What Weston McKennie is bringing to Leeds: Athleticism, flair and understanding of space - The Athletic 18/2/23

By Jeff Rueter and Joseph Lowery

When Weston McKennie finalized his move from Juventus to Leeds on an initial loan with a purchase option, it seemed like a chance for the player and his new club alike to evolve. So often, McKennie felt like he was playing under “a little bit too much” restriction in Max Allegri’s system. Among the most athletic midfielders in the world, he was an ideal player to fill roles left vacant as more specialized teammates made the lineup. So, then, one hoped that McKennie would be able to find more specialized marching orders under his new manager and compatriot Jesse Marsch.

Well, that was the idea for just shy of a week.

McKennie made his Premier League debut from the bench as Marsch looked to claw back into a pivotal match with Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, Leeds were unable to break through, falling 1-0 against a relegation-zone rival. The following day, Marsch was dismissed from the club after just under one year on the touchline, with Leeds only above the relegation places thanks to a more favourable goal difference.

Seemingly, a coaching dismissal would scupper much of the sales pitch which pried the midfielder from a swiftly shrinking giant of a team that is still competing in the Europa League. However, Marsch’s role in McKennie’s recruitment was far more along the lines of his job description than his nationality, briefing the United States international on his tactical vision but leaving many of the hard yards to sporting director Victor Orta and midfielder Tyler Adams.

It’s worth remembering that while he left a former perennial Scudetto winner for a team in a relegation battle, McKennie has navigated hardships in his still-young career. After breaking through with Schalke under Domenico Tedesco, he continued to impress after David Wagner was appointed and earned an even greater role in the club. He navigated the pressure of playing under a loan-with-purchase arrangement at Juventus to make a temporary move from Schalke become permanent. He saw the coach who recruited him (Andrea Pirlo) dismissed as that option was sprung and re-integrated under Allegri.

And, as he’s quick to remind anyone who asks, he’s an easy-going personality. We may be used to seeing clubs dreading a relegation battle shell out for hardened veterans of past scraps, proverbial hairy-arsed midfielders who can do a job for the short term. While McKennie is far more finessed than that, his swift smile and affable demeanour should help keep the locker-room mood a bit lighter during the task ahead.

Still, what can we glean from his first 208 minutes of Premier League action? There’s the instant, irresistible chemistry with Adams and, as Tyrell Malacia learned early in Sunday’s clash: McKennie’s got that dawg in him.

It’s the fifth minute of Leeds’ match against Manchester United, their second meeting in four days, and McKennie is up for it. After Leeds lose the ball in the attacking half, the U.S. international sprints back to counter-press Malacia. Okay, maybe it was less of a counter press and more of a counter (“maybe the ’90s never really ended”) crunching slide tackle.

Over the course of his career, McKennie has almost always brought energy, coverage across virtually the entire field and ball-winning to the table. In just three Premier League appearances, he’s already using those three attributes to help his new team.

Marsch may be gone, but Leeds are holding on to the high-octane, press first and ask questions later system. Their line of confrontation is a bit lower, but this team is still aggressive. With McKennie playing next to Adams in a double pivot, Leeds can have real success putting their foot on the gas and pressing, even out of a mid-block.

Here’s a look at McKennie’s positioning alongside Adams in Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Manchester United last week.

Whenever Leeds hire a new permanent manager, McKennie’s on-field responsibilities will undoubtedly change. But many of the skills he’s shown so far in England will add value to any team’s playing any style.

First, there’s his range and athleticism. Then, there’s a more underrated quality: McKennie’s understanding of space. Though he prefers to push forward as a No 8 rather than stay back as a No 6, McKennie does a good job of shifting, stepping, and blocking off passing angles when he is deeper in a defensive block.

A positive example of the U.S. midfielder nailing the small defensive positioning details came in that aforementioned draw against Manchester United. With Adams drawn to the sideline to pressure Wout Weghorst, McKennie is alone in Leeds’ midfield.

Unfazed, he sees a dangerous play unfolding and steps towards the action.

This move to the near side accomplishes a couple of things.

With McKennie breaking towards Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford doesn’t want to put his teammate into a tough spot, so he decides not to force a pass into the middle. That’s a win for Leeds United. But it’s not the only win on this sequence: because Rashford doesn’t want to risk a pass into Fernandes, he decides to dribble out of pressure, splitting two opponents and breaking into midfield. However, McKennie’s decision to move towards the near side puts him in position to step in front of Rashford’s mazy dribble, while still blocking Fernandes…

…eliminating the danger and forcing a loose ball.

The whole sequence is a subtle but exceedingly clever piece of defending that shows McKennie isn’t all about thunderous tackles and yellow cards, though he does like those things quite a bit.

Looking at the attacking side of his game, McKennie has shown some real ingenuity with the ball at his feet. During his first few appearances in England, he’s roamed all over the field in possession for Leeds, dropping into the backline in some moments and pushing forward into the final third in others. Here, McKennie moves deeper and plays a lovely outside-of-the-right-foot progressive pass to Adams in his debut against Nottingham Forest.

And here, after pushing into the attack against Manchester United, McKennie pulls out a clever backheel to send Jack Harrison behind the opposing backline…

…and into the box for a cutback attempt.

McKennie can contribute on the ball, but he’s by no means perfect. Before the aforementioned tackle on Malacia, you’ll see that McKennie is only racing back to defend because he misplays a pass to Crysencio Summerville on the counterattack. McKennie’s pass forces Summerville wide, where Malacia wins the ball, instead of leading him into the box.

Later in that game, McKennie’s failure to check his shoulder…

…gave Fred the chance to pick his pocket in midfield…

…which then allowed Alejandro Garnacho to race behind the back line and score his game-sealing goal.

These mistakes on the ball show that McKennie has his limits in possession. Still, we should extend at least some grace here given the lack of minutes he’s actually played in central midfield since arriving at Juventus in 2020. He’ll likely improve across the board as he continues to settle into his new environment and get reps in a full-time No 8 role.

While McKennie has only played a few games for Leeds and he’s made some mistakes, it’s easy to see why the club wanted to sign him in January. His rare combination of athleticism, strength and flair makes him a valuable and exciting central midfielder.

🗣️ "I know my game and how I can play under any manager."

Weston talks about Jesse Marsch's departure and how he's processed the change so quickly after his arrival. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

🎥 YT/Astro Supersport pic.twitter.com/tkMKcqLJBg

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) February 9, 2023

There will be much more to uncover about McKennie’s fit in the Premier League over the coming months. How he handles neutralizing a team with Champions League ambition will represent a far greater task than the nervier moments to come, particularly in hard-fought battles against other relegation candidates where matches are won on the finest of margins.

Throughout his career, McKennie has been arguably the most amorphous player among the headliners among the United States’ much ballyhooed potential golden generation. While Christian Pulisic has moonlit at wing-back and as a No 10, most assess him to be a winger through and through. Adams has cemented his place as a No 6 after years out wide, while Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah and Brenden Aaronson seemingly fit more defined playing profiles.

The task may be steep for Leeds, but they aren’t operating at a talent deficiency when compared to others among the bottom rung of the table. McKennie brings Champions League and World Cup experience to Elland Road with an even-keeled personality. Helping the team stay up with his lively style of play could make him a swift favourite for years to come.

Conversely, a failure to finish outside of the bottom-three places would almost certainly not be held against him individually. Even amidst the touchline turmoil, it’s a favourable situation for McKennie’s entry into English football. Now, we’ll learn just how much he’s developed over the years as Leeds sorts out its coaching situation — and, if history is any indication, McKennie should be able to adapt no matter who replaces Marsch.