24 Oct 2012 : Ajax - Manchester City FC

[rjf1]

Fantastic! What a team effort. My heart is still pounding.

[Tom_]

Thoroughly deserved and enjoyable win.

City were not impressive at all, I wonder what they think they're doing playing that defensive against a team with probably 1/20th their wage budget. It was also amusing to see Mancini panic and throw on four strikers... I guess he forgot he needed a midfield to supply them the ball?

[Van basten]

it's shame borussia won today, coz no way we can overcome real..

[Tom_]

RM lost 1–2 at Dortmund, by the way. Looks like it's between us and ManC for third place.

[Orange14]

HEROES!!!!! Every single player gave his all this evening and did what they had to do. Defending with heart and going forward like the Ajax teams of old. Well taken chances and great goalkeeping. The US commentators are really ragging on ManCity right now; too funny.

Player Ratings

Vermeer (7.5) - poor kicking but what saves. He also played the angles well making it difficult for ManCity players to get a clean shot on goal
Blind (6.5) - OK but his lack of speed clearly showed tonight; going forward he was good but dicey defending
Moisander (8) - great defending and wonderful goal against a stupid ManCity who were zonal marking nobody
Alderwiereld (7.5) - outstanding on defense
van Rhijn (8) - held his own on defense and went forward with abandon; just a great cross to de Jong for the first goal
Poulsen (7.5) - out of gas in the last 10 minutes but gave the midfield steel
Eriksen (7.5) - best game in a while and put pressure on the ManCity defense; still needs to get rid of the ball a little quicker
Schöne (7.5) - very good today and created some really nice passing lanes
Sana (7) - would have been nice for him to get the fourth goal; played well tracking back on defense
de Jong (7.5) - got the tying goal and was more active today than I've seen him all season
Babel (7) - a couple of bad shooting decisions but otherwise a good match
Enoh (6.5) - first action of the season and did OK
Boerrigter (NR) - came in to give height on corners but was not needed for that purpose, not on long enough for a rating

Third place in the group now and Dortmund tightens things up at the top of the group. Two weeks from now another shot at ManCity, a town where FdB is undefeated!!!

[kezme44]

as a fan, i really needed this

[Tom_]

Agreed, everyone did their jobs more or less today. A couple of nervy moments with giveaways from Sana and Poulsen. Couple of last comments: I think I'd have to give Schöne MotM today. He made us so much room passing from MF. Also, I think Blind's come on a lot this season.

I know I'm going on here but I just can't get over City's pathetic negative approach! What were they thinking? With a squad like that, if they had played the classic high-tempo physical English Premier League style against us, I think we would've been in much more trouble.

PS you got part of your wish SPL with Huntelaar scoring once for Schalke...

[souras84]

That's the Ajax way!! Finally a victory! A small complaint. What the hell was Van Rijn doing in the center of our area, in the Nasri goal?!?!
It's all about mentality. The tactics are there, the skill is there. You only need to be serious and determined. We need to grow up! And today we showed it

[Kowalczyk]

Whahahahaha, this was pretty hilarious, wasn't it... I loved this.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

The match report on the MCFC website is so full of shit...

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-report ... jax-v-City

A deserved lead after 22 minutes...? Ajax were great in the first twenty. City converted their very first chance. They'd hardly crossed the halfway line until then.

The half-time score of 1-1 was 'harsh on City'...? Come on. As if they were trying anything... They played an ugly type of catenaccio (but without the plan).

These people have a million times more money than Ajax, they think they can buy everything, but the points at the Amsterdam ArenA were not for sale. Sorry. They got well and truly beaten - and they know it.

K.

[SPL]

still haven't come off cloud 9 what a wonderful night to be a fan of Ajax putting the rich men in their places. Everyone was a hero and more good saves from Vermeer,might have known he would have a fine game after slagging him off last weekend.

City were poor but we played superbly,very proud of our team tonight.

PS quite right KJH scored as usual ,my Arsenal loving son was not happy .

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Note to self "have to stop screaming at work every time my Ajax scores...pay raise not looking good".

PD: Don't FUCKING care !

[rjf1]

...The US commentators are really ragging on ManCity right now; too funny...

For more funny, you should have heard the English commentators moaning into their microphones after Ajax's two second half goals.

[Amol]

I totally forgot that today was Wednesday and completely missed the game. Found out in the evening about the score and haven't been able to stop smiling since then.

Anyone have a link to the full game/highlights?

[rjf1]

Headline on ESPN Soccernet website: Ajax wipe the floor with City

[Philippe]

As if they were trying anything... They played an ugly type of catenaccio (but without the plan).K.

Exactly. But they are out now.
Our defense was better than theirs. Van Rhijn was great. I was happily surprised with Blind and Schone.

All in all, we were simply better, much better.

Too bad Real Mad lost to Dortmund.

[King Litti]

This was so sweet. We played with passion. We wanted it more. I'm hoping this will be a great boost to the player morale. Now to beat the crap out of the F word.

[ofey]

I was so proud of the boys, I wore my 2000-2001 jersey to work today on top of my shirt all day except when I needed to head in for meetings.

What a brilliant result.
This team has so much promise. One or two passengers but everyone else put in a shift!
I'm so afraid we'll lose De Jong this year. He's nothing short of magical as a false 9.

If our boys can nick a draw or win in Manchester, it would be so on!
I rate us to beat Dortmund at home and then it'll be a real battle to keep Madrid at bay at the Bernabeau.

Ik ben Ajacied!

[Orange14]

Just a couple of retrospective notes on the game. What was most interesting to me is that exchanging of positions between Eriksen and de Jong. Eriksen moved up to press on every turn over and spent a lot of time ahead of de Jong. Now neither is a true striker and in recent years we have really only had two: Huntelaar and for one season Pantelic. Maybe this is part of FdB adapting to the reality of his roster and it will be interesting to see what he does when Sigthorsson returns. I suspect that the same starting XI will be on the field for the Feyenoord match this weekend.

The really surprising thing about yesterday's match is ManCity allowing Ajax to bring the ball up with very little pressure in the back third. The club sees this kind of pressure every week in the league and Mancini has scouted the club. I think Vermeer handled the ball less yesterday than in almost any other match this season.

Full credit to FdB for adapting to a changing situation!

EDIT: More on the tactics at 11 tegen 11: http://11tegen11.net/2012/10/24/ajax-3- ... ue-points/

[aveslacker]

These people have a million times more money than Ajax, they think they can buy everything but the points at the Amsterdam ArenA were not for sale. Sorry. They got well and truly beaten - and they know it.

K.

I cannot tell you how proud those words make me.

Well done, boys!

[Tom_]

Just a couple of retrospective notes on the game. What was most interesting to me is that exchanging of positions between Eriksen and de Jong. Eriksen moved up to press on every turn over and spent a lot of time ahead of de Jong.

I'll take your word on it, but I find it very hard to tell the difference between de Jong and Eriksen off the ball. Must get my prescription checked...

de Boer said he put Eriksen at false 9 nine for a bit more physical strength in the midfield (de Jong). Worked well.

I meant to say that I was shocked that City tactically didn't deal with our overlapping full backs. van Rhijn and Blind were basically always open when we had the ball. Maybe Mancini was expecting us to be more cautious because of the big game, but Ajax has played with attacking full backs for how many years? His tactics were poor (those panic substitutions reminded me of Maradona in South Africa) and any club with an ounce of footballing culture would not tolerate that style of play against a team that they should realistically be belting off the park. But I guess they're just a cashed-up nothing club.

[souras84]

still it seems that with this kind of formation. our (false) striker usually gets the ball outside the area. That is kind of difficult for us to produce goals against good defences such as Real Madrid or Dortmund or others that have given us a hard time in the past

[Orange14]

still it seems that with this kind of formation. our (false) striker usually gets the ball outside the area. That is kind of difficult for us to produce goals against good defences such as Real Madrid or Dortmund or others that have given us a hard time in the past

It can be done but you need exceptional players to make it work in the absence of a true striker. The only team that really succeeds week in and week out with this approach is Barcelona who have small quick players in the five attackers that routinely field (I exempt the holding midfielder who rarely moves up). Ajax, at this point in time, don't have the quickness either in movement or passing to make this work though I suspect this is the vision that FdB and rest of the coaching staff have (they did try this approach in the preseason last year with Ozbilitz in the middle but that was short lived). In any event, I thought this was a refreshing approach and hope to see it continue this Sunday.

[ajaxusa]

I wonder what they think they're doing playing that defensive against a team with probably 1/20th their wage budget.

According to ESPN, the Ajax starting 11 was acquired for £3.8 million ($4.9 million US), whereas the first 11 they beat cost £183.5 million ($237.8 million US). According to my (suspect) math, Man City's starting line-up cost their club 37.5 times as much as Ajax' starting 11.

[Manneken Pis]

I wonder what they think they're doing playing that defensive against a team with probably 1/20th their wage budget.

According to ESPN, the Ajax starting 11 was acquired for £3.8 million ($4.9 million US), whereas the first 11 they beat cost £183.5 million ($237.8 million US). According to my (suspect) math, Man City's starting line-up cost their club 37.5 times as much as Ajax' starting 11.

The city bench alone cost 109 million Euros.....