22 JAN 2017 FC Utrecht - Ajax Match Day 19

[Orange14]

Five points adrift of first place Feyenoord, Ajax make the short trip to Utrecht for the early match this Sunday while Feyenoord are home to Willem II. Justin Kluivert is likely to get the start with Younes out for a couple of weeks. He and AeG7 are the only two health wingers right now and I guess Ziyech and Casseria would have to fill in if there is a problem. Utrecht is always a tough match for Ajax and this should be no different. No margin for error these days!!!

[Orange14]

Younes is expected to be back in training and available for the Utrecht match. Nouri was injured in the Jong Ajax friendly and will be out a week at least so he is out.

[SPL]

Squad just confirmed. Younes is fit ,El Ghazi included. Cerny and Nouri injured so Kluivert remains and Frenkie deJong included.

A defeat and Fword winning v Willem and we would be 8 points behind .Dont think we will make up that amount.

[Orange14]

Even being five points down means the team has to win out. I think Feyenoord are pretty solid and are not going to drop points to lesser competition.

[SPL]

Same starting line up as last week.Only change in subs de Jong for Nouri.

If we lose today we are 8 points behind but the 2 games that will see us not be champions were Willem and Roda .1 point at home from 2 poor sides will be the difference in the end.

[King Litti]

Yes, 8 points would be a big mountain to climb, but not impossible. Can't remember exactly, but I think we're trailing by a lot more than that back in 2011 when we secured the title in the very last round against Twente. F word is going to drop points at some point.

[Tom_]

Interesting game, Utrecht don't seem as physical as usual. Both teams had some chances.

Wonder where an Ajax goal will come from with Ziyech tightly marked and Dolberg regressing to the mean...

[Orange14]

Very poor first half. Ajax are making it way too easy for Utrecht to defend. The midfield cannot control the ball at all. There were three decent chances to score but they couldn't convert. el Ghazi did well to bring the ball down but had to take the shot with his weaker foot. Ziyech forced the keeper into a hard save and Younes had a nice slalom run but a weak shot on goal. Game is up in the air right now.

[rjf1]

Out fought and outplayed -- lucky to go in at the half at 0-0. We had a couple of chances, true, but for the overwhelming most part our attack was basically toothless, and out defense had many scary moments. Hope something changes for the second half.

[SPL]

A struggle for us and Utrecht were getting closer to a goal at the end. Our midfield is over run and Dolberg getting zero chances or even possession. Younes and El Ghazi both done nothing but then again I dont expect anything from these 2 .Neither are good enough but we have no one else other than a 17 year old kid.

[Orange14]

Don't know why Barazite was complaining. It was a clear hand ball.

Schöne is really having a bad game.

[SPL]

wow a bit of luck gettinga penalty what a dreadful miss.

[rjf1]

I had a premonition that he was going to miss -- too much to hope for that he would make 2 in a row.

[Ayman]

Make a few substitutions already! Schone, one of the wingers and Dollberg should come off

[Orange14]

Strange substitutions. Is Sanchez injured? Why not sub off Younes who has done little?

[rjf1]

Why take off Sanchez?

[SPL]

What a goal by Schone

[Orange14]

Well, Schöne made up for a really bad game with that shot.

[Tom_]

Made up for it though!

[rjf1]

What a shot! Makes up for everything else.

[Tom_]

Took a fair chunk of luck but about time we got some points in Utrecht.

[Ayman]

Some of the players need to be dropped. Ajax also need to sign a left winger.

[rjf1]

Game over and we came away with the 3 points, but if Feyenoord and PSV were watching, they'd feel pretty sure that they had nothing to worry about. That said, once again it was the introduction of young Kluivert that changed the game.

[SPL]

So a real beauty of a goal got us 3 points after a terrible penalty. We were poor and El Ghazi can now be sold .Traore will likely be back next game and Kluivert looks far more of a threat and also can cross a ball. Still need to get a left footed left winger to replace Younes.

[Orange14]

Strange game. Totally dysfunctional midfield on the part of Ajax yet they end up getting the narrow 0-1 victory. Two weird substitutions by Bosz. Was Sanchez injured or ill? He was having a decent match. Also, Younes rather than el Ghazi should have come off for Kluivert. Schöne redeemed himself from having a horrible match by the hard shot for the match winner. Ajax are still five points adrift but if they can win tough matches such as this one they still have a chance.

Player Ratings:

Onana (7) - some very nice saves but some kicking that reminded me of Vermeer
Sinkgraven (5) - some timely interventions but also some poor positional play
Viergever (7.5) - very solid all match long
Sanchez (7) - won every ball in his direction and don't know why he was subbed off
Veltman (6) - unconvincing at times but generally a net plus
Schöne (5.5) - props for the game winner but the rest of his game was pretty awful
el Capitan (4.5) - defended well and that was it for me
Ziyech (5) - never passed up a shot, but of course that meant he didn't look for open players either
Younes (4) - two trick pony on a day when nether trick worked
Dolberg (4.5) - partly not his fault that nobody could pass to him but he also made it difficult to find him
AeG7 (5.5) - thought he was playing OK and his take down of the ball in the first half was nice, too bad he bundled the shot over the cross bar
Kluivert (5.5) - nice that his mom was in the stands for the match but he had little impact
de Ligt (6) - on for Sanchez and kept his wits when the match was on the line
van de Beek (NR) - on late for Ziyech and I don't think he even got a touch

Home to ADO den Haag next Sunday