26 Jul 2009: Ajax - SL Benfica

[Amol]

He probably thought that he was playing a 1-2 with Vermeer and that's why he played a ball for Vermeer to run at

I liked the fact that we are playing with one defensive mid and Donald played really well in that position yesterday.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Playing defense doesn't require great skill. Just hard work and positional awareness.

You are having a laugh Monkey Tonk - this is the whole problem in that we keep buying defenders who do not have a high skill set. To be able to cope with the great skills of the forwards coming at them, then the defender has got to have great skills + don't forget that the Ajax defender also has to be able to join in with the attack. Until we sign such players and not let great ones leave we will always be in trouble.

[Kowalczyk]

Hehe, check this out...

I don't understand Arabic, but I can tell that this commentator is feeling really sorry for Ismaïl Aissati:

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/581361/ ... evarr.html

Absolutely briliant own goal, though.

K.

[SPL]

It really was one of the best own goals I have ever seen. I think it fair to say he wont do that again but I cannot say the same about Silva's woeful defending giving away goals.

[Monkey Tonk]

Playing defense doesn't require great skill. Just hard work and positional awareness.

You are having a laugh Monkey Tonk - this is the whole problem in that we keep buying defenders who do not have a high skill set.

The old rule of thumb was that forwards who didn't quite make the cut, going through the youth system, could be transformed into defenders. Suurbier would be an example. But I guess that line of thought is outdated, if only because we can't even create any forward wingers anymore. Mind boggling. The players destined to be our future defenders may end up giving hopeless crosses on offense instead.

[Orange14]

Defense requires quickness and positional awareness. It doesn't necessarily require height (witness Cannavaro who is one of the great center backs of our time and only stands 1.7 meters tall) though that helps. It also requires adherence to a system (which I don't suspect we have despite bringing de Boer in to coach the backline). Wielaert was solid for Twente and he comes to Ajax and regresses to the mean. I have hopes for Alderweireld who is only 20 years old and shows signs of being a solid defender. Oleguer runs hot and cold. Some matches he seems to be the Oleguer of Barca other matches he is disinterested.