05 APR 2017 Ajax - AZ Match Day 29

[Orange14]

Short turn around to play AZ in the Arena on Wednesday while league leaders Feyenoord entertain Mark Overmars's old club Go Ahead Eagles. For all intents and purposes Feyenoord have a 3.5 point lead when you figure in the 10 GD that Ajax are not likely to overcome. Will Ajax build on yesterday's win with solid attacking football? Can Feyenoord drop points?

[SPL]

Younes back but Dolberg still injured and Veltman suspended

[King Litti]

We're heading for the climax of the season. A very demanding few weeks coming up both mentally and physically. Games come now with a fast pace and some very demanding ones too like Schalke and PSV. AZ isn't a joke either. Hope our focus doesn't wonder from the task at hand.

Interesting to see will Bosz rotate the squad at all. Can Klaassen, Schöne and co play 90 minutes of fast pace football two times a week? Will they burn out? Then again are the youngsters De Jong and co ready to step up. Maybe not against Schalke or PSV, but maybe give some rest for the over worked players against AZ and NEC.

You never know, but hard to believe that Fwoor would stumble against go ahead. So, no room for error for us either.

[Orange14]

Interesting to see will Bosz rotate the squad at all. Can Klaassen, Schöne and co play 90 minutes of fast pace football two times a week? Will they burn out? Then again are the youngsters De Jong and co ready to step up. Maybe not against Schalke or PSV, but maybe give some rest for the over worked players against AZ and NEC.

Bosz has shown no inclination to rotate the team other than in the Dutch Cup and he lost that match. Klaassen was burned out at the end of last season and it showed. Schöne gets tired after 70 minutes. Sometimes van de Beek comes on for Ziyech and whoever is at #9 usually gets subbed out as well. With Dolberg out, Traore is the only option in the middle. I'm not optimistic that Bosz knows what to do at this stage; he never had a contender at Vitesse or had to deal with Euro matches.

[SPL]

No sky live tonight ,only the 3rd game this season they have not shown ,so cannot complain.Will have to make do with cricfree small screen.

[Orange14]

No changes other than Younes and Tete in the starting 11.

[Orange14]

NIce interplay between Traore and Klluivert and for once Traore does not miss..

[Tom_]

Feyenoord are leading 3–0 from GAE

[Orange14]

Question of the day? Why has it taken over 30 matches for Ajax to wake up and start playing real football. This is the best passing we have seen all season. Only difference in the positioning is Klaassen is play in the left of the MF and Ziyech, the right. Klaassen's ball skills are really solid today!!!!

[SPL]

Good set up by Kluivert and as you say Traore does not miss(got a decent stream and full screen so not missing sky at the moment)

Like to think an early 2nd will be enough

[SPL]

v d Beek for Klaassen

[Ayman]

v d Beek for Klaassen

Was Klaassen injured or is this part of Peter Bosz's 'rotation'.

[Orange14]

Oh, Oh, Oh, Onana -- what were you thinking?

[SPL]

Oh dear anotheer defensive cock up.Onana comes flying out

[Ayman]

Davinson Sanchez makes it 2-1

[Orange14]

Well that was atonement for being too far up the field on the AZ goal. great overhead kick.

[SPL]

What a beauty by Sanchez ,like his celebration. Now my favourite lad Nouri for Ziyech

[Orange14]

About time that useless Ziyech gets subbed off. Let's go Nouri!!

[Orange14]

Pretty weak penalty call IMO

[SPL]

Lasse again 3-1 should be it

[Ayman]

Let's hope complacency doesn't take its toll on the players

[Orange14]

What a great kick out from Onana to Younes who makes it 4-1

[SPL]

Agree about the 4th ,nice that Younes put it away he did little as usual until then.

A good win in the end but we played good attacking football just like Sunday. ( Pity we did not play like that v Groningen and Excelsior ,those lost 4 points against 2 poor sides means we wont be champs.)

Thought Traore had his best game but delighted Nouri came on for the poor Ziyech and could play midfield with his mate Donny. Ironic Onana today asks for the max salary but again makes an error you would hope a youth goalie would not make.

Well NEC next and all we can hope for is to play like this and get another win and try and put pressure on Feyenoord.
NEC I would start with Nouri and Donny really give these 2 areal chance to show their class

[Orange14]

Ajax are still hanging on by a thread that keeps getting weaker with each passing match day. Feyenoord thrashed Mark Overmars' old club Go Ahead Eagles 8-0 while Ajax had a very flattering 4-1 win over AZ. In what was perhaps the best half of the season from an all around football point of view, Ajax took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd half only to have multiple defensive failures that allowed AZ to tie it. AZ ramped up the pressure, something they didn't do in the first half, and Ajax seemed flustered. A great overhead kick by Sanchez got the match winner off a corner kick. A penalty by Schöne and a wonderful goal by Younes off a long kick by Onana finished the scoring.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6.5) - points off for coming out of the box when his defenders couldn't keep the high line but otherwise a very fine match with some great saves
Sinkgraven (4.5) - really fortunate not to be punished the two times he fell asleep and totally was out of position
Viergever (6.5) - good game but was he also at fault on the goal play? I couldn't tell by the replay
Sanchez (7) - he was at fault on the AZ goal by being way too close to the half way line but otherwise his game was solid
Tete (5.5) - pretty quiet game
Schöne (6.5) - was really running on fumes for the last 15 minutes and his play was much better in the 1st half but he stone cold buried the penalty
el Capitan (6.5) - on the left side today and his ball skills were first rate; unfortunately he took a couple of knocks to his left knee and shin and had to come off at the half
Ziyech (5) - average is not good enough for the money paid out, time to sit on the bench and let someone else work hard
Younes (6) - extremely ordinary game except for the goal
Traore (7) - had a better match this past Sunday but got position for the pass from Kluivert and drew a penalty to ice the match
Kluivert (8) - another solid match and this kid plays solid both ways, I was watching him track back to cover the flank on defense and the other wingers could learn something by watching him
van de Beek (6) - solid shift on for el Capitan
Nouri (6) - so smooth on the ball, IMO he gets the start ahead of Ziyech this Saturday
Neres (6) - set up Traore nicely on the penalty call

Matches really come fast now. Away to NEC on Saturday and the Thursday night football in the EL against Schalke and our former captain KJH!!