Jacob Wright Rising to Clement's Challenge
Last season, Philippe Clement laid down a challenge to Norwich City midfielder Jacob Wright. This pre-season shows the youngster has taken it on board and is beginning to deliver. Read more about Clement Targets Left-Backs as Medic and Forson Face Exit.
Speaking about the 20-year-old back in March, Clement said: "Physically, in terms of his endurance, he is a really good player already. We need to get more speed, more power out of him in those duels. That's the next steps to take, but he's doing very well." Read more about Crnac's Return Stalled as Norwich U21s Fall to Boreham Wood.
Implicit in those words and through Wright's higher positioning on the pitch last season, where he played predominantly as a number 10 under Clement, are the areas that required improvement - most of those came off the ball.
Wright's Development in Pre-Season
Everyone can see the passing qualities of Wright. In possession, there is a metronomic quality to his play where he can switch seamlessly from conservative decisions on the ball to line-breaking passes. Those characteristics are natural for a graduate of the Manchester City academy.
They were what shone during his initial loan move to Carrow Road in Johannes Hoff Thorup's possession-heavy style, which helped Wright showcase his talent.
But that is not enough on its own for Wright to become a top number six or eight in a Championship midfield. There needs to be more bite and robustness out of possession if he is to nail down a starting berth next season.
Clement's identification of that weakness explains why many of Wright's minutes last season came higher up the pitch, where any cracks in his out-of-possession work were less likely to damage City's broader structure.
Future Prospects for Jacob Wright
Philippe Clement rates Wright highly and is on a mission to drive his game to the next level. As exemplified against Osasuna, Wright has been in listening mode. There were crunching challenges, improved positioning, and more power in this performance.
Those midfield positions are critical to the structure of the side. It requires a huge amount of trust from the head coach; it feels as though Wright has pushed significantly further into his corner since that final-day appearance against Hull.
Wright's professionalism and dedication, even down to small details like how he works in the gym, have not gone unnoticed. There is a burning desire to forge a strong career, and sometimes the disappointments can serve as the necessary fuel for improvement.
If Norwich can use this period to harden his defensive game and refine his decision-making, then the notion of Wright as a future leader of this midfield becomes much less speculative.
Football has a habit of presenting opportunities through form, fatigue, or injury, and Wright's responsibility is to ensure that, when that happens, he is ready in every department to walk through it. Read more about McConville Demands Resilience as Canaries Face Injury Woes.
It felt, leaving Carrow Road on Saturday, as though this was a young midfielder beginning to move with greater conviction in the right direction.