16 FEB 2025; Ajax - Heracles; Match Day 22

[Orange14]

After a couple of matches on horrible fields, Ajax return home to take on Heracles. The team is on a solid foundation now and Farioli's is working. Keep the focus on one game at a time!!!

[Orange14]

PSV drop more points today drawing with Utrecht at home, 2-2. They were lucky to even get the point as Utrecht had a three on one breakaway late in injury time and the shot was poor..

[SPL]

If at worst we pick up only 4 points from these 2 home games in hand ie Heracles and GAE next week ,we will still be 3 ahead of PSV and 12 clear of 3rd place. Ensuring the big gap to 3rd is our main aim and if we finish 1st ,well that will be magic.

[SPL]

Henderson not yet fit but Tyalor,Baas and Kaplan are all ill so Janse starts,Berghuis MF.Still astrong line up ,Mokio may come on at LB at Ht ,Hato to LCD.

6 teenagers on the bench, plus 3 starters, magic its what Ajax stands for.

[saddlerian]

Henderson not in squad... or listed as injured!!
Any reason for this??

[SPL]

Henderson has a bit of a hamstring trouble probably be fit next week.so far so good with 2 well taken goals.Great for Brobbey the goals will come and Berghuis is starting to find his form.

Lets just get a quick 3rd and we can relax and give Bounida his debut

[Orange14]

Great day for Ajax on a smooth pitch at home. They had little trouble with Heracles who had not lost a match since the first of the year. First team debuts for both Bounida and Steur who came on as substitutes (and were in danger of leaving the club). Farioli had to change things up because both Taylor and Baas were ill. Janse stepped in at CB and Klaassen dropped deep as the DM. Berghuis slotted in at #10 and partnered with Fitz-Jim as the advanced MFs. This was the smoothest flowing football that I've seen from Ajax this season. Good passing and trying to take advantage of all the spaces on the field. Defense was OK as Heracles really never threatened much at all. Ajax are now two points ahead of PSV with a game in hand.

Player Ratings:

Pasveer (6.5) - hardly troubled by any shot but was put in jeopardy with a couple of weak backpasses from teammates
Gaaei (6.5) - pretty good match even though he did not have to do much defending
Sutalo (7) - calm and steady
Janse (6.5) - got a little too excited trying to push forward with the ball and had one bad moment on defense when the attacker slid right past him but Pasveer had the goal covered
Hato (7.5) - defended well and the pass to Edvardssen was beautiful
Davy One Goal (6.5) - really alert in the box to nail home the fourth goal and defended well though his passing was not especially good
Fitz-Jim (6.5) - pretty good game
Berghuis (7.5)- MOTM with some brilliant passing and he was all over the field creating passing opportunities for others
Traore (6.5) - much better match from him, made all the right decisions with the ball
Brobbey (6.5) - probably should have scored with his first chance, continually pushed and pulled but he didn't complain and picked up a nice goal
Godts (7) - only played a half but was good and his goal ended up the match winner
Edvarssen (6.5) - pretty spectacular goal with the flick from the Hato pass
Mokio (6.5) - came on for Fitz-Jim and acquitted himself well with some good interventions and dribbles
Rassmussen (6) - looks like he will be covering for Brobbey until Weghorst gets back, made a couple of good runs
Bounida (NR) - on late for his debut
Steur (NR) - on late for his debut

Farioli sent a good mention to the Ajax youth; work hard and you will get first team football. Union Saint-Gillois up for the return leg of the Europa Leg playoff on Thursday.

[SPL]

Simply beautiful , we played freely in that 2nd half and a great goal for Edvardsen, probably could have got more but to finish a game with 5 teenagers pure magic and pure Ajax.Not enjoyed a match like that for a couple of years or more. We did have 3 injured and 3 with flu but Sutalo at the back and veterans Klaassen and Berghuis working as hard as they could a great team performance.

Brobbey scored which will have done his confidence good and Rasmussen,after those 2 recent goals,is starting to believe in himself and looks good enough to back up for Brobbey until Weghorst is fit.

Full marks for Farioli for sticking those kids on at the end and it is hard to believe the turn around he has caused this season so far. I really dont see us dropping to 3rd and the way things are going we can dream of champs.

[SPL]

It was Davy's 100th goal for Ajax and was he happy. Lots of fans critisice him but he is a true Ajax man and a fan. These last 2 games at 6 he has done well yes some passes not good but he worked hard and decent defending.

[Tom_]

Finally a dominant performance with very little stress after HT.

Did not expect to be in this position. Barring a disastrous run in we should be fairly safe for second place. There are some tough games coming as we still have to play AZ, PSV and Utrecht then Twente on the final day, and I still think PSV has the better squad, so I’m not getting my hopes up for the title until they’re celebrating in Museumplein.

[Orange14]

Interesting that some Dutch media named Klaassen as player of the week in the league. I thought he was decent but not really great. It may be that his best position right now is #6. He actually played there when he was at Werder Bremen (I saw maybe 4-5 matches the season he was there as US ESPN carries German league matches). He doesn't have to cover as much ground and despite his limitations he does see the game pretty well. If only he was better with the ball at his feet.