With the recent hiring of Greg Vanney for the head coach position, Galaxy is entering a new era. The ex-Galaxy player turned coach brings hope to the organization with the masterful job he did in turning Toronto FC from one of the worst MLS teams to MLS Cup and Supporter’s Shield winners. He completely transformed the culture of the club, making Toronto the example of MLS excellence year in and year out. His 2017 MLS Cup winning Toronto is arguably considered to be the best team in MLS history and at the very least one of the best MLS teams of all time.

Vanney has quite a daunting job ahead of him with LA Galaxy. With so many years of mediocrity at Galaxy, fans have lost patience and another bad coaching stint would most likely take them over the edge. Unlike, Guillermo Barros Schelotto though, Vanney has already proven that he has what it takes to create a winning culture and team in the MLS.

So how exactly can Vanney revitalize LA Galaxy and bring them back to their former glory days? Before going into potential Vanney line ups and the LA Galaxy roster we need to look at his system and tactics to see how everyone will fit.

Tactics

The core problem that has haunted LA Galaxy in these lackluster years has been a lack of identity. Galaxy hasn’t had a playing philosophy or identity since they won the MLS Cup in 2014. Having an identity provides guidance and consistency in every aspect of a club. From the players signed, lockerroom environment, and on the pitch performance every aspect is guided by a club’s identity and philosophies. When no such identity exists, the club has no guidance or direction.

Greg Vanney comes into LA Galaxy having a clear identity on how he wants his team to play and the kind of players he requires to fit his system. Vanney likes his team to be electrifying on offense through an aggressive possession-based but fluid style with an emphasis on attacking the wide space. On defense, his team normally sits in a high-mid block in a man-oriented pressing system. This clear identity and style was key to Vanney’s success at Toronto.

Vanney is a flexible coach when it comes to formations but he tends to favor a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. However, because of his philosophy of fluidity, the formations aren’t rigid but rather constantly adapting or changing depending on the opposing team. The first example we see of the fluidity of his system is when his team has the ball.

Build Up Phase

On offense, Vanney’s team shifts to a 4-1-4-1 from the 4-4-1-1. The box-to-box midfielder (8) pushes up while the more creative second striker (10) drops down beside the number 8. The defensive midfielder (6) drops down even deeper to be the link between the defense and offense.

Vanney likes his teams to build-up starting from the back. During the build-up phase, the fullbacks stay back to be passing options for the centrebacks and the six. The six, the single pivot, moves laterally to follow the ball being passed across the defensive line to be a passing option to connect the defense to the offense. Once the six receives the ball, his job is then to start the attack by either playing a through ball over the top for the wingers, play a splitting pass to the striker (9), or play it short to the create ten.

This six is the heart of Vanney’s system because he links the entire team together, provides cover for counters, and is always an available passing option to reset play. The six can very much control the tempo and pace of the game in this system. Michael Bradley played this role perfectly at Toronto and had been crucial to Vanney’s system working.

The six requires strong positioning, passing range and defensive capabilities. However the six is not just stuck in front of the centrebacks. Vanney’s system relies on fluidity and balance. If the six finds an opportune space in the attack, he has permission to join the attack. However, when that happens it is up to the eight to sit back instead and cover for the six. Balance.

Finding who can play this six role effectively at Galaxy will be a major priority for Vanney.

Wide Overloads

After the build-up phase is when Vanney wants his team to exploit the wide spaces by creating numerical advantages with overloads. As mentioned earlier, he wants fullbacks to stay back during the build-up phase but this role completely changes once the build-up phase is over. Once build-up is over the fullbacks can push forward push into the attack but not whenever they want. They push when there is an opportunity to create these wide overloads.

A common scenario in Vanney’s system is that the six will play the ball to the ten. Depending on what side that occurs, the winger will then cut inside into the half-space, to allow room for the fullback to overlap and join the attack out wide. At the same time the nine shifts towards the side that this all happening to further overload that area. This gives Vanney’s team a four versus three overload in the wide space. This forces the left-back to mark the winger and leaves the fullback open (light blue).

This isn’t the only type of overload that Vanney drills his team teams to do. There are different variations for different formations and situations within each game. In other scenarios it could be the box-to-box midfielder who runs into the half space and the number ten overlaps. Vanney prepares his team for any possible circumstance. That’s what made Toronto so difficult to play against for so long. Vanney’s teams are flexible and fluid enough to adapt to anything thrown at them.

A large part of that fluidity comes with the elite playmaker, the number ten, in Vanney’s system. Vanney has had the opportunity to coach some brilliant MLS playmakers that have been key to his teams. Vanney’s flexibility to adjust his tactics to put his playmaker in the best possible position to thrive is why they have thrived under him. Nevertheless, Vanney needs an elite playmaker just as much as the playmaker needs him.

Playmaker

While the 6 is the heart of Vanney’s system, the 10 is the brain. They are the puppetmasters of the offense and the catalyst of the attack. While we will be referring to the playmaker as the 10, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily play a traditional number ten role. His two most notable playmakers being perfect examples of not being traditional number tens.

First, it was Sebastian Giovinco who Vanney played as a second striker behind Jozy Altidore in a 4-4-2. Then there is Alejandro Pozuelo who played more as an advanced midfielder and winger. However, there is one common denominator between Vanney’s playmakers regardless of their playstyle. Full creative freedom.

Part of the reason that the system we have seen from Vanney has heavy emphasis on fluidity is to get the most out of these playmakers. Vanney doesn’t want to limit their creativity in any way. The 10 moves around the pitch wherever he thinks is best to make something happen. Vanney coaches his team to make sure they know what to do when the playmaker roams.

With the ten roaming, an unorganized team can get exposed. They need to know how to adjust their positioning to not only support the playmaker in the attack but cover on the defensive side as well. That’s where Vanney does an excellent job in making sure his team can adjust fluidly.

Defense

On defense, Vanney prefers a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 in a man-oriented high press. The most defining aspect of his system is the man-oriented part. A lot of modern defensive systems have zone-oriented systems. When defending, each player has to cover a specific zone that they are in charge of marking any opposing player who enters that zone. However, once that opposing player leaves the zone the player doesn’t follow him out of it but rather his teammate who has that new zone covered does.

In a man-oriented system such as Vanney’s, instead of players having zonal assignments they have player marking assignments. Each player has a specific opposing player they need to mark throughout the game. The specific player they need to mark can change throughout the game but they will always have a marking assignment. For Vanney, the most important of these assignments is the marking of the opposing double pivot.

Vanney puts a strong emphasis on marking the opposing midfield double pivot. Most teams in MLS play with a 4-2-3-1 and have a double pivot of midfielders to provide defensive stability and help the build up on the offense. If they are tightly marked and unable to get the ball it forces the opposing team to have to play wide which is what Vanney wants.

While Vanney has a very particular philosophy and system he wants to play, he still remains flexible to adjust his tactics on a game to game basis. Now that we have an understanding of Vanney’s system, it’s time to see how the current LA Galaxy’s roster fits into his system.

Roster

While the team’s 2020 record may not reflect it, on paper, LA Galaxy has a decent roster with potential but is missing some key pieces. However, the roster that Vanney is inheriting is better than the one he inherited at Toronto FC when he arrived in 2014. The roster has a mix of experience and youth but depth outside the first 11 is lacking. With that said, there a still quite a lot of question marks surrounding the roster.

Let’s first take a look at how Galaxy would line up in Vanney’s system if there was a game today. This is assuming if the recent reports on Pavón going back to Galaxy are true.

Defense

Analyzing the roster starting from the back to the front, we will start with the defense including the goalkeeper position.

At goalkeeper, new signing Jonathan Bond should be the day one starter. Bringing much experience from Europe and using up an international roster spot, he has clearly been brought in to play day one. Behind him, Galaxy has great depth at the keeper position with Klinsmann. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he will continue to be a backup keeper as he has been the majority of his young career.

As for the centreback pairing, this was an issue in the 2020 season that finally received attention this offseason. Whether it was because of coaching or individual reasons, LA Galaxy has struggled to find an inspiring centreback pairing for years now. With new signing Derrick Williams, Galaxy and Vanney are getting exactly what they needed. Williams is a left-footed centreback with great mobility and passing range. All traits suited to the high defensive line and possession based style Vanney likes his team to play.

As for his partner, Steres was the most consistent of the centrebacks last season. It could very well be DePuy or Gonzalez with no one out of contention with a new coach. However, Steres seems to fit the profile of centreback who fits Vanney’s system the best of these three. Centrebacks in this system will have to defend in transition often so it also important to have great fullbacks who can help cover.

Luckily for Galaxy, they do possess some top-quality fullbacks. Fullback is by the strongest position for the Galaxy on the defensive side. With the recent acquisition of MLS Cup winner, Jorge Villafańa from Portland, they are getting one of the most consistent MLS left-backs of the past 6 years. Combined with the young and explosive Araujo, it will make for potentially one of the best MLS fullback pairings in the league.

Both players also have large engines and can run at top gear for 90 minutes and more. This might prove to be even more useful with the lack of pace at centreback. They will probably find themselves having to run back on defense often to help their slower centrebacks stop counterattacks. Behind Villafaña and Araujo, Galaxy also has some good depth with Oniel Fisher, Danilo Acosta and young Josh Drak.

Midfield

The biggest question in the midfield is who is going to be Vanney’s new Michael Bradley. The only defensive midfielder on the Galaxy roster as of writing this is young Panamanian international, Carlos Harvey. Most of his playing career in the US has been in USL but was brought up to the Galaxy first team late into the 2020 season. While he certainly has potential, his professional playing experience is limited.

With the number six role being the heart of Vanney’s system, it is crucial to have a general in that position. As previously mentioned, this player needs to be defensively solid, have good positioning, and a strong passing range. Harvey does possess these traits at a core level but will have to refine them in order to run the midfield as Bradley did at Toronto for Vanney. Bradley came into Toronto an established player, Harvey is in the complete opposite stage of his career.

As for the number eight, Dos Santos is a fantastic player for Vanney to have in that role. He’s great in possession and able to unlock defenses with his late runs and passing in the final third. All skills very much suited to the number eight role under Vanney. However, the concern would be those times when Dos Santos does have to come back to defend which isn’t his strong suit. As well as the lack of depth in the midfield, a common trend throughout the rest of the positions in this Galaxy team.

Wingers

Things get interesting when it comes to the attacking players of Galaxy. One of the few bright spots of Galaxy in the past couple of years has been Cristian Pavón. However, his loan finished after last season and he is technically a Boca Juniors player as of writing this. Galaxy is keen on bringing him back and the feeling is mutual with Pavón. Bringing him back should be another priority for Galaxy.

Pavón has been one of the few dynamic Galaxy players since arriving in 2019. In many games, Pavón seemed to be the best chance for Galaxy to create something on offense. With Vanney preferring his wingers to cut into the half-spaces, Pavón could flourish under him. Both Pavón and Álvarez working the half-spaces would help get the most of their individual creative abilities. They would also both be cutting onto their stronger foot. All that combined with the fullbacks, Villafaña and Araujo, overlapping could prove to be a nightmare for opposing teams to defend against.

Once again, the winger options behind these two is very limited and the quality drops off significantly.

Striker and the Number Ten

Perhaps the two biggest questions surrounding this roster have to do with the striker and the number ten positions. The first question is whether Chicharito will bounce back from a disastrous debut season in MLS. LA Galaxy is paying him a fortune and he will need to pay it back this season will goal production. His lack of production wasn’t necessarily all his fault, however. Apart from the off-field issues he went through last season with his injury and divorce, on the pitch Guillermo did not set up Chicharito for success.

Chicharito is a pure poacher, he needs service to get the most out of him. Many times last season, he was too isolated up top and the only service he would get would be desperate crosses. This made defending against Chicharito and Galaxy very straightforward for opposing teams. Vanney’s Galaxy won’t be so drab and predictable, further helping put Chicharito in the best position to thrive.

Vanney’s use of the playmaker also known as the ten will also be advantageous to Chicharito. Part of the reason why Jozy Altidore thrived under Vanney was that he had Giovinco to keep opposing teams’ attention and to play off of. So many times teams would focus on stopping Giovinco that Altidore was left openings to exploit to score easy goals. This suits Chicharito even better with his excellent off-the-ball movement and his poaching nature. However, this leads us to the biggest question for this roster.

Who will be Vanney’s Giovinco or Pozuelo in LA? As of right now, the best choice would be Lletget, however, he is nowhere near the level of either Giovinco or Pozuelo. He doesn’t possess the creativity, flair, or technical ability to run the offense. Galaxy needs their elite playmaker who can link the offense together and single handily take over games. If Galaxy bring back Pavón, they would have no more Designated Players slots left to bring in that number ten.

Finding this player should be the number one priority for Galaxy. There is a case for Álvarez slotting in more centrally as that second striker/playmaker and it would give him creative freedom to operate in the middle. However, Álvarez is still very much raw and isn’t consistent enough to lead the offense just yet. Galaxy may have to wait out Dos Santos’ contract, renegotiate it or sell him in order to make space to buy an elite DP playmaker. This should be something that LA should highly consider because of the difference an elite playmaker can make in Vanney’s system.

Continuing with the trend, the depth in these positions is severely lacking and needs to be addressed in order for Galaxy to make it through a long season.

Conclusion

While this LA Galaxy team has potential it will not by any means be an easy task for Vanney to get them back to winning ways. There are four main keys to give this team the best shot of winning in the 2021 season. The first is to sign an elite playmaking Designated Player. The second is to resign Pavón. The third is to get Chicharito scoring. Lastly, the fourth and most overlooked one is to get Harvey comfortable playing in MLS. While these won’t guarantee Galaxy becoming contenders in the West, they sure will put Galaxy in the best position to succeed.

Greg Vanney has already built up one club from being at the very bottom to be at the very top year in and year out. His time and impact at Toronto will go down as one of the most impressive coaching stints in MLS history. However, LA Galaxy is a rebuild and will provide its own unique challenges. With the rich winning history both the Galaxy and Vanney have, he will have high expecations to live up to. What a story it would be if the ex-Galaxy player turned coach turns things around at his old club. While there is a lot of work to be done, LA Galaxy is in the best hands to rebuild its legacy.

The post How Greg Vanney Can Rebuild LA Galaxy’s Legacy appeared first on Regal Soccer.

With promotion at stake, Swansea has been scrambling to increase their depth this January transfer window. A large part due to loanees Morgan Gibbs-White, Kasey Palmer, and Viktor Gyokeres all being recalled to their parent clubs. With Swansea pushing for a promotion, manager Steve Cooper is looking to bolster his attacking options.

Morris has been a key attacking piece to the Seattle Sounder’s recent success. Winning two MLS Cups during his 4 seasons played there, Morris being crucial in those MLS Cup runs. Jordan has accumulated 42 goals and 21 assists in 129 games for the Sounders. While European interest has been there for Morris since 2016, Jordan Morris will be leaving the MLS for the first time in his career at 26-years-old.

Player Profile

Jordan Morris is an incredibly hard working and flexible attacking option. He can play any forward position but has found his best form playing as an inverted winger on the left for Seattle. The most obvious strength Morris has is his powerful running ability. Morris’s stocky physique is not one of a typical soccer player and combined with his impressive speed it makes for a dangerous combination.

His pace and power are the main attributes that define his playing style. He uses them to explode past players one versus one but also to play off the shoulder of defenders and run in behind. The latter being a very useful ability to Swansea and their system. More on that later.

However, Morris isn’t only all brute strength and speed. An underrated aspect in Morris’s game is his playmaking ability. While he’s no number ten, Morris does possess good vision and passing ability for a direct attacker like himself. He shouldn’t be relied on to be the creative catalyst of a team but can link up play nicely, cross the ball, and create if needed. It is one of the aspects of his game that he has improved on the most throughout the years.

One of the main reasons that Morris’s playmaking ability was hindered early on in his career was that he practically had no left foot. Morris was heavily dependent on his right foot and it was holding him back. He realized this and has drastically improved it. He isn’t fully two-footed but is capable of consistently crossing and scoring on his weaker left foot.

The most impressive part about Morris, however, isn’t his pace, power or playmaking but his incredible worth ethic. Morris leaves everything on the pitch every time he steps on it. On offense he is constantly moving either looking for the ball or running in behind. He runs after every 50/50 and isn’t afraid to run back on defense and put in a tackle to stop a counter. If one thing is guaranteed that you will be getting from Morris every time he is on the pitch is 110% effort.

Some weaker aspects of his game are his finishing and close control dribbling.

While Morris’s finishing isn’t terrible by any means it is nothing special. It’s very average. Due to his smart off the ball movement, most of Morris’s goal-scoring opportunities are high percentage shots. For these high percentage opportunities, his finishing ability is more than sufficient. With that said though, Morris is by no means a clinical finisher.

While Morris has definitely improved his first touch and dribbling it still isn’t anything super impressive. His strength definitely comes with having space to work with. When playing against really defensive sides who don’t give much space he can struggle. He doesn’t have the close control required to beat opponents one versus one in tight spaces in and around the box.

So how does Jordan Morris fit at Swansea City under Steve Cooper’s system?

Swansea City

Swansea City has found plenty of success playing a 352 under Steve Cooper this season. The most obvious thing that stands about Cooper’s current system is that there are no wingers. This seems to be an immediate problem on paper because Jordan Morris’s preferred position is left-winger. The current two strikers in Cooper’s 352 are André Ayew (left) and Jamal Lowe (right). However, they don’t play a traditional number nine role.

Ayew’s role is that of a deep-lying forward who drops deeper to help in the transition from defense to attack. He’s the creative playmaker of the two strikers so you want him to be on the ball as much as possible. Therefore he has complete freedom to roam and drop to receive the ball from any position he sees fit.

Lowe’s role on the other hand is to pull defenses by drifting wide and running in behind. Sound familiar to a particular Sounder’s strengths? Lowe has been in top form recently scoring 7 goals in his last 7 games. He won’t be losing his starting position anytime soon but his role fits Morris’s strengths.

Morris would most likely be filling this role to give Lowe a break as a sub or playing the cup games. They also happen to be the same exact age with Lowe being the elder of the two by 3 months. Morris’s speed and smart off-ball movement are perfectly suited to this role. He would not only be providing depth but also competition to Lowe in that position.

The other but less likely possibility is that Steve Cooper switches to a 343 formation. With Morris as the left forward, Lowe as the right forward, and Ayew in the middle of them playing the false 9. While this is much less likely, it is possible if Morris impresses enough and Lowe keeps his fine form. Cooper could want to find a way to fit all three players in the starting line up and a 343 could be a very viable option to do so.

Conclusion

Jordan Morris has finally decided to step out of his comfort zone and is headed to Europe. It is a six-month loan that could potentially change the entire perception of his career. It is an opportunity for him to prove to American fans and more importantly himself that he can cut it in Europe. He is being thrown straight into the fire in the midst of Swansea City’s promotion battle in the Championship. If he performs well and helps Swansea get promoted it could potentially mean he will become a Premier League player.

For Swansea City, they are getting a tireless worker and a dynamic player who can make an immediate impact. They are getting such player on a low-risk loan deal but with high potential upside. Jordan Morris’s direct playing style, power, and speed are all well suited to the Championship. Not to mention that in terms of culturally adapting it should be easier for Morris considering he already speaks English.

A great opportunity has arrived for Jordan Morris in Europe, it’s now up to him to prove to everyone he has what it takes.

The post Jordan Morris: Swansea’s Depth Solution? appeared first on Regal Soccer.

With four months left until that estimated deadline, there still have been no solid rumors surrounding who could end up being Charlotte FC’s first-ever head coach. However, there is an available coach out there who seems to tick every box for what Charlotte FC are looking for. His name is Peter Uneken.

Coaching History

Dutchman, Peter Uneken, is the current coach of Jong PSV, the U-21 PSV squad that plays in the second division of the Netherlands professional football pyramid.

Uneken, a former professional player, started his coaching career at NEC Nijmegen as a youth coach there for three years. Afterward, he began his 7-year coaching career at PSV at the helm of the PSV U-14 team. Then he went on to coach the PSV U-17 team for two seasons before taking charge of Jong PSV for four years starting as the assistant coach and becoming the head coach two years later.

His two seasons as head coach of Jong PSV have resulted in finishing in eighteenth place his first season and currently in sixteenth place in his second season. While these results seem to be alarmingly awful at first glance, Jong PSV can be extremely inconsistent due to the nature of it being a youth team playing in a professional league.

Players come and go at a constant rate and it makes it difficult to build cohesiveness and chemistry within the team. The best Jong PSV players are consistently either being moved up to the senior team or sold to clubs around the world. The high player turnover rate at Jong PSV makes the job of finishing at the top of the table that much more challenging. Fortunately, finishing high on the table isn’t what the Jong PSV head coach is judged on, but rather developing youth players into professional footballers.

But what about Peter Uneken screams perfect fit for the head coach position at Charlotte?

Availability

The first and most obvious question when it comes to hiring a coach is… are they even available for hire?

Uneken has already publicly announced his departure from the club after the end of 2021 season, “I had a great time here, but I feel I am ready to take the next step in my career.” His departure from PSV happens to align perfectly with the timeline that Charlotte FC has set for hiring the head coach.

Charlotte sporting director, Zoran Krneta, has mentioned in previous interviews that the club’s goal is to hire the head coach before the upcoming summer and winter transfer windows. The reasoning behind this is so that the coach can be a part of the recruitment process in those two crucial windows.

Speaking of recruitment…

Recruitment

If Uneken were to be hired, he wouldn’t be the only ex-PSV employee at Charlotte FC. Charlotte’s director of scouting is Thomas Schaling who previously was a senior scout at PSV and is also Dutch himself. But why does this matter?

With both Uneken and Schaling coming from the school of PSV their recruitment philosophies will align. They will have an understanding because of their past experiences at PSV. It could be very well possible that Schaling already personally knows or has met Uneken. This connection will help facilitate the entire recruitment process.

The chemistry between the head coach and director of scouting can’t be overlooked. The relationship between the two positions directly affects the team on the pitch. This will be especially crucial with the upcoming transfer windows where Krneta, Schaling, and the future head coach will be working closely together to build a competitive inaugural squad.

Part of the Charlotte FC recruitment philosophy that Krneta and the scouting department have prioritized is youth.

Youth Development

The club has consistently talked about how they want to make youth development a priority. Their goal is that the Charlotte FC academy continuously produces quality players who can contribute to the first team. This goal is something that Uneken is very familiar with coming from one of the most elite youth producing clubs in the world.

Uneken had the following to say about his work with the youth in his announcement on leaving Jong PSV, “At PSV U21, we play professional football but are secondary to the first-team squad. Our main duty is to deliver well-rounded footballers into the professional game. And that’s what we have done. We are half-way through the season but as many as six players have made their professional debut and Yorbe Vertessen has been promoted to the senior squad, which makes everybody at the PSV Academy very proud.”

Uneken’s entire job as head coach of Jong PSV revolved around taking raw, young prospects and shaping them into proper footballing professionals. PSV does this as well as anyone else in the world and Charlotte would be inheriting all their trade secrets in hiring Uneken.

With 7 years of experience within the youth system of PSV, Uneken undoubtedly has learned PSV’s strategy in producing world-class talent consistently. He would benefit the Charlotte FC academy massively and would be key in helping the youth players transition into the professional game.

His experience at PSV has also helped him in learning the best ways to communicate with youth players and create those connections that are so crucial to their development. Interacting with youth players requires a drastically different approach compared to veteran professionals. This not only benefits Charlotte academy players but any young players that Charlotte FC signs in the future.

Uneken would also have considerable contacts as PSV to organize loan or permanent moves to Charlotte for young players within the PSV academy system or professional teams. Charlotte FC could utilize this to acquire some of the best young talents at PSV and throughout the Netherlands.

Developing youth is easily Uneken’s biggest strength. You could call him a specialist in that department. He would have no problem trusting the youth and integrating them into the first team at Charlotte.

Playing Philosophy

“We will play attractive, attacking soccer that our fans will appreciate,“ Zoran said. ”And, of course, we will try to win every game.” These are the words of Zoran Krneta early on in an interview when asked about the playing philosophy the club will have.

PSV plays an attacking, possession-based football from the academy levels to the senior team. Uneken’s playing philosophy would line up with what the club is looking for. He would bring that attractive PSV style of play to Charlotte.

While Charlotte has only signed three players thus far, those players fit this style of play, hence why they were signed by the club. Sergio Ruiz, the club’s first-ever signing, said in an interview with Regal Soccer that he prefers playing in a vertical, possession-based system.

With that said, how well he could implement that system in the MLS would remain to be seen.

Conclusion

Peter Uneken may not be the flashy signing fans would want but he ticks every box that Charlotte FC is looking for in a head coach. The only concern, a significant one at that, would be his lack of substantial head coaching experience. It is also for this reason that a head coaching job for Charlotte FC would be a realistic possibility.

His lack of professional coaching experience wouldn’t make him an attractive coaching option for any team within the top 5 leagues. Leaving perhaps a small team within the Eredivisie or the other smaller European leagues to take a chance on him. While that is plausible, none of those opportunities would seem as attractive as the Charlotte FC job.

Charlotte FC would be offering an incredibly unique experience and more exposure for Uneke as a head coach. He would be leading a brand new team in a new country but working within a familiar environment alongside a majority Dutch scouting department. With the Charlotte FC front office leaning towards hiring a European coach, on the surface, this hiring makes perfect sense.

Uneken looks to be a remarkably compatible option for the Charlotte FC head coach position. With the grand puzzle of Charlotte FC slowly coming together, Peter Uneken could be a piece that fits perfectly into it.

The post Peter Uneken: Charlotte’s Perfect Fit? appeared first on Regal Soccer.

Speaking of Adelaide United, Riley had a brilliant 2019-20 season in the A-League notching 10 goals and 5 assists from the midfield position. He finished the season with an impressive goals and assists per 90 rate of 0.68 (FBref). He also had a 57% involvement in moves ending in a goal (smarterscout). His performances were rewarded by receiving the A-League Young Footballer of the Year reward. A feat even more impressive considering the circumstances of Adelaide United this past season…

Adelaide United had the youngest starting line up in the A-League with the average age of the squad being 25 years old. With a young team, inconsistency will naturally be a part of it and that inconsistency held them back throughout the season. Regardless, McGree managed to have the best season of his young career all while on an inconsistent team that finished in 7th place out of 11 total teams.

So what is it about McGree’s game that ultimately contributed to an outstanding season and being hyped up as one of Australia’s most exciting young prospects? And how will it translate to MLS?

Athleticism

The first thing that stands out about Riley is just his pure, raw athleticism. He stands at a respectable 5 foot 10 inches and has a fit and lean body physique. While he is naturally athletic, it isn’t all genes. Riley has been putting on more mass throughout the years and its effects have definitely shown on the pitch. He is naturally a fast and explosive player but adding on more mass has increased his strength and ability to hold players off. A great example of this strength combined with his explosiveness can be seen in the clip below.

Even with Riley’s recent weight lifting and increase in mass, it hasn’t affected the speed he has always had. He still remains as explosive and fast as ever and perhaps even more. Riley’s athletism is also enhanced by his work ethic. Being naturally athletic and also possessing a strong work ethic makes for a powerful combination. The clip below demonstrates how this combination Riley possesses can produce something from nothing.

A common aspect about MLS that foreigners have continually mentioned they’ve had to adjust to is the physicality of the league. Serie A and Italian national team legend, Andrea Pirlo, had this to say about playing in MLS in an interview, “It’s a very hard league to play in. It’s very physical, there’s a lot of running. So there is a lot of physical work…..” With that said, Riley’s athleticism will benefit him greatly in MLS and he should have no problem adjusting to the physicality of the league. Adjusting should be even easier as well considering he is on loan at one of the most physical leagues in the world… the second division in England, the EFL Championship.

Being athletic and having a great work ethic is very important but if you don’t have any technical or mental skills on the pitch, they will only take you so far. While Riley is well-rounded in both these departments, he has two skills that stand out the most.

Off The Ball Movement

For a young player like Riley, the technical aspects like dribbling, shooting, and passing are easy to train and improve on. The majority of young professional players can further develop and improve these aspects over time just throughout training and playing throughout their seasons. However, most young players tend to struggle to grasp the mental aspects of the game. Young players who have an aptitude in the mental side of the game tend to stand out. Riley is one of these young players who has this aptitude for the mental side of the game and his exceptional off the ball movement is a byproduct of it.

A perfect demonstration of Riley’s excellent off the ball movement can be seen in this game versus Melbourne City. As the ball gets switched towards the left side of the pitch, Riley recognizes the open space (blue) within the area and moves towards it. The Melbourne City defensive midfielder, Joshua Brillante, tails him.

The ball has been switched and the Adelaide left-back has possession and is looking to find a pass in the open space. The Melbourne City midfielder recognizes that Riley is trying to occupy that open space and create a forward passing option for the Adelaide left-back so he steps in front of Riley’s path towards the open space (red). He blocks Riley’s path towards the open space leaving the left-back without any threatening forward passes.

Riley reacts quickly to the midfielder stepping up to block his path. The Melbourne City right-back is pushing up to go mark the left-winger at the same time Brillante steps up to block the passing lane towards Riley. Riley recognizes and sees that when the Melbourne midfielder and right back step up, all that space in behind them (blue) will open up. He immediately stops his run towards the initial open space and changes his run into the space behind the two Melbourne players. Riley hopes that his fellow Adelaide left-back sees his run and makes the pass in behind into the space he is running to.

His left-back does indeed end up making the pass in behind and plays Riley through. As you can see, Riley’s run dragged the defensive midfielder (1) out of his original position in front of the two center backs, leaving that area completely uncovered. The space is open for any Adelaide player to make an uncontested run into, which is what Riley’s teammate (green circle), smartly opted to do. Riley’s run also forced the right center back (2) to leave his central position in order to close down the open space that Riley would have to dribble freely into the opponent’s penalty box.

With the defensive midfielder and the right center back being dragged out by Riley’s run it leaves his two teammates free to run into the box unmarked (1 & 2). This left Riley with two open targets to hit with a cross and potentially score a goal. While the play didn’t result in a goal because Riley’s cross was short, it still shows how Riley’s off the ball movement can create scoring opportunities for his team.

Even if the player doesn’t score a goal from his off the ball movement that doesn’t mean it is useless, quite the opposite. What makes being good at moving off the ball so important is the fact that it creates advantages for your team. Good off the ball movement creates overloads, it drags opponents out of their position creating gaps in their shape, and helps advance the ball into threatening areas. All of these direct results of good off ball movement lead to not only more goal scoring opportunities but also higher quality opportunities.

Observable in the clip below, throughout a game Riley is constantly scanning his surroundings for open space to exploit. He rarely sits still and stays in one place. His head is always on a swivel looking for the next available open space. Not only does Riley have a good vision and understanding of off the ball movement but he can process this information quickly. He doesn’t have to stop and think about his next move. He reacts almost immeditealy and gets into the open spaces as soon as they are available.

Great off the ball movement is a valuable skill and ability to have for any player on any team. However, it becomes invaluable when you combine a keen off the ball ability with clinical finishing, perfectly weighted passes, or both…

Versatile Finishing

Although Riley plays as a midfielder, he’s finishing ability is that of a seasoned striker. He led Adelaide United in scoring with 10 goals which is even more impressive considering the position he plays. He has a magical left foot that is capable of creating spectacular goals from nothing but also puts away easy chances. While his passing is decent, it can still improve but it is McGree’s striking ability that really shines in the final third. Whether the finish is from a tap in, volley, outside the box, weak foot, curler, or scorpion kick, Riley is capable of finishing in a multitude of different ways. Examples of Riley’s versatile finishing ability can be seen below.

Left Foot

Right Foot

Tap In

Touch & Shoot

Curler

Volley

Outside The Box

And for fun… Scorpion Kick

Conclusion

Riley’s versatile finishing ability and his excellent off the ball movement is a deadly combination in the midfield. McGree’s runs into open space in and around the box along with his finishing ability remind me of one of, if not the best midfielder in the world right now. Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne is in a league of his own and will go down as one of the best midfielders to play the game. Even though McGree isn’t anywhere close to De Bruyne’s level, his position, versatility, physique, and style of play are unexpectedly quite similar to that of De Bruyne’s. He can finish inside and outside the box, has great off the ball movement, and is versatile enough to play in the midfield as well as out wide. All traits that make De Bruyne extremely valuable to Manchester City and one of the best midfielders in the world.

While Riley is far off from being at De Bruyne’s level, and most likely never will reach it, he has only recently turned 22 years old. He still has much room to further develop in to reach his full potential. One aspect that Riley isn’t particularly bad in but he could definitely improve in order to reach his full potential is his passing. Riley also needs to get on the ball more and dictate play. Once he improves these aspects he will be the complete attacking midfielder.

Charlotte FC has itself an exciting, dynamic young player who has only just begun tapping into his full potential. As of right now, Riley McGree’s main focus and goal should be to become a regular starter and contributor at his loanee club, Birmingham City. He’s off to a decent start in the championship scoring a goal in his first start for the club a week ago. The Championship is an ideal place for Riley to develop in to prepare for the MLS. The physicality and speed of the game in the Championship is superb preparation for the physical style of MLS. It is very likely that Charlotte will be getting an even better version of Riley McGree than the one right now on his return from his loan spell in the Championship.

Riley McGree is an athletic, dynamic, exciting young player who will no doubt be key to Charlotte FC in their inaugural season. He will provide goals and assists from the midfield position and whose superb positioning will be a struggle for MLS defenders to deal with. Riley may be Australia’s golden boy but he shouldn’t be taken lightly because of his young age. He has all the potential and ability to quickly develop into an elite attacking midfielder in the MLS and more.

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Even though Pozuelo plays in the midfield like Ruiz, he is limited to one position and role. Pozuelo is a specialized cheese knife, he is a master at one role. Ruiz on the other hand is a swiss army knife. He isn’t limited to just one position and role. He isn’t amazing at one thing but rather good at multiple things. One could say his specialty is… versatility?

In the modern game, high pressing systems dominate throughout the world. To play these high pressing systems, athletic and versatile midfielders are needed. Sergio Ruiz had a reported 10 European teams interested in loaning him. It is this versatility and athletism that made him so high in demand. So we know he’s versatile, but what stands out in Ruiz’s game?

Reading the Game

When people discuss midfielders they are quick to point out their tackles, interceptions, pass completion rate, etc. However, there is an underlying skill that is at the core of all these statistics and the lack of it hinders even the most talented of midfielders. That skill is reading the game.

What does that mean? Reading the game means the player’s ability to notice and integrate the moving information on the field, including the ball, the team members, the opponents, as well as the actions they perform.

Reading the game is key to high pressing systems which are heavily favored at the moment. In pressing systems, if one player isn’t aware of their surroundings and isn’t capable of reading the game it puts the whole system at risk of falling apart. It is this ability that makes Sergio so valuable to any team.

In this example in Sergio Ruiz’s Las Palmas debut against CD Leganés, he (white crown) is in extremely vulnerable position along with his teammate. His teammate and him are in a 3 versus 2 scenario. If the ball manages to get passed Sergio and his teammate to the opposing player in the red circle then it can expose the entire defense. The Leganes attacker would have acres of space to either pass to his two teammates behind him, carry the ball forward dribbling or play a splitting ball down the line to the wide player in the bottom left. Sergio recognizes that in order get to the ball to the player in the red circle, the player with the ball has to pass first to the player in the middle of the pitch at the halfway line. Sergio is aware of this potential threat before it becomes a real threat. But you can see a threat and not properly extinguish it.

Sergio, however, moves quickly to extinguish the threat. He runs towards the player receiving the pass before the pass even gets to him to apply pressure and avoid giving him an easy passing lane to the threat (red circle). If Sergio had instead opted to track back and cover red circle, then it would have given a passing lane to the player in the orange circle. If this player received the ball, it would be another set of new threats to the defense. Sergio made the right choice and rather opted to pressure the player in front of him.

Sergio is able to apply the pressure he wanted and forces the opposing player to try and dribble out of the pressure. He knows he has his teammate for help so he only has to force the opposing player to go wide. In doing this he continues to cover the passing lane towards red circle which only gives the Leganes player one option— to pass towards his winger in the bottom left.

The Leganes player runs out of dribbling room and is forced to pass to his winger. By this point, it is too late and the Leganes player has run into Sergio’s teammate who has closed down space between the Leganes player with the ball and the winger on the byline. Sergio’s teammate is set up for an easy tackle on the Leganes players right has he tries to pass to his winger forcing a turnover.

Because of Sergio’s ability to read the game, he was able to completely nullify a tactical advantage the opposing team had and force a loss of possession. In what otherwise could have easily resulted in Las Palmas’ defense being exposed and giving Leganes a goal scoring opportunity.

In this second example of Sergio’s ability to read the game, Sergio has been caught out by a pass made by the Zaragoza player which then is quickly passed down to the Zaragoza player furthest to bottom right.

However, Sergio doesn’t panic. He recognizes the biggest danger is a pass back to #2 on Zaragoza (red circle) because he would have a clear lane to dribble through the massive gap between the center backs. Instead of chasing down #2 he just runs in between #2 and the Zaragoza player who wants to make the pass in order to block that passing lane.

This results in the Zaragoza player having to make a difficult pass past Sergio that ends up deflecting off Sergio’s thigh and instead of #2 being able to receive the ball in his stride to run straight at goal, he has to receive the pass behind him. Sergio recognizes this and instead of trying to make the tackle there, he runs towards where he anticipates the Zaragoza player will turn towards.

This leads to an easy tackle for Sergio and the threat diminished. Even though Sergio was beat on the first initial pass, he wasn’t reactive but proactive. He read the situation, acted accordingly, and extinguished the threat as quick as it started.

Sergio Ruiz’s ability to read the game has also led to him having an impressive 8 interceptions in his first 5 games at Las Palmas on the defensive side of the game. In a league like MLS where most players play reactively, players who can read the game well always stand out and strive.

We’ve shown Sergio’s ability to read the game mostly on the defensive side but being the versatile player he is, his ability to read the game isn’t only limited to the defensive side of the game.

Vertical Play

At Las Palmas, Sergio has been assigned a more defensive role than what he had at his time in Santander. While he is solid in that strictly defensive midfielder position, a whole other great aspect of his game is not being utilized. His vertical playing ability…

Due to his role and position, Sergio Ruiz at Las Palmas is mostly limited to short sideways, backward and forward passes. However, Sergio is at his best when he has the freedom to use his dribbling to drive forward and carry the ball from a deep midfield position to a threatening attacking position. This is a vertical action.

Smarterscout, a soccer analysis platform, has a measuring system to determine a player’s effectiveness in a specific dimension of the game. They are scored on a 0 – 99 scale with 0 being not effective at all and 99 being extremely effective. The dribbling score is determined by moving the ball by advancing it uncontested at least 10% of the length of the field or by taking on a player. Sergio Ruiz during the 2019-20 season at Santander scored an astonishing 97 in the dribbling department.

The example below is a perfect example of Ruiz’s vertical offensive capability of carrying the ball directly towards the goal and creating a shot for himself. He recognizes the space ahead of him and is technically and athletically capable of beating the players in front of him.

While it may speak for itself, why is this ability to carry the ball vertically so important in a midfielder? If you can bypass the midfield as an opposing midfielder it forces the defenders to choose between the midfielder driving forward or the attackers surrounding him. It creates mismatches and opens up space to create goal scoring opportunities.

This other example is quite similar to the first but it just further showcases the ability Sergio has to single handily create something from nothing with his ability to drive the ball forward. His athleticism is a major contributing factor to his ability to carry the ball. He doesn’t have the greatest of ball control and isn’t a skillful player. However, he does have the speed and strength to power past his opponents which is evident in the clip.

With MLS being a very attack orientated league, games are very open, so the better transitioning team will normally always wins. Sergio Ruiz’s vertical playing ability to make a tackle on his team’s end of the field and immediately turn and carry the ball forward up the pitch while the opposing team is still trying to track back is going to be very valuable for Charlotte FC’s transitional play.

Leadership

One aspect that also stands out about Sergio Ruiz is his leadership ability. This is an aspect that can’t be quantified or backed by statistics but is very clear in watching Sergio’s demeanor on and off the pitch.

In personally talking with Sergio, he is a humble, approachable and friendly guy. When it comes to soccer, he is a disciplined and focused individual. He has the mentality and work ethic that can be contagious for a team. He has the maturity of a 30-year-old experienced player but is in fact only 25 himself.

This makes him captaining his old team Racing de Santander that much more impressive considering he was even younger then. He isn’t the captain for Las Palmas but that doesn’t stop him from taking a leadership role on that team. He not only leads through his actions but he is also very vocal on the pitch directing players in front and around him.

Conclusion

When Sergio Ruiz was announced as Charlotte’s first signing the club’s sporting director, Zoran Krneta, mentioned that Sergio was signed for his leadership ability, versatility, and to be a building block to build the team around. Zoran and Scouting Director Thomas Schaling-De Herder unsurprisingly were spot on with Sergio.

He is a complete midfielder who can play in a two-man or three-man midfield. He is athletic and has a great understanding of the game. He can defend, pass, dribble, shoot, and is capable of doing whatever is asked of him and do it well. He can be an offensive threat but isn’t afraid to also do the dirty work on the defensive end. He is a leader on and off the pitch who will push and improve his teammates around him. And the best part? He is only 25 years old.

He still has much room to improve his game. Chances are when Charlotte gets Sergio Ruiz in 2022 he is going to arrive an even better player than he is right now. The coach at Las Palmas has shown a lot of trust and confidence in Sergio and has started him in every match of the five they have played so far without Sergio not able to have been apart of their preseason. He will get plenty of playing time and has a year and a half to further improve his weaker aspects of his game such as his first touch but also get even stronger at all his strengths.

In talking with Sergio Ruiz, he is very passionate about the Charlotte FC project and is dying to get started. He believes his playing style and athleticism will translate well to MLS. Especially because he has been told by Charlotte that the vertical, attacking, aggressive playing style he prefers will be played by the team. It seems clear that Charlotte FC is going to put Sergio in the best position for him to succeed. Firstly with the style we are going to play and secondly playing Sergio in his preferred box-to-box role in a 3 man midfield.

Charlotte FC is getting an exceptional, versatile midfielder who could have easily continued playing in Europe for many more years but lucky for Charlotte has chosen MLS and the Queen City. He is dedicated, focused, and passionate about the team on and off the pitch. Charlotte not only has a fantastic player but also a fantastic teammate, leader, and possibly their first ever club captain.

The post Sergio Ruiz: Versatile, Verticle, and More appeared first on Regal Soccer.

It is a prevalent misconception that Pulisic is a “Hazard Type Player.” That is the furthest thing from the truth. Pulisic’s playing style is the polar opposite of Hazard’s, and because of that, he has the potential to become a more prolific goal scorer than Hazard. 

Dribbling Style

The most common comparison people make between Pulisic and Hazard is their dribbling styles. While both are light on their feet, have great ball control, and are excellent in 1 v 1 scenarios, their dribbling styles are in fact opposites.

Starting with Hazard, he can be described as a magician, his dribbling revolves around putting on an extravagant show.

Hazard dribbles North, South, East, West, and every direction in between. He wants to run circles around defenders and prove just how much better he is than them. He wants to show the world how helpless he leaves defenders. Every matchday is a new stage on which to put on a new magical performance.

Hazard also relies on his extreme high balance combined with his low center of gravity and stockier body frame to keep possession. He is a master of getting the most out of his body frame and balance to hold off bigger, faster, and stronger defenders. This makes taking the ball away from him extremely difficult.

Pulisic, on the other hand, is an assassin. He isn’t interested in getting from Point A to Point B in the prettiest way. He is only interested in the fastest way from Point A to B. For him, it is a matter of what is the fastest and most effective way of murdering a defender.

Pulisic brings a very American philosophy to the way he plays football. In general, in American sports, the athletes are taught to be direct and explosive. This is especially prevalent in basketball, a sport that Pulisic loves and grew up watching and playing.

You are taught in basketball to dribble right off the shoulder of a defender. Your goal should be to graze the defender’s shoulder when you go past him to give him no ability to be able to turn around and recover. You can clearly see this influence in Pulisic’s dribbling style.

For Pulisic, there is no East or West it is only North and South. His whole dribbling philosophy is based on this concept.

He attacks defenders head-on attacking their shoulder and using his blistering pace with his close control to fly right past them.

Hazard dances around defenders while Pulisic attacks them directly.

Selfishness

The other reason why Pulisic’s game is nothing like Hazard’s is his selfishness. In their debut seasons, Hazard averaged 2.07 shots per match, while Pulisic averaged 3.12. As well as averaging 0.42 goals per 90 compared to Hazard’s 0.26. Pulisic is just a more selfish player.

Keep in mind, Hazard played in 28 more matches than Pulisic did in his debut season, also that he averaged 0.40 assists per 90 compared to Puli’s 0.27. Almost a complete flip of their goal and assist averages. Again, just further proving more how polar opposite their playing styles are.

Hazard’s biggest criticism has always been that he isn’t selfish enough. That is what held him back from being a consistent, prolific goal scorer. Hazard wants to set his team up for goals, Pulisic wants to score the goals himself.

This is why Pulisic will be a more prolific goalscorer than Hazard.

Pulisic at Dortmund wasn’t selfish. It wasn’t until he arrived at Chelsea where he embraced being selfish and has been greatly rewarded by having the best season of his life regardless of playing in a new, tough league like the Prem.

This rise in Pulisic’s selfishness from when he was at Dortmund to Chelsea has been greatly encouraged by his manager at Chelsea, Frank Lampard. This is one of the main reasons Pulisic has thrived at Chelsea under Lampard.

As Pulisic develops and further improves his decision making and finishing he will only score more and more goals.

Mentality

Apart from being more direct and selfish than Hazard, their differences don’t stop there. Pulsic plays with a chip on his shoulder. Being an American soccer player automatically comes with a stigma of doubt towards you.

Americans have to do more to prove themselves.

Every time Pulisic steps on the pitch he carries this stigma in mind and because of that, he has developed a mentality of “I’ll prove everyone wrong.”

He was doubted at Dortmund and especially doubted in his capability to thrive in the Premier League. Even USMNT fans thought that going to Chelsea was the wrong move for Pulisic.

Pulisic did what Pulisic does when he is doubted. Prove everyone wrong.

The added pressure of being a US soccer player and having to prove himself over and over again has created an unbreakable mental fortitude in Pulisic.

Something he proved once again in the Premier League. 

Despite dealing with doubt from the world in his ability to succeed at Chelsea, having a slow start at Chelsea, and on top of everything dealing with a long term injury he managed to have a brilliant debut season for The Blues.

His mental fortitude and maturity are exceptional, especially considering his ripe, young age of 21. 

Conclusion

Pulisic and Hazard may play the same position and use the same number but have unique, differing styles to each other. The comparisons between them need to stop. Fans shouldn’t expect the new Hazard but rather the first Pulisic. As both are extraordinarily special in their own ways.

The post Pulisic and Hazard: Beyond Comparison appeared first on Regal Soccer.

Is Juventus really the right club for McKennie at this stage in his career? The short answer is yes but more importantly here is why…

Juventus Believe in Him

The first reason why Juventus is perfect for McKennie is for a reason that has nothing to do with anything on the pitch. Juventus believe in McKennie. That simple, but how do we know this?

First of all because Juventus were willing to pay $5.3 million for a loan. Paying such a fee for a loan shows the confidence Juventus have in McKennie’s ability to make an immediate impact. On top of paying for the loan, there is a clause that would require Juventus to make the trasnfer permanent.

Reports from Sky Sports claim that if McKennie appears in more than 60% of the games this season then Juventus will be obligated to purchase McKennie. There was even another report that the obligation to buy is based on if Juventus qualify for Champions League. Regardless of whichever one it is they are both practically guaranteed to occur.

This is evidence that in fact Juventus have full intention of making McKennie’s move permanent. Which makes perfect sense considering the difficult financial times clubs are going through during the pandemic. It allows Juventus to obtain McKennie’s services while keeping their books balanced.

The second piece of evidence showing Juventus’s belief in McKennie is that he takes up one of two valuable non-EU roster spot. In the Serie A, teams are only allowed 2 players from another European club outside the Serie A that don’t have European passports. Juventus could have used this slot for any player in Europe and decided to use it on the USMNT midfielder.

McKennie’s Unique Skillset

While there are several other players throughout the world who have the same skillset as McKennie, none of them play at Juventus. Well, not anymore.

McKennie is a high energy, versatile, athletic, ball-winning specialist. A skillset and role that Juventus is now lacking with the departure of Matuidi and Khedira this window. McKennie is a direct replacement to Matuidi who has played the most games out of any other Juventus player in the past 3 years. Showing how critical the defensive midfielder role is to Juventus’ success.

This is all fantastic news for McKennie. Not only is his skillset and role valued at Juventus, no other player at the club does what he does. Bentancur, Arthur, and Ramsey are no ball winners. Rabiot is capable of defensive duties but is unreliable and prefers joining in the attack.

Many are concerned that McKennie won’t get enough playing time at Juventus but there is no need for concern. Regardless of whatever system is played at Juventus under Pirlo, a reliable ball winner who will do the dirty work is always an essential piece to any winning team. McKennie will get plenty of playing time because he is the only one who will provide this for Juventus.

Juventus Teammates

McKennie’s biggest weaknesses are his decision making, soccer IQ and not the sharpest technical ability whether its dribbling or passing. All weaknesses that happen to be the strengths of his fellow Juventus midfielders.

Arthur, Rabiot, and Bentancur all happen to be technical and smart players but rarely do all the dirty work and ball-winning that McKennie provides. McKennie covers their weaknesses and they cover his. Thus creating a balanced midfield.

But not only can he cover for their weaknesses, he can also learn the technical side of the game by constantly practicing and playing alongside his Juventus teammates. Helping McKennie further develop the weaker side of his game. Something he wasn’t able to do at Shalke because of the lack of quality players surrounding him.

Speaking of development…

Pirlo

While we still don’t know much about Pirlo the coach we know all about Pirlo the player. Pirlo was one of the most technically gifted players of all time and played for some brilliant tactical sides. Pirlo can teach McKennie the tactical intricacies of being a smart midfielder like he once was.

Not only will McKennie learn a lot from Pirlo but he also fits into the philosophy Pirlo wants to play. While Pirlo changed up his tactics and formation in his opening 2 games, McKennie started in both. While it still isn’t clear what formation and tactics Pirlo will stick with in the long run, what is clear is that he wants to win possession back immediately after losing it.

Pirlo has even stated himself that he wants his teams to pressure and win the ball back immediately after losing possession. That is where McKennie’s skillset comes in. Arthur, Ramsey, and Bentancur won’t consistently provide that but that is McKennie’s specialty.

So regardless of what formation Pirlo plays, there will always be a place for McKennie because Pirlo’s system demands a high energy player who can press hard and strong right after losing possession to win the ball back. Music to McKennie’s ears.

Conclusion

Many people think McKennie is out of his depth at Juventus but in fact, he is at one of the best situations he can be at for his development. All the right factors for him to strive at Juventus are there it is just up to him to make the most of it.

So to answer the question, is Juventus really the right club for McKennie at this stage in his career?

Absolutely.

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