24 AUG 2014 Ajax-PSV Match Day 3

[Orange14]

Huge fixture in only the third week of the season. Both teams have full points but PSV are ahead by 1 on GD. No word on any transfer activity for both teams so far. Dutch WC match official, Bjorn Kuipers will have the whistle. In my mind the big match up of the day will be Memphis Depay vs Legeon who really has to make sure he doesn't concede any space. It will also be interesting to see if van der Hoorn continues to start or Veltman slots in on the right center.

[Orange14]

The other interesting facet to this fixture is PSV's Europa League qualifier tomorrow. Will Cocu send out a strong first team and what will be the impact on the players for Sunday. We well know the problems with the short recovery from these Thursday games!

[aveslacker]

I'm finally in a place where I can probably watch some matches live. Hopefully I'll be able to watch a few games this season for the first time in two years!

[Cruijff]

COME ON!!! Destroy that f*cking farmers...!

You're in a place where they want to see all these matches so that they can bet on them aveslacker?

[SPL]

Im watching on sky again today .

Cillessen,V Rhijn Veltman Moisander Boilesen Klaassen Viegever Blind Schone Sigthorsson El Ghazi

[Orange14]

Really nice! el Ghazi for #1

[rjf1]

It never fails... Step away for one lousy minute...

[Tom_]

Tightly balanced, lots of chances and anything could happen. Quite different from Ajax–PSV from last season!

[Orange14]

Some poor defensive plays but fortunately PSV could not capitalize. Pass from Klaassen to el Ghazi was really nice on the goal. Fullbacks are pushing up field more than I've seen in years. Boilesen seems to be playing a left central midfield when he goes forward in what looks to be a 3-4-3; almost like 1996 formation. The defense needs to tighten up in the 2nd half and we really need a second goal now.

[SPL]

A lovely goal by El Ghazi but we need to be careful in defence.This lad looks a great talent and has a natural eye for goal.

[Orange14]

Good counter from PSV and the two back players were just beaten badly.

[rjf1]

Rotten luck -- we are still doing the right thing, though.

[Orange14]

I've seen those challenges like Rekik just did given as penalties.

[Tom_]

Exciting stuff, I think I've seen more enjoyable football since half time than in the whole second half of last season. PSV punished us for missing some chances with that counter and their speed is very dangerous but I'm really liking our gung-ho approach today, even if it ends up 3–1 or something.

[Orange14]

Really bad defending!

[Orange14]

I'm really liking our gung-ho approach today, even if it ends up 3–1 or something.

you might get your wish.

[Tom_]

Ha. Damn it. Still prefer watching this than that horrible 1–0 win last season. It's meant to be entertainment after all...

[Orange14]

@Tom - you got your wish as Veltman and Blind can't do the simplest thing - keeping between a lone man and the goal.

[Tom_]

Just unlucky, we had our tactics and they had theirs but it just fell their way. All three of their goals came after really good chances for us. That free shot for Schöne in the D; what looked like a penalty on that challenge on Kolbeinn; and Klaassen's free header from 8 metres...

[Tom_]

Oh, some shoddy defending too. Agree with your point on the 3rd, Orange, and did you see Boilesen stop chasing Narsingh on their second? Ouch.

[rjf1]

The boys played hard to the very end, which is all you can ask for -- we could have won it as easily as we lost it but for the luck of the bounce. Those end of the game counterattacking goals can happen when you are pressing so hard for a goal of your own. It was a good game played with the right attitude, imo, and I just hope the result doesn't serve as an excuse to go back to pitty pat style.

[SPL]

well it was a great entertaining match but the 3rd was dreadful defending by Blind and Veltman. Big week on transfers if we lose Blind and Moisander and dont get anyone I do for fear for our season,early days though but still think we need to spend some money,

[Orange14]

Hugely entertaining match and some really poor play in terms of getting caught out of position lead to the dropped points. Clearly Ajax had the better of the play creating chances and Zoet had to come up with some very good saves today. It may be that everyone was so excited about going forward that they neglected to rotate around when open spaces were created. All in all I think a 2-2 draw would have been a fair result but you don't always get what you wish for.

Player Ratings:

Cillessen (6) - certainly not at fault on any of the goals, made a couple of good saves and distributed the ball well
Boilesen (5) - really looked lost at times and a bad choice to head the ball back but did move forward well
Moisander (5.5) - made the wrong decision about which man to pick up on the 2nd goal
Veltman (5.5) - should never have been beaten by Jozefson
van Rhijn (6.5) - solid match and nicely weighted passes; decent enough defense on Depay
Viergever (6) - a couple of good plays but was he too far up field on the counters?
Blind (6.5) - should have done better on the 3rd goal but worked hard all game long both offensively and defensively
Klaassen (5.5) - nice pass to el Ghazi and had a couple of shots but that was all
Schöne (6) - some good free kicks and put in a solid shift
Sigthorrsson (6) - really worked hard to score and hold the ball up but his first touch is really bad
el Ghazi (7) - had perhaps the best match of the attackers before he had to come off
Andersen (6) - really frustrating player; great technique but holds on to the ball too long and gets dispossessed
Ligeon (6) - did OK as a sub
Serero (5.5) - did push the ball forward but his passing needed to be more incisive

If FdB is going to continue to push forward and change things to a 3-4-3 when the get up into the attacking area the players need to do a better job of reacting when the ball is lost. We really didn't do a good job at all when this happened and were suitably punished. Team was much better on defense during the normal run of play.

[Orange14]

what looked like a penalty on that challenge on Kolbeinn;

I posted on this when it happened. I've seen a penalty given perhaps 60% of the time. I guess we were just unlucky today.

[SPL]

would say we had enough chances and on another day we would have won the game.Fair assessments by Orange