I’ve been on a reccy.
Went to see Ajax play tonight and looking for a new manager bounce.
They got one.
But, they are vulnerable.
They were certainly a shadow of the team that played us last week, and to be honest, they couldn’t be worse.
In some ways, they are playing De Zerbi ball. Unafraid to play the ball out from the back and out to the wide men. It’s very attractive, and if the new manager Schip can keep the confidence high then they’ll play well. But their defence is leaky and looks weak when the ball is played into the box. They have a new 17 year old central defender who looks class but is green, and it feels like a fresh pairing.
They also suffer from trying to walk the ball into the net and seem to be averse to attempting to skin the left and right backs, so the ball keeps either getting crossed in or passed back. In some ways, they reminded me of Potterball - all very attractive but no end product.
All I’ll say is that they felt a very different side. They felt like a side who had been told to go and enjoy themselves. Ok, they were playing a terrible team at the wrong end of the table, but they looked fresh. We’ll need to be aware that they’ll come at us in the first 20 mins. After that, I think we can take the game to them.
It’s an amazing stadium. My second time there, and the fans are all friendly. Thanks to Pieter who I met in the stand and was thoroughly enjoyable company. It was great seeing another fan bite their fingernails.
He shared a great story about Veltman shithousery. A classic pretending to kick the ball off for an injured player but then taking it on to have a crack at goal. I said we loved him. Pieter was sad to see him go but said that for some reason he had lost the fans towards the end. Oh well, our gain.
No queues for trains of food and beer. That said it’s bloody annoying when people keep getting up and down to get a beer.
Cracking evening watching a game in a great stadium. It’s got a bloody multistory car park in it for gods sake!
Went to see Ajax play tonight and looking for a new manager bounce.
They got one.
But, they are vulnerable.
They were certainly a shadow of the team that played us last week, and to be honest, they couldn’t be worse.
In some ways, they are playing De Zerbi ball. Unafraid to play the ball out from the back and out to the wide men. It’s very attractive, and if the new manager Schip can keep the confidence high then they’ll play well. But their defence is leaky and looks weak when the ball is played into the box. They have a new 17 year old central defender who looks class but is green, and it feels like a fresh pairing.
They also suffer from trying to walk the ball into the net and seem to be averse to attempting to skin the left and right backs, so the ball keeps either getting crossed in or passed back. In some ways, they reminded me of Potterball - all very attractive but no end product.
All I’ll say is that they felt a very different side. They felt like a side who had been told to go and enjoy themselves. Ok, they were playing a terrible team at the wrong end of the table, but they looked fresh. We’ll need to be aware that they’ll come at us in the first 20 mins. After that, I think we can take the game to them.
It’s an amazing stadium. My second time there, and the fans are all friendly. Thanks to Pieter who I met in the stand and was thoroughly enjoyable company. It was great seeing another fan bite their fingernails.
He shared a great story about Veltman shithousery. A classic pretending to kick the ball off for an injured player but then taking it on to have a crack at goal. I said we loved him. Pieter was sad to see him go but said that for some reason he had lost the fans towards the end. Oh well, our gain.
No queues for trains of food and beer. That said it’s bloody annoying when people keep getting up and down to get a beer.
Cracking evening watching a game in a great stadium. It’s got a bloody multistory car park in it for gods sake!
