Weston McKennie: Schalke’s jack-of-all-trades midfielder

Of the major European leagues, there is arguably none more synonymous with giving youth a chance than the Bundesliga. This policy rings true across the board. Young managers from within a club’s system are often the first the hierarchy turn to in a crisis. Coaches are never afraid to throw young players into the deep end, like Lucien Favre with Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund. It’s a sink or swim league. Schalkes Weston McKennie has benefitted from such a policy.

Schalke are a club which are not an exception to this rule. Their academy, known as Knappenschmiede, has raised the likes of Manuel Neuer, future Arsenal playmaker Mesut Özil, and Julian Draxler, just to name a few. One player who is currently benefitting from this system is Weston McKennie, a young American midfielder originally hailing from Texas and FC Dallas academy.

Plying his trade at the base of Schalke’s midfield, there is a great hope amongst his supporters (especially Americans) that he can be a key cog in bringing the club back to regular Champions League football. This piece will provide some analysis on the Schalke youngster, as well as some key statistics.

Positioning

Throughout his early days in Schalkes first XI, the American has been deployed as a number six. Arguably, though, he is more comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder, a role which utilizes his athleticism the greatest. When given opportunities last season, McKennie largely found himself in a double-pivot with recently departed Leon Goretzka his primary partner in Domenico Tedesco’s 3-4-2-1 system. This season, he has played more and more as a lone number six due to Max Meyer’s transfer to Crystal Palace.

On the rare occasion that Tedesco has used a formation which incorporates a back four (such as a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-3-3), McKennie was positioned as one of the shuttling midfielders ahead of a lone defensive midfielder. This role allows McKennie to press all across the pitch and disrupt, undoubtedly something the manager appreciates.

Defensive work-rate

While not blisteringly quick, McKennie’s aggressive work-rate and durability make him a very important member of the team when Schalke are without the ball. His ability to slide across the pitch to cover ground, cut off opposition passing angles and more cannot be stressed enough.

Standing 6312 tall and weighing over 13 stone, the player’s size and strength often sees him come out on the winning end of defensive duels. He has won over 72% of all such actions this season in the Bundesliga. If there is one thing American footballers are known for, it’s effort and graft, something McKennie has in spades. Speaking about his positional requirements at Schalke, McKennie said last December that “[Tedesco’s football] requires a lot of running&stepping out, pressure, come back.” He is well suited to such demands.

Intelligence

Subscribe To TFA To Unlock All Posts - Free 7 Day Trial

Login if you have a TFA subscription

Try TFA Free For 7 Days

Gain access to all of TFA's premium contents.
More than 12,000+ articles.

Subscribe Now