23 APR PSV - Ajax Match Day 32

[rjf1]

Well, that half was pretty much a shambles -- maybe we'll see a change in the lineup and the pace of the attack in the second half -- what is there to lose at this point.

[SPL]

Orange like me Ziyech and Schone doing nothing . Keeping the usual 3 midfielders for most games has cost us this season although having no expereinced back up striker and using the useless Traore on the wing just as bad.

[SPL]

Neres on for Younes

[Orange14]

Neres for Younes which leaves one sub left and that will have to be for Schöne who can't play more than 65 minutes.

[souras84]

I guess Bosz thought he could get a first half lead and then change the players in the second half...

[souras84]

I can't believe we aren't leading psv. Awful team. Just kicking us whenever they are marking. Tragic day

[Amol]

This one is on Bosz. He has sent in a tired team. He could've easily had 1-2 replacements in each line at the start of the game.

[Amol]

Why is Kevin Blom still allowed to referee?

[souras84]

It's the first time in months that the ref has played us that bad! We really should have won the game. Nonexistant psv and at least I calmed my nerves after all the wrong calls and bad luck

[rjf1]

Don't blame Blom -- blame Ajax. If the ref isn't going to protect you, you have to protect yourself -- i.e. give it back to them twice as hard as they give it to you. Ajax didn't do that (they never do, btw) -- and that is what cost them the game.

[SPL]

PSV just a load of hackers ,Thursdays game caught up with us ,most looked out on their feet. Bosz should have rested some of that team. Few chances today just the fine free kick seperated the teams .

We need to get one more win for 2nd.

Feyenoord have been top since day 1 deserve to be champs

[souras84]

It's all because of our failure against Willem and Roda... or Excelsior. You choose

[saddlerian]

Just one thing amazes me...perhaps someone out there can give me a good answer....why was Bosz and his team all smiles when the final whistle went????

[Ayman]

Just one thing amazes me...perhaps someone out there can give me a good answer....why was Bosz and his team all smiles when the final whistle went????

Perhaps because Ajax virtually secured second place, all they need is another win, due to goal difference

[saddlerian]

Oh, thank you....just wondered why that gentleman from Ladbrokes was sitting close by...with a large suitcase!!!

[Orange14]

Starting a bunch of players who had gone 120 minutes on Thursday night is not a recipe for success. Playing against one of the poorest PSV teams in recent years (what woeful passing all through the match and it was only the excellent free kick from Locadia that found the back of the net), Ajax couldn't muster up enough to score. Bosz has to be blamed for this one and he definitely should not have been grinning at the end of the match. If ever a match called out for squad rotation particularly in light of Feyenoord's earlier win it was this one. But squad rotation does not exist in the vocabulary of Peter Bosz.

Props to all the players who were relentless in their running and closing down of any PSV player who had the ball. There were some nice thoughts about connecting with runners into the box, but the passes were always a touch off. It seems cruel to criticize any of the Ajax players given the circumstances, but the critic has to be honest here.

Player Ratings:

Bosz (-5) - ROTATION DUMMY - your players went 120 minutes on Thursday

Onana (6.5) - nothing to do on the free kick and he nicely stopped a break away in added time
Viergever (6.5) - decent match but was laboring in the end
de Ligt (6.5) - good game except for the weak back pass that forced Onana to scramble
Sanchez (7) - was there a ball in the air that he did not win?
Veltman (6) - another stupid foul that got a Yellow card but decent otherwise
Schöne (4.5) - ran out of gas as usual but his play was a mixed bag of decent and very poor
el Capitan (6) - never a threat to score but endless running helped on both defense and offense
Ziyech (4) - one good pass to Kluivert and one good free kick summed up the positives; the negatives are too great to tally
Younes (6) - probably happy to be subbed off
Dolberg (5) - constantly be chopped at by PSV defenders but he really didn't do much when he had the ball
Traore (4) - never should have started
Kluivert (5.5) - couldn't do much offensively today
Neres (5.5) - had 2-3 very nice moves that created some danger but turned the ball over too much otherwise
van de Beek (5) - on late for Schöne and a non factor

Two more league matches to go and four points off the pace. Strange things have happened in the Eredivisie but somehow I cannot see Feyenoord losing one of their final two matches. We'll need to turn our sights to the Europa League semifinals now and give Lyon the thrashing they deserve.

[Amol]

SaddlerIan - we lose and you're back on the forums.

[Orange14]

Why is Kevin Blom still allowed to referee?

He's even a FIFA official who has done some Europa League matches this season!!

[SPL]

Oh yes we were always playing catch up from end of August after Willem and Roda home games. Excelsior we gave away a silly goal but that was only after 20 odd mins and we just played rubbish.Same v Groningen.

I will always maintain we should have got an experienced striker to go with Dolberg and Traore was a complete waste of space.We should have got another winger back in August.Never again should we borrow some player unless we have the option to buy and indeed want to ie like Milik.

Anyway the hackers from PSV have a much poorer GD so a win v Go ahead will mean 2nd place.

For that game de Jong, vd Beek and Nouri should start and lets see what this talented trio can do.

[Ayman]

Oh yes we were always playing catch up from end of August after Willem and Roda home games. Excelsior we gave away a silly goal but that was only after 20 odd mins and we just played rubbish.Same v Groningen.

I will always maintain we should have got an experienced striker to go with Dolberg and Traore was a complete waste of space.We should have got another winger back in August.Never again should we borrow some player unless we have the option to buy and indeed want to ie like Milik.

Anyway the hackers from PSV have a much poorer GD so a win v Go ahead will mean 2nd place.

For that game de Jong, vd Beek and Nouri should start and lets see what this talented trio can do.

Traore is nursing an injury I hope he won't be back any time soon

[SPL]

Loss today down to Bosz rotation for him is non existant even after 120 mins of tough football with 45 mins at 10 men

[Ayman]

SaddlerIan - we lose and you're back on the forums.

I was thinking the exact same thing. @SaddlerIan if someone was to tell you at the beginning of the season that Ajax would be in the semi finals of the Europa league, you would have laughed.

[SPL]

1st leg is on the Wednesday so Go Ahead will give a 4 day break.still plenty to play for with a Europa Cup final.

[saddlerian]

I was thinking the exact same thing. @SaddlerIan if someone was to tell you at the beginning of the season that Ajax would be in the semi finals of the Europa league, you would have laughed.

Ok, here's another question; If, at the start of the season, you were told that Ajax were 2nd in the League AND in the semi-finals of the Europa League.....would you class that as a successful season, or would you prefer just one of them...making note that 2nd place means starting in early August, and not reaching the final means "nearly good enough"?

[souras84]

Blom and Nijhuis always whistle like shit against us. Normally teams like our own that are the BEST in the country, get more calls for them. Not that I would like that.