❌❌❌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
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.
