Motta: I'm not deliberately favoring McKennie; Vlahovic will score sooner or later

After leading the team to a 3-1 home victory over PSV Eindhoven in the first round of the new Champions League season, Juventus coach Thiago Motta gave an interview with Sky Sport Italia.



Why do you like McKennie so much? 
"I really like Weston, just as I like all our other players. Today, it was his turn based on how we wanted to start the game and the impact we wanted to see on the pitch. He and his teammates performed very well. The beginning of the match went well, and now we need to think, recover, and prepare for the next game. Weston is one of our many strong players, and he brings a lot to the team."

After McKennie scored, we saw you smiling broadly. You picked him and it paid off...  
"No, listen, it's not about me picking him or not. This is just part of my job, it's my duty to choose the best 11 players to play a great match together. I'm happy for him; he deserves it. He's been working hard, and of course, he still has room for improvement, like everyone else. What's important is that the team won today, started with a victory, and will continue this way. We have many areas where we need to improve."

How will you handle Vlahović? He tends to get a bit anxious when he doesn't score... 
"Managing him isn't difficult. Since we started working together, Dušan has been in great condition, both in training and in matches, contributing in both defensive and attacking phases. He didn’t score today, but it's true that forwards always want to score, and it’s right for him to have that ambition. As our most advanced player, his goal is to score, and he's always working hard for the team. He did many other things well today. Like the rest of the team, we could’ve done better, that's for sure. I'm happy with his work. He has to manage his emotions, as not scoring happens to strikers, but he must remember that there are other things to do on the pitch, and the goals will come. We have other attacking options as well, and what's important is that he's involved in the team's play. We also need to use him to create space for Weston, Teun (Koopmeiners), and the wingers. Personally, I’m happy with him because the goals will come."

When you say improvement is needed, what are you referring to  
"Throughout almost the entire game today, we struggled with how PSV played against us. We’re sure we can do better during possession phases. At this level, competing with teams that like to keep the ball, not just for the aesthetics but to get results, means we need to improve our level throughout the match, not just in certain moments. I’m happy with the result, which is very important for us. Now we have to recover for the next league match, as we have an important game coming up. We need to maintain the things that are working and keep improving in other areas."