Express & Star

Bruno Lage condemns 'worst' Wolves display of the season

Bruno Lage has condemned Wolves’ ‘worst’ performance of the season in the embarrassing 3-0 loss at home to Brighton.

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Wolves were passive, insipid and out-fought as they crumbled in front of their own fans, handing the Seagulls an easy three points.

Lage seemed deflated at his side for throwing away another opportunity – possibly their last in the race for Europe – and has condemned his side for their display.

“The defeat and the performance (was disappointing),” Lage said.

“It’s hard and easy to talk about this game. It was 90 minutes that we didn’t play and we watched Brighton play.

“I really don’t understand when we arrive at this point and we have a lot of things to conquer and we appeared with a performance like that.

“We have a lot of things to do until the end so that’s why it was so disappointing.

“It’s fair to analyse what we are doing since the first day. There are teams that are doing a great season and sometimes some people don’t talk about us. If other teams are doing a fantastic season, why can’t they say that about us?

“But it’s clear to me that when you come to the position where you have a lot of things to conquer, we didn’t play. It was our worst performance. It was the first time we have suffered three goals and not scored one goal.

“The first half was balanced. We conceded two big chances for them with two penalties, with one cross and one long ball.”

Ruben Neves made a surprise return to the starting XI after six weeks off with a medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee, having only returned to training in the week leading up to the game.

He came off at half-time with Wolves chasing a 1-0 deficit, as Lage added attacking players Pedro Neto and Raul Jimenez in an attempt to get back into the game.

Now, Lage has revealed Neves’ substitution was pre-planned as he regains his fitness.

“They scored the goal and at half-time we changed Ruben because we needed to,” Lage added.

The plan was for Ruben to just play 45 minutes and when losing 1-0 we tried to put Pedro, Hwang and Raul to be more aggressive in front and that was the period where Brighton were the better team.

“There’s nothing to say about that, it’s the little things. Look at what we did in 90 minutes and it’s disappointing because we didn’t play and just watched Brighton play – especially in the second half.”

Right-wing-back Nelson Semedo was handed a blow when he came off just eight minutes into the second half with what seemed like a hamstring injury to his right leg.

If it proves to be his hamstring, it is the same knock that kept him out of the side for a number of weeks after coming off against Arsenal in February.

Semedo needed help limping off the field against Brighton and looked uncomfortable but Lage says the club will need to assess him before giving a timeline on his absence.

“We need to have time to analyse,” he said.

“He felt something and now we need at least 24 to 48 hours to analyse what happened.”

Semedo likely joins Max Kilman and Daniel Podence on the treatment table as Wolves continue their trend of losing key players to injuries.

Kilman’s season is expected to be over with an ankle injury, while Podence is struggling with an uncomfortable blow to his foot.