The midfielder's time at Elland Road ended on Sunday, but it had gone downhill long before their drop into the Championship was confirmed
On Sunday, Weston McKennie played his final match in a Leeds United shirt. More times than not, fans are understanding of such a thing, showing some sort of gratitude to a player for putting on that shirt. The fans applaud, the players clap back, and everyone moves on.
Not McKennie, though. There was no warm reception, no gratitude from the stands. Instead, McKennie's final act in a Leeds shirt was greeted by a chant of three words from a large section of Leeds supporters: "You fat b*stard!"
That's how sour things had gotten during McKennie's half-season loan spell, one that started with so much promise in January. He was brought in to stabilize the midfield, to add a bit of Champions League pedigree to a team that needed as much quality as it could get.
But, by the time it came to an end, the U.S. men's national team star's time at Leeds had gotten downright toxic as the club tumbled back towards the Championship. Not even a hilariously-timed Harambe tweet could truly make light of a situation that had gotten so bad for all involved.
Both sides will now move on and both sides will be glad to do so. McKennie's time at Leeds will be remembered as a total disaster, albeit one that quickly became nastier than it ever should have.
GettyAn arrival full of promise
It feels so long ago now, but you do have to remember the excitement that came with McKennie's arrival. Here came a legitimate star midfielder, one that had played in the Champions League with Juventus. Leeds fans were, rightfully, excited to see McKennie link up with his international team-mate, Tyler Adams, who had already established himself as a rising Premier League star.
At the World Cup, McKennie and Adams formed a midfield that bossed the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in the USMNT's clash with England. Those two at the center of Leeds midfield – what could go wrong?
Well, as it turns out, pretty much everything can and did go wrong, and it went wrong very quickly.
AdvertisementGettyAmerican influences disappear
Just days into McKennie's Leeds tenure, Jesse Marsch, the man that signed him, was gone. Hindsight tells us that, while Marsch wasn't perfect, what ended up happening at Leeds wasn't completely his fault. However, with Leeds slipping into yet another relegation fight, the American coach was sent packing as the club decided for a shakeup.
Even without Marsch, though, McKennie's initial impressions weren't bad. He never quite looked like the all-action dynamo that we saw at the World Cup, but he was still solid enough. With Adams behind him, McKennie knew what he could and couldn't do, which is always a good start when joining a new team.
And then Adams disappeared. A hamstring injury, a total disaster. It ultimately ruined Leeds' season. Adams' absence was effectively the deathblow for Leeds, who never found a way to balance a midfield without him. With Adams out, the defense was left unprotected and the goals poured in.
McKennie, meanwhile, was miscast, played next to Marc Roca as a holding midfielder. That isn't and likely will never be his game. McKennie is a No.8 or a wide midfielder, not a pure No.6. His game, and Leeds, suffered for it.
The fans, meanwhile, grew tired of McKennie's lackluster performance and he emerged as one of several scapegoats for a fanbase that was beginning to accept the inevitable: that their Premier League tenure was coming to an end.
GettyKeep your friends close
By the end of McKennie's tenure, the abuse had been going on for weeks. A quick look at any section of Leeds Twitter would show that the club's fanbase was all but fed up with their loan star.
McKennie's performances were a large part of it, although Leeds never played to his strengths in any way. So too was an incident involving a supposed friend of the midfielder's who took to Twitter Spaces to take shots at the club. After those comments, which many Leeds fans felt represented McKennie's own views, there was no coming back, even after a statement from the player denying any involvement.
From that point forward, the atmosphere grew toxic. McKennie's weight was a frequent jab from supporters online, while others simply targeted his actual ability. Regardless, you'd be hard-pressed to find any positive interactions involving the midfielder outside of the Americans on social media racing to defend their young star.
The friend in question, Diego Mendoza, did little to shy away from the controversy, though, as he continued to antagonize Leeds fans with tweets, retweets and Twitter Spaces appearances right up until the end of McKennie's tenure. One retweet from Mendoza claimed that McKennie should flip off Leeds fans on his way out the door.
Overall, it appears that McKennie's inability to keep his circle tight backfired on him, and Leeds fans made sure he never forgot it.
'You fat b*stard!'
McKennie's final day, though, was worst of all. The "fat b*stard" chants were just one part of it. After the match, while graciously taking a photo with young Leeds fans, McKennie was once again targeted by abuse, spoiling what should have been a memorable moment for the kids involved.
Even McKennie's departure drew criticism, as fans that once said they couldn't wait to see him exit the club then criticized him for leaving too hastily. After video footage emerged of McKennie on a train out of Leeds, supporters targeted the midfielder for seemingly not caring enough, as if leaving the city was any indication of the effort he put in over the last five months.
By the time he boarded that train, it was totally apparent that there was nothing McKennie could do right in the eyes of Leeds supporters. Everyone involved was done with this situation, and rightfully so.