Julien Escudé

[carcajou]

France played well for about two to three years. That 2-3 year span just happened to coincide with the WC, which they hosted, and the EC. During that time, they had several key players on form (Zidane, Trezuguet, Thuram, Desailly, Blanc, Barthez). IMHO Zidane was the key - before his rise to glory France had a tendency to wilt under pressure (like when they failed to qualify for WC 94).

Without him (and even in EC 04, when he was past his prime), they seem to be reverting to their old form. In other words, I think that France's 2 titles were the exception rather than the rule for them.

:X

There's more to come Alex, there's more to come.... I'm not a big supporter of my national team and I've never been, but let me tell you that it's impossible that we fail to grab some titles with such young and talented players like : Diarra, Mexès, Boumsong, Evra, Pedretti, Mavuba and the 'old' guard : Henry (28), Trezeguet (27), Vieira (27) plus loads of good keepers. Simply impossible.

[Frans]

but let me tell you that it's impossible that we fail to grab some titles with such young and talented players like : Diarra, Mexès, Boumsong, Evra, Pedretti, Mavuba and the 'old' guard : Henry (28), Trezeguet (27), Vieira (27) plus loads of good keepers. Simply impossible.

There's plenty of examples where talented groups end up with nothing. Holland of the mid-late 90's. All Blacks of the 90's. Real Madrid. This year's Ajax team, who I think still have far more talent/potential then any team in the league. For any number of reasons these groups win nothing. As for the French, without Zidane, they are nothing. (and I already see an article where he may come out of retirement for the away game in Ireland).

[aveslacker]

:X

There's more to come Alex, there's more to come.... I'm not a big supporter of my national team and I've never been, but let me tell you that it's impossible that we fail to grab some titles with such young and talented players like : Diarra, Mexès, Boumsong, Evra, Pedretti, Mavuba and the 'old' guard : Henry (28), Trezeguet (27), Vieira (27) plus loads of good keepers. Simply impossible.

Well, Bebs, you're certainly right about the amount of talent in France right now -- fwiw I think the French league is a bit underrated -- but the question remains whether or not they have the spine to win anything. This is what I think Zidane brought.

But yes, talent wise, they are up there with any team not named Brazil, I think.

[Kowalczyk]

Julien picked up a yellow card in Heerenveen, by the way. It was his fourth of the season, so he will be suspended against Willem II. Which is a good thing: we'll have him back with a clean sheet for the AZ and Feyenoord games...

K.

[Kowalczyk]

The game against AZ was, by the way, SQD's first official game as captain of Ajax. So far he'd only been team captain in a friendly. He said in a quick interview that he was quite nervous when he first walked onto the pitch knowing that he had to do the official handshaking and stuff.

I think Julien is an excellent captain. He's really turning into a leader, coaching his team-mates on the pitch, organizing the defence and setting an example when it comes to attitude.

People also tell me that his Dutch is improving. He speaks Dutch quite well, but he doesn't dare to speak Dutch on TV yet... :D

K.

[carcajou]

The game against AZ was, by the way, SQD's first official game as captain of Ajax. So far he'd only been team captain in a friendly. He said in a quick interview that he was quite nervous when he first walked onto the pitch knowing that he had to do the official handshaking and stuff.

I think Julien is an excellent captain. He's really turning into a leader, coaching his team-mates on the pitch, organizing the defence and setting an example when it comes to attitude.

People also tell me that his Dutch is improving. He speaks Dutch quite well, but he doesn't dare to speak Dutch on TV yet... :D

K.

From my French point point of view, Dutch is BY FAR the most difficult language to pronounce, so I can understand him if he's nervous. I'm trying to learn the Ajax Mars these days (with the fancy correct Dutch pronounciation) and nothing comes easy....

But he's now the captain, he's been one of the best players so far, way to go Scud' !!

[Philippe]

a bit slow on the first goal by Kalou, Julien, if I may say

[carcajou]

a bit slow on the first goal by Kalou, Julien, if I may say

Didn't see it... But speed has never been his best quality, and that something you can't learn. So I'd rather say : bad positioning. I mean there are tons of slow defenders even amongst the best ones. But you have at least to compensate by a good positioning. If you don't, then Kalou scores ;)

[Kowalczyk]

a bit slow on the first goal by Kalou, Julien, if I may say

Oh well - can happen. I would rather say that Kalou was lightning-quick.

Not every goal necessarily someone's defensive mistake. Sometimes it's just a goal. No-one to blame; just a goal. You pick the ball out of the net and try to score one yourself.

K.

[Eric]

actually SQD should not have been put in a one on one situation with Kalou...

[Kowalczyk]

Yeah, but this was kind of hard to avoid, I guess. Goor headed it forward and Kalou went for it, coming from behind SQD's back. Goal. Shit happens.

Sometimes I get tired of football coaches who always say that his team 'gave the goals away'. It's become an almost meaningless quote: "The way we gave that second goal away... How it possible on this level?"

Come on. It's a goal, that's all.

Heerenveen's winner against Ajax, a few weeks ago. Now that was a defensive error for you. De Ridder... terrible. This one? Mwah. Just a goal.

K.

[Blind3]

I agree with Ko.I would add only that even Danny Blind remarked that Kalou and Kuijt are class and that it was going to be difficult, nigh on impossible, to hold them off [the scoresheet] 100%. That said,I'd love to see whether a "harder" Ajax midfield would've made a difference , i.e. whether a lightning fast player like Kalou or a power forward like Kuijt would've had the room they had on their goals yesterday. I know,I'm beating that same tired song again.

[Kowalczyk]

Interesting detail... Julien Escudé was still captain, in spite of the fact that Koeman's #1 captain (Heitinga) was also playing.

Seems like SQD is officially The Boss now!

K.

[carcajou]

Interesting detail... Julien Escudé was still captain, in spite of the fact that Koeman's #1 captain (Heitinga) was also playing.

Seems like SQD is officially The Boss now!

K.

Let's hope that if HRH VdV claims it back he'll stare at him scornfully and say "Now who's the boss, bitch !??!!"

Oooops, I forgot : he can't claim the armband, given that he is warming the bench with his (low riding) ass :) :) :)

Seriously, let's hope he'll be the man next season, that he'll get even better.

[carcajou]

Follow up of the New Players for Ajax thread discussion :

I'm still amazed about the number of people disliking him, or thinking he's not the man we need. A total mystery to me....

[Over Pasanens Head]

SQD suffered because he was a replacement for Chivu. A very hard act to follow indeed. Started the season poorly, but has been really consistently impressive for much of the season.

[Real Ajax]

I'm still amazed about the number of people disliking him, or thinking he's not the man we need. A total mystery to me....

A number of people are assholes. Let's face it, these days foreign players are met with loads of distrust (happened to Grygera, Rosales and esp. Charisteas) and the overpraised Ajax youth can get away with...wellll not murder...but a lot of bad footie. ;)

Of course...cough... *I* always believed in Escude (no really somewhere lost in the other network must be a message were after his first Ajax game I proclaimed: "there goes our future captain." Although I admit I was surprised when this actually became true.)

[Kowalczyk]

Some of the things that were said in the other thread were true when Escudé first joined: he was a bit soft, made mistakes and sometimes it seemed like he simply refused to tackle.

These things are haunting them now. He has worked very hard, did a lot of power training. The people who are actually willing to notice changes have indeed noticed that he almost never lost an aerial duel this season, that he had become 100% tougher and that he can tackle like a madman these days. In Arnhem, for example, he played against an opponent that was much faster than him, but he wasn't beaten a single time. The only times his opponent managed to slip past him, he corrected it with a furious block tackle, so that the cross never got into the box.

He's turned into an almost perfect defender and really is no point of discussion whatsoever, if you ask me.

K.

[Manneken Pis]

He's turned into an almost perfect defender and really is no point of discussion whatsoever, if you ask me.

K.

As long as he keeps his hands out of the way, based on Sunday... ;)

Seriously though, I'll put my hand up and admit that I voiced some doubts at first, but am now fully converted. :xyxthumbs:

[Kowalczyk]

I voiced some doubts at first, but am now fully converted. :xyxthumbs:

Every reasonable, sane Ajax supporter should be by now. I mean: he does not wear the captain's armband for nothing, you know. You don't just get that band because you're a bit older, or just a nice guy. You get it because you set an example for the rest of the team.

Still claiming that Escudé is 'too soft'...? That's just a factual incorrectness, plain simple. He's developing into a pretty damn good leader, actually.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Bad news for Carcajou: Ajax Netwerk reports that Escudé's yellow card at Vitesse last Sunday was his 7th of the season, which means that he (just like Steven Pienaar) will be suspended for Sunday's Groningen game...

K.

[Arthur]

Every reasonable, sane Ajax supporter should be by now.

thanks :sad:

I mean: he does not wear the captain's armband for nothing, you know. You don't just get that band because you're a bit older, or just a nice guy. You get it because you set an example for the rest of the team.
...
He's developing into a pretty damn good leader, actually.

He is an example because of his professionalism, that's true. But a leader? I doubt it. He's one of the older players, a central defender and plays all the time. Those are valid reasons to make someone captain when there isn't a real leader in the group, comparable to when Galasek was made captain.

Still claiming that Escudé is 'too soft'...? That's just a factual incorrectness, plain simple.

I don't think he's too soft, but I do feel that his weaker points will come much more to the foreground when Ajax will play further up the pitch, as Blind probably intends to. It could be compensated by quick defenders that can cover his back, but we don't really have those. (Maxwell and Trabelsi are quick, but they attack too much to cover anyone's back.)

The Grygera-Escude center is solid, but in the longer run it will not do.

[Kowalczyk]

News report on Sky Sports to confirm what we already announced in the DWV match report:

ESCUDÉ TO LEAD AJAX

Julien Escude has been handed the captain's armband at Ajax next term.

Tomas Galasek was skipper last season, but he picked up an injury and this prompted Escude to take on the role. Ajax chief Danny Blind was happy with how Escude took to the role and has confirmed him for next season.

"It's a conscious choice," Blind told the club's website. "When I came to the squad last season, Tomas Galasek was captain, but he got injured. Julien Escude has taken over the captain's armband and we have left it that way. Now he is the first captain and Galasek second.

"Both are fine lads with personality and stability.

"They can fulfil a guiding role on and off the pitch. And the language is no problem, because they both speak Dutch."

Nice one. So far for the 'Blind doesn't rate Escudé' story. Don't be afraid, Carcajou...

:xyxthumbs:

K.

[carcajou]

News report on Sky Sports to confirm what we already announced in the DWV match report:

ESCUDÉ TO LEAD AJAX

Julien Escude has been handed the captain's armband at Ajax next term.

Tomas Galasek was skipper last season, but he picked up an injury and this prompted Escude to take on the role. Ajax chief Danny Blind was happy with how Escude took to the role and has confirmed him for next season.

"It's a conscious choice," Blind told the club's website. "When I came to the squad last season, Tomas Galasek was captain, but he got injured. Julien Escude has taken over the captain's armband and we have left it that way. Now he is the first captain and Galasek second.

"Both are fine lads with personality and stability.

"They can fulfil a guiding role on and off the pitch. And the language is no problem, because they both speak Dutch."

Nice one. So far for the 'Blind doesn't rate Escudé' story. Don't be afraid, Carcajou...

:xyxthumbs:

K.

He speaks Dutch ? Man, I'd like to hear that :D

Good news for him, but I for one will be pleased when he'll be fielded on a regular basis as a central defender.

[Blind3]

Good choices as Captain and alternate. Escude` has, knock wood, proven very durable .Galasek is a steady influence when available. I too hope Blind will leave Escude` and Grygera as 1st choice center backs and find a quality left back to play with Trabelsi,Grygera, and Escude` , rather than slap a band-aid on the position by playing someone out of position.