05 Oct 2008: SC Heerenveen - Ajax
Moderators: ajaxusa, Kowalczyk, mods
57% possession 14 shots on goal (probably 10 of them came in the last 12 minutes). This team needs to take a hard look at themselves. They are just not a very good side and look only to be a mid-table club. I can't see how they will move off the dime without someone in the midfield who can move the ball around.
Vermeer was my MOTM and the rest of them should have stayed home.
Vermeer was my MOTM and the rest of them should have stayed home.
I don't why I continue to put myself through this shite. Ajax have become painful to watch. And I'm from the Philadelphia area so I know sporting misery. It sucks to see them feeding on the scraps against the likes of Borac, Roda, and Vitesse . Absolute crap away from home. It's going to be a long season.... I can't see us finishing top eight .
Laatst gewijzigd door Blind3 op zo okt 05, 2008 5:39 pm, 1 keer totaal gewijzigd.
"Buy the ticket, take the ride".
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"Our albums are junk"
Keith Moon
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"Our albums are junk"
Keith Moon
- Monkey Tonk
- Berichten: 9667
- Lid geworden op: vr sep 19, 2003 6:54 pm
- Locatie: route 66
I got a good stream on Ustreamtv and it was full screen so this was about the clearest i have every seen a game on internet.The studio showed the goals in slow motion afterwards which was good.
Well, apart from Vermeer we were dreadful and the worst player in an Ajax shirt was Urby. This guy has to be the worst left back who has every played for the club. 2nd goal was his mistake, and the 3rd when both times he just could not tackle and was left for dead and of course the 5 th was his fault as it left VdWiel having to make a lunge and was clearly a penalty.
Rommedahl's cross clearly did not cross the line and Sarpong's takle was outside the area.
We should have then been 3-1 and KJH and Suarez's efforts would have been 3-3 ( I know you are all laughing at me but those decisions were poor).
No way would we have deserved a draw as we were piss poor but please Marco do not pick Urby at left back again.Vertonghen and Schilder are both better and they are defensive midfielders.
There was no service to the forwards and midfield was as poor as the defence .
Well, apart from Vermeer we were dreadful and the worst player in an Ajax shirt was Urby. This guy has to be the worst left back who has every played for the club. 2nd goal was his mistake, and the 3rd when both times he just could not tackle and was left for dead and of course the 5 th was his fault as it left VdWiel having to make a lunge and was clearly a penalty.
Rommedahl's cross clearly did not cross the line and Sarpong's takle was outside the area.
We should have then been 3-1 and KJH and Suarez's efforts would have been 3-3 ( I know you are all laughing at me but those decisions were poor).
No way would we have deserved a draw as we were piss poor but please Marco do not pick Urby at left back again.Vertonghen and Schilder are both better and they are defensive midfielders.
There was no service to the forwards and midfield was as poor as the defence .
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- Berichten: 26
- Lid geworden op: zo apr 29, 2007 3:25 pm
Schilder had a decent game last week when Urby was sick and should be given a shot at keeping the position on a permanent basis. Urby's only value is going forward as he makes a mess of things defending. He's suited to the left midfield if any position at all.nindamaged schreef:i think marco should have stuck with schilder. urby made a few runs and that was it, i think he just panics and then messes up most of the time
yeah, i'd switch to 4-4-2 with urbs in left-midfield, dario c and huntelaar up front and suarez down the right
i'd also opt for some experience in goal. vermeer looks promising, but we need some maturity in that back five asap.
And I'd sign an meat and potatoes defender as soon as possible. I wouldn't be to worried about getting somebody who can play a passing game or help with the "opbouw", just get somebody who can mark and tackle. We're crying out for somebody like that. Just sign some 30 year old out of a small Serie A team or something. Some guy who has being doing nothing other than defending all his life.
i'd also opt for some experience in goal. vermeer looks promising, but we need some maturity in that back five asap.
And I'd sign an meat and potatoes defender as soon as possible. I wouldn't be to worried about getting somebody who can play a passing game or help with the "opbouw", just get somebody who can mark and tackle. We're crying out for somebody like that. Just sign some 30 year old out of a small Serie A team or something. Some guy who has being doing nothing other than defending all his life.
While we can't get anyone current until the winter transfer window, Materazzi isn't playing much for Inter these days. He would sure add some bite to the back line!bryan schreef:And I'd sign an meat and potatoes defender as soon as possible. I wouldn't be to worried about getting somebody who can play a passing game or help with the "opbouw", just get somebody who can mark and tackle. We're crying out for somebody like that. Just sign some 30 year old out of a small Serie A team or something. Some guy who has being doing nothing other than defending all his life.

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- Berichten: 448
- Lid geworden op: vr nov 07, 2003 11:03 am
- Locatie: Nantwich
- Contacteer:
Actually we could do worse, Materazzi's a thug, but technically a better defender than he's usually given credit for.
I think if we are to stand any chance of playing European football next season, we need to sign two decent centre-backs in January - though it might already be too late by than.
And if I had a Euro for every time I had said on ajaxtalk that Urby is NOT a left back, but a half-decent left sided midfielder at best - I would have eight Euros.
I think if we are to stand any chance of playing European football next season, we need to sign two decent centre-backs in January - though it might already be too late by than.
And if I had a Euro for every time I had said on ajaxtalk that Urby is NOT a left back, but a half-decent left sided midfielder at best - I would have eight Euros.
- Kowalczyk
- Moderator English Section
- Berichten: 13845
- Lid geworden op: vr sep 19, 2003 12:54 pm
- Locatie: AMSTERDAM
- Contacteer:
100% agreed. Absolutely true.The Purple Cow schreef:Actually we could do worse, Materazzi's a thug, but technically a better defender than he's usually given credit for.
Once again: 100% agreed and it drives me absolutely mad. Too many goals conceded in 2006-2007, 45 conceded in 2007-2008, but once again we simply refused to buy more than one proper defender this summer. Ajax simply don't wish acknowledge the problem. Even here on Ajax Talk people continue to claim that it's all because of our midfielders and strikers, who can't hold up the ball, so that the defenders are always outnumbered.I think if we are to stand any chance of playing European football next season, we need to sign two decent centre-backs in January - though it might already be too late by then.
Yeah - right. We need defenders who stop strikers, but I don't think Ajax look at it that way ("that's too simple").
K.
Still alive...
The defence is our big problem and because of that we are playing 2 midfielders back defending.As I said last week we have far too many defensive midfielders and should have brought another 2 proper defenders.4 of yesterdays subs are defensive midfield.
I cannot say I am happy with the other 3 defenders who played yesterday. Van Der Wiel is still learning but we talk of needing 2 central defenders when we have 1 average right back and no left backs other than defensive midfielders(Schilder and Vertonghen) plus an attacking midfielder( Urby)
This lack of a left back filters down to our reserves as Goossens, a left winger ,has played left back for the last 2 games.
We all knew the defence was a problem last season and all we bought in was a Barca reserve/squad player!
I cannot say I am happy with the other 3 defenders who played yesterday. Van Der Wiel is still learning but we talk of needing 2 central defenders when we have 1 average right back and no left backs other than defensive midfielders(Schilder and Vertonghen) plus an attacking midfielder( Urby)
This lack of a left back filters down to our reserves as Goossens, a left winger ,has played left back for the last 2 games.
We all knew the defence was a problem last season and all we bought in was a Barca reserve/squad player!
The lack of a decent defender is a problem across the entire AFC Ajax organisation. There's not enough emphasis placed upon the hard-working, defensive side of football at Ajax anymore. As Ko mentioned, people actually do believe that if you have amazing strikers and midfielders, you don't need to get into the nitty gritty of defending because you can get away with "balcircuatie", "opbouw", "doorschuiving" en "driehoeken" and all those sorts of things. (The Cruijjfisation of Ajax) The club and the fans seem to have forgotten the arts of marking, positioning and tackling. I first noticed this when I heard fans denigrating Galasek for not being good enough in their eyes, when a lot of the time I thought he was one of our best players, with excellent positioning and timely interceptions.
Think about it: The last proper centreback that the Ajax youth system produced was Frank de Boer, who made his Ajax debut 20 years ago. In between we've produced Johnny Heitinga, who was o.k., but tactically weak. The problem lies rooted deeply within the organisation.
Think about it: The last proper centreback that the Ajax youth system produced was Frank de Boer, who made his Ajax debut 20 years ago. In between we've produced Johnny Heitinga, who was o.k., but tactically weak. The problem lies rooted deeply within the organisation.
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- Berichten: 472
- Lid geworden op: ma mar 07, 2005 12:09 pm
Have to agree with all the comments posted above. We do need good old fashioned defenders but I also feel we are lacking a leader on the pitch. I am afraid KJH as captain is not working out. Always felt that having a forward as Club Captain is never a good move.
Heitinga last year acted like a leader onfield - running across the pitch to berate refs, opposition players etc for bad tackles etc. Heits showed the kind of committment to the cause we lack this season. We just seem to accept things that happen. When players make mistakes you never see other players berating them for it.
All in all Ajax players are far too fuckin soft. MvB this morning called them fair weather footballers
http://voetbal.nl.msn.com/NieuwsItem/Va ... m?msn=true
Heitinga last year acted like a leader onfield - running across the pitch to berate refs, opposition players etc for bad tackles etc. Heits showed the kind of committment to the cause we lack this season. We just seem to accept things that happen. When players make mistakes you never see other players berating them for it.
All in all Ajax players are far too fuckin soft. MvB this morning called them fair weather footballers
http://voetbal.nl.msn.com/NieuwsItem/Va ... m?msn=true
O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us.
Not only they can't hold up the ball, they can't receive it either.Kowalczyk schreef: Even here on Ajax Talk people continue to claim that it's all because of our midfielders and strikers, who can't hold up the ball, so that the defenders are always outnumbered.
K.

I tend to think that great defenders also come into troubles when they don't know what to do with the ball and are put under pressure. It's what happened in the first ten minutes imho: they had absolutely no idea of how they could reach the players upfront, so the ball was lost faster than they could recover it (And then, you see that our defenders are not brilliant, it's obvious...)
That's a part of the problem, maybe not the most important one, but if you don't want or can't buy better defenders (which is the case now), that's one of the few things you can try to solve.
Another thing: when at half-time you still managed to have 61% of ball possession, you can expect a bit more than 3 shots on goal in 45 minutes... We're speaking of Heerenveen here, a team that already conceded more goals than Ajax, and we all know it says something. If there's something that is not up to the expectations so far, it's probably the offensive sector.
"Geef Ajax z'n goede reputatie terug!"
- DanK
- Berichten: 1163
- Lid geworden op: do feb 03, 2005 11:42 pm
- Locatie: not currently Melbourne, Australia.
Do you think it had anything to do with KJH staying? You stay. We give you captains armband? if so...big screw up.Kowalczyk schreef:It will be difficult to convince Marco van Basten of that, as he was a #9 and team captain for Ajax himself...jamcocteau schreef:I am afraid KJH as captain is not working out. Always felt that having a forward as Club Captain is never a good move.
K.