03 May 2014: Ajax - NEC

[Kowalczyk]

Eredivisie 2013-2014. Matchday 34 (Final Matchday).

One final kickabout to end the season. Kick-off time at the Amsterdam ArenA is 18:45 CET.

Nothing at stake, probably. It could turn out to be a vital fixture for NEC, in their struggle to avoid direct relegation, but I don't think it will be that exciting for them. Roda will go down directly, they're three points below NEC. In practice I think there will be nothing at stake for both teams.

The next day the official celebration of what will hopefully be the Dutch 'treble' (Cruijff Shield, Eredivisie title, KNVB Cup) will take place at the ArenA Park right next to the ground.

After this game Ajax will go on a post-season trip to Indonesia. Friendlies against Persija (11 May, in Jakarta) and Persib (14 May, in Bandung). After that: World Cup time!

K.

[Rooie]

No post-season trip? Ajax is going to Indonesia in may!

[Kowalczyk]

No post-season trip? Ajax is going to Indonesia in may!

Yup. You're right. I edited the opening post. Just read the fixtures on Twitter, so I added them.

K.

[Orange14]

Just a heads up, there will be no player ratings for tomorrow's match. I'll be off celebrating my mother in law's 90th birthday and I suspect my wife would not be happy were I to excuse myself for two hours to watch our team play!! Anyway, good luck to FdB and the squad and let's hope they can close out the season with a nice victory.

EDIT: I just saw a note that Christian Poulsen is leaving the club after tomorrow's match. I hope the Ajax supporters give him a nice send off as he really has played an important role over the past two seasons.

[aveslacker]

Happy birthday to your mother-in-law!

[rjf1]

I'm going to miss this one, as well. At kickoff time, I will be at 35,000 feet somewhere between Taiwan and NYC on my way to visit my brother. I hope to hear news of a win upon arrival -- it would be a nice way to end the season. Anyway, there is always the off-season forum chit-chat until next season begins.

[Tom_]

Anyone watching? I don't get why we're playing at walking pace, there's nothing to lose... I would've thought they'd be trying to score 10

[SPL]

I am watching but only from about 18th min, having been out in the sunshine, so missed the goal. Looks like we are just going through the motions in a game where we have nothing to play for except letting a few players make their final appearance.

[SPL]

Another inept performance we did miss some chances but at the end we are a very moderate team but just about better than the other Dutch teams. Siggy wont play for us again and with Vermeer coming out flapping for their 2nd we wont ever see this guy playing again. Sorry if I am doing him down but I have very little confidence in him. If he is being considered for the WC. V Gaal must have lost sense.

Bojan tried hard today and signed off with a nice goal. We got what we deserved today a draw.

[souras84]

What's up with the Willem type logo on our shirt?

[saddlerian]

Well, all I can say about THAT performance was that it was disgusting!!! Yes, they may have already won the title, but they still have the responsibility of giving 100% and entertaining the people who pay them!!!

If this is what they have come to, not giving their all for the shirt.....they'll get nowhere!!!

That's me off the Seasoncard list!!!!

[ajaxcolombia]

A performance that shows how much work has to be done during the offseason. The team has been one quite a downhill slope in terms of performance, although yeah, not losing that much (PEC Zwolle show we can also lose pretty easily). I hope Frank's ego hasn't grown to big and is able to be autocritical with himself. One of the most important things this team needs is a little bit of pace to be more direct, and also work on not giving away so many good chances to the opposition. We should try to be some kind of players in the transfer market. Yes no breaking the bank, so maybe that rules out an actual marquee signing like dusan tadic or filip kostic, but we do need some outside help, specially if we lose important players.

[SPL]

Great to bring through youth but we will need to spend some money on some experience for next year. And I look forward to playing with 2 proper wingers.

In the end 22 unbeaten games won the title and a sound defence with only ADO and NEC scoring 2 goals against us in those 22. But our football has not been great to watch and our forwards except Schone poor. Bojan has been a great dissapointment and please let someone take Siggy. Fischer and Kishna are talents still to make it. I hear we are signing a 20 year old Pole from the German league but the striker from Germany I would like to see is my hero the Schalke goal machine KJH. Mind he would need some service and I am not sure the current Ajax players would be good enough to provide it.

Anyway we are champs somehow. A long summer ahead and I quess come 31 August we will lose one of our best players as usual.

[ajaxcolombia]

Milik, the polish striker that you're refering is really nothing special. he played very little all year scoring only 2 goals.

[Orange14]

Thanks to Aveslacker for the nice birthday wish for my mother in law. I showed her the posting and she was pleased to see it!

Looks like I didn't miss much at all and for that I'm grateful! How did van der Hoorn perform? I think he has a makings of a decent defender but needs a considerable amount of work.

[Cedric]

I did not payed much attention to the game and the stream was poor, but when Van der Hoorn was replaced by Veltman just after the first NEC goal, I thought : this is the end for him... Anyone else got the same feeling?

[SPL]

Not sure what we do with V d Hoorn. Having been a regular with Utrecht he did not seem over motivated playing for Jong Ajax and did not look any better at that level in 2 or 3 recent games I saw than V d Boomen an 18 year old youth who has been sacked.He wont want to be sat on the bench or in the Jong next season. He has of course been 4th choice behind Denswil and we will have to wait and see if Moisander leaves or indeed Veltman as the english press say Spurs Arsenal and Man U want him( a decent player but he certainly not good enough for any of those teams at present)

If V d Hoorn is 3rd choice next season he will get alot more games and may improve alot more. His biggest problem we all remember him for letting Balotelli win that penalty which cost us a place in the last 16 of the CL.

[Ayman]

Yes but let's not forget a few years ago, Daley Blind was being bashed by ajax fans. Look how he turned out.

[saddlerian]

Yes but let's not forget a few years ago, Daley Blind was being bashed by ajax fans. Look how he turned out.

True, he was being pilloried...but at least the team were playing ok footballl! This "team" that FDB has created seem to know more about going backwards than forwards....when they are one goal up, they start to defend, whenever the goal was scored!!! Because they are not good enough to do this...very few teams in the world being good enough to "defend" a one goal lead, they lose posession and the goal advantage!!!
If they're "good" enough to score one, why don't they go forward and "try" to get another instead of playing this boring possession rubbish!!! I know the old addage of "if you've got the ball, they can't score", but you have to KEEP the ball....if they were good enough they'd have done that against AC Milan!!!

Well, I've had my say....there'll be no seat booked for me next season....I'll still follow on TV, but I can't justify the expense of a season card!!! Sad, after four title wins, but the standard of football has really plummeted....