We (arsenal) got sanogo cheap and i was praying he would be the new anelka. Hes fairly quick and useful in the air but his touch and shot are pretty bad. Cant believe Ajax lost!
I really do not like klaassen.. I already talked about this before but, I really don't like how he is always pointing the finger at someone else and is hiding behind his opponent.
Rapid Wien has a lower budget than Groningen, yet always in control with some of their players showing good footwork too
Ajax hasn't played an attractive match of football in two years now. De Boer simply can't create an attack if his life depended on it. It doesn't help that the transfer decision making is deeply flawed.
The newspapers today.. wow. I agree that that Ajax lost because of poor defending, but at the same time Ajax barely created any chances with all the ball position.. I feel like that this is once again largely being ignored by the Dutch media. I feel like that players who are responsible for football: klaasen, Fisher, El ghazi, etc are getting off the hook once again (ESPECIALLY klaassen).
^^Basic problem is the handling speed is way too slow on the part of every single player. Passes are soft and even mediocre defenses have plenty of time to double and triple team players. Once that happens the inexperience then shows; players have no clue to to pick the lock. This has been an ongoing problem for the past 18 months. How can a team have 70% possession and have only one real goal scoring opportunity (I don't count the Gudelj goal as that was a scramble goal and probably could have been waved off for a foul by Sanogo on the keeper). Until this club is able to speed up play these kinds of results will continue and it doesn't matter whether it's Euro or league competition. The level of play is just like in my signature, lifeless. For all their talent, the players just seem to have no clue how to play the game. They are quick enough to play a high pressure game which they have done in the past but it's inconsistent. Questions have to be asked of FdB. His first two league winning teams were based on players he inherited and once they all transferred off things have gone down hill. Two possibilities: manager or the players are just not that good. Perhaps it's both. It's going to be a long season.
Yes that is something that sticks out like a sore thumb. I can't count how many times a player got the ball and there was an open lane to pass forward if they moved quickly and instead they stood over the ball, or took a couple leisurely touches first and then ended up passing backwards. I understand not forcing the play, but really?? Even my men's competitive team is not that bad at moving the ball. It's sickening really.
i'm wondering why Heitinga wasn't playing this game? An experienced defender would of been helpful in such a high pressure game...
Yeah but that's what I mean. Why not keep Zivkovic and rotate him with Milik or have Milik out wide sometimes (he seems to drift out wide left a lot in games) instead of loaning that useless stump? Such weird decisions. Same with getting Gudelj...what was he bought for? I'd rather see van de Beek or maybe they could have bought someone like Ayoub or fought PSV for Propper...or even Vejinovic! All better players. What are these guys even doing in charge??
Exactly right on point. I think that Zivkovic is in FdB's doghouse and the loan deal was perhaps the best way out assuming FdB leaves after this season (if not sooner). Sanogo in the two matches that we have seen exhibits zero quality other than being a physically imposing player. Gudelj has shown no inclination to play defense and he has had two good goal scoring oppotunities in addition to the one he did put away that were quite bad. Goals need to be scored and if you are only hitting 1/3 you better have some other qualities. I think Overmars is in over his head and the whole group of them don't seem to have a clue on what kind of players they need to bring in. They also made a mistake in loaning out Menig. If Fischer cannot play a full 90 minutes the club is really short of wingers. Schöne is maybe OK for the Dutch league but he's lost a step and that hurts when you are trying to speed up play. I don't know if Cerny or Murcic are ready to step up right now. Sinkgraven is not a winger. I know playing a 4-4-2 is an anathema to Ajax but had they retained Zivkovic, this could have been a decent strategy. It's going to be a long season.
Yup that is correct about Overmars who is way in over his head. Transfer activity has been piss poor. Sanogo is shite. Give him back to Wenger. I would cash in on Cillessen now if its possible. De Boer should have gone to Spurs too. Team needs better thought process and movement. Speed of play increase MUST happen. Supporters deserve better than these recent European failures.
I think Schone is ok, but he would be best utilized as the tip of an inverted triangle. Klaassen - Sinkgraven Schone Why not? Then you have someone like Bazoer for depth, and there's some experience in the midfield. I find that Bazoer right now still needs a lot of work on his decision making to go along with his physical ability. I read someone say he was bossing the midfield last game...but I didn't really see it that way. He holds on to the ball too long and often gets himself into bad positions. He doesn't track back as much as I'd like too. I'm all for using youth, but you have to have a mix with more experienced players as well. For me the way Ajax should have approached the season is like this: Cillessen Tete - Veltman - Heitinga - ??? Klaassen - Sinkgraven Schone El Ghazi - Milik - Fischer Ok and from there signing an EXPERIENCED and solid leftback, of which there are many around Europe and in South America. Then you keep Zivkovic and don't bother loaning guys like Sanogo who are useless, and don't buy Gudelj because he is also not good enough. That leaves solid back-up/rotation options like Zivkovic, Riedewald, Viergever, Bazoer, Andersen, Boilesen, van Rhijn, etc. I'm not sold on Younes either...he doesn't seem to have a ton of passion for me to go with his talent. Also seems a bit headless. Hopefully they turn it around. Even though I am first and foremost a Heerenveen supporter, and I support all Dutch clubs, I still have a soft spot for Ajax for how they've represented the Netherlands and them being in this sorry state is sad.
I'm afraid that this is another cluster ******** waiting to happen. Heitinga has been terrible for quit some time now. He was so bad that van Gaal wanted to play with three central defenders instead of calling him up.. We'll see soon, I hope I'm wrong.
Heitinga's loss of form is one of the fastest I've witnessed in almost 50 years of football watching. It was only a few years ago that he was Everton's player of the year and right after that it was downhill and fast. Really strange how this happened.
Problem with this team is expeirence the average age was 21 take away Clissen and Milkk it would be even younger
Milik is 21. Ajax buys experience and puts it on the bench. Maybe it'd be a good idea to try and sign players that are better than the teenagers on the pitch. Our scouting is truly horrible.
European League draw was held earlier today and Ajax have drawn the Czech team FK Baumit Jablonec. Two way tie will be held on August 20 & 27. Don't know much about this team other than any central European team poses problems for Ajax. We'll see how this one turns out. In other news, Fischer did not finish practice today and will probably miss the AZ match. Why was Menig loaned out given Fischer's injury issues? We are now short of wingers and Feyenoord signs Elia!
Every team poses a threat to Ajax in a knock out set up. (feyenoord excluded) Menig wanted to be loaned out as he was told they wanted him to be one of the leaders of Jong Ajax. However, he doesn't like the spotlight and he wants to play Eredivisie. Good choice for him. Don't see much future for him at Ajax anyway. Think Sinkgraven is now our best left winger. I don't get why we always have so many inverted "wingers" like Fischer and Younes. /smh
^^Maybe Menig makes it, I'm unsure as well. Cerny may be the future at this position but is a year away at least. I'm just concerned about depth at the wing.
What's the deal with Urby? Are they considering signing him, or is he just training? Seems to me he would be as good of an option in multiple positions as anyone else on the team
At this point just training. The fact that he has not been picked up by any other team speaks to his quality these days. I don't think that just because a player once wore the red & white of Ajax automatically qualifies him for a place on the squad. Urby is a poor defender and if anything that's what is needed these days.