McKennie has been playing this season under yet another new coach, as Luciano Spaletti took over to kickstart a new era on Oct. 30. Since Spaletti's arrival, McKennie has been a consistent piece for the Old Lady, finding his best form of the season. He's started 11 games since Spaletti's arrival, scoring goals against Bodo/Glimt and Pafoc FC in the Champions League while also chipping in assists in Serie A clashes against Napoli and Roma.
"It was a difficult time before, but now we've rediscovered our identity," McKennie said. "The coach, who is a great coach, knows how to play football and how to train players. I really like him, and we hope to finish the year strong against Pisa by taking another three points. He pays attention to the little things, the things that not everyone normally pays much attention to. He also talks to the players individually; he's a good coach, even in terms of his relationship with each player.
"In training, he always says you have to make sacrifices for the team and your teammates, and even to score goals. He says it's better to provide an assist because that way you'll smile twice instead of just once. Scudetto? I think the important thing for us is just to stay focused and focus on the next match. Take every day like this, move forward, and don't think too much ahead."
With this past weekend's win over Roma, Juve are up to fifth in Serie A, four points behind league-leaders Inter, who have a game in hand, with AC Milan, Napoli, and Roma in between.
