Ajax Coaches

[aveslacker]

I've had some time to think about this, and here's what I think.

In the short term, it doesn't matter if we keep ten Cate or not. We may win the league, we may not. Changing managers won't fix the problems Ajax faces right now.

The reality is that Ajax is not a big club. Chelsea, ManU, Milan, Real, Barca and Inter are big clubs. Ajax is not at this point a club on that level. We don't have the finances that those clubs have, and we never will.

So if Ajax is to be successful in achieving domestic and European glory, Ajax has to be smarter than other clubs.

If you will bear with me for a moment, I'd like to use analogies from a few different American sports. The sports themselves aren't important, but the examples provide applications that are relevant.

The NFL has a salary cap that limits the amount of money teams can spend. Since teams' expenditures are limited there is a great amount of parity, competition is fierce, and there are usually several teams vying for the playoffs towards season's end. Nonetheless, there are a few teams that are consistently bad, and a few teams that are consistently good.

The consistently good teams, such as the New England Patriots, aren't good because they outspend the rest of the teams (obviously, since there is a salary cap). They are good for other reasons. I think it boils down to three core reasons:

--Good coaching. The Patriots' coach is a master motivator, a master tactician, and a master of the psychological warfare necessary to be successful. (To be fair, he has also been caught cheating recently, but the infraction he committed weren't sufficient enough to change the fact that he's a great coach.)

--Smart acquisitions. In an environment where no team can charge in and buy a team of all-stars a la Chelsea or Real Madrid, NFL backroom staffs have to buy smart. They have to find value, i.e. quality players at the right price. No one has been better at it than the Patriots.

--Culture of winning. This one is pretty obvious. If you were a good player who wanted to win a championship, would you be willing to earn a little less to play for an organization that valued you and won? When Dennis Rodman joined the Chicago Bulls, people thought that he would bring the organization down (he was a major headcase). But the club's culture of winning, led by the likes of Phil Jackson, Scotty Pippen and -- of course -- Michael Jordan, influenced him. The net result was that the Bulls won a shitload of titles.

The other example that I'd like to bring up, with apologies to Dubbel, is the Oakland A's of baseball's American League. Oakland is routinely among the best teams in baseball even though its payroll is never among the league's highest. For example, in 2002 the A's won 103 games with a $43 million payroll. The same year, the Yankees won 103 games with a payroll of $126 million.

The reason? The A's general manager is a pro at finding undervalued players. He is able to find the right players for the team at the right price. If he signs a player who doesn't perform, it's not that big of a loss, since a) he didn't pay that much for him, and b) there are plenty of other players that can make up the slack.

So, what's all this got to do with Ajax?

It should be pretty obvious where I'm going here. In order to win consistently in Holland and Europe, Ajax should accept that they aren't Real or ManU. They should plan accordingly. That means that they should (in no particular order):

1) Hire the right coach. It doesn't have to be Jol, Mourinho or any big name. In fact, given the approach I'm outlining for Ajax, it should be someone who is not likely to be a big name, but has the right vision for the club, knows how to motivate, has tactical nous, and hates to lose. If Ajax are going to rehaul their organization, they should do it in the context of a partnership between coaching staff and front-office staff. This means no mercenary coaches like Mourinho or Hiddink. It means a coach who, while perhaps lesser-known, will buy into the program for a long commitment and who, working in close partnership with the suits, sets the club in the right direction (from the youth system on up) and continues with the club for a while.

I have no idea who this person is.

2) Buy smart. To augment the youth players that must be the backbone of the team, Ajax has to buy the right players, and shouldn't pay too much for them. The whole world should be Ajax's scouting grounds. Considering the tens of thousands who play this game, there will always be value signings available. Ajax need to have good scouts and smart money men who know value when they see it. These players should understand that when they are signed by Ajax, it generally isn't for a year or two -- it is for three or more years. They should understand that Ajax play a certain way, and they should be expected to play in that style. It goes without saying that Ajax shouldn't be scouting strikers (Rosenberg, Sonck) who are best suited to a 442 if that's not the style in which Ajax play.

3) Strengthen the culture of winning. Vince Lombardi famously said that "Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." Ajax should have a huge edge in this department, after all, the Champions League trophy is permanently on display at the ArenA. But they don't, because they've fallen into the trap, just like West Indies cricket has, of expecting opponents to quake in their boots when they take to the pitch. Swagger has replaced skill instead of being a product of it. From the youth system on up, and with every purchase Ajax make, the culture of winning with style should be ingrained in the club. Ajax should be bold, never scared, and if taking the bold choice sometimes results in an unexpected loss, but leads to great glory, then so be it. The fans can understand results that don't go the clubs way as long as the players don't play scared and fight for every inch of the pitch. They can't when the club capitulates weakly time after time.

Can it be done? I don't know. But I'd like to think that most fans would be willing to put up with a few seasons of moderate success if a) the team gave their all every time, and b) it was obvious that the team was progressing towards its goals and would ultimately achieve them.

[nindamaged]

I totally agree.

I think Ajax need to look at a team like Arsenal. Arsene Wenger refuses to spend huge amounts of money on players but scouts players that will eventually have huge potential.
Ajax doesnt have to compete financially with big name buys but to purchase players with potential and try to tie them down with longer contracts.
The players need a manager with huge commitment to the club, someone they can look up to for inspiration.
I dont think i have ever seen a player come out in the press and give their support for the manager when his job is on the line.

Ajax need to find a manager who can gain a tight bond with the players (so it will make them feel more guilty to consider leaving).


I could be/probably talking shit but thats my idea!

ps They should sack all the money grubbing c*ck jockeys on the board.

[SPL]

Looking at the other press and web sites here in UK it appears HTC will go but Ajax want £1m compensation and Chelsea are hoping we will sack him.
I do not think that will happen as Ajax will not want to pay him off and there is no immediate replacement.
The Independent, a better quality paper ,states that Ajax have lined up Marco Van Basten to take over in the summer with a temporary coach until then.

Dutch websites quote Adrie Koster, the Jong Ajax coach!!

All will be revealed after the weekend I am sure.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Whatever the story is, HTC wont leave now but at the end of the season.

[Thom]

Whatever the story is, HTC wont leave now but at the end of the season.

He will be gone by Monday, so much is clear. It's too obvious now.

[bryan]

My gut feeling (which is usually wrong) tells me that Ten Cate wants to stay but that Ajax are looking to offload him for cash. It wouldn't surprise me if Ajax are leaking all these stories to test the waters.

Respect to Ten Cate if he has chosen to stay at Ajax over Chelsea's millions.

[GangstaRiB]

My gut feeling (which is usually wrong) tells me that Ten Cate wants to stay but that Ajax are looking to offload him for cash. It wouldn't surprise me if Ajax are leaking all these stories to test the waters.

Respect to Ten Cate if he has chosen to stay at Ajax over Chelsea's millions.

Sparta - Ajax will be the last match with Ten Cate on the bench.

[Thom]

Yep...good riddance, too.

[nindamaged]

According to the Sun website -

Jol is ready to leave White Hart Lane, having come under increasing pressure following the Londoners’ poor start.


An Ajax insider said: “Jol is certainly the club’s No 1 choice to succeed Henk ten Cate. Ajax have tried unsuccessfully to get Jol in the past but it looks likely they will finally get him now.”


The Dutch outfit offered Jol the job two years ago. But he turned it down at a time when he was hugely popular both inside Spurs and with the fans.

[Thom]

Pleaaase nooooo

[LucaS]

My gut feeling (which is usually wrong) tells me that Ten Cate wants to stay but that Ajax are looking to offload him for cash. It wouldn't surprise me if Ajax are leaking all these stories to test the waters.

Respect to Ten Cate if he has chosen to stay at Ajax over Chelsea's millions.

And that's why Ten cate had talks just a day or two before an enormous important ajaxgame. Yeah right, the guy is not only a absolute topcoach, he also loves Ajax madly!

Ajax is leaking these stories via Lens, ten Cate's agent?

[SPL]

According to the Times Jol did not come to us as JC said no .I imagine he would probably advise us again.

[bryan]

I wouldn't believe a word The Sun has to say about anything.

For "Ajax insider" read "an English bloke living in Amsterdam who attends the odd Ajax match" or "Dutch fella working at The Sun office".

[Manneken Pis]

Part of a an article in the footballunlimited.com related to HTC:

Recommended by chief scout Frank Arnesen, the Dutchman will join Chelsea once a compensation package is agreed with current employers Ajax. Ten Cate, whose relationship with Ajax deteriorated amid disputes over player recruitment and early exits from both the Champions League and Uefa Cup, has already agreed a weekly wage of £40,000 at Stamford Bridge.

An abrasive, forthright individual, the 52-year-old was Frank Rijkaard's assistant as Barcelona won the Spanish league and European Cup. Though Ten Cate emphasised his central role in those successes on leaving Barca in 2006, he acted primarily as a dressing-room enforcer with Rijkaard selecting the team, tactics and training regime.

At Chelsea, he will be expected to deliver an inventive, attacking game based on the Barcelona model, while indulging Abramovich's whims in team selection, but will be given a degree of autonomy over training and man-management.

a weekly wage of £40,000

[Van basten]

I think today is also last chance for Jol, if Spurs will lose to Liverpool, he's outy

[JohnyAjax]

And here is the man who I want: LOUIS VAN GAAL

I know very, very well that it is hardly possible he comes back
but he's a world class coach that can save us.

[Kowalczyk]

Van Gaal?

That's a chance of zero procent. He's a man of principles, a man of his word - and he gave his word to AZ. He won't resign. No way.

Adriaanse?

I would love to have him back, but Johan Cruijff really hates him and since Ajax are afraid to disobey Cruijff's 'orders', John Jaakke said totally of the blue that Ajax do not want Co back, and that he is not the man. A dam shame, if you ask me, but anyway.

We'll probably end up with Martin Jol - and I'm not sure if we're better off with him than with Ten Cate.

K.

[Azeri]

I've had some time to think about this, and here's what I think.

In the short term, it doesn't matter if we keep ten Cate or not. We may win the league, we may not. Changing managers won't fix the problems Ajax faces right now.

The reality is that Ajax is not a big club. Chelsea, ManU, Milan, Real, Barca and Inter are big clubs. Ajax is not at this point a club on that level. We don't have the finances that those clubs have, and we never will...

I would totally agree if Ajax every season reached CL 1/4 or 1/2 where suffered defeats from Chelsea, ManU, Milan, Real, Barca and Inter... or even Werder, Lazio and Lyon. But in the current situation there is nothng to do with comparing our finances with those of "big clubs". Ajax is knocked out of both eurocups by much smaller clubs. Ajax could not clinch Dutch title being not be able to score one more time against Heracles

[Arthur]

Van Gaal?

That's a chance of zero procent. He's a man of principles, a man of his word - and he gave his word to AZ. He won't resign. No way.

Adriaanse?

I would love to have him back, but Johan Cruijff really hates him and since Ajax are afraid to disobey Cruijff's 'orders', John Jaakke said totally of the blue that Ajax do not want Co back, and that he is not the man. A dam shame, if you ask me, but anyway.

We'll probably end up with Martin Jol - and I'm not sure if we're better off with him than with Ten Cate.

K.

What makes you think Co would suddenly be a success this time?

[SPL]

Ko

Would you want to wait to seasons end for Marco or possibly Frank if Barca let him go.


Spurs picked up a good point at Liverpool and I think Jol will last a bit longer. He wont resign as the balance of his contract is £4m. Ajax are not going to pay that sort of compensation.

I assume we are hoping Spurs sack him . I too think he will be no better than HTC. Anybody can spend millions on players and finish 5th in EPL, the gap between the big 4 and the rest is hugh.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Foppe de Haan or Leo Beenhakker.

Or hey, Mourinho!

[Philippe]

I would just do with an inside man such as HTC's assistant, and give a chance to Richard Witschge next season.

[Philippe]

for those who like songs, understand a little Dutch, and wonder about ... Blind :
"Dat Ajax in de slotfase nog gelijkmaakte tegen Sparta, kon de meegereisde supporters van de Amsterdamse club niet veel meer schelen. Ze leken het drukker te hebben met hun spreekkoren: "Henkie rot op”, zongen de supporters trainer Henk Ten Cate tot ver na het laatste fluitsignaal toe. Danny Blind, de huidige technisch directeur van Sparta, kon op meer sympathie rekenen. Hij werd voortdurend toegezongen."

[GangstaRiB]

Ko

Would you want to wait to seasons end for Marco or possibly Frank if Barca let him go.


Spurs picked up a good point at Liverpool and I think Jol will last a bit longer. He wont resign as the balance of his contract is £4m. Ajax are not going to pay that sort of compensation.

I assume we are hoping Spurs sack him . I too think he will be no better than HTC. Anybody can spend millions on players and finish 5th in EPL, the gap between the big 4 and the rest is hugh.

If I may answer this question also... Ajax have to wait for next season to appoint a new coach. In the middle of the season there are no good options available. We have some experienced coaches in the youth department and they have to fill the half year gap till the next season. No need to hurry, because there's a big chance that Ajax will contract a "left-over" coach.

[Philippe]

Ajax have to wait for next season to appoint a new coach. In the middle of the season there are no good options available. We have some experienced coaches in the youth department and they have to fill the half year gap till the next season. No need to hurry, because there's a big chance that Ajax will contract a "left-over" coach.

that sounds sensible to me