03 DEC 2023; NEC - Ajax; Match Day 13

[Orange14]

Keep winning, Keep getting 3 points, & Keep moving up the table!!!

[SPL]

Martha for Sosa and Hlynsson for Forbs, Berghuis winger. Posters on Showtime think Akpom should start but Brobbey has been playing very well in recent games and although Akpom scores goals he does little else.He is good as a sub coming on for final 20 mins and scoring vital goals.

Sutalo back on the bench so Rensch gets the nod. Only Ramaj,Gaaei and Tahirovic of the new signings starting,the latter 2 because no one else is fit.

Really hope we can win today and not give away any crazy penalties.

[Orange14]

Ajax had some half chances but NeC are tough to break down. Can't see either team scoring more than one goal in this one.

[SPL]

Agree with Orange,A few half chances but an uneventful half.No EPL scouts will be impressed with Taylor

[SPL]

Forbs 2-0 hugh relief

[SPL]

Held on for 4 points

[Orange14]

A tight 1-2 win in Nijmegen with goals from Hlynsson and Forbs let Ajax move further up the table. Defense mostly did enough but the late goal by NEC made thing dicey at the end. Ajax had a couple of chances to get the third to lock up the points but some poor finishing didn't make it. Brobbey was good at hold up play and his strength led directly to the first goal as he turned the defender, getting in on goal. Tahirovic must be recognized for some very good defending in this game. Taylor was also decent with a rocket from distance that forced a good save from Cillessen.

Player Ratings:

Ramaj (6) - decent enough but should have sealed off the goal and not let the shot from a pretty bad angle get past him
Gaaei (5.5) -slightly above average is all
Rensch (7) - good defending both as a CB in the first half and FB in the second
Hato (7) - will he every get some rest? Maybe in the cup match against the amateur side
Martha (4.5) -had trouble defending and certainly should not have been in so close to goal leaving a lot of space for the pass that led tot he NEC goal
Tahirovic (7) - very good match with just a couple of weak passes but dominant in challenges
Taylor (7) - good match over all
Hlynsson (6.5) - good recognition to run towards the goal after Brobbey turned the defender
Berghus (7.5) - very good game with some key passes and game recognition
Brobbey (7) - solid game up front
Bergwijn (6.5) - had some off kilter shots but made up for them in tracking back on defense
Sutal0 (7) - had two critical clearances coming on the play CB in the second half
Akbom (5.5) - controlled the ball well but really should have done better on the shot he had
Forbs (6) - on for a short time but got the match winner
Banel (NR) - on late and had a shot but was wide of target

The unfinished match at RKC is up on Tuesday with about five minutes to play with Ajax ahead 2-3. I'm not counting the three points until they are in the bank. Sparta at home next weekend.

[SPL]

A hard fought win but we created the most chances and they created nothing until the unlikely 90 min goal. We worked hard in the 2nd half and would say Taylor had a good 2nd half.

Clearly the way forward is youth as again Banel came on late and not Mikautadze.

Lets just hold onto the lead v RKC and pick up 3 points on Weds. Then beat Sparta and Zwolle at home and we should then be 5th at the break and probably within 10 points of AZ ,who have to play PSV.

[Amol]

Phew. Such a huge relief. So glad we got the 2nd goal. I was worried we'd let one in on a mistake and that turned out to be true. Can't quite blame Martha for the poor defending on that one. He's only become a LB about 4 months ago.

[Orange14]

Can't quite blame Martha for the poor defending on that one. He's only become a LB about 4 months ago.

I think we often lose sight of the fact that this is really a young and inexperienced team. I agree about Martha. He is really quite quick but using that quickness in playing defense takes a different skill set that will come in time. It's so weird that we have all these LBs that will be on the roster next summer: Martha, Sosa, Salah-Edine, Baas, and Wijndal.

[Amol]

Exactly. He wasn't positioned correctly and then got beaten while he was trying to block the winger. Then of course Taylor who was covering could've/should've stepped up. I'm just glad Martha didn't make a rash tackle from behind after he was beaten. I was half expecting a sliding tackle resulting in a red and a penalty.

We could scored 2 more in the last 5-10 minutes. Akpom missed a chance in front of goal when he got a cross from the left (forgot from whom) and Banel missed a sitter in front of goal.

Also props to Brobbey who has been working his socks off and has lately started scoring again and had a greate assist today.