27 AUG 2017 VVV - Ajax Match Day 3

[Orange14]

Stunningly out of Europe, Ajax travel to Venlo on Sunday. Will the club be able to capitalize on all the opportunities and put some goals up on the scoreboard? Will Ziyech and Dolberg still be with the club? Will Overmars be sacked for failing to give Keizer the players he needs to compete?

[SPL]

Same back 4 , de Jong for Schone in mf ,and up front Cerny Dolberg Younes. Wober and Orejuela on the bench. Zeefuik and Dankerlui were in the 20 man squad but are left out .Makes me wonder what went through Keizer's head in sticking on Zeefuik on Thursday and Veltman in mf , and leaving Frenkie on the bench.

Just hope we can win.

[Orange14]

.Makes me wonder what went through Keizer's head in sticking on Zeefuik on Thursday and Veltman in mf , and leaving Frenkie on the bench.

I think the actual formation was a back 5 with Zeefuik and Dijks playing as combo wingbacks and defenders. Veltman was the right sided defender who got beat along with a couple of others on the winning goal.

[SPL]

Hi Orange I will move on and lets just win today.Hope this is not Dolberg's last game.

[SPL]

well not a great 1st half,other than Younes the other attackers have been invisible.Sky tv guys both saying its not a great pitch and is very slow and the ball tends to stick a bit.Dutch football has to be played on grass.I can see where the tv guys are coming from.

Cannot see any team paying 50m for Dolberg this week, he has done nothing all season and think KJH will come on

[Orange14]

Looks like the temperature in Venlo is pretty high and it cannot be comfortable on the artificial surface. I imagine it has to be 40C or more. Ajax had probably 80% of possession but VVV are bunkering down and there were not very many quality shots on frame. VVV had some better scoring opportunities but Onana was alert enough. Ajax are the quality team but who knows whether they will prevail. Both wingers have had problems with trying to beat double teams. At least Younes had a decent shot near the end of the half. Right now this game could go either way an Ajax will have to keep a clean sheet to capture any points from the match.

[Orange14]

Just checked the weather and it's 27C. On sunny days the artificial surface can be 10C warmer; not good football weather!!!

[saddlerian]

Cannot see any team paying 50m for Dolberg this week, he has done nothing all season and think KJH will come on

Err...was that 50m or 50Th....? Dolberg's "playing" as though he doesn't really want to be there....does he know something? Anyway, if we only got 42m for Sanchez, can't see any more than 10-15m for Dolberg...unless he produces something before NEXT transfer window!!!

Let's hope 2nd half...with, hopefully, KJH, Schone and...Neres on, 3 points can be gained!!

[Amol]

I hate these artificial pitches. You can always see a trail of dirt kick up after the ball is kicked.

[SPL]

KJH and Neres on ,still have more faith in KJH scoring ,lets see

[SPL]

KJH heads it back for Donny 1-0

[Amol]

Phew.

[SPL]

Lovely pass and well taken by Neres

[Amol]

2-0!

Great ball by Donny and cool chip by Neres!

[Ayman]

a dodgy susbstitution with KJH on for Dijks, playing 3 at the back AGAIN?! watch it will soon be 1-1

[Ayman]

a dodgy susbstitution with KJH on for Dijks, playing 3 at the back AGAIN?! watch it will soon be 1-1

I got it wrong! But I can't complain!

[Amol]

Keizer really loves switching to this 4-2-4 to break down defensive teams.

De Jong as as the most attacking defender/DM really allows us to play the ball out from the back.

[Amol]

Is this our first clean sheet of the season?

[saddlerian]

Oh well...job done...good 2-0 win. Glad to find who scored the 1st goal...feed I had crashed moments before...when I got it back didn't dare to lose it so stayed until the end.

Pleased that Neres found the net...good take. One little criticism...and it is little...de Jong should look more to passing the ball and not holding on too long...just a thought.

3 points in the bank....roll on next match..as there are no CL or EL distractions!!

[SPL]

well a much better 2nd half and 2 well taken goals. KJH did make a difference coming on and Neres will be happy to get a goal.de Jong had a decent game but Ziyech was very quiet.Defence did not have much to do.

We have won and not let in a goal so some progress after a terrible week in Europe

[Orange14]

It was a hot and dusty day delta day (from the great classic song 'Ode to Billy Joe') in Venlo this afternoon. The pitch was very slow, probably because the small rubber pellets used to provide a more true synthetic surface were too soft to play on. Every time the ball hit the turf you saw the black particles in the air from the contact. I think this technology was developed in Canada where most of the pitches are artificial because of the weather. Anyway, it was a good win for Ajax and the promised clean sheet that I wished for at halftime. Ajax had plenty of opportunities in the second half when Huntelaar and Neres came on. It looked like some type of hybrid formation with four up front and 3-4 in the back. de Jong slotted in as a left central defender but every time the ball switched over he moved up to a central MF carrying the ball into the attacking area. van de Beek got the match winner and then sent Neres in on goal with a nicely weighted pass for the added insurance goal.

Player Ratings:

Onana (7) - made all the easy saves and didn't really have a tough one to make
Dijks (6) - only on for a half and didn't have much impact
Viergever (7) - decent enough match
de Ligt (7) - sustained a nasty cut on an aerial challenge and defended well
Veltman (6.5) - is it only me or does he look slower than last season? OK match otherwise
de Jong (7.5) - very nice match, completing 97% of his passes
van de Beek (8) - well played match with a nice goal and an assist
Ziyech (6.5) - surprisingly little impact
Younes (7.5) - lost the ball a little too often for a higher rating but nice cross to set up the first goal
Dolberg (6) - will he be here for the next match?
Cerny (5.5) - poorest player on the pitch, didn't seem to find the outlet pass to make when he was trapped
Huntelaar (6.5) - put in a good shift and his header to van de Beek for the match winner was classic
Neres (7.5) - don't know why he isn't starting, he knows how to run into space and seldom attacks two defenders
Wöber (6) - debut for our new Austrian import and he was OK in a brief 10 minute performance

Home to PEC Zwolle following the international break.

[SPL]

Fair ratings ,de Jong and Neres need to be starting more in future games.

Will now go out and enjoy the sunshine,happy with 3 points

[Orange14]

Will now go out and enjoy the sunshine,happy with 3 points

Me too! We have a beautiful sunny day with the temperature right at 22C.

[Cruijff]

Looks like the temperature in Venlo is pretty high and it cannot be comfortable on the artificial surface. I imagine it has to be 40C or more. Ajax had probably 80% of possession but VVV are bunkering down and there were not very many quality shots on frame.

well not a great 1st half,other than Younes the other attackers have been invisible.Sky tv guys both saying its not a great pitch and is very slow and the ball tends to stick a bit.Dutch football has to be played on grass.

Yes correct it's pretty warm weather in The Netherlands this weekend and the pitch in Venlo indeed was extremely show and sh*tty.
At half time the score was 0-0 and Ajax had 75% possession, creating almost nothing.