The worst defense in 1A: how KV Mechelen is looking for defensive stability | KV Mechelen

It could count as a wake-up call, last weekend in the Lotto Park. KV Mechelen conceded seven goals, six of which in the second half. Individual mistakes, yes. But also as a team it collapsed like a house of cards. It sounds like you defend as a full team, starting from the striker. Yet the (negative) role of the central defenders is incalculable.

However, after the win against Antwerp on the first day of play, there seemed to be no problem. Newcomer Vinicius Souza played a very strong match with Vanlerberghe next to him, who admittedly let himself be ringed in the opening goal. It was the Brazilian who fell through the ice in the matches. A blunder against Seraing heralded a defeat from Mechelen. He still scored against Eupen, but later he would look bad with two goals against. In Ghent he was placed in the ‘six’ by Wouter Vrancken, who gave Souza a lot of credit. In theory his best position. Without success. A week later, he was pulled aside against Union on the half hour: too much of a risk patient. Painful.

Bateau made his appearance. In Ghent next to Vanlerberghe, who later disappeared to the bench for the returning Thibaut Peyre. The Peyre-Bateau duo found each other. With them in the starting lineup, Union won and a draw in Kortrijk. Only the Frenchman was out for a few weeks with an ankle injury. He was immediately missed against Anderlecht – that much is clear. “Thibaut is indispensable. There’s a problem in the back,” said a team source.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Apart from Vanlerberghe, Bateau and Souza, there are few options. The young Alec Van Hoorenbeeck perhaps? Pulling Sandy Walsh away from right to center doesn’t seem like the right choice either. And what about the goalkeeper? Would the defense be better with the more coaching Yannick Thoelen in goal instead of Gaëtan Coucke, who does keep good goalkeeping? It’s up to Vrancken and the staff to cut that difficult knot. That move helped last season.

In any case, KV does not intend to expand the (transfer-free) market. It will have to happen to these guys. Many find it incomprehensible that Malinwa (except Souza) did not get a defensive reinforcement last summer. But: who could have predicted that Peyre would struggle with so many injuries? And who would have thought that Vanlerberghe would be so far from his level of last season? Or that Bateau would play with so many doubts? It is now up to them to stand up. Starting Saturday against OH Leuven.