21 DEC 2014 Excelsior-Ajax Match Day 17

[Orange14]

First half of the league season closes out with a road trip to Excelsior and a match on synthetic turf. Excelsior are in the bottom third of the table so a victory could be on order. PSV are still a point ahead with a match in hand (Feyenoord) and they wrap up against Go Ahead Eagles.

[Dave the mac]

One more match then the winter doldrums.... Don't think de Boer should shoulder the blame for the Vitesse match. Rather it looked like the Ajax players we're just tired. The one thing he should consider doing is resting some of the regulars occasionally, especially for the KNVB matches. Players always want to play, but the coaches should know when to play them and when not too.

Until the Vitesse debacle Ajax had an excellent streak, and are still very much in the hunt with PSV for the tittle.
Calm heads are needed all the way around.
And van der Hoorn must play! A win at Excelsior and everything to play for in the 2nd half of the season.

[Tom_]

Can't watch today so the Vitesse match was our winter send-off for me. Looking forward to three points today and some better football in 2015.

Have a nice break, everyone!

[rjf1]

PSV swatted GAE good and proper (5-0 final score), so we must win to keep in contact. Let's hope the boys put their last performance behind them and go out and do the job.

[SPL]

Must win today as PSV are 7 ahead at present. Sky Sports 5 again.

[SPL]

Cillessen

VRhjn,Veltman,Moisander Riedewald

Klaassen,Serero,Andersen

Schone,Milik,Kishna

So Veltman keeps his place,Moisander plays possibly his last game.And the poor Viegever gives way to an 18 year old kid.And no midfielders on the bench.After Thursday we cannot be worse.

[King Litti]

If you count the Vitesse game it's 135 minutes without a goal and how many shots on goal? two? This slow build up from the back is not working Frank.

[SPL]

A very poor first half from us ,we seem asleep

[Orange14]

Not much good to say. Ajax are doing better dropping players back to create an opportunity to get across the halfway line but then the subsequent passes are way too slow and telegraphed. Schöne is dropping into the midfield and any width on the right side is lost as van Rhijn is not moving up to fill any space there. I guess this team just cannot pass quickly enough to create anything and that's been the problem all year long. Don't think this will change. Cillessen has been alert and will need to keep a clean sheet as I cannot see Ajax scoring more than a single goal if that.

[rjf1]

...After Thursday we cannot be worse.

Maybe not -- but can we be any better. Maybe we are hoping for a 0-0 tie, because the only thing we were good at in this half was running down the clock with all the pitty patting around the midfield circle.

[saddlerian]

z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z zz !!!!

Here's an idea for a Christmas present for you, lads....go and watch Arsenal! they manage this pitter-patter football...and GO FORWARDS!!!!

[SPL]

well we are playing as bad as thursday lucky we have not given any stupid goals away so far

[Dave the mac]

Wow...what a boring half that was.

[souras84]

What a miss from Excelsior!! I doubt that we can salvage anything if they score first

[Dave the mac]

Excelsior looking far more dangerous than Ajax. Van Rijn...worthless.

[rjf1]

I counted 8 pitty pat passes in and around the mid line -- when it was all done, the ball was back with the original passer and all the players both on offense and defense were in the same positions as they started out with. IOW, a total waste of time and energy.

[rjf1]

Well, finally someone put Gouriye on his backside -- long overdue.

[Orange14]

Well we will take a garbage goal like that any time! Great substitution by FdB.

[saddlerian]

AMAZING!!!!! FDB uses a proper tactic...and it's a goal!!!!

[Dave the mac]

Yes! In a panic move de boer brings in VD Hoorn and he scores!!

[rjf1]

Just imagine what the game would have been like if they attacked on a regular basis, instead of out of desperation.

[King Litti]

Magic! How long did it take for was van der Hoorn to score?

[Orange14]

That should be that. Cool finish by Zivkovic.

[SPL]

Thank goodness for that ,80 mins of poor footy and we get out of jail

[aveslacker]

Smart sub by Frank as Anderson was too easily muscled off the ball and too slow to outrun his man. At the end of the day, the scoreline probably flatters us but we did deserve to win.