❌❌❌Rebuilding AJAX❌❌❌
AJAX are looking for ways to come out of the hole they've essentially dug themselves. It seems a lifetime ago but just over two years ago in February 2022, Ajax was on the peak of its powers...
Forum Discussion
@LABoog4 wrote:I do think the game is more realistic when playing a league outside the main three big ones in EA terms (PL, Ligue 1, La Liga).
Defo!
It has become clear that this season the Eredivisie will be for Ajax to lose. Wins come easily for us, while others are struggling: Feyenoord was the team weakened most after the transfers, so their 18 points are actually quite a feat. PSV is starting to recover from a weak start, while Twente has to come from further down. But the gap to everybody else after only eight games is huge...
That was almost too easy: should've been six!
Just falling short against Leipzig, easy win in Prague: Next is a home game vs Roma, that'll show us where we truly stand.
Tough defeat vs Leipzig but great to bounce back with a thumping away win at Sparta.
Interesting how you mention it was almost too easy. Statswise you only have 13 shots vs 7 and 6 vs 4 on target. This does not suggest such a one-sided game, though I know that the xG paints a different picture. Brobbey continues to impress with another hattrick. Aboukhlal seems to thrive in his role. Have you found a new Tadic there?
Almere is geographically based closest to Ajax. Almere is directly to the east of Amsterdam and many of the players who couldn't cut it at Ajax, move to the nextdoor neighbour to make it into professional football. Because of the local proximity, there's extra weight to this David vs Goliath type game.
Recently, Almere have become somewhat of an Angstgegner (bogey team). In last year's successful campaign, Ajax suffered a surprise defeat against Almere. This year again, Almere managed to pull ahead of the visitors. Individual excellence of the Ajax players repaired the damage however. If anything, Almere has shown that Ajax aren't undefeatable (especially in away games) and that the league is still far from done.
At home, Ajax are more dominant than ever. The home side had no problems dealing with the 3rd ranked team in the Eredivisie: Heerenveen. Ajax were already 3-0 up by half time, by (who else than) the duo of Zakaria Aboukhlal and Brian Brobbey.
In the second half they took things easy. Julian Rijkhoff scored after an error by Andries Noppert who delivered a goal kick into the feet of the substitute striker. Ché Nunnely scored a lucky goal from a scrimmage in front of the Ajax goal after a corner, with his shot being deflected by Philippe Sandler's 'third leg'. But if that goal was in dispute whether it was Nunnely's or Sandler's, Heerenveen would return the favour scoring an own goal via Milavanovic, who like Nunnely was once a youth player of Ajax.
Nice little introduction to the Almere "rivalry" or at least the significance of that particular fixture. I had no idea about that.
Results are going as expected, which is a good sign. No signs of slowing down or dropping points to an unexpected side so far.
It is never a good situation when the manager is in the final year of his contract in my opinion. The team is just reaching the point of possibly winning in Europe. A manager distraction is the last thing needed.
However, it would be interesting if the manager left and where he would go.
