Napoli has an easier schedule over the next 3 games until next international break, but otherwise, Juventus has as good and in most cases easier schedule over next 3 games vs. other top 7 teams (excluding Napoli)- including 2 games at home for Juventus. So a good chance to push further up the table. As it stands, only 2 points from 4th place and Champions League guarantee. The crisis talk could be very well in the rearview mirror after the next 3 games.
The Eurosport Italia people are going to have an attack with McKennie starting and getting minutes every week. They have been campaigning against him from the start. Today they said again that "McKennie delude" (disappoints) and always have the worst possible take about him. Yes, McKennie is not the most tactically gifted guy out there, but he has a role to keep the other team from taking control over the midfield. There is more than a hint of snobbery in the way they dismiss him.
So has Juventus or Serie A been showcasing more of Weston to help break more into the American soccer crowd?
While they were hard on Wes, they were not complimentary of other Juve players either. It didn't seem like they were picking on Wes.
I think his team dismisses him when they get near the opponents box. Not to the extent of Bradley at Roma but a little bit, I’m sure they value him winning balls and duels in the midfield. Allegri thinks Wes has goals in him but it will have to be him busting into the box and winning a chance here and there.
They probably shouldn't. Kulu not consistent enough and should never play over Chiesa, and Locatelli should be the only locked in starter in the midfield. Wes/Rabiot/Betancur/Arthur should rotate and play based on tactical approaches IMO. None of them have been good enough to take a position and make it theirs. That said, Wes seems like the Wes of last year now and it's been good to see. His energy is back, he seems healthy and hungry, and if Juve and their fans can accept him for what he is there is a big role for him to play here. I think we all hoped he turned a corner last year when he was insane during the Fall, and maybe that potential is still there but he hasn't been that player since.
Translated: Weston MCKENNIE 5 - In the build-up phase he is always behind the man covering him. There is a lack of quality in the Juventus midfield, and the main responsible seems to be him, especially on evenings like this in which his contribution on a physical level is lacking (from 84 'ARTHUR S.V.) ---- They blame the bad play on the midfield, and they blame the midfield deficiencies on Wes. They've been doing this since Day One.
Just as a matter of day-to-day existence, when it comes to Americans abroad what is the logic of zeroing in on every negative possibility and belaboring it? If our guys are playing, why not enjoy it? If not, they will eventually gravitate to situations that give them playing time. Wes is playing for a big club. Good for him. Having experienced European soccer chauvinism for decades, I could not be bothered to worry about what some local pundit thinks.
Bentancur sucks. It’s amusing how poor he is and has not received the vitriol. What exactly is he good at? Not a pure 6. Not a maestro with the ball. Not an athletic box to box. Etc. Rabiot isn’t that good either. add Weston and his inefficiencies and the Italians will ALWAYS blame the black American.
I can't speak for the race-related views of an entire country, but Weston McKennie has not played well in a long time. When he played well they seemed to like him. Now that he is not playing well they seem to not like him. That is the way it seems to go for everyone in this world not named Mason Mount.
That looked pretty damn good to me. Very good at ball recovery and looked to always to push the ball forward. Anyone trying to portray Wes had a bad game or push negativity to Wes is an idiot.
Genuine question, not trying to be an ass, did you watch the game? The answer is somewhere in between as it typically is. I watched a good 50-60% of the time Wes was playing. He has moments where he makes things happen and then he has these moments where it looks like he is just sitting in a spot where he can't receive the ball. That could tactically be what the coach wants, occupy space type of thing, but to fans it looks like he is just standing in positions that are blocked passing lanes and isn't allowing for an outlet.
and what did they say about the other midfielders? Edit: this was the review (google translated) for Locatelli, who also got a 5, same as Wes. “5 He suffers a lot from the pressure and the speed of passage of Barella and Brozovic. It disappears for large parts of the game” Not a glowing review, either. My point is you make it sound like they singled Wes out. While they do say ‘main responsibility’ for Wes their own comments and ratings for other players contradict this. Wes will be fine, obviously.
Yup. I laughed when I saw the Gazetta ratings. If they watched him run around destroying counters and basically being everywhere at once, and then pull a "especially on evenings like this in which his contribution on a physical level is lacking" then I just cannot understand. Arthur is a walking, talking hamstring injury but comes in ad does a stepover or two and they swoon. [makes jerkoff motion]
Yeah, it's silly since Juve never seems to play much better when he's off the pitch. It is as if Allegri is considered a really good coach.......except in this case haha
Wes looked terrific- back to his ol' self. He directly stole or disrupted 6-7 plays there. That had to lead the team or be close. They comment on Wes being behind the play, but they don't understand that Wes 'baits' a lot of players to show the ball or run freely because he knows he can nick it. They fall into the trap when he allows them 1/2 a step and they get too confident. In the 51'.....that was criminal by Bentancur to miss a wide open Wes on the left side and right outside the box and clear shot on goal with a pass. No excuse for that. Shocking.
The guys at EuroSport Italy know enough about the game to perfectly understand what Allegri is doing with McKennie. What they are doing is willfully undermining him at every step because doing that sells.
Let's also not rag on the one guy who takes the time and has the intellectual curiosity to actually visit these forums and news sources and report back here. It's a big ol' world and we're well served to get as many viewpoints as we can
Well, I guess their strategy works! I went to that site from several different devices/IP’s today to reread/translate those ratings. So, more hits for them! LOL