Juventus has deployed Weston McKennie as a wing-back for a significant portion of this season, despite his primary position being a midfielder. This tactical shift has been influenced by McKennie’s ability to excel in the wing-back role.
While the American midfielder has displayed excellent form when operating in midfield, coach Max Allegri has utilised him as a right wing-back in his 3-5-2 formation. It’s worth noting that Juventus signed Timothy Weah for the wing-back position in the last transfer window.
This tactical decision has resulted in McKennie benching his USMNT teammate, Weah. However, it appears that McKennie’s father is not entirely satisfied with his son’s playing time and would prefer to see him in his natural midfield position.
Calciomercato quotes John McKennie writing on social media:
“Put Mckennie in midfield! Weah on the wing! They have shown that they play well together in their positions.”
Juve FC Says
Every player must be ready for any role at the club if they want to get enough game time and McKennie has been superb so far.
The former Leeds loanee has played many matches for us this term because he can fill in at different positions and we expect him to keep doing that.
Allegri has been in this business long enough to ignore McKennie’s father and his comments will not affect our team selection.
we seem to be regressing already, and not showing more potent tactics, nor anything approaching dominance of a match, or even a first half.
After the sassulo debacle allegri returned to his preferred catenaccio playing style. It’s boring. Relies on a goal out of a mad scramble in the box or wonder goals. It’s unable to come from behind. He prefers this football because he doesn’t prefer and isn’t comfortable playing modern football. It will be this system because he didn’t want responsibility for the sassulo loss because it wasn’t his style. He deferred to the new staff member (can’t remember his name) who instituted modern pressing attacking football. He feels vindicated now because of the loss. In his mind. That system didn’t work. Can’t teach a old dog new tricks.
And as far as mckennie is concerned. He should never play midfield again. He’s horrific in the middle of the park. He has zero positional awareness there. Look at his past two seasons. Every game he’s consistently out of position. Atleast in the wingback role he can be up and down the pitch like he likes to do and is less of a liability. If his father thinks that when he is playing for the national team in midfield vindicates his idea that Weston should be in midfield that is a horrific decision because the level of teams that they play are considerable mediocre and less than what he would encounter in serie A. And we need two wingbacks that need to run all match. Hence mckennie and weah sharing the position. Otherwise there’s no cover for weah. And let’s be honest Weahs defending is less reliable than mckennie. And allegri values defending above all else.