23 Aug 2006: Ajax - FC København

[Over Pasanens Head]

(2) How anybody on this board from the French speaking part of the world can criticise the fact that only 35,000 were there when he f*cking didn't bother to turn up is incredible.

I can not afford more than my season card, and not so often hours on the Thalys. I would be glad to come over if I just had to take my bike or the metro. Even for a crap team like FC Copenhagen. BTW it seemed even less than 35,000 on television, the second ring looked mostly empty (except for the away section), and even the F Side stand looked half-empty.

I hear and appreciate what you say but please then don't criticise others that don't turn up when they might have equally valid reasons.
As to the 35,000 I took that figure from a newspaper that I was flicking through at Sciphol Airport this morning. At the ground I thought that it looked around 37,000 so it is in the right ballpark

[Over Pasanens Head]

(6) Why the f*ck did we take our best player off in Gabri

he was injured

Oh - thanks for the info although I must say a Gabri with one leg would have been better than the rest he left behind on the pitch.

[Kowalczyk]

Everything I have to say about it is in here:

http://www.ajax-usa.com/matches/m06-07/ ... umble.html

K.

[GangstaRiB]

Ko, I thought that you were the one that said that a year Uefa Cup was a good thing for Ajax.... I know the disappointement is huge at the moment, but this year we can really work on a solid squad.

[Kowalczyk]

Ko, I thought that you were the one that said that a year Uefa Cup was a good thing for Ajax...

That is not exactly what I said. What I said was that I wouldn't mind a year in the UEFA Cup, mainly because we will get to go to some unusual places (rather than another trip to Milan or London). We finished 5th in the league last season and if you had asked me after 34 games last season, I would have been totally up for a year in the UEFA Cup.

But now... After a 1-2 away win... I am sick of it. Huge disappointment.

I didn't say it would be good for Ajax to play in the UEFA Cup for a year. I only said that there is an upside to it. Namely: easier opponents, a chance to reach far and actually book some wins, which would be good for Ajax's UEFA ranking co-efficient. That is the upside.

Also - my final point - I've always (I repeat: always) protested against people who claim that the UEFA Cup is a shitty, crappy, unimportant competition for losers. It's less prestigious than the Champions League, for sure. But it's still a European trophy and, therefore, a much bigger trophy to win than the Dutch championship. Even when Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup in 2002, I always protested when people said: "Oh, it's only the UEFA Cup..." F*ck that. Winning a European trophy is a major achievement, and a tremendous highlight in the history of every football club. That goes for the Champions League and the UEFA Cup.

I am disappointed because we lost to FCK, in a pretty amazing way. That is why I'm disappointed. But we didn't end up with nothing. The UEFA Cup is a major, major trophy. I simply refuse to regard the Champions League as the only thing that counts. It would totally destroy my love for football if I looked at it that way.

Tomorrow I will be excited about the draw, I will be interested in the club we get no matter who they are and I will look forward to the games and support my team. Because they're Ajax. Because the UEFA Cup is a nice, prestigious competition. And because I love my football matches and my club, wherever and whoever they play.

Period.

Great first half yesterday. This team is much better than last year and I can feel that we're going somewhere - for the first time in three years or so. Yesterday night didn't change that, no matter how huge the disappointment was.

K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Well said Ko, but one thing.

UEFA CUP IS FO LOZERS!!11 ROFL OLOLZ

And something to say to some of the bickering that's been happening, CHILLAX. Ajax is STILL the shit from last 2 seasons, it'll take a lot of work for us to get back on form, and so don't take it on each other SVP.

It's gutting, a last minute defeat from an own goal, must be very hard for Vermaelen as it is for fans alike to watch it. I couldn't watch the game as I was asleep, but to wake up with hopes high and see a 0-2 loss at your face is dissapointing.

So let's put this crap behind and look foward to Uefa Championship, for we got a better chance at that than CL. We never deserved to be in CL for the past 3 years.

[GangstaRiB]

I don't consider the Uefa Cup being a shitty Cup, not at all.

I was also pretty f*cked by the defeat yesterday, but I think that for Ajax it is a good thing.

Otherwise we would have lost against an AC Milan, at 50% of their power, in a boring match. Can the Ajax players learn from that experience? Not in my opinion.... Now we can work hard on a solid system, playing 4-3-3 against easier opponents.

[aveslacker]

Well said Ko, but one thing.

UEFA CUP IS FO LOZERS!!11 ROFL OLOLZ

And something to say to some of the bickering that's been happening, CHILLAX. Ajax is STILL the shit from last 2 seasons, it'll take a lot of work for us to get back on form, and so don't take it on each other SVP.

It's gutting, a last minute defeat from an own goal, must be very hard for Vermaelen as it is for fans alike to watch it. I couldn't watch the game as I was asleep, but to wake up with hopes high and see a 0-2 loss at your face is dissapointing.

So let's put this crap behind and look foward to Uefa Championship, for we got a better chance at that than CL. We never deserved to be in CL for the past 3 years.

I love how the Zoefster, he of "draw your dick" and "get a cock" fame, is the most level-headed person on this board today.

I agree -- let's put the crap behind us and make a few realizations:

1) No one is going to gift wrap the Eredivisie and hand the title to us;
2) While things may be looking up, we've spent the better part of three seasons getting worse and worse. That's not going to change overnight;
3) This team can become great, but it will take time;
4) It sucks that we crashed out of the CL, but the team cannot let such a setback, no matter how disgusting, ruin the season;
5) The eredivisie is winnable but it won't be easy.

The Champions' League is behind is for this season. It is time for the team to concentrate on the tasks ahead, namely the eredivisie and the UEFA Cup.

[aveslacker]

I don't consider the Uefa Cup being a shitty Cup, not at all.

I was also pretty f*cked by the defeat yesterday, but I think that for Ajax it is a good thing.

Otherwise we would have lost against an AC Milan, at 50% of their power, in a boring match. Can the Ajax players learn from that experience? Not in my opinion.... Now we can work hard on a solid system, playing 4-3-3 against easier opponents.

Very good points.

[saddlerian]

A few points about last nights game:-

(1) The one person who must be really laughing right now is ............... Danny Blind
(2) How anybody on this board from the French speaking part of the world can criticise the fact that only 35,000 were there when he f*cking didn't bother to turn up is incredible.
(3) Urby is constantly being caught out, partially through his own inexperience and partly because there is hardly any f*cking cover down that side when ahe moves forward.
(4) Ogararu should be the first choice at right back and Heitinga either plays in the middle of the defence or he is one of the substitutes.
(5) Either we must decide we are going to pass to Babel or he must look to getting more involved in the game. Started off well again and then faded , especially so when he didn't receive a pass for about the first 20 minutes of the second half.
(6) Why the f*ck did we take our best player off in Gabri and why on earth did we leave Maduro on for so long.
(7) Why didn't we take a central defender off in the end instead of Rosales - its no good bringing on goalscorers when you take people off who supply the ammunition.
(8) What an incredible miss from KJH - he is human after all
(9) This isn't the first time we have struggled at this phase of the CL - remember Graz and Brondby
(10) I am totally pissed off

:headbang: :headbang:
Only one word for it Bill!... BOLLOCKS!!!!

:xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

[ax]

As to the 35,000 I took that figure from a newspaper that I was flicking through at Sciphol Airport this morning. At the ground I thought that it looked around 37,000 so it is in the right ballpark

35,000 stayed at home is more like it. More than half of the ground was empty!

[ax]

i still find myself wondering why gabri was taken out, he was the best player on the pitch tonight

I thought so too but he was dragging a leg and looking at the bench from the start of the second half.
Must have taken a knock.

[SE6Ajacied]

Well, we were shit weren't we?

I've got to say, I was very disappointed to see so many empty seats in the ground last night. It's true that some people probably had valid reasons for staying away but I'm really surpised that there were 35,000 there from what I saw on TV. I have to say what I do find disappointing is that, even if for instance some season-ticket holders and regulars weren't able to make it, how come some of the seats still weren't filled? Wouldn't this have been an ideal opportunity for some sort of "Quid a Kid" (Euro a Kid?) thing like they do in the UK. We'd certainly have got a whole load of noise and perhaps some regular cash-flow from new fans in future years. (I do think the off pitch marketting has improved tremendously in the last year but this sort of thing is such a good idea and really common here, even at the bigger, better supported teams)

Anyway, I'm also looking forward to the draw and I agree, no way is the UEFA Cup something to be sniffed at. Just for the memories and atmosphere alone, winning the thing would be a dream. Remember how many Celtic fans went over to Seville a couple of years back? - and even though they lost I bet they still remember the game (maybe not so fondly but I hope you get the point I'm making)

Like everyone else here I am hugely disapointed about last night, it was qualification for the CL and it's not often I get to watch Ajax live (on TV or otherwise!). We played really really badly and we just weren't up for it. A good draw tommorrow and a win on Sunday though and I'll be over it (mostly). I'm certainly not going to join the doomsayers and predict disaster after one defeat. I do think the squad has improved and I do feel optimistic (perhaps PSV played Sh@t because they are sh@t this season for instance?).

Anyway, I seem to remember a month or so back we were all looking forward to maybe playing Hearts in Ediburgh - that's back on for one more day at least!

Hup Ajax

[SE6Ajacied]

Oh I forgot to add,

The 'pool went down 4-2 on penalties in the first round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday (after a 2-2 draw, home to Barnsley) so all in all not a good week for me cup-wise :nooo:

[AjaxPDX]

Does the UEFA Cup still use that crazy 5-team group stage nonsense? Is that what the draw tomorrow is? Or is it a two-team two-leg elimination draw?

[Jeroen126]

Sure, Uefa Cup matches are fun as well, but in comparison... I just want the fucking best, simple as that. Plus, against these ukranian type of teams, we tend to play like shit. On the other hand, i've never been to Bulgary and the like, im hearing the drinks are cheap as hell and the women are brilliant :cheer: *tries to make something positive out of it*


Either way, yesterday was one of the worst days in my ajax supporting carreer, Dunno why it hurt so much, but good jesus... :sad:

[GangstaRiB]

Do you want to know what my worst days were at the Arena? Lausanne Sports and Kopenhagen (the 2002 game). Those games weren't even CL-qualifiers, but just normal Uefa Cup games and even then we lost... And it was raining damn hard outside the Arena... What a nights..

[DanK]

Its good to see a few of the boys trying to look at the positives. :yes:

This shit happens in football. If we played the game again we would probably have won 3-0 based on the chances we had...you live and learn.

Ko, as most times I tend to agree with your comments mate. Nothing wrong with the UEFA Cup. I wasnt complaining when we won the thing in the early 90s and wont if we do it again. I think this will be great experience for our boys.

Lets also remember you can't rebuild a team overnight. I still think we are heading in the right direction and 1 game wont change my mind.

[afckeeper95]

So let's put this crap behind and look foward to Uefa Championship, for we got a better chance at that than CL. We never deserved to be in CL for the past 3 years.

Sure, but that's easier said than done, when everytime I turn on the tele, take a phone call or walk outside a door Im reminded of the "Miracle in Arena" as it is now known X'C

[Cedric]

So tell them that "miracles" have nothing to do with football, they only help crap teams unable to win by their footballistic qualities.... :D

[carcajou]

Losing against FC Copenhagen is a bit like riding a bicycle: once you know how to do it, it's actually not that difficult....

[Ayman]

I see some ppl blame Urby, some blame Maduro and some blame Vermaelen. But they are all very young, this is a learning curb for them. Ajax didnt play crap in the first half, they played good, even my friend who had not even heard of Ajax kept saying 'Ajax are wicked, why do they need to qualify, they should be in straight', what a proud moment for me as an ajax fan. I dont think this will affect our uefa co-efficient points, aslong as we go far in this competition, I think Ajax can manage that. As for someone who says he wants to go 2 other cities, rather then the same ones e.g. London and Milan, well if we face Tottenham at some stage, you will be coming to london :yes:

[ZoefdeHaas]

True, but this isn't track&field, or speed skating where it's all about individuals, this is a football, a TEAm sport. Young,inexperienced or skill lacking or not, it's unreasonable to blame certain players for a defeat. Sure the own goal was "Vermaelen's fault", but then it's Huntelaar's fault he couldn't score, Stekelnburg's fault for not saving the goal, and Stam's fault for giving the set piece. All player's are to blame for, as well as HTC for not making right choices, and the fans for not giving the 12th man support.

[acab]

i was very dissapointed too, but nothing bad really happened. i'm sure in the good future of this team. now we'll play against start(nor). HUP AJAX. i'ii shit on my scandinavian colleges :D

[Kowalczyk]

i was very dissapointed too, but nothing bad really happened. i'm sure in the good future of this team.

Exactly how I feel. :xyxthumbs:

K.