20 Mar 2011: ADO Den Haag - Ajax

[Kowalczyk]

Only three days after the trip to Moscow: Eredivisie matchday 28, ADO Den Haag away, kick-off time 12:30 CET.

Out of all our remaining games, this will be the toughest. ADO are hands down the biggest surprise of the season. They play very good football, they have a courageous, sassy, attacking style - and they're not dirty, like FC Utrecht. They're better than Utrecht, though. Much better. And they hate us just as much as Utrecht hate us.

Can Ajax seriously go for the title until the end...? I think this game will answer that question. We can't afford to lose, a draw would be a bad result. We have to win. But can we pull it off, so soon after such a rough European trip...?

We'll see. This is one of those games where you can't win the title, but sure as hell lose it.

Crucial.

Immediately after the game, at 14:30 CET:

PSV vs FC Utrecht
Excelsior vs FC Twente

(Utrecht never perform in Eindhoven, they always roll over. Excelsior away is a potential banana skin for Twente, though...)

K.

[aveslacker]

For my money, this is the toughest fixture left, even tougher than Twente at home to end the season.

[souras84]

It's time to separate the men from the boys!

[Orange14]

ADO are difficult to beat at home and may come out swinging given they lost to Graafschap last weekend. They are one point behind AZ for the automatic EL berth. I'm in agreement with Aveslacker that his is going to be one tough fixture.

[Philippe]

Yep. One of the two remaining tricky league games, the other being the last game of the season, against Twente.

[SPL]

This is a must win game . Will be interesting to see who replaces Ebecilio who has 5 yellows already .
Don't see El H coming back as Castillion could now be in the squad.

[Ayman]

Doesnt Ajax usually have a good record away to Den Haag? I remember last season Ajax scraped a 0-1 victory curtesy of Alderwiereld

[Orange14]

This is a must win game . Will be interesting to see who replaces Ebecilio who has 5 yellows already .
Don't see El H coming back as Castillion could now be in the squad.

Ozbiliz on the right with Sulejmani moving over to the left wing; maybe Jozefzoon is called back to the first team for cover at the position.

[Orange14]

Doesnt Ajax usually have a good record away to Den Haag? I remember last season Ajax scraped a 0-1 victory curtesy of Alderwiereld

This is a good site: http://www.worldfootball.net/teams/afc- ... n-haag/11/ W - 19, L - 7; D - 10 though most of the loses were before 1970.

[souras84]

i can stand any line up without de zeeuw and de jong as number 9

[SPL]

Agree with you I do not want to see de Jong up front , he needs to be in midfield with de Zeeuw back on the bench . Ozbiliz looked ok tonight and should start in Ebecilio's place.

[aveslacker]

Here's what I hope Frank does:

Pizza
VDWiel - Toby - Vertonghen - Daley
Anita - Eriksen - De Jong
Ozbiliz - Cvitanich - Mickey

[Philippe]

Here's what I'm hoping for :

Anyone but Pizza
VdWiel - Toby - Vertonghen - Daley
Enoh - Eriksen - Anita
Ozbiliz - El Hamdaoui - Ebecilio

[SPL]

Ebecilio is suspended. Only 2 other goalies on our books Graafland ,has not played for the Jong since November and Bizot and I am not sure he is ready otherwise he would be the sub and not Graafland.

I think Steks would have stopped the 3rd,as Ko said. Verhoeven is not bad for 3rd choice and suffers
because Steks is so good and also because of his size.

He wasn't the worse player as Sulejmani and de Zeeuw were both woeful. And it was not pizzaman who gave away the first goal but Vertoghen making a cock up

[Philippe]

All right, I forgot, Ebecilio is suspended.
I agree with you about the goals and the worst players in Moscow. Except that I think Steks would have stopped not only the 3rd but also the 2nd goal.
Maybe Vermeer will be fit again soon.

[Orange14]

I wonder how much of the passport snafu affected Sulejmani's play? It was his worst match of the year. One thing for sure, with Ozbiliz's play and some good wing talent coming through the system I would not be surprised if an attempt is made to sell Sulejmani and recoup some of the money we paid for him. I can easily see Ebecilio and Ozbiliz as our wingers going forward.

[Philippe]

I fully agree about the wingers. And we should part ways with Sulejmani and De Zeeuw at the end of this season.

[souras84]

ok mickey wasnt that good the previous years but he made a ressurection this year, I dont think he should be sold. Plus we wont get the money we want for him

[aveslacker]

ok mickey wasnt that good the previous years but he made a ressurection this year, I dont think he should be sold. Plus we wont get the money we want for him

Symphono. Mickey has generally been one of our better players this season, despite his bad game last night.

[souras84]

ok mickey wasnt that good the previous years but he made a ressurection this year, I dont think he should be sold. Plus we wont get the money we want for him

Symphono. Mickey has generally been one of our better players this season, despite his bad game last night.

Herome(I'm glad). Afterall there are somany to be sold this summer, that I cant see how many should we buy?

[Philippe]

Jeroen Verhoeven
Ronald Graafland
Gregory van der Wiel
Toby Alderweireld
Jan Vertonghen
Vurnon Anita
Eyong Enoh
Miralem Sulejmani
Christian Eriksen
Siem de Jong
André Ooijer
Daley Blind
Rasmus Lindgren
Demy de Zeeuw
Dario Cvitanich
Aras Özbiliz
Jody Lukoki
Geoffrey Castillion

[Orange14]

Jody Lukoki

Somewhat surprising that Lukoki rather than Jozefzoon is in the selection. Maybe it has to do with Jozefzoon's not signing a contract extension (I think he is a free agent in June).

[SPL]

I think Jozefzoon has made up his mind to leave and therefore they are putting Lukoki in ahead of him.

[Rooie]

There's only one reason for it, in Frank's opinion Lukoki is better and I (after seeing them both for some years) agree.

[Orange14]

There's only one reason for it, in Frank's opinion Lukoki is better and I (after seeing them both for some years) agree.

Thanks Benji and SPL. It makes sense.