24 SEP 2017 Ajax - Vitesse Match Day 6

[Orange14]

I'm pretty sure I spelled 'Vitesse' correctly after I bollixed up Scheveningen the other day. At any rate, Ajax have a home match this weekend and currently lie in sixth place but only two points off the top. Vitesse are even on points but are one better in goal differential. It looks like I will only watch the first half on Sunday as we have a family event early in the morning over here. I'll try to figure out how to record the stream so I can post ratings but don't count on it!

[Orange14]

From Keizer's statement yesterday it looks like Frenkie de Jong will get the start in the MF. Schöne played the full 90 minutes mid-week in the cup match. Huntelaar to start up front.

[SPL]

Looks like same starting lineup as last week. Siem de Jong has dropped out as a sub as he is about to become a father.Eiting a sub this week.

Mustn't mess up today 3 points vital

[rjf1]

Been watching PSV hammering Utrecht -- at one point it was 1-1 and I had hope, but PSV took over the game and it ended 7-1 and could have been lots more. They played fast and smooth -- hard to see us finishing above them this year.

[SPL]

rubbish defending again

[rjf1]

Pathetic excuse for football over all -- not just the defending. Is anyone capable of making an accurate pass in close quarters?

[SPL]

Dolberg on for the injured de LIgt. Dijks was due to come off but de LIgt got caught in the head hope he will soon be ok.So its 3 -3-4 ,a bit shambolic

[Orange14]

I'm out of here as we have a party to go to this morning. Horrible play from everyone on the pitch. I hope that this is not a sign that the team is quitting but it sure looks like it. I did not see a single positive thing from any player out there. 0-2 now and I really cannot see them coming back. Vitesse came to play, Ajax did not.

[SPL]

this is utterly woeful 3 defenders , with the useless Dijks we have no chance playing like this.Going to a back 3 against a decent team far too risky.

[SPL]

Based on our season so far I dont think Keizer is good enough. Doing well in the Jupiler league with little Appie controlling the team is one thing but this is the big league. we are going backwards and something needs to change.

Sorry but I sadly think Keizer is out of his depth and the team is struggling

[rjf1]

Shades of FdeB football -- pitty pat across the back - slow, plodding movement - make the one extra dribble or hold onto the ball the extra second that closes off the chance for a dangerous through pass - two players have a chance for the ball and the other team gets it every time - make a pass to the left when a pass to the right would set up a dangerous counterattack (and vice versa). What a disappointment -- I was expecting exciting, fast moving, attacking football this year, but instead we have shades of everything that was wrong under FdeB. Unless something changes drastically, we'll be lucky to finish 6th.

[Dave the mac]

Real bad first half from Ajax. Vitesse looking really good. 0-2 at the half, at home....

[rjf1]

Better start to the 2nd half -- maybe something good will come.

[SPL]

KJH nearly scored ,all is not lost yet!!! Cerny on for Kluivert

[SPL]

Poor defending by them Viergever heads in.

[SPL]

A terrible performance, slightly better 2nd half but not much better than the first. KJH hitting the post and Viergever's goal our only 2 real chances.

Playing 2 strikers does not work when they get zero service as we play inverted wingers who just cut inside .the game was lost when we reverted to a back 3 after just 30 mins. The weakest defender Dijks was going off but we lost our best defender instead.

Repeating myself Keizer is not good enough but Bergkamp got him picked and he seems the real problem in the club.

[rjf1]

It's like Keizer is afraid to play the kind of football he had Jong Ajax playing when they were doing so well -- it's like he's going overboard with the FdeB style football that guarantees inept performances like the one today.

[Arthur]

Well, FdB at least won a few titles. Keizer will never ever win anything with his tactical incompetence. Back to the JL with this man!

[Orange14]

I only watched the first half. It's surprising to me how much the team has regressed from how they started the season. The first half dozen matches (I include the two Euro qualification ties) showed a team capable of moving the ball pretty incisively. Today, Vitesse came out and put in place a high press and surprisingly, Ajax had no answer for it. Again, too much standing around by the MFs such that both de Ligt and Viergever had nowhere to pass other than the full backs who were then immediately closed down. de Ligt played his poorest match in an Ajax shirt until he came off injured. Just saw a report that it was a bad concussion in which case he will be out of the lineup for some time until all the symptoms are cleared.

Is Keizer to blame for everything? I don't think so. Obviously it is a huge jump from the Jupiter league to coaching the first team but what were the alternatives after Bosz left? the whole management structure is dysfunctional as we have well discussed. It's not Keizer's fault that key positions were not addressed during the transfer period. Maybe those in charge want Keizer to fail and then what? Maybe we go back to the period of a new trainer every year. I don't think the Ajax job is all that appealing these days.

[Orange14]

Just watched the ESPN highlights of the goals. Dijks is to blame for both of them. He let his marker go right past him on the free kick and Viergever had no chance to get over in time as he was on the right side with Huntelaar defending his man. The second goal was just awful positional play. He was way to far inside and then tried to compensate but got schooled by the winger who cut right inside and slotted it past Onana. There was a good reason why Dijks was loaned out and an even better one that he could not make it with an English team that got relegated. This one is on Overmars!!!

[SPL]

Keizer is quoted as saying Wober and Orejuela are not ready yet!!! We spent 12m on them and they are not ready!!!

de Ligt is not going to play next week having had concussion so maybe Zeefuik RB and Veltman CD .How would we be coping if we had been in Europe!

Incidently I said earlier we played with inverted wingers but of course Kluivert played over an hour as a proper winger but still didn't make any decent crosses.

[saddlerian]

What a disaster!!! After this, I tuned in to Inter....playing attacking football with good passing, fast!!! Followed this with Krasnador v Zenit...again, supposedly weaker teams BUT providing attractive, attacking football!!! I think I'll film my under 16's match here at AOAN next Saturday....all coaching done the Dutch way...no child is allowed on the Academy coaching scheme unless they can control the ball AND pass a defender....maybe they can all be signed up for next week's match as Ajax have NOT a player who has SHOWN that they can attack and beat a player!!!

[Orange14]

It's always fun to read the analysis over at 11tegen11 on the Ajax matches. Using the Opta stats data, the predicted score was 1.82-0.54 in favor of Ajax with the expected goals for Ajax coming in the 2nd half (which I did not see). Ajax had more quality shots on goal and a better pass map than Vitesse so go figure. It's been this way in all the matches so far.

Here is what 11tegen11 tweeted about Keizer following the game, "I'm probably going to get a lot of stick for saying this now. And I'm not saying Keizer does all his stuff well. But...I sincerely hope Ajax sticks with him and gives him more time. Stats have been fine, results haven't. Time for a club to be patient. Many clubs don't, though, and the manager is seen to have failed. In fact, he hasn't been given enough time for volatile results to settle."

this is pretty much what I feel about the club and Keizer. I certainly don't think that he will be sacked during the season but of course that's also happened before.

[saddlerian]

Did you notice who was in the stand, watching the match today???

[Orange14]

Did you notice who was in the stand, watching the match today???

Our former gaffer!!! He of the super boring football.