Tudor exit means McKennie must prove himself all over again

For almost the entirety of his time with Juventus, McKennie has been in the position of having to reprove himself every time there is a change in manager. 

Granted, the man who hails from Little Elm, Texas hasn't always helped himself in terms of his fitness levels, but he's typically managed to force his way into the starting lineup at Juve regardless of who the manager was. That was certainly the case under Igor Tudor, who challenged McKennie to improve his nutrition and training habits. When McKennie responded well, his playing time increased.

Now that Tudor is gone, having been fired earlier this week, McKennie finds himself in a position of having to prove himself all over again. His form and fitness, not to mention his versatility, should give him a good starting point, but it's an uncomfortable situation for a player who rarely is given the benefit of the doubt. One good sign is that under caretaker boss Massimo Brambilla, McKennie went the distance in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Udinese. Now that Luciano Spalletti -- Juve's fifth manager since McKennie signed for the club in 2020 -- has been hired on a full-time basis, McKennie's challenge is set to really begin.