Despite a very poor practice campaign, KV Mechelen can present a positive start to the competition: Wouter Vrancken’s team won four out of six against RSC Anderlecht and Mouscron. This week, Malinwa strengthened itself considerably with the arrival of Maryan Shved (rent, Celtic) and Kerim Mrabti (transfer-free, Birmingham). With these acquisitions, Mechelen made a serious statement, because both players have everything to become an added value in the Jupiler Pro League.
SHVED: NO PANCAKE
Due to the departure of Dante Vanzeir and Clément Tainmont in the mid-season, Wouter Vrancken suddenly had two options less in his offensive compartment. Logically, the KV Mechelen coach asked for extra offensive reinforcement to the club board, and with the arrival of Maryan Shved he was already served at his beck and call. The two-time Ukrainian international is a pure winger, although he can also manage as number ten. Vrancken still lacked such a profile in his selection, so he was satisfied with the arrival of Shved, who signed a lease for one season Behind the Kazerne. “It’s not a pancake,” Vrancken explained about Shved The last news.
From Mechelen it sounds that such a player would be unfeasible for the club in normal circumstances. Last season, Shved barely came to work at the Scottish top club Celtic Glasgow: three raids with a total of forty minutes was his limited contribution to Celtic Park. That lack of playing opportunity also ensures that the flank attacker arrives at Malinwa with little rhythm. Shved was scouted for a long time by the Mechelen scouting apparatus and the technical staff also became convinced of his qualities: his previous achievements at Karpaty Lviv in his home country were particularly appealing.
In the Premier League, Shved was one of the best wing attackers the Ukrainian league had to offer. The 23-year-old loves the ball, provides depth, has a good left hand and he can determine the pace: Vrancken was still keen to join such a type of footballer. Moreover, Shved was also the flank attacker in the Premier League with the most pressing duels behind his name: Vrancken’s counterpress approach seems to be perfect. In addition, Shved also distinguished himself with his dribbling and scoring ability: in his last year at Lviv he made the nets vibrate no less than fifteen times.
MRABTI: PRESSING AND DRIBBELS
Just a few days after the official announcement of Shved’s arrival, KV Mechelen already came out with another offensive reinforcement: Kerim Mrabti comes over from Birmingham City on a free transfer. The Swede with Tunisian roots is a different type of footballer than Shved, but at least as versatile. Mrabti usually acts from the central axis and can swarm from there to the left and right. Especially thanks to Mrabti’s contract-free status at Birmingham, Mechelen was able to bring him in, as such – well-paid – players from the Championship are usually not affordable for the club.
Compared to Shved, Mrabti does come up with the necessary matches and playing minutes. Although the three-time Swedish international came sporadically at St. Andrew’s Stadium, he was used in fifteen league games last season. He was also decisive three times with two goals and one assist, but really left his mark at The Blues, Mrabti did not succeed. Birmingham therefore saw no problem in a contract extension, so that the attacking midfielder was allowed to leave the club on a free transfer.
Even though he was not a basic player, Mrabti did not immediately leave a dramatic impression in the Championship. For example, he showed his skills as an efficient dribbler, because 65% of his individual actions had a successful outcome. With that high average, Mrabti placed himself in the top five of his positional colleagues in the English second division. In addition, the number ten was the primus in terms of the number of pressing duels per game, a part in which the other Malinwa acquisition Maryan Shved also achieved high performances. It seems clear that Wouter Vrancken wants to fully perfect his counterpressing tactics.
TIES WITH BELGIUM
KV Mechelen therefore comes out with two promising players, but for the same money they were already active in the Jupiler Pro League. After his last successful season with Karpaty Lviv, Maryan Shved was very close to a transition to KRC Genk, but the Limburgers were caught on speed by Celtic Glasgow, which ultimately paid two million euros for Shved. According to Oleg Smaliychuk, co-owner of Karpaty Lviv, Genk even had more to offer financially than Celtic. “I gave him a list of pros and cons about a transfer to Genk or Celtic,” said Smaliychuk. The Scottish Sun. “I said he had to make a decision in consultation with his father. Genk even offered more money than Celtic, but we gave him the choice and he chose Celtic. ”
Kerim Mrabti has also been on the radar of various Belgian clubs for quite some time, although that interest dates back to two seasons ago when the Swede was still active at Djurgardens. Club Brugge and RSC Anderlecht saw the arrival of Mrabti, but despite a long soap opera, he still opted for a lucrative adventure at Birmingham City. In the current summer mercato his ex-club Djurgardens was also in the market for the signature of Mrabti, but a visit of one and a half days in Mechelen convinced his choice for the Maneblussers. Behind the Kazerne, Mrabti and Gustav Envall already find an old acquaintance from his period at Djurgardens: and that also provides great perspectives for coach Wouter Vrancken.
MECHELSE OPPORTUNITIES
Both the transfer of Karim Mrabti and Maryan Shved were unmissable opportunities for KV Mechelen. The new reinforcements Behind the Barracks are each calculated risk in their own way, without requiring too much financial effort. Mrabti was a great opportunity due to his contract-free status in Birmingham, while Shved is rented for one year from Celtic Glasgow, with a tough purchase option.
Wouter Vrancken had been asking for extra attacking reinforcement for some time, because in that compartment the possibilities for substitution were not immediately abundant: with both transfers, Malinwa’s coach is served his beck and call. With Mrabti and Shved, Malinwa can continue to build on their good start to the competition, but it will undoubtedly take some time before Mrabti and especially Shved will be fully rotated.
Behind the Kazerne, it is mainly hoped that Mrabti and Shved can provide the necessary opportunities for creation, because with 21 goal chances this season, KV Mechelen is performing below the club average of the Jupiler Pro League, which is 24. Despite this, three goals have been scored in two league matches, but William Togui, Igor de Camargo and Gustav Engvall will undoubtedly be delighted with this extra offensive quality injection.
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