Sustain the Excellence: Ajax, 2019-20

Jong Ajax defeated top of table Cambuur today 0-2. Sontje Hansen scored in his first start since moving up from the U-19 team. Naci Unavar came on late as a substitute in his first call up as well. Brobbey and Taylor are already getting game time.

Jong Ajax are in second place, three points back.

 

I was right about only one goal being scored and unfortunately it was for the home team in added time. Ajax have lost three straight for the first time since 1999 according to the match announcer and are scoreless in those matches as well. Clearly missing Neres and Promes really hurts the attack. Defensively the team did OK, Alvarez marked Stengs out of the match and even on the goal the defense wasn't awful. Not much more Schuurs could have done as he had weight on Boadu and was not going to be beaten in the air. Maybe if there had been a player at the near post it might have turned out different and I'm not sure that Onana made the best move on that corner as he was in no position to make any kind of play.

Cup match coming up against Telstar in mid-week and a home match against ADO to close out 2019. Precious time off coming up to get everyone healthy.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6) - not sure he made the best decision on the goal
Mazraoui (6.5) - decent enough but not the offensive threat that Tagliafico poses
Martinez (7) - solid
Schuurs (7) - good match with a stinging shot late in the second half that caused Bizot some problems
Veltman (6.5) - all in all an OK match; had a good chance in the early part of the match that hit the side netting
Alavarez (7) - played well but needs to look for the forward pass rather than passing back
Marin (6.5) - decent enough filling in
van de Beek (6.5) - industrious but couldn't provide any offense
Tadic (6.5) - no clear shots on goal
Huntelaar (6.5) - worked really hard and had one half chance when Bizot spilled the ball
Ziyech (6) - couldn't make anything happen
Tagliafico (NR) - on late and had a header that went wide of the post

 

I thought Stengs had a relatively poor match compared to what he should be able to do.

 

Bizot is a very good keeper and should be considered as the Dutch #1

 

Blind is ruled out of the next two matches as he continues to be evaluated for the dizzy spell he had in the Valencia match. Hope it is not a concussion syndrome. Beker match coming up against Telstar and I would like to see Traore given the start at striker.

 

Daley Blind had a dizzy spell in the Valencia CL match but stayed on the pitch. After medical evaluation inflammation in his heart was detected. Blind had a device similar to a pacemaker implanted. It monitors heart rhythm and can give the heart of shock if there is an abnormality detected. I'm not a cardiologist and wont' venture any opinion about Blind's future as a football player.

 

Naci Unuvar got his first goal for Jong Ajax yesterday and Brian Brobbey also scored as they defeated Top Oss, 2-0.

 

Every year The Guardian selects the top 100 football players. Three current and two former Ajax players made the list: van de Beek, Ziyech, Tadic, de Ligt, and de Jong. It points out how special last season was for this team.

 

Can you post a link? I would like to read it.

 

The great English rock band, The Who, said it best, "the kids are alright!" ETH put out Traore, Ekkelenkamp, and Gravenberch to start the match and all three hit the back of the net. Bringing a close to 2019 in what was the 56th competitive match for Ajax, the club downed ADO 6-1 with only a late PK call by Dennis Higler allowing the visitors a chance to get on the scoreboard. Ajax were seldom troubled defensively by a very mediocre ADO team and once Ziyech scored on a very nice shot to the left corner of the goal the match was never in doubt.

Player Ratings (can't give anyone more than a 7.5 because of the poor quality of the opponent):

Onana (6.5) - had one or two good saves but was mostly a spectator
Tagliafico (7) - very good offensive movement but probably should have been booked by putting his head into the ADO player after the late foul on Martinez
Martinez (7) - good match until he blocked off Summerville in the box on the penalty call
Veltman (7) - good game and had some decent forays into the offensive zone
Dest (7) - very active offensively overlapping every time the opportunity was there
Gravenberch (7) - some excellent play on his debut but I don't think he is a true DM
Ekkelenkamp (7) - nicely taken goal and almost had another, showed some very good movement off the ball
van de Beek (7.5) - excellent goal and some fine passing
Tadic (7.5) - just a wonderful player who constantly brings enthusiasm into the game for everyone
Traore (7) - got on the scoreboard and had a nice assist on the Tadic goal
Ziyech (7.5) - very solid half of football
Lang (6.5) - brought some good speed into the 2nd half coming on for Ziyech
Marin (6.5) - good enough coming on
Hansen (NR) - crowd wanted him to score but it wasn't to be in his 12 minutes of play

Some well deserved rest now before the league season, Europa League and Dutch Cup start again in January. What a wonderful year of football Ajax brought us. Only five seconds separated the club from a Champions League final and only the unfortunate injuries to Neres and Promes kept the club from a second straight appearance in the knockout round of the CL. Let's look forward to a solid 2020!!!

 

Don't be so sure. I don't think he wants to go to the EPL and all the Spanish teams other than the big 3 would be a step down. Don't know about Italy as most of the teams there are rubbish. Only big steps up would be Bayern and Dortmund (assuming Favre is sacked). An Ajax trainer already failed at Dortmund.