Ajax Reborn - the Farioli Edition; Ajax 2024-25

"it ain't over until it's over!!" plus extra time!!!!!

 

Yogi Berra, don't get me started.

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours."

 

"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

 

When talking about a hotel: The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.

 

In my book squandering 9 points lead in the last 4 games of the season, thus losing the title by 2 points, is a massive f*ck up whichever way you look at it. That PSV did a similar thing a couple of months ago is no consolation at all. Plus we played dull, uninspired football throughout the entire season. Hope next season we'll come closer to playing the football we all want to see Ajax playing. What is worrying me though is the huge amount of deadwood the club has to offload, don't see many buyers for most of it. No matter what I believe next season will be a step up. Good luck!

 

Rough end to an ugly season of Ajax football today.
As a long time fan of the club, and having watched countless matches over a few decades it’s hard to find the proper words about my exact feelings at the moment, but I’m just disappointed at the Club.
Disappointed at its hierarchy, most of the players, and the horrible football being played currently.
Lots of decisions to be made by Kroes, and I believe that no one is untouchable regarding any possible move out of the club, which is very sad because there is no special player in this squad which is unfortunately true.
I never expected a championship title this year, and it’s amazing to a degree at how close this team was to winning the title, despite all of the problems/issues this team has, but my immediate hope is for a change in fortunes going forward.
Moving forward in a positive direction is my hope and dream coming sooner rather than later.
Ajax 100% Always!

 

Well, we got no help from Rotterdam between squandering the lead a couple weeks back in the last moment and then Sparta getting run over today. I watched both together at the same time and Sparta was lucky to be in it and not behind 0-3 or so at the half.

lets not kid ourselves, psv was deserved champions this season - but still, that colossal collapse is still hard to stomach.

 

I saw that somewhere too. Wij zijn Ajax, wij zijn de beste!

 

Farioli has left - guess all the reports about him being concerned about the lack of squad quality especially going into next season were right. Either that or he’s getting a nice Serie A job that he’d already agreed to.

Good luck to him. Much appreciated how he turned many things around for our side, even if the football was hard to watch most of the time!

also, glad he did this happened right away to give maximum time for recruiting the next coach. I imagine it’ll be someone like Simonis of Go Ahead or Ten Hag.

 

I can't say I'm surprised, considering that his family was still in Italy and he is rumored to be sought after by Serie A clubs.

I won't speak about the style of play, but I will say that I really liked him and, in spite of the massive choke job, he did a really good job with a very limited squad. I wish him luck wherever he ends up.

I suppose that makes ten Hag the favorite? Honestly, I would prefer someone else. He had a good run at Ajax, but I'm not sure he can catch lightning in a bottle again, especially considering how many question marks there are around the squad.

 

I agree - just look at the goal difference. PSV really lost form when Tillman got injured and hit their stride when he came back.

Still, just think - had Ajax not conceded in the 100th minute against Groningen, they'd be hoisting the trophy.

Ugh.

 

Lots of wisdom there. Even if ten Hag were a potential replacement for Farioli, would he want to come back to a club with as many snakes in the boardroom as the one he got sacked from a few months ago?

 

I think that is the most disheartening part. The boardroom/hierarchy feels so soulless at the moment. Maybe that’s just a reality of life in 2025 in the sporting world, too? It’s sad to see a club with the mystique of Ajax in such a place. It’s almost like you need a grassroots revolution or something.

 

My thoughts is that young teams are unpredictable. Sometimes you get lucky and they are so young, they don't recognize pressure or big moments. While other times they do and it makes them cease up. They over think things.

On Farioli leaving, fair play to him. Despite all the challenges this season he almost pulled off the title. He made half decent chicken soup out of chicken kaak. He had earned his reward. I think he goes back to Serie A!!

Ten Haag goes to Leverkusen or a German side. I say go for Simonis of Go Ahead Eagles.

 

Simonis makes me nervous. His side gave up 55 goals. Just a plus 2 in differential. Are we going to go back to more “offensive” and start giving up goals by the bucketload once again?
Although - I’m not gonna claim to be any kind of expert on go ahead or Simonis, just looking at stats and all

 

I know Ajax is poor by Top 5 standards but in the eredivisie they are rich. They can afford to plunder the likes of Sparta, Herenveen, and Groningen for talent and buy some De Haag youth or other 2nd division kids to upgrade Jong Ajax which has been barren.

 

This reminds me of how Chicago Bulls owner and GM Jerry Reinsdorf was jealous of Michael Jordan and all the success doing him and the Bulls and feeling he wasn't good enough to credit as the GM for putting the team together.

I just feel a lot of the people in The Boardroom think they can make the team into or when are they deserve some credit for a success. A bit like how a lot of credit was given to Overmars for helping them put together. They want that affection and to be wanted in Europe.

 

Or Reinsdorf with the Sox, or Jerry Jones with Jimmy Johnson.

I am willing to give Alex Kroes the benefit of the doubt, but he does seem to be surrounded by a bunch of people with agendas.

 

There are still a lot of loanees on the books that won't be able to contribute, i.e. there's a lot of dead money to account for. The Mislintat regime was a disaster. CL money will help, but they're probably still a year away from being past the worst of it.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing him go to Milan. As a USMNT fan, I think he could get the most out of Pulisic but, even more importantly, Musah.