14 DEC 2017; Ajax - Excelsior; Match Day 16

[Orange14]

Four matches to round out 2017 in the next two weeks. First up is a home match to Excelsior and it looks like everyone is healthy. Sunday will be a big match against AZ in Alkmaar followed by a Beker match against Twente in Enschede with an opportunity to exact some revenge. Veltman is recovered from his foot injury and available on Thursday but I think Schöne is out because of accumulated Yellow cards (could be wrong on this). Ajax need to win all three of these matches.

[SPL]

19 man squad . Schone is indeed suspended. Ajax on wiki have all the seasons stats but just quote 27 yellows, no reds, and dont do a breakdown.I do know de LIgt got his 4th the other week and Veltman must also be on 4 so either could get a ban after their next yellow.

Mazraoui ,of Jong Ajax, in place of Schone and Lamprou for V Leer ,who is injured again. Dijks also included.

Hope we start with 3-4-3 and assume Siem will replace Schone.


PS Dutch guys posting on the game confirm de Ligt and Veltman on 4 yellows so if either get a yellow tomorrow they miss AZ!

If both get yellows v AZ I believe they miss the cup match next week which would not be so bad.

[Ayman]

The only worry I have about this game is Siem de Jong, I am convinced he willl start the game, and screw up, and wont be taken off until its too late!

[rjf1]

Sigh -- yet another game that starts in the middle of the night (03:45) in my time zone. It feels like I have missed more games this season so far due to time zone scheduling than I did in the three previous years combined. Once again I'll have to make do with your comments and the highlight videos. Grrrr.

[King Litti]

The only worry I have about this game is Siem de Jong, I am convinced he willl start the game, and screw up, and wont be taken off until its too late!

With or without S.de Jong, I think we should have enough quality to beat Excelsior at home.

When used correctly (shadow striker imo) I think S. de Jong can be of some use. He is not very fast or technical, but he does seem to have a fairly good idea where to position himself inside the box. Hope he can be kind of like the Thomas Müller of ajax that isn't that impressive, but always seems to be at the right place at the right time to poach a goal, but have to say he is not my favourite players either and shouldn't be in the starting 11 if everyone is available.

Glad to see PSV got a taste of their own medicine with the late Groningen equalizer. A great chance to get two point closer. A must win.

[SPL]

V Leer our no 2 goalie has torn a knee ligament but no op. needed but he wont be around until well into the new year.
Lucky we have Lamprou as our new no 2 as below him is Alblas who is not very good.

[Ayman]

Siem de Jong scores. Yawn!

[Ayman]

Shit! Yellow card for Veltman

[Orange14]

It was a decent half until the stupid foul by Veltman right outside the box. Onana made a great save but Neres was totally asleep and didn't stay between the outside Excelsior player and the goal. Ended up a free shot on an open net. I have a bad feeling that Wöber may have ligament damage but hope it's just a sprain.

[SPL]

Oh great,Wober's injury doesn't look good,Veltman with a silly foul now out v AZ and we let in a goal.

[zeux]

Oh great,Wober's injury doesn't look good,Veltman with a silly foul now out v AZ and we let in a goal.

Welcome to Ajax!

[SPL]

Pray de LIgt does not get a yellow or an injury. Az will be Zeefuik de Ligt,de Jong Dijks! If no de Ligt who knows!!!

[SPL]

Dolberg a good penalty. Schone in the stands looked very nervous as Dolberg was about to take it.So was I.

[Orange14]

It's about time that Ziyech scored!!!!!!

[SPL]

I said give us a Schone special and he did

[Ayman]

More damage done in this game, unless Zeefuik puts on a good performance, does anyone know the extent of Woeber's injury?

[SPL]

Well we had to work hard for that.In effect we could have won about 6-1.Ziyech my MOM,sky commentators agreed.
Big worry now its AZ and no Veltman .Zeefuik and Dijks will play but we have no option other than to play Frenkie in the back 4.Hope Wober is not too badly injured but fear a bad knee injury.

Have to say I feel exhausted after watching that I expect a few of you feel the same. Anyway we are now 5 points off PSV and even if we drop points in Alkmaar there is all to play for in the 2nd half of the season.

[Orange14]

A win is a win and two points on the league leader are picked up tonight. The match should have been easier except for some reckless defensive plays that conceded free kicks deep in Ajax territory. Excelsior showed little ability to score from open play but every free kick can be an adventure for this Ajax team. Special shout out to de Ligt who quietly snuffed out any possible attack that came his way; he is worthy of my MOTM and it would have been a capper had he scored on the long shot near the end (reminiscent of Vertongen and Alderwiereld!!). Veltman foolishly has taken himself out of the AZ match this weekend; stupid is as stupid does.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6.5) - one very nice save but poor defending led to the goal; otherwise had little to do
Wöber (6) - was having a nice match until he went down with a knee injury that might be serious
de Ligt (7.5) - stellar play all evening
Veltman (5.5) - needed not to get a Yellow and of course did so
F de Jong (7) - another solid performance; is he the Ajax Pirlo?
Ziyech (5.5) - bad passes, wild shots, some give aways and one moment of excruciating brilliance
van der Beek (5.5) - didn't contribute much on offense but worked hard on defense
S de Jong (6.5) - put a way a nice goal and had a wicked free kick that clanged the upright
Kluivert (6.5) - decent enough with some good tracking back on defense
Dolberg (6.5) - made sure on the game winning PK and had a nice interception and run in on goal with a wicked shot that was well saved
Neres (6.5) - to me he was asleep on the Excelsior goal not getting between his mark and the goal but otherwise a very good game with dangerous runs on goal
Dijks (6) - except for a silly foul that conceded a deep free kick more than decent
Zeefuik (6) - on when S de Jong picked up a knock and Ajax moved to a back four; kept his position well
Eiting (5.5) - nice to see him come on late with a big smile and enthusiasm

AZ coming up on the weekend and the already thin roster is getting thinner with Veltman out and likely Wöber out. I wonder if Keizer will be forced to go to a back four on defense.

[Orange14]

Well we had to work hard for that.In effect we could have won about 6-1.Ziyech my MOM,sky commentators agreed.

I had a Spanish language feed so did not hear what the Sky announcers said. I guess you and I saw two different Ziyech's on the pitch tonight.

[SPL]

Interesting about Ziyech in the Arena he was MOM and the 2 commentators agreed. I thought he was good tonight .
de Ligt was very good in defence and we are lucky that with only 1 real 1st team defender available at AZ its him as he is the best we have.

[Ayman]

Interesting about Ziyech in the Arena he was MOM and the 2 commentators agreed. I thought he was good tonight .
de Ligt was very good in defence and we are lucky that with only 1 real 1st team defender available at AZ its him as he is the best we have.

I am pretty sure AZ are going to miss key players via suspension?

[SPL]

Football is all about different opinions ,main thing we won

[Orange14]

Football is all about different opinions ,main thing we won

Exactly!!!

[Cruijff]

Football is all about different opinions ,main thing we won

Exactly!!!

Exactly!!
And heeeey guys please join me in this or watch the hightlight back..

What a save (!!!) by Andre Onana just before Excelsior scored the 1-1. He was flying!!

[SPL]

Do you mean the initial brilliant save he made which the Excelsior lad followed up with the goal. Yes it was superb .