New Players for Ajax

[The Purple Cow]

Ajax's number one priority should be to find a half-decent goalkeeper. Stekkers is an embarassment to the club. Worse even than Menzo in the closing basket-case days of his career. However there is very little quality anywhere in the defence.

As it is, I think Ajax will struggle to make the play-offs this season, and I predict they will be out of the UEFA cup by Christmas. By easter we will be recruiting a new coach.

[aveslacker]

The moment at 3:35 pretty much sums everything up. How many times has he done that... catch the ball!

bryan, you're talking bullshit and you know it.

No keeper goes through a season without making one or two errors. Stekelenburg had very good season for Ajax ... very, very few mistakes.

eh, ok, no need to take that tone

i chose the moment at 3:35 (or 3:31 to be more exact) because it didn't lead to a goal, but it's something he does all the time, namely flapping his arms about instead of catching the ball. he gets away with it most of the time, but puts his defence under pressure because they have to clear the ball or prepare for another incoming cross. if he'd learn to catch the ball then the defence could take a break and regroup while stekelenburg calmly brings the ball back into play. it's pretty basic stuff for goalkeeper to do, really. especially at ajax, where an importance is placed on possession.

i find it surprising that ajax are spending so much time looking for forwards and attacking midfielders when a quick glance at last year's PSV, AZ and Ajax goal differences tells the story. basically, you score two goals at home against excelsior and you should win. end of story.

Fair point. But I don't think Stek is to be blamed for a lot of those. We seemed to give up a ton of goals when our outside defenders got beat. I think Davids' arrival helped with that. Mostly, I put it down to a lack of concentration.

If Van der Sar were available, I'd say we should get him. But I think the team can look elsewhere for more updgrades.

You are correct in noting that the emphasis should be on the defense.

[The Purple Cow]

Whatever happened to Ajax's scouting network?

There was a time when Ajax would find players nobody ever heard of (Jari Who? Cristian Who? Zlatan Who?) and they would turn out to be world-class footballers.

These days all we get is ageing former internationals in the last couple of seasons of their careers, or guys who did quite well playing for other clubs in the Eredivisie last season.

Don't we have a scouting network anymore?

[GangstaRiB]

Whatever happened to Ajax's scouting network?

There was a time when Ajax would find players nobody ever heard of (Jari Who? Cristian Who? Zlatan Who?) and they would turn out to be world-class footballers.

These days all we get is ageing former internationals in the last couple of seasons of their careers, or guys who did quite well playing for other clubs in the Eredivisie last season.

Don't we have a scouting network anymore?

Chivu was brought to Ajax via his manager.

Zlatan was a worldfamous talent, that chose Ajax over Arsenal. But that was not scouting in an early stage.

Litmanen was an example of good scouting. And don't forget Maxwell!

But Ajax have usually bad scouting results. We're good at developing our own talents, but we don't seem to know how to scout young players (age 16 to 18). Hans van der Zee (former PSV) is now one of the headscouts, but he is only a few months with Ajax and I don't think he played a role in the current transfers made by Ajax.

[Bert]

Litmanen was also brought in by his manager.

[GangstaRiB]

Litmanen was also brought in by his manager.

Really? I always thought that he was a lonesome player who was rejected by PSV, Barcelona and Liverpool before he was tested at Ajax and was given a contract.

[Philippe]

Ajax's number one priority should be to find a half-decent goalkeeper. Stekkers is an embarassment to the club. (...). However there is very little quality anywhere in the defence.

As it is, I think Ajax will struggle to make the play-offs this season, and I predict they will be out of the UEFA cup by Christmas. By easter we will be recruiting a new coach.

I can not agree at all on Stekelenburg who was great again against Arsenal.

But I share your concern about next season : Ajax sold too many and bought too few.

[Van basten]

is it true that we're interested in Alves?

[Bert]

Litmanen was also brought in by his manager.

Really? I always thought that he was a lonesome player who was rejected by PSV, Barcelona and Liverpool before he was tested at Ajax and was given a contract.

He was tested, yes, but that was because his manager got him to Ajax. It had absolutely nothing to do with Ajax' scouting.

[Manneken Pis]

is it true that we're interested in Alves?

Nope.
Apparently he's going to some undisclosed "German top club".

[aveslacker]

I'd heard a few days ago that the Suarez case is back in arbitration. Any idea when there might be a verdict?

[ZoefdeHaas]

This Thursday.

[aveslacker]

This Thursday.

Thanks.

[Manneken Pis]

This Thursday.

...and that's the day Ajax has to register it's squad with UEFA for the Champions League/UEFA Cup..........



Looks like "squeaky bum time" for Ajax (again!)

[GangstaRiB]

I thought that Ajax/Suarez hoped that the verdict would be this thursday, it's also possible that the verdict will be known next monday.... Also, it's likely that Suarez will lose the case, like almost every player that started a case like this. Eventually Suarez will create some kind of 'argument', so that Groningen will be forced to sell him.

But if the case is won by Suarez, I still doubt if he will be on-time to be registered with Ajax for the CL-qualifiers.

[Amol]

The deadline for submitting a list of players for the Champions League group stage is 1st September. So I'm hoping that Ajax is waiting to see if we cross the 3rd qualifying round, to get more re-inforcements

[ZoefdeHaas]

Ajax do still have time for Suarez and any other player in that matter before the transfer deadline. As mentioned above the group stage squad is different from the qualifying round.

Even if Suarez loses the case, it's unlikely that Groningen would want an unhappy player with them in the dressing room, and its imaginable that Suarez lost many fans in Groningen-he most likely will be an Ajax player.

[666]

But if the case is won by Suarez, I still doubt if he will be on-time to be registered with Ajax for the CL-qualifiers.

No need to panic:

17.15
The player lists have to be submitted to UEFA through the national
association by the following fixed deadlines:
a) 10 July 2007 (24.00 CET): for all matches in the first qualifying round;
b) 26 July 2007 (24.00 CET): for all matches in the second qualifying round;
c) 9 August 2007 (24.00 CET): for all matches in the third qualifying round;
d) 1 September 2007 (24.00 CET): for all further matches as from the first
match in the group stage up to and including the final.

17.16
For the three UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, the player lists may be amended at any time until 24.00 CET on the day before the relevant first-leg match, provided that the club’s national association confirms in writing that the new players are eligible to play at domestic level by the respective above-mentioned qualifying date.

[Ayman]

You will be forgiven if you think Im living in Cucu land...but if the deal between real madrid and Chelsea falls through for Arjan Robben...is there a possiblity we can sign him onloan?

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

You will be forgiven if you think Im living in Cucu land...but if the deal between real madrid and Chelsea falls through for Arjan Robben...is there a possiblity we can sign him onloan?

Man....cucu land must be nice....not gonna happen bro.


ps: then again...we did get Stam dident we guess anythings posible.....

no.

[GangstaRiB]

It's official, Suarez lost the case. So Ajax will have to switch over to Plan B...

[Philippe]

and what is plan B ? Mister HTC recently stated he needed a left winger and a midfielder. Time is running short.

[GangstaRiB]

and what is plan B ? Mister HTC recently stated he needed a left winger and a midfielder. Time is running short.

HTC wants 2 leftwingers and a replacement for Davids.

Van Geel only wants a single leftwinger.

Van Geel stated proudly that Ajax had a good scoutinglist, but till now, I'm not impressed!

[Philippe]

by the way, who do we have left as a right winger now that de Mul and Rosales are gone ?

[GangstaRiB]

by the way, who do we have left as a right winger now that de Mul and Rosales are gone ?

Kennedy and Rommedahl. I think by the way that Kennedy will be used as a leftwinger in case we're not able to buy another player, for whatever reason.