Schalke 04: At least we still have Weston McKennie

There is not a lot going right at Schalke 04 right now, particularly in the midfield, but at least we still have Weston McKenni fighting for the Royal Blue.

As things started to degrade against Werder Bremen, and as Schalke 04 started to get closer without ever really getting closer, seeing Weston McKennie lashing out wasn’t—to me at least—a bad sign. I wasn’t back here wishing he wouldn’t. I wanted him to keep it up. Keep fighting. Keep showing everyone that this was unacceptable.

It’s okay to act out when things are bad. It’s encouraged, really. It shows that you’re actually bothered by what’s happening and it shows that you expect better and will fight to make it better. McKennie was one of the few offering that glimpse.

Of course, David Wagner was, in fact, right to sub McKennie off, because a red card wouldn’t have helped, but overall, it made me, yet again, thankful that we have Weston McKennie wearing the Royal Blue. And, yet again, I can only hope that he meant it more when he said he could stay here forever than when he said the Premier League was his goal.

Weston McKennie a reminder that Schalke 04 still has so much

Right now, the Schalke midfield is battered and the seat of many of the problems Die Knappen can’t seem to sort out.

We’ve got no Omar Mascarell, which I still think is hurting us more than anything. We’ve got no Suat Serdar, who is our leading goal-scorer and one of the few guys capable of instigating all on his own. We’ve got no Amine Harit, our top goal producer and highest-profile player.

In response, Weston McKennie tried to play every one of those midfield positions, sitting deep to Mascarell, pushing forward to Serdar, and attacking the goal to Harit. Of course, it didn’t work, because he’s only one man, but to see him covering so much ground and forcing his involvement in a match that was not going his way—it reminded me that not everything at Schalke is bad right now.

There are still a lot of exciting pieces in place and while McKennie has been one for years, when the team is floundering around him, it’s nice to be reminded that people still care, even if they are few and far between. We still have Weston McKennie! That’s cause to celebrate.

Unless we’re up against Union Berlin next weekend, then we don’t have Weston McKennie. Because he’s suspended.