I guess Leonardo deserves his own thread as he was officialy presented today : http://english.ajax.nl/web/show/id=1548 ... ntid=61405

I'm not sure we really needed another forward, but let's be confident he will bring something to Ajax..

Yup, it's official. News report coming up!

I have serious doubts about this one, to be honest. Doesn't feel great. But hey: I was convinced at the time that Nikos Machlas and Wesley Sonck were going to set the league on fire for us, so Leonardo will probably be great... :D

Let's see. Let's give the boy a chance and not destroy him because he played for that club from down the road.

K.

1) He needs to not dive so much.
2) Can he get past his man and deliver a cross? He strikes me as more of a #9 type. Am I wrong?

Leonardo is bought to give Ten Cate more oppotunities. Ten Cate can vary the system with Leonardo. Typical Leonardo plays in a 4-4-2 system. When he receives the ball, a defender hardly stands a chance to pick the ball from his feet. Leonardo can play as a winger, but I have not seen many typical Ajax-crosses. Everybody in Holland is in doubt over this transfer. He is a great talent, but never showed it. Maybe Ten Cate can motivate him to play as a mature footballer. So no dives and less whining at a referee to show a card to Leo's opponent.

But he is the kind of player that reveives the ball on Ajax' own half and is capable of thundering towards the goal.

News report on Ajax USA...

http://www.ajax-usa.com/news/2006-2007/ ... nardo.html

K.

i also have to agre, that i'm not sure that he is the man who we need know.. we need a good midfielder for the moment i think. HTC knows that, he told that and maybe we will buy some midfielder in winter transfer window.
P.S. How many times Leonardo scored this season for NAC Breda?

he scored 0 and has 0 assists

We definitly needed a forward, because we only have Perez, Huntelaar, Babel, Manucharyan, Poepon, Rosenberg, Mitea, Rosales, de Mul, Krohn-delhi

Incorrect, RS. He scored one and gave four assists.

Kroh-Dehli wants toleave Ajax. Rosenberg also will be sold on this winter transfer, or loaned out

Leonardo costed 750.000 euros, why is he so cheap???

Sssst bertje, people on the English board still don't know my reputation that good :D


Van Basten:

First of all, he had a contract untill 2007 (correct bertje?) so thats why he ís cheap.

Second: Rosenberg won't go, since Leonardo isn't really a striker, and when he leaves, Ajax will only have 1 real striker (think Babel isn't good enough to be second striker, + the fact he is doing great on the left)

third: How do you know Krohn want's to leave?

Yes, he was going to be out of contract this summer, but he had a limited transferfee in his contract of 750.000.

Spurs were after him but could not sign him until March when he gets a Dutch passport.I know very litttle about him but 750k euros is cheap .

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hli ... iders+exit
go and see that, Krohn-dehli and Rosenberg probably will leave us

According to skysports Leonardo said:

"This year I think Ajax can catch up to PSV in the second half of the season."




Ok Before he starts training at ajax, maybe he should stop smoking whatever it is, because he obviously living on cucu land.

[/quote]

Ayman, as long as we have more than 20 matches to go, and not more then 10 points behind PSV, its still possible...


Ajax only needs a very experienced leader, or a player who plays as an experience player.... i cross my fingers for Stein Schaars, but that's just sweet dreams. :hypocrite:

A few people told me that when he's in a good form, he plays like Ronaldinho. The question is - how often is he in a good form?

I know that he is good dribbler, but Kevin Bobson also was, but he didn't make many assists, goals etc.

He scored just ones for NAC this year and that makes me wory. is he right quolity for us? i have doubt about that, but i hope i'm wrong

AJACIENS-

WHAT THE F*CK- I WAS INDOCTRINATED INTO AJAX IN 92-
14 YEARS LATER CHARISTEAS IS SOLD TO THE KAKKERLAKERS
AND 4 MONTHS LATER WE TAKE A FORMER KAKKERLAKER FOR
OUR OWN-TO UPHOLD AJAX GREAT TRADITION OF FOOTBALLERS
HOWEVER I THINK WE NEED TO USE OUR ACADEMY/AJAX1
TO STRENGTHEN OUR NEEDS-- WHAT ABOUT MANUCHARYAN??
OR A TRANSFER FOR KANU?-YOUTH/VETERANS HAVE SERVED
AJAX WELL OVER THE YEARS.....

Manucharyan is made out of glass, he's injured all the time. About our academy - the players there are not good enough to play for 100 per cent in every game at the moment. I really believe that Goossens or Boerrigter will be our first team players, but now it is rather impossible. We have to wait a season or two to see them in first eleven.

Charisteas was sold to Feyenoord because he didn't have the best time in Ajax. Look on his play in Rotterdam now - he still cannot score. How many goals did he grab this season? Two? It wasn't the best idea to sold him to the biggest rival (from the past - now Rotterdam have million of problems, not only Charisteas), but it doesn't change a fact that we had to sell him.

Portsmouth's boss said that there is no way Kanu leaves the club this winter. Besides I am afraid that he wouldn't be happy if he would be only reserve player. When KJH is fit, no one has a chance to play.

As for the tradition - we needed a player for now, not for the future season(s). So Leonardo seemed to be quite good option. His price wasn't so high, so it won't be a very big blow when he won't play just like we want him to.

so who's this Jaap Stam geezer then??

I guess he meant *OFFENSIVE* experienced leader. Jaap Stam is great as a defender, but not very useful in attack. I think it is a good idea to buy experienced midfielder, who can create the game just like Cocu in PSV.

Back on topic, please...

This is the Leonardo thread. You might want to continue this discussion in the New Players thread. HTC has already admitted that he is looking for a 'Cocu type', but he has also said that Edgar Davids is not the type he's looking for.

Your thoughts in the New Players thread please...

K.

If Leonardo starts being a bitch he was at Feyenoord here, that might be the little fire we need if we are to catch up with PSV

That is actually one of the very serious risks we have accepted by signing this kid... He is a potential troublemaker. My expectation is that he won't get a starting slot just like that. He will be on the bench every now and then when KJH is available. He might start to moan and whine very soon - and that would be a serious threat to the team spirit.

But maybe everything will work out fine. I don't know. Leo will understand that this is his chance to become a top player. He'll get one shot and he'll understand that it would be pretty stupid if he blew it at Ajax.

K.