A much-needed victory was secured by Stoke City with a 2-1 win over Sunderland in the Championship on Saturday, providing relief for Stoke City and their manager Alex Neil. This win marks only the fourth for the Potters in the current Championship season, lifting them to 20th place on the table and putting them five points clear of the relegation zone.
Various players made a significant impact on Saturday’s match, with notable performances from Ben Pearson and Enda Stevens. However, full-back Ki-Jana Hoever delivered a somewhat underwhelming performance.
Ki-Jana Hoever, who returned on loan from Wolves during the summer, has made nine Championship appearances this season, contributing one goal and two assists. While he showcased his attacking prowess in the latter part of the previous season, scoring four goals in 15 league appearances for Stoke, questions persist regarding his defensive capabilities.
StokeonTrent Live assessed Hoever’s performance against Sunderland as a 6/10, with journalist Peter Smith stating, “The debate about his quality and offensive threat persists, especially after allowing Jack Clarke space to score the equalizer. Hoever is a genuine threat when pushing up the wing and is willing to challenge Clarke when he’s focused.”
Hoever has demonstrated that he possesses strong attacking abilities repeatedly, but he has occasionally been exposed defensively, as exemplified by Sunderland’s equalizer, which can be partially attributed to his performance.
The full-back role is arguably one of the most challenging positions in contemporary football, requiring players like Hoever to be capable of both offensive and defensive duties while covering the entire length of the pitch for the entire match.
Despite some defensive lapses, Hoever has displayed glimpses of being a competent defender, even when facing one of the league’s top players like Jack Clarke. Given more time and experience, he has the potential to evolve into a well-rounded player.
Stoke City is set to face Leeds United in their next match on Wednesday night.
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