- Wolves extended their impressive form with a 3-0 win over Everton at Molineux
- Players unveiled Lemina’s No5 jersey after scoring the opener on Saturday
- CHRIS SUTTON: Come on Woody! Let the shackles off, you must celebrate a Premier League hat-trick – It’s All Kicking Off
Gary O’Neil has insisted Wolves’ excellent first half of the season would have been impossible without Mario Lemina who missed Saturday’s 3-0 win against Everton because of the death of his father.
Team-mates unveiled his No5 shirt after opening the scoring at Molineux and O’Neil made it clear afterwards the 30-year-old remained uppermost in everyone’s minds after a third consecutive win lifted them to 11th in the table.
‘We’ve all been smiling and enjoying the result in the dressing-room but when you think about Mario, there is a sense of reality,’ said O’Neil.
‘He is going through a tough time. When we came in for the match, he was the first thing we spoke about.
‘He is incredibly important to the group, both as a person and as a player. There is no way we’d be anywhere near 28 points without him. He has our full support and I hope he and his family can find some peace over the next few days.’
Gary O’Neil paid tribute to the 30-year-old who the manager believes has been integral to this success this season
Wolves players unveiled the midfielder’s No 5 shirt after they opened the scoring against Everton
Lemina is currently in France mourning with the rest of his family following his dad’s passing on Friday with O’Neil adding: ‘I am 100 per cent serious when I say he as long as he needs. I hope he and his family are doing as well as they possibly can.
‘It’s desperately sad for Mario as a person. As team, you realise what you are missing as well. There’s huge respect from the group from what he does.
‘Three games in six days has been tough for the players but I’m delighted with the levels the lads managed to reach.’
Everton were surprisingly flat as if the effort of clawing back their 10-point deduction in recent weeks has been too much.
Goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer was shown a yellow card late on which left Dyche remonstrating for the fourth official.
Asked what Mercer’s offence had been, Dyche retorted with a disbelieving tone: ‘He threw a bottle of water on the ground. How dare he!’
Lemina has been one of Wolves’ best performers this season, scoring in each of his last two appearances
He was kind to his players despite their dreadful display.
‘It wasn’t a lack of effort. They had put a lot in to the previous games against Spurs and Manchester City and didn’t get anything for it.
‘I don’t think I feel raw. There is a reality to the game. I know the bigger picture.’
‘Wolves were good today and we didn’t play as well as we can. We were a way from our performance levels and they capitalised on that.’
