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Premier League | Gameweek 28

Mar 5, 2022 at 3pm UK

Molineux

Wolves
0 - 2
Crystal Palace

FT(HT: 0-2)

Mateta (19'), Zaha (34' pen.)
Gallagher (53'), Guaita (88'), Hughes (90')

Wolves boss Bruno Lage hits out at Ki-Jana Hoever's lack of professionalism

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 06 March 2022

Lage hits out at Hoever's lack of professionalism

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Bruno Lage criticises a lack of professionalism from Ki-Jana Hoever, who he says 'has not shown the required intensity in training'.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Bruno Lage has suggested that Ki-Jana Hoever did not deserve his place in the starting lineup against Crystal Palace.

With Nelson Semedo sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury, Hoever was given the nod over Jonny, but the Dutchman was forced off with an hamstring issue of his own during the first half.

Rather than show sympathy for the youngster, Lage criticised the 20-year-old's lack of professionalism, claiming that he was unprepared to be handed an opportunity in the first team.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Lage said: "Ki is a good example of the young kids, they want everything to happen [now]. When you are out and your teammate is playing, and you are not training at the intensity, you are not preparing yourself and after, when you have a chance, these kinds of things happen.

"I have too many kids in my team that sometimes don't work the way they should work. They do not prepare the way they should prepare and after, when they come inside [the team], these kinds of things happen.

"When they are in training they are thinking a lot, 'Oh I'm not playing', and I said to them in the first day when I started, 'We are here, you need to continue to work. The first target is to work and improve.'

"Injuries can happen, but this one happened because he was not prepared because Ki sometimes doesn't work in the same intensity. This warning is not only for Ki, it's for all the kids we have in our team.

"They need to understand that I don't waste time with guys who don't work hard every day to improve. I can see guys who are 35 years old and they don't play, like Joao (Moutinho) didn't (at West Ham United), and they are trying to win balls in the air, 'Hey, look at me, I'm here'."

Wolves lost the game at Molineux by a 2-0 scoreline, their third top-flight defeat in succession.