Pressure mounting Ex-Burnley midfielder in Mechelen

Even though KV Mechelen had a dismal league season in 2022/2023, Steven Defour was nevertheless able to lead his team to a domestic cup final.

Unfortunately for the ex-Burnley midfielder, Antwerp, the eventual double winners, defeated his team. Initially serving as Danny Buijs’ assistant, Defour was elevated to head coach after the Dutchman was fired just a few weeks into the campaign.

There is a perception that he might not have started the current season in the dugout if it weren’t for his appearance in the cup final. Defour is once more under fire following a stretch of four games without a victory.

Defour is no stranger to pressure; after leaving Standard Liege in 2011 and joining Anderlecht upon his return to Belgium from Porto in 2014, he experienced one of the more legendary footballing tifos from his old club’s supporters.

He was dismissed from the game between Anderlecht and Standard Liege after participating in the infamous Red or Dead tifo pre-game.

Mechelen is now one point ahead of Charleroi despite being two spots above the bottom four. Mechelen has had 10 games, winning three, drawing two, and losing five.

Defour’s issue is that, over the past four games, two of these losses have occurred against teams that, based only on the stats, the team would consider to be winnable. They were easily defeated by Sint-Truiden 2-0, while managerless OH Leuven triumphed 2-1 at Mechelen.

They did manage to tie with the defending champions Antwerp, but they soon lost to Anderlecht 3-1. Their three upcoming games seem challenging. Before going to Liege, who have also started to improve, they will play Genk. In November, they then play Charleroi and Kortrijk. If the form hasn’t changed by then, one would speculate that Defour might not have a job.