What Mauricio Pochettino told Coventry City’s Haji Wright about improving his game
Haji Wright is hoping to benefit from the coaching from Mauricio Pochettino – the man who has worked with world class stars Harry Kane, Neymar and Messi.
The Coventry City striker met his new USA coach during the last international break when the former Espanyol, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss took charge of the nation for the first time, watching the 26-year-old provide an assist in his first game against Panama.
“I’m really enjoying playing football at the moment, playing here and when I go back to the States it feels good to play games and take part in he training,” said Wright. “It felt good to provide an assist and playing for the States is an honour.”
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Asked how he found playing under Pochettino, he added: “He’s a high quality coach who has coached many great players like Harry Kane, Neymar, Messi... It’s incredible.”
As to whether he thinks the Argentinian coach can make him a better player, he said: “For sure, and we have spoken and he has told me about the things I can improve on, and I’m working on those.”
Asked what specific advice he’s been given, the Sky Blues star revealed: “We spoke shortly but he said with my delivery in the final third, he said I should be getting more goals and more assists, and the positions that I get into I don’t always make the right decision. So my decision making also, is a big point he made.
“Hopefully I can just grow as a player and grow in my strength and improve the things that I’m not so good on now and be the best player that I can be.”
The good thing for Wright is that prior to the last couple of games when Mark Robins has switched systems to a 3-5-2, the USA play the same 4-2-3-1 formation that the Sky Blues have played for the most part this season and last, with the centre-forward as comfortable out wide left of the forward three as he is as one of two strikers.
“I play out wide (in a 4-2-3-1) but I also have the licence to come inside, in a free role I guess, so I can choose to come inside or stay out wide,” he said.
“But I don’t mind which I play, they are both strengths of mine. Coming in last season I came in as a striker and ended up going a little wider, and I was able to adjust to that position and get used to it, and now I feel comfortable all across the front line.”
He’s got four goals so far this season, the same amount he had at this stage last year, before going on to bag 19 over the course of the 2023/24 campaign.
“I think I am still finding my feet a little bit this season with some new guys around me but I think once I find my feet then I’ll be up and running,” he said.
“For both me and Ellis to get 19 goals each in our first season was really good for us. Hopefully this season will be the same because on the pitch we understand each other and connect. We have a great team, good group of players here and great management above us, and I’m confident things will improve.”