I think our latest local from the great production line of the Ajax youth scheme should be given a post now that he has broken into the senior Dutch team.

My congratulations to Hedwiges for getting picked after just 2 league games and a cup game.Is this a Dutch record, does anyone remember anyone else being selected after just 3 games for his club? I don't think he will see any action but you never know!

I watched him live at QPR last summer and in addition he has been on Sky playing for both Dutch u20's and 21's v England and I was impressed.
Obviously Mr Van Basten is very impressed.

For what it's worth: Maduro was, in my opinion, the only Ajax player who was not absolutely shit today.

K.

Kowalczyk's Optimist-O-Meter
Today Kowalczyk thinks the chance of beating PSV is approximately...

zero %

I thought he was just as poor as the other lads. He just looked better as he ran around a lot attempting to clean up Sneijder en van der Vaart's mess. Still lost his position a lot, forgot to run with van Bommel in the build-up to the 0-2 and was absolute crap in possesion.

I call it the VanderDoelen-factor. It might look impressive, but it's absolutely worthless usage of energy.

Ajax could do with a rough type player. Somebody to break noses and scare the other team.

Graham Kavanagh could be bought for the price of a packet of crisps and a twix bar. I guarantee you he'd take care of Van Bommel. Kav is getting on a bit though, but young Sean Thornton is looking the part. I don't know how he'd handle the whole red light district thing though.

Players like Van Bommel are 10 a penny in the English, German and Italian leagues - he'll get found out if he goes to one of those leagues.

Ko after withnessing this one, can only agree with you (and maybe mr pienaar after he came on).

I have seen him play in all the games he played. He might have a great future but its just to early to say right now. Although I would love to have as many ajaxieden to be in the Dutch squad, it does seem a bit early for him to be called up. I'd rather see Davids in there.

There have been a large number of youngsters who the media called the next start of Ajax, whatever happened to Reuser, Musampa, Wooter, Knopper, Ikedia, Van de Gun etc etc.

Lets take it one game at a time.

How the hell does one pronounce his first name?

something like hat-we-gus.
The 'g' from 'gus' in this example doesn't really exist in English. You can probably compare it to the sound Mexicans use for the 'x' in Mexico.

Or you can just call him Ed, as Krol seemed to do in an interview ;)

[Hed-wee-gus] is the pronounciation, with the g being the gutteral, Dutch g-sound that only three languages in the world have: Dutch, Arabic and Scotch/Welsh. It's the sound at the end of the Scottish word 'Loch' (as in 'the Loch Ness monster').

K.

...just when I thought I was getting good at Dutch pronunciation a new word comes along :nooo:

I'm afraid your estimate is far from correct.
To mention just one more language that uses that sound, my mothertongue Hebrew.

:aai:

We have that sound too...... I produce it when I'm clearing my throat after brushing my teeth every morning (and YES French people actually brush their teeth :D )

:yes: :yes: :yes: ;)

I think we should just stick with his last name :yes: , witch by the way does sound latin american, Maduro is quite common in this part of the world, as a last name of course. In spanish it means "Mature" quite a coinsidense because he seems really mature for his age. Hope he keeps on developing in the future( Galasek is running out of gas).

Maduro was picked by his coaches to win the Marco van Basten Trophy for Talent of the Season. Very deserved in my opinion (although I would have understood Babel as well). The man has enormous potential and is already regularly showing it.

He won the talent award this season, but I still cant see him on the bench or line up for holland, he doesnt have the experience

Re-posted this from another thread...





K.

A short interview and profile on Maduro at uefa.com today.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/ne ... 28447.html

Anyone nervous about tonight?

Ah, don't worry, 3-2 Ajax is my result of the day.

Rosenberg, Boukhari and Escude scorers.

According to Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport a delegation of Juventus scouts were on the stands in Prague on Saturday during Czech Republic vs Holland. They were there to see Hedwiges Maduro in action and after the game they reportedly said that they were deeply impressed by the 'new Frank Rijkaard'.

I don't think we need to worry about this one. Ajax won't let him go, Maduro doesn't want, etc. This doesn't mean a thing.

K.

They were probably watching him for future purposes. Juve doesn't need a guy like him right now.

I think he'll be with us for at least two more seasons, I sure hope so at least. We need a strong backbone to count on.

it looks like ajax don't want to extend the contract and it would be a huge mistake IMO. i know, now he don't play the way he could, but still i have a faith in this guy. sell him in summer would be bulshit. we won't get a lot money for him so it would be stupid to sell him. let's keep him!
http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=450109&CPID=9&clid=215&lid=25&title=Maduro+in+dark+over+new+deal&channel=&

I agree. Maybe he just needs a rest? He is good player and I believe that we will be proud of him in the future.

PS: As for his first name - Hedwiges is dangerously similar to FEMALE's name Hedwigis. I've never seen male's equivalent of it, but I am sure it could be something like that. The name comes from old german and means "brave woman".

He plays more often than not like a women, though I wouldn't call him brave. He did do okay against Bremen at home, BTW.

Every player has a shit season once in a while, we all no what Maduro is capable of doing. Letting him go would be a big mistake....let`s hope ajax wake up and give the kid another chance.

Maduro could be suffering from the same malaise that has inflicted KJH and Urby to a lesser extent this season.

These guys are young and they had very little rest over the summer as they were playing in the under whatever it is tournie. The guys are just stale and maybe even knackered. They need a nice long summer to re-energise their batteries.