15 Jan 2006: Ajax - NEC

[Kowalczyk]

I read your match report, and I think it's a shame that some of the supporters turned against Boukhari. Generally speaking he may not be the player of the century, but at least he is always fighting and doing his best for the team. Some lazy ones aren't.

I think you definitely have a point there. On the other hand: Boukhari is so obviously one of our worst players that it is getting very frustrating for the fans that Blind continues to play him (and actually seems to rate him, too). I mean: apparently Blind thought it was a good idea to play Boukhari as Sneijder's replacement (a sort of 'number 10', coming from the left). I mean... how can Blind seriously mean that?

Play with a defensive 'number 10' (Maduro) or put Lindenbergh there. Or play Urby instead of Boukhari. Anything. How many more times will this guy be allowed to fail?

The frustration of the fans is understandable, but I must say you have a point, for sure.

K.

[Philippe]

Maybe Blind is still playing Boukhari just because he knows that he will do his best while others won't.
But let's face it : the quality of the currently available players is very poor for Ajax standards.
Isn't it that the club is going downhill since van Praag left ?

[saddlerian]

:headbang: :headbang:

Maybe Mr Blind should learn from the experience of many Premiership managers.
If you want to get the best out of your players, make sure that they are either married or in a firm relationship. They will then have to work hard to pay for their families!

More than one manager has adopted this approach, the "young, single" players only interested in the length of their contract and the size and speed of their car!

Play players who need to work hard , or, only pay by results!

Until next match............

:xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

[Rubin Stark]

Takes time. One point is better than none.

On Boukhari: As a coach (or any kind of manager), do you promote the talented yet complacent one or the borderline but hardworking one? Until you can hire a better worker, Mr. Borderline has to stay.

That's if you want to instill a good ethic for long-term growth.

Surely the Koeman era was a symptom of a sick team. Whether the problem is policy or players, who fucking knows.

[Kowalczyk]

Just because it is so brilliant, I am posting Over Pasanen's Head latest post in this thread as well...

:D Enjoy!

Sundays game

Act 1 Scene 1 - The dressing Room just before the Game


Blind: Well lads lets keep the ball rolling as we did in the midweek game, as an away draw in the league at any ground is a very good result

Krol: But boss it was only a friendly against a Erstedivisie side.

Blind: Yeh , alright but to get a draw was still good. Anyway to todays game and I have decided that to confuse the opposition we will play our best central defender as a right back.

Krol: But he was crap there last season boss.

Blind: Yeh, alright but I like Heitinga, he is a nice lad and he likes to play in the middle of defence. Also in midfield we will play with 2 players of the same type just in case one of them is off form and then play Boukhari in front of these in the number 10 playmaking position.

Krol: But boss the bloke just hasn't got it to play in the first team at Ajax and it is unfair on the rest of the team and the fans to play him.

Blind: Yeh, alright but he is such a nice lad and really works hard so just give him one last chance.Also we must play him as I think he was a bit upset that his country, with all their wealth of football talent at their disposal, chose not to select him for the African Nations Cup

Blind: Up front I am going to put Rosenberg out on the wing as a number of fans still cannot recognise him as the middle of the pitch is a long way away from the stands. We must give our stars full exposure so that when they meet the fans in the street, the fans can recognise them and congratulate them on another terrific performance.

Krol: sigh

Blind: If this isn't working then I have a plan whereby I will take off all the ball players and replace them with tall forwards and then give our goalie the instruction to lump the ball forward at every opportunity to them.

Krol: But boss that isn't the Ajax way and we haven't even practised it in training. Anyway none of them are very good in the air as we always practice passing-to-feet football.

Blind: Yeh, alright but NEC won't be expecting this from an Ajax team will they.
If this doesn't work then I have a number of thoughts on how I can change the formation around in the coming weeks. By the law of averages one of the twenty formations or so must work.

Krol: Big sigh

Exit players to the Ajax March and exit fans to the Grolsch Bar.

K.

[Jesse]

:worshippy: :worshippy: :worshippy:

[The Purple Cow]

I was still too angry to post about this yesterday, but I've calmed down now, so here goes.

I thought the behaviour of the Ajax fans yesterday was a fucking disgrace, I was appalled at their behaviour. How the flying fuck do they expect players to play to the best of their ability when the so-called fans hurl abuse at them from the first minute?

In particular the way they singled out Boukhari for the worst kind of racist abuse was shocking. He's an AJACIED for Christ's sake. Hurling racist abuse at the opposition is unforgivable, but to do it a member of the team you supposedly support!?

What kind of insanity is that??

Is it any wonder that he hasn't played well? When he knows that from the very first ball-contact, large sections of supposed Ajax supporters are waiting to scream hatred at him. The racist cunts sitting directly behind me tried to pin the blame for the N.E.C. goal on him!! Jesus H. fucking Christ, even Ronaldhinio would struggle to have a decent game under those circumstances...

Boukhari may not be the greatest player in the world (though Danny Blind is on record as saying that Boukhari has the best 'trap-techniek' of all the current Ajax players) but I challenge anyone to tell me how their abuse is supposed to help him or for that matter Ajax improve.

The clue is in the name - supporters. That's S - U - P - P - O - R - T

You support your team through thick-and-thin, good times and bad.

That's what real supporters do.

[Philippe]

I am very concerned about your report of racist abuse. In what section of the stadium did you notice it ? I can't understand Dutch so I would not have understoood it if I had been there. My season ticket is in section 428.

[Kowalczyk]

This is not the first time that Purple Cow has told stories about racist remarks in his section. I know Purple Cow and I absolutely believe him.

However, I have a strong feeling that he just has the bad luck of sitting near a group of absolutely terrible people. In my section (127) there was no racist abuse whatsoever. Absolutely not. People around me weren't even complaining about Boukhari at first (this started in the second half). In the second half many fans were all over Boukhari, screaming all kinds of angry things at him: that he was shit, that he was a waste of oxygen, that he should f*ck off as soon as possible and that he was a complete c**t.

But racist abuse? I didn't hear it and I firmly believe that there are more sections like mine than like Purple Cow's (when it comes to racism, that is).

Having said that, I definitely Purple Cow is not exaggerating and it would seriously depress me if I had to sit next to a bunch of yobs like that. I would probably get into a big argument with them and - quite possibly - walk away.

Purple Cow: didn't you ask Ajax a while ago if you could be moved to another section? Any reply?

K.

[The Purple Cow]

Yes. they're moving us to a new section at the start of next season, somewhere well away from 420, we're not sure where yet because our kids want season cards as well so we need a row of five seats.. It could be that we are uniquely unlucky in sitting amongst these scum, but I'm not completely convinced.

It's kind of sad, we've really enjoyed sitting in row 1, and 420 is a nice position on the field.

But anyway, leaving the race issue to one side, my point about large sections of the ajax crowd not getting behind and supporting their team still stands.

[Kowalczyk]

But anyway, leaving the race issue to one side, my point about large sections of the ajax crowd not getting behind and supporting their team still stands.

Very true. The negativity can be overwhelming at the ArenA. In times like these I think the players rather play away than at home, which is sad.

On the other hand: sometimes you just erupt. Happens to me, too. The 2002-2003 Champions league run was memorable, but let's face it: this is the third crap year in a row. Ajax won the championship in 2003-2004 and did well if you looked at the points, but the football was a bit grey at the very least. Even Koeman admitted that. At the start of the 2004-2005 season he said that he wanted to make the next step: the same number of points, but with more attractive football.

The rest is history: the latter half of 2004, 2005 and the start of 2006 have been a complete nightmare in every respect. We've been watching boring, slow football for well over two years now.

Ajax have their crisis every once in a while, but in the latter half of the 1970s and the 1980s, for example, there was always one thing you could count on: Ajax never won anything, and PSV were much better, but the least you could say was that Ajax were entertaining. PSV won all of their games by 1-0 or 2-1. Ajax would beat Sparta by 9-0 one week, but lose 1-0 at MVV the next week.

What drives me insane is that those peeks have completely and totally disappeared. Ajax never win by a convincing score. They never tear an opponent apart. Ajax's average performance is boring, slow and piss-poor, and the only exceptions right now are the days on which they're even worse than that.

That is tremendously frustrating. How can a team like AZ be two million times more attractive than us? How in the world is it possible that Ajax are never fun to watch -- not even incidentally, once every six weeks or so? If only statistically there would have to be an entertaining game every in a while.

It drives me absolutely crazy and I can understand that, to many Ajax fans, it's simple too much to bear every once in a while. I am technically incapable of whistling at the team (can't whistle with my fingers...), but I do yell nasty stuff at them every once in a while, because - after two shit years - I simple can't understand why we're still as shit as we are.

Why? Why? Why?

K.

[Philippe]

The racist abuse in section 420 should be reported and investigated by Ajax. Stadium bans should be in order. It is a disgrace for all Ajax fans.

And about "why?", Ko, maybe the supporters assocations (sva, OFA) should demand explanations to the people in charge of the club.

[SE6Ajacied]

The racist abuse in section 420 should be reported and investigated by Ajax. Stadium bans should be in order.

Completely follow that. I wasn't there and my Dutch isn't good so I quite possibly wouldn't recognise rascist abuse if I heard it. I have to say any sort of abuse of individuals is so negative (and yes I've been guilty too) but I'm always slightly worried when it's Boukhari on the end of it again. Agreed he's not all that gifted etc (and also agreed that he gives 100%) but when it's aimed at him I'm always concerned that some numbskulls will get in on the act with their Nazi crap.

[Ayman]

Im going to text maarten Fontein to pass on a message to Van Geel and Blind, do guys want me to pass on anything

[bryan]

When we played Arsenal a couple of years ago Theirry Henry hit a banana shot and a guy two rows behind me made a racist remark involving bananas. The sad thing is that people were laughing.

[Feest]

I once saw a banana-related banner in the ArenA.

[SE6Ajacied]

I once saw a banana-related banner in the ArenA.

That's right, a total disgrace, against Auxerre in the UEFA Cup last year and aimed at ex-Feyenoorder Kalou. Thankfully there's been nothing along those lines since - certainly not in terms of banners.

AFC AJAX - NAZI FREE ZONE (please)