he has lost the support of the majority of fans.

It feels like he is the caretaker for his own job, with Wolves unable to find a suitable successor, and has been put in an unsustainable position.

O'Neil, a decent man and a good coach, deserves better than a drawn out exit.

Image source, PA Media

Excluding penalties, Wolves have conceded a league-high 15 goals from set-piece situations this season. Only in their relegation campaigns of 2003-04 (20) and 2011-12 (18) have they conceded more such goals in a Premier League season.

At home, they have conceded 34 goals in 16 Premier League games in 2024 so far. The last time they conceded more home league goals in a year was in 2012 (47 in 23 games), which is the only other year in the club's history they have conceded at a rate of two or more goals per game at Molineux.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has backed under-fire manager Gary O'Neil but admitted it is "essential" that results improve.

The head coach has been under increasing pressure following two wins from the opening 15 games.

Three straight defeats looked to have put him on the brink but Wolves are standing by the 41-year-old ahead of Saturday's visit of fellow strugglers Ipswich.

"I remain grateful to Gary for stepping into such a demanding situation just days before the beginning of a new season [when he replaced Julen Lopetegui in August 2023], and for his commitment to the club every day since then," Shi wrote in his Wolverhampton Express & Star column, external.

"While he knows that improving our results quickly is essential for everyone associated with the football club, we are united in supporting him as all of us strive to make that progress happen."

Wolves are second bottom of the Premier League but would move three points above Ipswich with a win and would be just a point behind 17th-placed Crystal Palace, who go to Brighton on Sunday.

"Since Fosun's ownership began in 2016, Wolves have seen incredible highs and endured tough lows," continued Shi. "Throughout this time, success or failure has never been down to a single individual - it has always been about the collective. Football is, at its core, a team sport, and that principle extends beyond the pitch.

"Business sense plays a key role in all our decisions, with our strategy and operations constantly evolving to adapt to the ever-changing football industry and global landscape.

"Of course, this year, injuries to key players have also been particularly challenging, and I hope for better fortune in 2025. Yet, it is during testing times like these that the true character of a team is revealed."

Wolves could be forced to sell one of their star players in January to avoid a potential profit and sustainability breach. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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It is not exactly a vote of confidence - nothing having been said on the record. Perhaps it is a vote of no confidence in the alternatives? Or, more pointedly, a vote of no confidence by any potential alternative candidates for Wolves. 

Whatever you call it, the outcome of the various briefings over the past few days is that Gary O'Neil will be in charge for the home game against Ipswich on Saturday and, beyond that, into the January transfer window. Unless… unless what? 

As my local-reporting colleague Liam Keen of the Express and Star wrote pithily on Tuesday, external, O'Neil "will take charge of the team at Molineux on Saturday, unless chairman Jeff Shi has a late change of heart."

You could just about argue that in a world where any manager is perceived to be under pressure after a handful of dodgy results, O'Neil's situation therefore passes for normal, or football-normal.

This might be true had those sources piped up in defence before Monday night's game at West Ham. Before that match, the narrative was that Wolves were not merely thinking about - but had gone so far as to contact a number of potential new head coaches.

In the event, 'El Sackico' turned out to be no more than a crude label for a slow-paced, nervous game in a muted atmosphere. A goalless draw, and salvation for nobody seemed likely until a depressingly familiar Wolves sequence in the second half: defensive clanger; spirited response; contentious decision goes the wrong way... defeat.

O'Neil, who remains his own most eloquent advocate, delivered what sounded like his closing speech to the jury as he listed all the senior players who have left since he took over. It is also right to say that, unlike in similar situations, his players have clearly been fighting for him. Their defeats can be attributed to many things, but not a noticeable lack of effort. Just as well, as the news of the search for a replacement would have given a less-committed squad cover to down tools.

So, to Saturday: a game Wolves would normally be expected to win, and which their league position demands they really must. It is to be played in front of an increasingly disillusioned home support. If they lose, then what?

Come to think of it, what happens if they win, and afterwards one of the many coaches Wolves have been sounding out recently changes his mind – as Julen Lopetegui did two years ago – and returns their call?

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Ipswich (15:00) on Saturday on BBC Radio WM (95.6FM)

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Wolves are keen on extending the contract of Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo, 31. (Express & Star), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Jorgen Strand Larsen has been involved in six goals - five goals and one assist - in seven home Premier League appearances for Wolves.

He is yet to end on the winning side in any home game when he has scored, with only Dougie Freedman (six games) and Vitaly Janelt (five) scoring in more home games without winning in Premier League history.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Boss Gary O'Neil remains in charge of Wolves but the focus will quickly shift from him if the decision does not pay off.

By sticking with the under-pressure manager, it leaves chairman Jeff Shi, sporting director Matt Hobbs and owners Fosun open to more fierce criticism from supporters.

The pair are already under the spotlight for this season's struggles given owners Fosun's recent decision to rein in the spending.

That came after years of heavy investment and they wrote off a £126.5m loan in the 2020-21 accounts.

The club lost £46 million in the 2021-22 financial year and then £67.2m for the year ending 31 May 2023 with Wolves just coming under the maximum £105m loss over a rolling three-season period within profit and sustainability rules.

O'Neil cited the £200m of sales [Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes, Max Kilman and Pedro Neto] after Monday's 2-1 defeat at West Ham and, earlier this season, said if clubs sell their best players and fail to replace them they will be weaker.

That has been the case with Wolves unable to bring in a much-needed defender in the summer and they will now target a centre-back during next month's transfer window.

While O'Neil will be the focal point of any fans' anger - especially if Wolves fail to beat Ipswich at Molineux on Saturday - Fosun must now expect the already mounting pressure on them to increase if Wolves' struggles continue.