Where is the Magic? Ajax 2020-21 Season

This was an easy win over a not very good team. Ajax with 75% of possession and had it not been for some outstanding saves from the Emmen keeper the score would have been worse than 0-5. Everyone played well and there were very few errors when Ajax were in possession. When they had to defend both Schuurs and Martinez stood big. I can't really give anyone more than a 7.5 when the opponents are so weak.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6) - had to save one weak shot and had to do a bit of ball handling in the second half
Klaiber (7) - started at LB and then shifted over to the right side later in the match; played well
Martinez (7.5) - very good ball handling and made one nice interception when it looked like Emmen might get someone in on goal
Schuurs (7.5) - didn't see a single mistake and he had some good rushes up field when the space was open
Mazraoui (7.5) - very good match going forward
Klaassen (7.5) - well taken goal and had some very good passes
Gravenberch (7) - solid match from the 18 year old
Labyad (7) - solid again both shooting and passing
Tadic (7) - thought he would get a full 90 minutes of rest but started and played the first half
Traore (7) - continues to get better
Antony (7) - solid coming back from an injury in the half he played
Huntelaar (6.5) - just miss timing some good runs by a smidgen
Neres (7) - continued to terrorize defenders on the left side of the pitch
Promes (7) - very active coming on for Tadic and was always in a position to cause problems for Emmen
Ekkelenkamp (7) - had some nice touches and was alert to toe poke home a goal
Rensch (NR) - on late for what I think was his league debut

Off to Liverpool for a mid-week CL match up. Liverpool were held today and other than their front line, it's not clear who will start on the backline and the MF. Unless Midjytland stages a major upset it is going to come down to the final match day just like last year in the group stage. I hope the result is better.

 

I wonder why Alvarez gets the start over Labyad.

 

Another 1-0 loss to Liverpool on a keeper blunder by Onana (it's rare to say that). Liverpool closed down the Ajax midfield for most of the match and maybe the tactic of not having a striker on from the get go was not the right move. i thought Liverpool had the better of the play and Ajax had to make a lot of last ditch saves on defense to help out Onana. The young Liverpool keeper had one really difficult save to make on Mazraoui's shot and parried Huntelaar's late shot away though it was right at him. All to play for next week against Atalanta and a draw is not good enough.

Player Ratings:

Onana (5) - really poor keeping on the goal bud did make a couple of good saves and was alert to the danger of men breaking in on goal
Tagliafico (6.5) - decent enough at both ends of the pitch
Blind (6.5) - strong enough though he had a couple of bad passing blunders
Schuurs (7) - good game and had some very nice interventions against top talent attackers
Mazraoui (7.5) - had the best shot of the game for Ajax and made some great runs and defended well; he was the best player on the pitch for Ajax IMO
Alvarez (6.5) - played a hybrid role adding another deep lying defender and did enough before coming out for an attacker
Gravenberch (6) - he was really taken out of the game by the Liverpool MF though when he was on the ball he handled it well
Klaassen (6) - moved up to the attacking MF and put in a good shift but his passing was weak
Neres (6.5) - had a lot of the ball but did not create any danger; came off with a leg injury that I hope is not serious
Tadic (6.5) - the magic of two years ago was not there today
Antony (6.5) - had a couple of weak shots but did track back well
Labyad (5) - had no impact as a sub
Traore (5) - had little impact
Huntelaar (5.5) - had a late header that was saved.

 

I thought so to. It was always going to be a roll of the dice in terms of tactics. Alvarez can drop back better than Klaassen, allowing Blind or Schuurs to move forward on the ball. I think the problem for the top Dutch teams is they do not face the kind of pressure that Liverpool puts on opponents in league games. The Ajax MF was really closed down and Klaassen is not the creative type that can help out. Gravenberch was very good and likely will leave after this season if Raiola gets his way. I thought Mazraoui and Schuurs were also good.

I hope they come out and score goals early against Atalanta. If it turns out to be a park the bus kind of game, I envision a result like the Valencia match last season. That would be disappointing.

 

They were doing that in a sense. Alvarez would drop back and allow Blind or Schuurs to move up. Unfortunately, this tactic did not work well because of the very high pressure from Liverpool. Ajax was using this type of formation early in the season before Klaassen arrived.

 

No question that all the fixtures caught up with Ajax today. Totally flat performance with a lot of poor passing. Ajax had 70% possession and lots of time in the attacking third but it was only a penalty call that led to the lone goal. Klaiber with some terrible defending against Menig who got the two Twente goals with good strikes. We'll see what happens in mid-week against Atalanta but if they come out like this, they will have a lot of trouble advancing. I guess this is the result of pandemic football with two games a week. Not much to write home about today.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6.5) - a couple of good saves and helpless on both goals
Tagliafico (6) - OK match before coming off with a knock to his face
Blind (6) - a couple of good interventions but several very bad passes
Schuurs (6.5) - decent enough before coming off for a rest
Klaiber (3.5) - quite bad everywhere
Klaassen (5) - poor passing and looked gassed in the 2nd half
Gravenberch (5.5) - we got used to some fine play; today was not that
Labyad (5.5) - poor ball control
Promes (5.5) - had a lot of the ball but didn't do much with it
Traore (5.5) - had some good hold up play but then suffered a muscle injury and came off
Tadic (6.5) - had some good interior play and cooly dispatched the PK
Brobbey (6.0) - worked really hard and had one difficult chance on goal
Matinez (6.0) - on for Tagliafico and was one of the few players whose passes were on target
Timber (5.5) - had a couple of last ditch interventions and one was because he was caught out of position
Antony (5) - didn't happen today
Huntelaar (NR) - on late in a last ditch effort to get the draw