The Future is Now! Ajax 2021-22 Season

Finally a match where we didn't have to wait until the 85th minute to see if Ajax would win. Ajax were dominant in possession but fortunate that a couple of open chances for PEC did not find the net. Some very good pressing and for the most part the defense was quite good. I have to eat my words about not starting Klaassen, he picked up a garbage goal knocking the rebound after Timber clanged one off the post but his second goal was quite sublime. He also led the press as the middle of the front three with Haller moving out to the right side and almost embarrassed Lamprou by nicking the ball just wide of the goal. Haller was poor on the night again missing an open goal after being set up nicely. Pressure is now on for PSV to get a result against Willem II tomorrow. Willem II are in a relegation fight and a point will move them above PEC Zwolle.

Player Ratings:

Stekelenburg (6) - didn't have a hard save to make as all the major scoring opportunities sailed over the cross bar
Tagliafico (6.5) - decent match and he was making some good runs in the offensive half
Blind (6.5) - a good game subbing for Martinez in the central defense
Timber (7) - defensively sound and had a really good run that was picked out by Tadic with the result of a hard shot that ricocheted back to Klaassen for the put in
Regeer (6) - played well in his Eredivisie starting debut coming off with a leg complaint in the 66th minute; it will interesting to see if he can make the transition to RB
Gravenberch (6.5) - more than decent shaking three for four attempts on goal that unfortunately were all at the keeper
Klaassen (7.5) - really good on the evening with lots of pressing and two goals
Taylor (7) - another good match from him and I think he will be starting for Ajax next season
Tadic (7.5) - out of the doldrums and into action tonight, wonderful strike for the match winner and a near assist to Timber; held the ball up well and was seldom dispossesed
Haller (4) - disappointing and nothing more
Kudus (6.5) - really played more as a MF and was good on the ball
Berghuis (5.5) - came on for Kudus and was OK
Rensch (5.5) - replaced Regeer at RB and was decent
Brobbey (NR) - on late for Haller
Alvarez (NR) - on late for Taylor

Big games next week. Ajax travel to AZ and PSV to Feyenoord. The title race just might be decided!

 

Klaassen never fails to amaze me. He can have three very poor games and then he looks like an NT player and every move is perfect..

 

Gravenberch injured his ankle in training today and will miss the remaining three matches.

 

Mazraoui may be able to play. With all the injuries, this match with AZ is going to be on a knife's edge. Hope for all three points but would settle for a draw.

 

At least Ajax came away with a point thanks to Alvarez's header late in the 2nd half. Really awful defending on both AZ goals. Blind was clearly at fault on the first goal but the 2nd goal was a total lapse in concentration by the MF who needed to check free runners. EtH really should have gone back to a 4-3-3 in the 2nd half as Haller was totally worthless as a winger. This team really misses Antony out on the right wing and just cannot create any opportunities.

Player Ratings:

Steklenburg (6) - did not have any tough stops to make and his kicking was very good
Tagliafico (6) - decent enough
Blind (4.5) - two really bad passes inside the Ajax half and poor marking on the first goal; his days as a starter are over for me
Timber (6) - OK match
Rensch (4) - he needs to readjust his thinking that he is a good player, he is not
Alvarez (6.5) - got the tying goal and defensively he was very good disrupting a lot of play in the MF
Taylor (5.5) - wonderful pass over the top for Brobbey on the first goal but ordinary other than that
Klaassen (5.5) - really not much of a factor at all
Brobbey (6) - nice chip for the goal but he really cannot play out on the wing
Tadic (5.5) - couldn't impact the game much at all
Haller (4.5) - totally lost as a wing player
Berghuis (5.5) - had a couple of good balls into the middle but I wonder if he was one of those at fault on the 2nd AZ goal
Mazraoui (6) - too bad he couldn't go the full 90, he might have had more of an impact
Daramy (4.5) - lots of speed but he doesn't know what to do with it
Kudus (NR) - on late and still a continuing enigma as to whether he is good enough

Regardless of the result in Rotterdam, Ajax are in control of their own destiny and need four points from the final two matches.

 

Ajax just need to win on Wednesday to bring home the trophy!!!

 

I try to watch every Jong Ajax game that is broadcast via IPTV. Unfortunately, only about half are. There are some very good players on the team and Heitinga has done a good job of squad rotation so they all get playing time. It's difficult to say who will be able to step up. There are some good wing players and of course Unuvar who is better on the ball than any MF currently playing for the first team. Kian Fitz-Jim is a deep lying play maker with great field vision, but his defending is suspect right now. Salah-Eddine is a promising LB and Youri Reeger who already has played for the senior team is being converted to a RB just as Mazraoui was. Of course there is Ihattaren who might contest for a starting spot next season. van axel Donen is a good winger who also played with the first team. Perhaps the best prospect of all is Misehouy who just turned 16 and jumped all the way to Jong Ajax. There are no center backs worth writing about. Rasmussen has seen the most action as striker but I can't tell whether he has much quality..

Both Max de Waal, striker, and Kik Perie return from loan but I don't know that they can make it. Perie has missed most of his loan time at Twente with a back injury.

 

https://www.torpedoiptv.com/ is the IPTV provider that I use. as @Brilliant Dutch said you get a huge number of channels. I use a PC that has VLC Media player (free) and you just load the code they give you plus your password and that's it. You get channels from all over the world. We stopped cable TV last year and stream everything now. I started by getting 3 month subscriptions to see how it worked and then moved to a year subscription. I've not had any problems.

 

I'll write more on needs after the season is over but would offer the following. Unuvar is a much better MF than wing player. I don't know whether Kudus and Daramy are Ajax players. Daramy may end up being another bad purchase by Overmars. Kudus was hurt most of last season which was too bad. Antony is under contract until 2025 so if he does want to leave Ajax will get top dollar. Martinez contract has two more years to go so there is no hurry there either.

 

CHAMPIONS!!!

 

Ajax are champions with a pretty thorough dismantling of Heerenveen 5-0. It took a while to get the first goal but once the pressure was off with the Tagliafico goal, Ajax kept the pressure on. Stekelenburg had to make one tough save but otherwise was not troubled. The EtH reign comes to a successful end.

Player Ratings:

Stekelenburg (6.5) - one outstanding save and some good kicking but otherwise not troubled
Tagliafico (7) - really nice goal for the match winner at the 20th minute and had a nice game overall
Blind (7) - solid game after some sub-par games
Timber (7.5) - strong defensively and took some good opportunities to go forward
Mazraooui (7.5) - outstanding in an abbreviated performance and got a standing ovation when he was subbed off
Alvarez (7) - had a weak pass early in the first half that might have caused a problem but was good over all with a goal to top it off
Taylor (7) - decent enough to make a case as a starter next season
Klaassen (6) - really didn't do much and his touch was poor
Tadic (7) - moved all over the field and did well in some combination plays
Haller (6) - really not effective out on the wing but in absence of a true winger that where he landed; took the penalty well
Berghuis (7) - really played more in the MF than as a winger and was good on the ball, missed a sitter but he was probably off sides but had a nice goal and drew a penalty
Rensch (6) - decent enough finishing the game for Mazraoui
Brobbey (6.5) - strong coming in for Haller and netted the fourth goal
Kudus (6) - had a hard shot that clanged off the post and did a decent job in the short stint he was on
Reeger (NR) - on late for Taylor
Daramy (NR) - had a nice assist on the Alvarez goal

One match to go to finish out the season, away to Vitesse

 

Mazraoui is officially off to Bayern as he announced on television after the match. Schreuder looks to be the next trainer as Ajax will pay the release amount to bring him in on a two year contract with an option for a third