Sustain the Excellence: Ajax, 2019-20

ETH likes him as a player and he was a starter at the beginning of last season and saw regular action until he was injured.

 

We will see about Eiting. I always felt he was a touch too slow to play at a really high level. Three years ago the Jong Ajax team had one of the best MFs I've ever seen with Nouri, van de Beek and de Jong. They could string together 20 passes in tight spaces without missing a beat and were often playing against veteran teams in the Dutch first division. Even though Bosz was taking the senior team to the Europa League finals, the Jong team was far more interesting to watch.

 

He started at LB the other day. There are often streams of Jong Ajax matches but I've not watched them play since he moved back over. I suspect that he is being groomed for LB when Tagliafico leaves.

 

To early to tell. Dest is probably the cover at LB along with Blind at this point.

EDIT: He did train with the first team yesterday.

 

Stifled in the first half by some resolute Fortuna defending the goals poured in during the second along with the rain as the Arena roof remained mysteriously open. Promes with a hat trick, Neres with a poacher's goal off of a nice assist from Huntelaar, and an own goal off of a nice looping pass into the box from Gravenberch. Onana was hardly troubled other than a bizarre venture way outside the box on a break only to see Blind get back and clear the ball (not clear to me that it was on target but even so props to Blind). Ziyech and Martinez got the evening off and Alvarez came out after a very ordinary first half. van de Beek back in the team and went 70 minutes.

Player ratings:

Onana (5) - really dumb move to come out so far and really should have been punished with a goal
Tagliafico (6.5) - bandaged up with a swim cap after first half collision with the keeper had a decent match
Blind (8) - had as fine a game as a defender can have and pure joy to watch him pass the ball
Veltman (7) - decent enough but got a way with a push on the Fortuna striker who then got a YC for 'justifiable' dissent
Dest (6.5) - good except on the two occasions he didn't recognize the overlap and was beaten
Alvarez (5.5) - disappointingly ordinary
Marin (7) - really solid match and it was his rocket shot parried by the keeper that Promes cashed in on
van de Beek (7) - a good 70 minute run out and active all over the field
Promes (7.5) - good movement in the offensive area and awareness of where the ball was going to
Tadic (7) - good interior passing but in the end he did not tie the great Cruyff's record of goals in 13 straight home matches
Neres (7) - decent enough
Huntelaar (7) - good on the ball and his headed pass for Neres to poke it in was sublime
Gravenberch (6) - gets a nice assist on the OG
Schuurs (NR) - on late for Dest and had some touches

Groningen, who lost to PSV tonight, come to the Arena on Saturday and then Ajax off to Spain to play Valencia.

 

Ajax thoroughly dominated the match as Groningen opted to drop 9 men deep to defend. Though Ajax were passing the ball well, they found it difficult to put any of the 32 shots on frame. It took a time wasting YC on former Ajax youth Django Wammerdam, his second of the match and then sent off, to get Ajax untracked. A very nice strike by Martinez was the match winner and Huntelaar off a nice pass from van de Beek added the insurance. Ajax will face a double bank defense in most of the their upcoming league matches as it's the only way teams can keep this attack under control. Off to Spain now for the Wednesday CL game in Valencia.

Player Ratings:

Onana (7) - not much to do but watch and then react when one of the two counters came his way; he had to make a save on one and watch the other sky over the frame
Taliafico (7) - feisty match and pushed way up the pitch
Blind (7) - another fine match
Veltman (7) - a little too high up the pitch on the first Groningen break
Mazraoui (7) - good to see him back playing and decent before tiring and coming off
Martinez (7.5) - nice shot for the match winner and generally controlled the deep MF
van de Beek (7) - played a little deeper with Promes also in the MF, very nice assist on the Huntelaar goal
Promes (7) - had some shots but they were always a shade off the frame
Ziyech (7) - all over the pitch with a couple of good shots on goal
Tadic (7) - generally good but couldn't hook up through the congested back line
Neres (6) - not impactful on the night
Huntelaar (6.5) - nicely taken goal and had a couple of headers that didn't pose a problem
Dest (6.5) - lots of speed coming in for the last 20 minutes and started the passing that led to the 2nd goal
de Jong (NR) - on late for Tadic

 

Labyad was the first transfer brought in after ETH (who managed him at Utrecht) came over to Ajax in mid-season. I can't be sure but I think he has a four year contract and maybe he just wants to be the Winston Bogarde of Ajax, showing up to practice and collecting a paycheck. He might get playing time in a Cup match but unless there are injuries he won't play. I honestly don't know why they bought de Jong. He's on a three year contract that I think expires at the end of this year.

 

They played the day before for Jong Ajax.