21 Mar 2010: RKC Waalwijk - Ajax

[Kowalczyk]

So, Ajax scored 85 goals in 28 games.

That's pretty amazing. Some statistics to put those figures into perspective.

In 1994-1995 (the season that brought us the Champions League triumph) we also had 85 goals after 28 matches. Ajax finished at 106 that season. The following season, 1995-1996, Ajax had 84 goals after 28 games. End of season score: 97.

Not too many people seem to remember that Ajax scored more Eredivisie goals in the first season under Morten Olsen (1997-1998) than in any Louis van Gaal season. In the Spring of 1998 Ajax had 86 goals after 28 games. Final score: 112 (and only 22 conceded, goal differential was +90, and we beat PSV 5-0 in the cup final... That was one terrific season domestically; by far the best we've had at the ArenA; 'Europe' was a bit shit, tho).

I remember the 1985-1986 campaign from when I was a young kid. Van Basten scored 37 league goals. John Bosman added another 19. Ajax scored 120 league goals that season. After 28 matches they had 101, which is f*cking sick. I have to admit: I was 10/11 years old at the time. I went to a few games at De Meer, I remember certain results and goals, I remember that Van Basten always scored, but I wasn't really aware of the statistics or anything like that. I didn't really realize how special it was for Ajax to score 120 goals. I was too young for that.

So you could say that the 1997-1998 season is the only season in which I consciously followed an even more productive Ajax team (as in: watching almost every game in its entirety) . This year's team is more productive in the Eredivisie than any of the team from the 'Louis van Gaal era'. For what that's worth. We've seen a helluva lot of goals so far, that's for sure.

As for Luis Suárez: 29 goals now, after 28 matches. Amazing.

The last time an Ajax striker scored 30+ was not that long ago: KJH scored 33 in 2007-2008. He also netted 33 times in 2005-2006, but that one doesn't count 'cos he scored the first 17 for Heerenveen that season.

Huntelaar was the first Ajax man in a long time to score more than 30 league goals: the last guy to achieve that before him was Marco van Basten (31 goals in 1986-1987). The last Ajax player (before Huntelaar in 2008) to become Top Goalscorer of the Eredivisie was Jari Litmanen (26 goals in 1993-1994 were enough for the title). Note that Dennis Bergkamp never managed 30 goals in one Eredivisie season.

The highest number of goals ever scored in one Eredivisie campaign for Ajax by one player: 41(Henk Groot in 1960-1961). The all-time Eredivisie record is still 43, scored by PSV's Coen Dillen in the very first season of the 18-team Eredivisie as we know it (1956-1957).

Here are all Ajax players who managed 30 goals or more in one Eredivisie season (it happened nine times thusfar, thanks to five people in total).

1. Henk Groot (1960-1961): 41 goals
2. Henk Groot (1959-1960): 38 goals
3. Marco van Basten (1985-1986): 37 goals
4. Ruud Geels (1976-1977): 34 goals
5/6. Johan Cruijff (1966-1967) and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (2007-2008): 33 goals
7. Marco van Basten (1986-1987): 31 goals
8/9. Ruud Geels (1974-1975 and 1977-1978): 30 goals

Suárez will almost certainly break into the top ten (in fact: he's gonna make it a top ten). Perhaps he can jump to #4, right behind Van Basten's 37. Our man Luis will also be the first non-Dutch Ajax player to score more than 30 goals in one Eredivisie season.

K.

[Philippe]

Not too many people seem to remember that Ajax scored more Eredivisie goals in the first season under Morten Olsen (1997-1998) than in any Louis van Gaal season. In the Spring of 1998 Ajax had 86 goals after 28 games. Final score: 112 (and only 22 conceded, goal differential was +90, and we beat PSV 5-0 in the cup final... That was one terrific season domestically; by far the best we've had at the ArenA; 'Europe' was a bit shit, tho).K.

I do. It is possible that in that 97/98 season Ajax played the most entertaining football ever (in the Dutch league, since at the same time we failed in European competition).

[Orange14]

Here are all Ajax players who managed 30 goals or more in one Eredivisie season (it happened nine times thusfar, thanks to five people in total).

1. Henk Groot (1960-1961): 41 goals
2. Henk Groot (1959-1960): 38 goals
3. Marco van Basten (1985-1986): 37 goals
4. Ruud Geels (1976-1977): 34 goals
5/6. Johan Cruijff (1966-1967) and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (2007-2008): 33 goals
7. Marco van Basten (1986-1987): 31 goals
8/9. Ruud Geels (1974-1975 and 1977-1978): 30 goals

Suárez will almost certainly break into the top ten (in fact: he's gonna make it a top ten). Perhaps he can jump to #4, right behind Van Basten's 37. Our man Luis will also be the first non-Dutch Ajax player to score more than 30 goals in one Eredivisie season.

K.

I was at the University in Utrecht on a post-doctoral fellowship for the 1976-77 and 77-78 seasons. My cousins in Amsterdam had season tickets that allowed me to go up and watch matches. Geels was a real scoring machine those two years. I think there are a couple of clips of him on the top 110 goals scored that are up on You Tube include one great one against Feyenoord.

[rjf1]

...In the Spring of 1998 Ajax had 86 goals after 28 games. Final score: 112 (and only 22 conceded, goal differential was +90, and we beat PSV 5-0 in the cup final...

I watched that PSV game on TV (I followed the whole season on TV that year, as they showed Dutch football live in Taiwan back in those days). In fact, I still have a tape of that game that someone on the Ajax BBS made and sent me -- don't have a machine that will play it anymore, though. I should probably look into getting it converted.

RJF