-
Jeff Carlisle
United States manager Mauricio Pochettino said he is always optimistic about players that switch teams, and is «not worried» about how such a move might affect them.
Speaking to reporters on a zoom call Thursday, and with the winter transfer window about to close in many European countries, Pochettino was asked for his thoughts on defender Alex Freeman‘s pending move to LaLiga side Villarreal, as well as Fulham‘s interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi.
«I am not worried. I am not concerned about if some players are going to move in that transfer window because always, what I expect [is] the best thing and for sure, always for me it’s important that the player feel happy, feel comfortable,» said the U.S. coach.
Pochettino, who spoke to Freeman ahead of the move, added: «If that happens, it is because they want to improve, they want to grow and I think it’s an amazing challenge that we need to support and help and to adapt in the best possible way.»
With the World Cup now just four-and-a-half months away, focus is building on the March international window that will see the U.S. play Belgium and Portugal, with both games in Atlanta.
Those two matches, combined with another two pre-World Cup friendlies against Senegal and Germany, will mark the last times that the players can impress the U.S. coaching staff. For Pochettino, those aforementioned matches in Atlanta are when the World Cup really begins.
«The idea is that the World Cup will start in March when we be all together because it is time to show — like we were showing in the last camps in November or October — our identity, our way to play in the way that we want to perform in the World Cup,» Pochettino said.
«And I think, like I told you before, it’s not only that we have ahead four free games, we have four World Cup games that is important for the player to take with the idea that we need to perform, that we need to show our quality and of course perform in the way that after make sure that we are going to compete in our best in the World Cup.»
The March window comes at a little bit of an awkward time for those U.S. players playing in MLS. The MLS regular season starts on Feb. 21, with some players having four months between competitive matches. By the time the USMNT gets together in March, those MLS-based players will be mere weeks into their regular season, while players overseas will be in the middle of their campaigns.
But Pochettino said that the MLS-based performers have some advantages as well.
«They’re going to be in a very good level of energy, maybe with lack of maybe games, but I think you compensate that with the energy because they came from a period that they rest, they recover and now they’re charging the batteries to be full to start to compete in the end of the or middle of February,» Pochettino said. «And that is very good because I think in March they’re going to be with all the power, and it’s going to be good for them to show the quality.
«And of course for us, it is good because they are going to be with all the energy, with the motivation to be part of the roster and then it’s up to us to make the best decision to add players that deserve to be [there].»
