28 AUG 2016 Go Ahead Eagles - Ajax; Match Day 4

[saddlerian]

I thought both penalties were correct. I was watching a match yesterday (can't remember which EPL game) where there was an identical penalty call as the one the GAE won, a simple clip from behind that was inadvertent but inside the box. It's always going to be given.

Ditto....good call on both penalties...but I notice no complaint from GAE!!!!

[Orange14]

Westermann on for Sanchez which is a good move. Let's hope he can defend.

[Tom_]

Oh ok. I didn't see any contact, I thought the GAE player just flopped.

[saddlerian]

Westermann on for Sanchez which is a good move. Let's hope he can defend.

Can't do worse....at least he hasn't got the same sort of "attitude"!!!!

[Orange14]

Second time that the GAE keeper is frozen. Didn't look like the Gudelj free kick was that hard to at least try to save.

[rjf1]

Gudelj scores on a nicely taken free kick. Leaves me with mixed feelings -- happy for the goal, but I guess it means he'll be in the lineup for the next game.

[SPL]

great free kick Gudelj has finally done something positive.As he was about to take the kick I thought we need Schone now to score

[Amol]

The GAE players are definitely acting like they're made of glass. Their LB in particular.

[rjf1]

Oh ok. I didn't see any contact, I thought the GAE player just flopped.

That's what I thought at first, but on the replay you can see that he clearly clipped his heels.

[Tom_]

Westermann on for Sanchez which is a good move. Let's hope he can defend.

Westermann is awful ... BUT this was the exact sort of situation we need him for, and he did an acceptable job.

That was a narrow escape. Don't think it would have ended well if GAE had put away one of their chances in the first 20 mins. But they had to attack so there was plenty of room in the midfield after Klaassen's 2nd.

[SPL]

Well we are not going to get any easier teams to play than GAE and we made a bit of hard work .After the dreadful penalty mistake by the ref ,Onana did something Cillessen has never done save a pen.

Traore showing today he is not a no 9 striker and played well on the right. I was impressed that he kept coming back into his own half to win the ball and on more than one time when taking a shot just dropped back outside the penalty area to cover.

Westermann I thought moderate ,he had little to do and against decent teams is never going to be quick enough for this level.

[Orange14]

Relatively easy 0-3 win against a very mediocre Go Ahead Eagles. There are sill enough holes in this Ajax club to worry its supporters. The midfield was better but players were seldom closed down by the GAE defenders so one cannot make any judgements about whether things are improving or not. Traore started out on the right wing and it looks like the position is his to lose as he certainly was much better than el Ghazi has been to date. Onana saved a penalty and was seldom troubled in goal. Lots of shots on target today but lots of Yellow cards as well which is disturbing as Ajax were seldom penalized last season.

Player Ratings:

Onana (7) - saved a PK and had one other decent save but that was it as there were no other shots on frame
Dijks (5) - average match at best
Viergever (6.5) - quietly decent
Sanchez (4.5) - hung out to dry by Veltman on two occasions and was lucky not to have been sent off by a second Yellow card; appropriately subbed off at half time
Veltman (4.5) - really cannot play RB as he just is not quick enough and there was little if any offensive penetration at all; Tete needs to be back in the lineup
Riedewald (6) - decent but did the Spanish ole move on defense a couple of times (just watched a man go right past him)
Gudelj (6.5) - nice free kick and another nice shot on goal but still is not the answer in the MF
Klaassen (7.5) - really nice match today; solid with the PK that followed his nice first goal and was decent of the ball
Younes (4) - poorest player on the pitch, teams now know he is a one trick pony and if he can't beat the defense he is no danger as he doesn't pass
Dolberg (6) - OK match but Cassiera was more dynamic
Traore (6.5) - very nice movement and I think he's going to be playing outside now (I believe Suarez played on the wing when he was at Ajax)
Westermann (6) - did what needed to be done
Cassiera (6) - a couple of solid shots on frame and good movement in the middle
Sinkgraven (5) - on late for Younes but had no impact on the match

Off next week for the international break. If Ziyech comes into the squad, who leaves? Overmars was at the match today and I didn't see him on his cell phone!

[SPL]

Agree regards Veltman ,he is no full back lets hope Raiola does not get Tete sold this week he needs to be back in our side.

Ziyech is coming but will we sign anyone else? Also I see 2 or 3 leaving.

[SPL]

Orange did not rate for Sinkgraven but like me did he even know he had come on !!

[rjf1]

Really have to disagree with the prevailing assessment regarding Traore as a winger -- true, he did a good job tracking back, and did have some few good moments, but mostly if he wasn't falling all over the place and losing the ball on his own, he was getting bounced off the ball quite easily by the opposition -- and the good moments he had were when he was playing more to the center -- not down the wing.

[Orange14]

Orange did not rate for Sinkgraven but like me did he even know he had come on !!

Oooops, I think he did have a touch but still didn't do much more than that.

[Tom_]

I think Sinkgraven gave the ball away twice and that was it. He's one of the names mentioned as possibly leaving... Who's gonna buy him though?

[Orange14]

I think Sinkgraven gave the ball away twice and that was it. He's one of the names mentioned as possibly leaving... Who's gonna buy him though?

There are a number of people who think Sinkgraven is a talent but just with the wrong team. PSV just got a MF on loan from Russia so they are not in the market for one and I doubt we do business with Feyenoord. maybe AZ??