MConfronted with the thesis that he has never played football better and more consistently than he currently does, Marvin Mehlem says: “I don’t want to contradict that.” A hint of his often mischievous smile flits across his face. Mehlem, that much is clear, is at peace with himself and the (soccer) world. Regardless of the fact that things are going well for his long-term employer SV Darmstadt.
(Intermediate) highs for the “lilies” have occurred more frequently at the SVD in Mehlems for five and a half years now. However, in most cases this could not be linked directly to the efforts of the small technician with great talent. He was too inconsistent, too often a good action was followed by three bad ones, and he was rarely able to meet expectations, which are higher than those of other colleagues because of his skills, which are sometimes visible to everyone.
This culminated in the demand of the former coach Dimitrios Grammozis: “Anyone who can do everything must also show everything.” A sentence that let Mehlem see through, which he didn’t like at all. But maybe it was an important milestone in his maturing process in the Darmstadt jersey. Because the fact that the “Lilies” have been consistently at the top of the second division this season since October is also acknowledged by Mehlem’s work.
Performance rides a roller coaster
The 25-year-old not only always plays, he also shapes the game. As a resilient and strong midfield all-rounder. Gone are the days when he saw himself solely as a creative head in central attacking midfield, when he visibly struggled with his often assigned area of application on the attacking flanks and his inspiration and ideas too often resulted in a bad pass or a sheer clumsy loss of the ball.
In unison with his body language, which then regularly radiated despondency, he also elicited grumbling from his own audience. Which in turn promoted the roller coaster ride of his performance.
“Switch off and ride a roller coaster in the Europark in Rust” – this is how Mehlem described his plans for the weekend off that the SVD professionals were granted during the international break. How and why he got tired of riding the roller coaster as a professional soccer player, he can’t say exactly. “Consistency,” he said, “was always a big issue for me. I always wanted to, but then she was gone quickly.”
In the eyes of coach Torsten Lieberknecht there are several reasons for Mehlem’s consistency. On the one hand, his improved physique and his greater drive to maintain it, which can be attributed to the “severe cut in his career” about two years ago, a severe knee injury including a major operation. In addition, “I give him a lot of responsibility,” says Lieberknecht. Especially in a game system in which, compared to the 4-4-2 formation favored by Darmstadt last year, there is again the tenth position, which Mehlem favors so much for himself.
“Marvin,” says Lieberknecht, “is a bit of a rogue. A playchild who finds his playground out there. If he smells the grass and has a ball, then it starts.” Then at top speed with his tight ball control, his small transmission, so to speak, something special can happen at any time.
Changing roles over time
The last home game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern (2-0) illustrated the maturing process of the Karlsruhe native particularly well. Deployed in defensive midfield, Mehlem can now exchange his role as a carefree dribbler and nonconformist, who likes to be independent on the pitch, for the function of a disciplined and far-sighted pioneer.
How many passes he ran alongside Fabian Holland, who was also a non-specialist in the sixth position, and how skillfully he paired with sharpness in his duel – that’s where Mehlem gave a strong impression. A smart in the game forward and a Cleverle in the skilful protection.
“It worked out well and it was fun,” he said of his temporary role change, which could possibly follow more often. In the absence of the still injured top dog in this position, Tobias Kempe, maybe this Friday evening (6.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga and on Sky) at 1. FC Nürnberg.
The fact that the Darmstadt team not only thinks highly of their offspring, who joined the club at the age of 19 and recently became a father for the first time, but also has high hopes for him in terms of a possible time in the first division, is illustrated by the recently prematurely completed contract extension until mid-2025. So that the former Marvin mystery becomes the professional Mehlem he embodies this season.
