MeetYourMakers have been struggling during the spring split and are dead last in the EU LCS with a 1-7 record.

As a result, top laner Mimer is stepping down to a coaching position and instead a fellow Swede will make his debut in the league tonight.

– A lot of people have wanted to see me in the LCS and want me to perform, so I feel a lot of pressure, Jesper ”Jwaow” Strandgren tells Aftonbladet Esport.

The MeetYourMakers organization has had a turbulent couple of weeks in the LCS. After threatening a player, former manager Sebastian ”Falli” Rotterdam was fired immediately and fined by Riot. Meanwhile, the squad has struggled to make an impact and are now at at 1-7 record in the spring split.

”Very surprised when they contacted me”

Yesterday, the team announced that top laner Mimer Ahlström will be stepping down from the starting lineup to pick up a coaching position instead. In doing so, he makes way for one of his countrymen, Jesper ”Jwaow” Strandgren, who will make his first ever LCS appearance in tonights game against Gambit Gaming.

– I was very surprised when they contacted me, but I knew they weren’t doing too good and that they maybe wanted to make a roster change. I was contacted by a person in the organization and he wondered if I wanted a shot and of course I took it. I have a history with the coach Jakob ”YamatoCannon” Mebdi so I think that’s why they chose me, Jwaow says.

”Big shoes to fill in Mimer’s spot”

The top laner who up until two days ago played for Gamers2 in the Challenger Series says he hopes to make an impact in MYM early on, to turn their current record around.

– I have big shoes to fill in Mimer’s spot because he’s really good, but I think I can do even better when I get into the rhythm of the LCS. I want to lift the team by winning my lanes or just playing it evenly, since Mimer had some problems with going one on one in a couple of the games they’ve played.

”An experience playing with Ocelote”

He talks about his time in Gamers2 and how it was living and playing with recently retired star Carlos ”ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago, who he says had a great impact on his career as a person. But he also seems disappointed with his own performance there.

– It’s been an experience playing with him. He’s a great person with a big heart and passion for what he does. He’s taught me to be a better person as well. But as a professional player I didn’t evolve at all. I kind of slacked off for a while and I didn’t play as much as I should have. My motivation got really low because of the tough losses we suffered.

But I guess your motivation is back now?

– Yeah, it was bottomed out but now it’s at max again.

What would you define as your main strengths in the top lane?

– I think it’s that I play a lot of carry champions and that I’m pretty skilled with them. I have good mechanics so I’m better at playing champions that are harder than just using tanks, champions who do more damage.

”I think it’s gonna work out great”

Jwaow arrived at the MYM headquarters only two days ago and hasn’t had a lot of time to adapt to his new home in the LCS. The days have been filled with scrimming and getting to know his teammates.

– We’ve played a lot to get our teamplay together, I think it’s gonna work out great. We haven’t practiced anything really specific yet, only our picks, bans and team compositions and then we’ll just play the games and see how it works.

There’s been a lot of drama surrounding MYM lately, was that a concern when they approached you?

– Yeah I was a bit worried since they got a bad reputation because of those incidents. But I contacted a few people who knew more and they explained the situation and I felt more secure. The thing that happened is solved now and the person responsible is out of the picture. I already feel good here, the people and teammates are nice and the mood is good so I like it so far.

How much pressure do you feel right now, just hours before your debut?

– I feel a lot of pressure, mainly because I should perform better than Mimer has done lately but there’s also a lot of expectations on me, that I will perform well in the LCS.

Tonight at 21 CET, Jwaow walks out on the MeetYourMakers top lane for the first time.