04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
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04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Ajax travel to take on Groningen in the early game this Sunday. I was looking forward to seeing Arjen Robben but he came off injured in the first match this season so I don't know if he will be healthy enough to play. My hope is Ajax finish the match with 11 players!!!
Appie Nouri will forever be remembered for his grace and humanity on and off the pitch!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Gravebberch is back, Kudus is injured, Alvarez suspended.
Midfield = Martinez - Gravenberch - Promes ?
Midfield = Martinez - Gravenberch - Promes ?
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
The Dutch FA ruled in favor of Ajax appeal of Alvarez Red Card. He will only miss this weekend's match.
EDIT: I was wrong about Alvarez, he will not be out of this Sunday's match. The tentative lineup has Alvarez and Gravenberch in the MF with Kudus out because of injury.
EDIT: I was wrong about Alvarez, he will not be out of this Sunday's match. The tentative lineup has Alvarez and Gravenberch in the MF with Kudus out because of injury.
Appie Nouri will forever be remembered for his grace and humanity on and off the pitch!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
So Álvarez appears to be starting, does this mean his suspension was overturned? I have to say I can’t remember that happening before. And it was on a call that was reviewed during the match, IIRC.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Timber for Schuurs,Gravenberch for injured Kudus. Alvarez playing and not Martinez ,daft.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Disappointing half of football - moving the ball too slowly and trying to be too intricate - which is not working. Hoping for a change in tactics in the second half.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Not a very good first half we lack creativity in MF,Promes should be wing, Tadic centre ,Labyad on the bench and I guess we stick on Ekkelenkamp!!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Groningen have the middle sealed up and we're moving the ball too slowly to break them down. Promes seems to be wasted at #10, not sure he touched the ball more than 5 times.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Squad seems to be a bit of a mess! Too many players filling in out of position for me - we need Promes around the box, not getting stuck with the ball around the half way line. And it's all so Labyad can play at #9, Neres is benched and Tadic can play on the wing? I just don't get it.
I'm also not keen on the Álvarez - Gravenberch combo, Álvarez is slow on the ball and Gravenberch is not a great passer so the ball doesn't get forward quickly enough.
Credit to Groningen for a well played match tactically, I guess.
I'm also not keen on the Álvarez - Gravenberch combo, Álvarez is slow on the ball and Gravenberch is not a great passer so the ball doesn't get forward quickly enough.
Credit to Groningen for a well played match tactically, I guess.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
agree with Tom.
Labyad should not be playing ,Promes on the wing Tadic striker. MF is a mess and a more creative player than Klaassen is needed to be bought.Kudus was missed.
We will be hammered in the CL and although early days being champs will not be easy.
Labyad should not be playing ,Promes on the wing Tadic striker. MF is a mess and a more creative player than Klaassen is needed to be bought.Kudus was missed.
We will be hammered in the CL and although early days being champs will not be easy.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Full credit to Groninigen who defended extremely well. Games in Groningen have been difficult for Ajax in recent years. Former Ajax MF, Matusiwa was especially solid as the holding player. Ajax had back to back shots that clanged off the crossbar at the end of the match but that was it in terms of dangerous chances on goal. The Groningen goal came when Onana could not get over quickly enough for a solid punch out and it just slid over to an open Groningen player for an easy shot into an open net. Maybe Gravenberch could have been closer but I don't think you can anticipate these kinds of plays. Other than that the Ajax defense was decent enough. Unfortunately, nobody really had an outstanding match in this one.
Player Ratings:
Onana (6) - other than the parry on the goal scoring series he had little to do
Tagliafico (5.5) - no better than average but did manage to make space for himself on free kicks
Blind (5.5) - did have some effective clearances
Timber (5.5) - played over Schuurs who suffered a shoulder injury last week and was decent
Mazraoui (5.5) - OK play but couldn't help out much on offense
Alavarez (5) - had a couple of good interventions and a header that was always going over the bar
Gravenberch (5) - I won't fault him on the goal but his overall play was just average
Promes (5.5) had a shot on goal that maybe he should have done better with but perhaps the ball took a skip as it came across to him
Tadic (5.5) - not much of an impact other than the late shot that hit the bar
Labyad (5) - time for the experiment to end as he was ineffective as a striker
Antony (5) - stayed on the ball too long letting a double team come to him
Neres (5) - not impactful coming off the bench
Ekklenkamp (5) - just OK
Traore (5) - just OK
Huntelaar (5) - had one of the shots that hit the crossbar
Martinez (5.5) - worked hard in a short shift and I think has to be considered for starting
International break next week unless COVID-19 leads to matches being called off. Home to Heracles on October 17.
Player Ratings:
Onana (6) - other than the parry on the goal scoring series he had little to do
Tagliafico (5.5) - no better than average but did manage to make space for himself on free kicks
Blind (5.5) - did have some effective clearances
Timber (5.5) - played over Schuurs who suffered a shoulder injury last week and was decent
Mazraoui (5.5) - OK play but couldn't help out much on offense
Alavarez (5) - had a couple of good interventions and a header that was always going over the bar
Gravenberch (5) - I won't fault him on the goal but his overall play was just average
Promes (5.5) had a shot on goal that maybe he should have done better with but perhaps the ball took a skip as it came across to him
Tadic (5.5) - not much of an impact other than the late shot that hit the bar
Labyad (5) - time for the experiment to end as he was ineffective as a striker
Antony (5) - stayed on the ball too long letting a double team come to him
Neres (5) - not impactful coming off the bench
Ekklenkamp (5) - just OK
Traore (5) - just OK
Huntelaar (5) - had one of the shots that hit the crossbar
Martinez (5.5) - worked hard in a short shift and I think has to be considered for starting
International break next week unless COVID-19 leads to matches being called off. Home to Heracles on October 17.
Appie Nouri will forever be remembered for his grace and humanity on and off the pitch!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Heerenveen on 17th!
A Martinez,Klaassen ,Kudus MF would be good. Promes,Tadic,Antony up front and KJH should be in front of the ineffective Traore.
Not over reacting but Alvarez and Labyad would be sold by me tomorrow ,these are nowhere near good enough for Ajax.
PS Matusiwa is a decent No 6 and certainly would be better than Alvarez.
A Martinez,Klaassen ,Kudus MF would be good. Promes,Tadic,Antony up front and KJH should be in front of the ineffective Traore.
Not over reacting but Alvarez and Labyad would be sold by me tomorrow ,these are nowhere near good enough for Ajax.
PS Matusiwa is a decent No 6 and certainly would be better than Alvarez.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Correct. When I looked it just showed 'Her' and I thought that has to be Heracles!
Appie Nouri will forever be remembered for his grace and humanity on and off the pitch!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
The worrying thing is, that ten Hag may play Traore instead of Labyad and keep Promes as a number 10. As for the midfield, I can't wait till Kudus returns! I like Gravenberch, but if I had a choice for that position it would be Kudus. Naturally my preference is for Kudus to be a number 10 with Gravenberch as a B2B and Martinez as a holding midfielder.
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
I watched the Groningen goal several times on Ajax YouTube channel. It was quite weird coming from a missed attack by Ajax and a long goal kick from Padt. Timber was wildly out of position to the left of Blind closer to the touch line than where he should have been. Blind was too close to the half way line to be able to get back and only Alvarez was in any position to intervene. I thought Alvarez did as well as possible to stay between his man and the goal and he certainly helped out cut down angles. I don't know if Onana was screened out by this but he could not get more than a touch to the ball. After the match, Timber noted that he should have done better on the play. We also need to remember that Timber is still young and these kinds of mistakes will happen.
Appie Nouri will forever be remembered for his grace and humanity on and off the pitch!
Re: 04 OCT 2020; Groningen-Ajax; Match Day 4
Padt did that many times yesterday. He kicked the ball long and usually delivered the pass to his attackers, bypassing our midfielders
May the Force be with you