Ajaxtalk

Monkey Tonk schreef:Underestimating this opponent is what got us in this shitty position in the first place

Henk ten Cate's reputation at stake in Champions League qualifier
TRIUMPH OR TRAGEDY IN PRAGUE

* No Dutch club ever won on Czech soil
* Suárez to play behind Huntelaar in 'free role'

The second leg of what was referred to by Ajax as the 'encounter of the year' has everything to become a nerve-racking apotheosis. Slavia Prague's cosy Evzena Rosického Stadium will be the theatre of either triumph or tragedy this evening. There are only two options for the Amsterdammers: the club's reputation will sustain further damage or they will return to Europe's most prestigious football competition.

"Shall we quite this conversation?" head-coach Henk ten Cate says grumpily, as a Czech journalist tells him that no Dutch football club ever won a game on Czech soil. He wants to talk about triumph and the increasing confidence of his troops. "We never discuss doom scenarios."

Ajax netted twelve goals since they lost the first leg to Slavia (0-1), but qualification may definitely not be taken for granted. Millions are at stake today. Fame. Future transfer fees of players. And also: Henk ten Cate's reputation as a succesful football coach.

"No," he says, "this is not the game of the year. We are not going to put ourselves under even more pressure. I'm sure you journalists will take care of that. Winning the Dutch title is of great importance, too."

Ten Cate left for Spain in 2003 as a succesful head-coach of a string of smaller clubs. Three years later he returned as an experienced, succesful man, winner of the Champions League with Barcelona, where he was Frank Rijkaard's assistant. The cunning tactician, the Amsterdam street kid, was the man to bring Ajax new domestic and international glory.

He surely has accomplished something. Ten Cate has the courage to ignore the Ajax system with wingers, which seemed to be an almost holy thing in the past. He made Ajax stronger, physically as well as mentally, although there is criticism of the sometimes unusually mean actions of certain Ajax players. Ten Cate made Ajax a more entertaining and attractive team. And he deserves part of the credit for last season's development of Babel and Sneijder, who had such a fine campaign that they could be sold for spectacular fees.

But: Ten Cate did not win the Dutch title, although it was a matter of just one goal, and for the second straight year there is a serious chance that his team will miss out on Champions League football, after the dramatic 2006 stumble against FC København. The title and Champions League participation... they are Ajax's most important annual targets, no matter how you look at it.

"Ajax won't continue to waste scoring chances," he said two weeks ago, after the home leg. But that was exactly what happened against Copenhagen last season: there were chances, but Ajax failed to convert them.

Perhaps the arrival of Luis Suárez marks a turning point. The Uruguayan was landed only recently, but is developing into a key player unbelievably quickly. His sassiness and his individual class make him a more of Ajax player than many Ajax players trained and developed in Amsterdam.

Suárez already appears to be the life and soul of the squad. He put on goalkeepers' gloves during training yesterday, seemed to be everywhere at the same time and was the only one to wear a blue training jumper. He will be Ajax's 'number 10' in Prague: the man with a 'free role', in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's back.

Suárez had three appearances for Ajax so far, and he was the most remarkable player in each of those games, even in the home game against Slavia, when he had only trained with Ajax a few times. He scored three goals, gave four assists and won the penalty that Huntelaar would miss, against the Czechs.

Purely looking at his efficiency he is more valuable to Ajax than Ryan Babel was. Looking at his class, and the qualities of the others, Ajax simply must brush the Czechs aside.

But football is not the same as mathematics. Henk ten Cate could point out that several of his players (Davids and a few others) are injured. He deserves respect for not bringing it up. He could point out that Wesley Sneijder has not been replaced, but he doesn't.

He could point out, with apprioprate pathos, that the 40 million euros in Ajax's bank account (the sum raised by the transfers of Sneijder, Babel, De Mul and Perez minus the transfer fees paid for Kennedy, Suárez and Luque) underscore the fact that his team has lost quality - and use that as an excuse for disappointing results. He has not done it (yet).

"Once has to be the first time," he told the Cech journalist in the press room, who had told him about the poor results of Dutch clubs on Czech soil. And the he walked off. To the pitch. Time for training. The Ajacieden fired on goal a lot. They scored many goals.

But it's all about tonight.

He made Ajax stronger, physically as well as mentally

cdnajaxfan schreef:Start praying boys and girls! Our whole season internationally and domestically rests on this one game! If we win, we keep KJH and get money. If we lose, we lose KJH and get money and kiss the Domestic Championship goodbye as well. This could be one of the most important games in the Club's history, for both now and the future.

Go Ajax!

philippe schreef:Impossible to watch on tv here, does anyone know if it's possible to get it on the internet ?

aveslacker schreef:Fuck.

K.J. Huntelaar schreef:Let's repeat Heerenveen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!