https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/articl...dit-maakt-mendez-een-dodelijke-tien-in-de-dop Use your favorite translator if you cannot read Dutch. Nice evaluation of Mendez.
It better be nice, it's by Kleiban. Actually not much context on how he's fitting in to Jong Ajax now, more about what AM's strengths are.
I, too, love using specific data points when trying to pass it off as overarching evidence. I love stats!!!
This is an insane stat 1 – For the first time in 254 Eerste Divisie games, Jong Ajax started back-to-back matches with the same line-up. Consistency?— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) February 28, 2020
Ajax 2-0 Telstar @ HT Mendez remains on the bench to start the 2nd half ... Telstar pulls one back @ 54' - now 2-1 Mendez first Jong Ajax sub on, @ 60'
Finished 2-2, Telstar scoring on a PK @ 86' Mendez with a late yellow card, @ 90+6' Pynadath came on @ 85' - just before the PK (handball on Q. Timber)
https://i.redd.it/pwlx4rqjw9k41.jpg This is a very interesting graph someone on the Ajax reddit made. Just basically minutes by age. The most striking thing is between 18-21, there are barely any minutes being played which is normally a huge age group for Ajax. That generation really didn't produce anyone outside of Dest. It's a lost wave of players -- I wouldn't really include de Ligt because he played above his age so much and is already gone. In the context of Mendez, his age is between an insanely talented wave and another that is coming behind him. It's part of why I believe Ajax bought him-- try to fill this gap. Don't necessarily read it as a good or bad thing, just an idea of where he is from an age perspective in relation to Ajax.
Starts: Our XI vs. FC Volendam!20:00h ➩ @FOXSportsnl ⓷#voljaj pic.twitter.com/hsTphPyUt6— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) March 6, 2020
The remaining Eerste Divisie season was cancelled yesterday. Jong Ajax were in 4th at the time of the campaign's abandonment. Mendez's final 2019/2020 stat line will be 2 goals, 2 assists, and 2 yellow cards in 988 minutes with Jong Ajax (22 games, 11 starts). It was also announced yesterday that as Ajax Amsterdam were in first place in Eredivisie at the time of the season's abandonment that they will qualify, pending UEFA's approval, for the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League play-off round.
Ajax just spent 10 million on Muhammed Kudus a MF/F one month older than Mendez just a reminder of how competitive it is to break through at Ajax
I didn't think Mendez had much of a chance at Ajax before the season and now think he has zero chance. Ajax has announced some loans recently... hopefully Mendez goes to a lower level Eredivisie team. I'm just not sure he showed enough in Jong Ajax matches for any teams to be interested. The other side of the coin is it seems like psycho Klieben is hell bent on him playing in Europe at a big club. So would they accept a loan deal to a place like Emmen? Who knows
Mendez started and went 45 minutes for Jong Ajax in a friendly against Almere City on Saturday. He was also apparently brought back on in the 70th minute. Jong Ajax lost 2-0.
Seems like the best case scenario right now. He didn't have the production others in his relative crop did coming over. Llanez, Richie and even Gloster seem a lot closer to seeing 1st team time w/ their clubs or on loan... and Gio sky-rocketed to the BDL.
Absolutely and I posted this a few times but what was most concerning to me was he barely played for Jong Ajax. The guys that Ajax is loaning out are fringe players (saw some first team time, too good for Jong Ajax) to the lower Eredivisie teams. Mendez isn't even really close to that level yet. I don't think Mendez is really that attractive to the Twente's even Emmen's of the Eredivisie because he hasn't even proven a solid Eerste Divisie level player. Compare with Ledesma who was a very good Eerste Divisie player. I am curious what PSV does with him. I'm sure they'd rather hold onto him vs. loan because he's a much cheaper option for depth at MF. PSV's LB position is wide open so I bet they hold onto Gloster too. Hopefully by January he is either a full-time Jong Ajax starter or moving on. He needs some progress soon.
This will be a big year for him but not sure why so much negativity with last season. In his first season as a 19 yo he played in 22 (of 29 games) for 988 minutes and scored 2 goals and had 2 assists. Ledezma is obviously ahead of him, but also had an additional 6 months to adapt to the country and style of play with PSV's u19s.