19 Jan 2014: Ajax - PSV

[Van basten]

I know this is not important game, but still, we could give it some attention

[Manneken Pis]

Siem de Jong out of the game according to De Telegraaf.

[Tom_]

I'll be at the game. Looking forward to another 3–0, like our first game after the winterstop last year, but with better football!

[paladinby]

A very poor display by us. Fischer alone looks to trying to play and it never looked like a home game for us so far.

[saddlerian]

A very scrappy first 45 minutes...good job that PSV strikers haven't got their shooting boots as their 6 chances far outweigh the one real chance of Ajax!!

Need to get some sort of outlet for the wingers!!!!

[Orange14]

We are very lucky not to have conceded three goals. Very poor play giving PSV lots of counter opportunities. I only counted a couple of decent chances for Ajax. They are going to have to really focus in the second half to avoid dropping any points. Very poor play.

[Ayman]

Hoesen should be on for siggy

[Amol]

We've been very lucky so far. Should've been 2/3 goals down already.

[Orange14]

Well that was surely as nice a goal as one will ever see. Well done!

[Van basten]

What a beauty!!!

[Manneken Pis]

The ref has been appalling...

[ajaxcolombia]

Daley Blind: Commander. 10 tackles completed during the game today!

[ajaxcolombia]

Overcoming a poor first half to top philips, that's the way to go! PSV might be in 8th place, but because of the talent in their ranks I guess we can still consider them direct challengers for the title, so this is a good result.

[Van basten]

Overcoming a poor first half to top philips, that's the way to go! PSV might be in 8th place, but because of the talent in their ranks I guess we can still consider them direct challengers for the title, so this is a good result.

After today's match, they are officially not the contenders anymore

[Ayman]

Fischer reminds me of Robben always trying to go on his own all the way without passing it. I wish we could keep Moisander he is great. We havnt had a great team like this in a long while since 2002-2004, and with wingers like Kishna and de Bondt coming through good times are ahead!

[Orange14]

What a different half this was. Really solid play for 45 minutes and a wonderful match winner from our striker (when was the last time this happened?). Some poor officiating from Kuipers who generally calls a tight match; Blind got mugged two or three times and nothing was called. Defense managed to steel up to help Cillessen keep the clean sheet. We go back to the top of the table on goal differential.

Player Ratings:

Cillessen (7.5) - excellent positioning all match long and had some tough saves to make on balls where there was some obstruction in front of him
Boilesen (7) - good to see him back in the line up going forward with speed
Moisander (8) - just outstanding on defense all match and too bad the de Boer like pass to Klaassen didn't result in a goal
Veltman (7) - much better in the second half after some errors in the first
van Rhijn (7) - a couple of good defensive plays in the first half and went forward well
Blind (8) - first rate match
Serero (6.5) - decent enough but still needs to attack forward with confidence
Klaassen (7) - again solid and too bad the Bergkamp volley didn't go in
Fischer (7) - had several good runs at the goal and did some good tracking back
Sigthorrson (7) - got the goal and almost had a second on a good volley
Schöne (7.5) - what a pass to Sigthorrson
Hoesen (6) - OK coming on
Poulsen (6) - a couple of good defensive plays in the final five minutes

Well done and now a cup tie with Feyenoord!!!

[Orange14]

Fischer reminds me of Robben always trying to go on his own all the way without passing it. I wish we could keep Moisander he is great. We havnt had a great team like this in a long while since 2002-2004, and with wingers like Kishna and de Bondt coming through good times are ahead!

de Bondt is not very good and likely will not be extended. Kishna is being worked in as a striker.

[Jojo]

A much better second half and a win that keeps us at the top

Will have to play better on Wednesday if we wanna win.

[SPL]

My broadband has not been working properly since Thursday so yesterday after about 10 mins of the game it gave up ,great frustration.Had to watch skysports news for the score.Clearly I did not miss much but we won. Will have to make do with the highlights on the official site for the goal.

[souras84]

Klaasen should have dribbled the ball as Bergkamp did. The defender wouldn't be able to stop him. It's a pity he missed it.

P.S. Why does the forum keep loging me out each time I visit? I have clicked the keep me logged on box

[Orange14]

P.S. Why does the forum keep loging me out each time I visit? I have clicked the keep me logged on box

Software glitch after the server crash. The moderators are aware of the problem.

[ajaxcolombia]

according to complex stats, ajax would finish fourth, even taking into account sunday's victory: http://11tegen11.net/2014/01/21/predict ... standings/ with that said, we usually do much better in the second half so the team might get much better than the accumulated stats have shown. The only worrying fact is that Cillissen has had 95% save percentage, which as the author points out, is completely unsustainable.

[paladinby]

according to complex stats, ajax would finish fourth, even taking into account sunday's victory: http://11tegen11.net/2014/01/21/predict ... standings/ with that said, we usually do much better in the second half so the team might get much better than the accumulated stats have shown. The only worrying fact is that Cillissen has had 95% save percentage, which as the author points out, is completely unsustainable.

Thanks a lot for that link, a very funny article.

[Tom_]

I enjoy this modern statistical 'analysis' that you can find on blogs, even if it's not perfect. The author of this one acknowledges there's a huge margin for error in his 'predictions'... but the conclusion is that one of the current top four will probably win, which isn't a massive surprise I guess!