Re: ❌❌❌Rebuilding AJAX❌❌❌

Dang...Should have sold Brobbey.... 🙂

Like you said, the score looks closer than the match was. Completely dominated, not surprising considering Spurs tactics will either swarm opponents or be completely overrun by them. It looks like you handled their press easily and kept most of the possession. 

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@LABoog4 wrote:

Like you said, the score looks closer than the match was. Completely dominated, [...] It looks like you handled their press easily and kept most of the possession. 

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Yes, just like in 2019. Across two games, the whole first one plus the first half of the second leg were for Ajax, in stats and score. But at the end it were the Spurs that won and advanced. So, let's manage expectations for now, we're only halfway.

... and in the return, we'll have to make do without Aboukhlal (again)...

An easy, regular win over Sparta Rotterdam, with goals no. 35 & 36 for Brian Brobbey, who's on route to break the 43-goal record by PSV striker Koen Dillen which has stood since the inaugural 1956-57 season of the Eredivisie.

Adding to the win was the pleasant surprise of Feyenoord, PSV and Twente all dropping points, which sees Ajax taking a little more distance again after the others closed in during February.

• PSV - Willem II 1:1
• GA Eagles - Feyenoord 1:1
• AZ - RKC 1:0
• Twente - Almere 1:1

History repeating itself. Usually for Spurs, they are the ones falling short over and over. When Solankes goal went in off your own keeper, that had to tell you what kind of day it was going to be. 

The good news is you can focus on the league now. It looks like a two team race and you have a small advantage to start. Do you play any of the other top three times to finish the season?

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@LABoog4 wrote: 

The good news is you can focus on the league now. It looks like a two team race and you have a small advantage to start. Do you play any of the other top three times to finish the season?

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From here (six rounds to go), we have three tricky games left: at home against Feyenoord (12.04), then the cup final against Heerenveen (18.04) and the difficult away game against Utrecht (21.04). On the final day (10.05) we play AZ at home.

Feyenoord has a difficult closing schedule. The easiest is for PSV who have five games against bottom half teams (and Feyenoord) - wouldn't count the defending champions out just yet.

Thusfar across most of two full seasons, I have not managed to win a single league game at home against any of the game's traditional top 5:

• 2024/25: vs PSV (1:3), vs Feyenoord (0:0), vs Twente (0:0), vs AZ (3:3)
• 2025/26: vs PSV (2:3), vs Twente (2:2), vs Feyenoord (12.04), vs AZ (10.05)

April 4th 2026, Amsterdam

A regular 3:1 at RKC Waalwijk (with Brian Brobbey accounting for his 40th and 41st goal in the league) has brought Ajax on the brink of celebrating silverware. While not mathematically, the upcoming Klassieker between Ajax and Feyenoord is essentially for the Eredivisie title: thanks to a 3-3 draw between Feyenoord and AZ, Ajax are now 8 points loose with five games to go. The draw was bad news for AZ as well, as yet another loss of points have seen the Alkmaar side fall into the clutches of FC Groningen who are flying in the second half of the season.

• Roda JC - Twente 4:4
• Feyenoord - AZ 3:3
• Fortuna - PSV 1:4
• Willem II - Groningen 0:1

If by any magic the title wouldn't go to Amsterdam for the first time in four years, Ajax could still settle for a second Dutch Cup win in a row. Moreover, Daniel Marzec would join two legendary coaches: only Rinus Michels (1970, 1971) and Johan Cruijff (1986, 1987) won back-to-back cups with Ajax.

Shame about the Europa League. Especially as AJAX are one of the bigger teams in that comp. However, Spurs do have Premier League money. It is fair to say since then your results havent taken a hit at all which is great. Strong end to the season needed now to continue this momentum!

Results are exactly what you needed after the Europe exit. Interesting to see you have not beat the traditional big sides at home in two years. 

A win over Feyernoord and nobody win care about the poor big game home record. 

Tough defeat in Europe mate. Losing on pens is awful. I was pretty good from the spot in FC24, as far as I remember. But I'm yet to feel confident about it in this game. So I try to avoid these shootouts the best I can. Playing with a Superliga team may also be a reason why, with such poor players also being expected to be poor penalty takers as well.

Brobbey beating the goal record in the league is pretty special! What a talent, and what a player. I get why he's regarded as a crucial part of your plans to bring Ajax to European glory. But the clock is probably ticking. You need those results fast, or this player could see a career in one of Europe's top clubs as a better career path for him...

Great setup to the match and you managed to check off all the boxes. 

Finally getting a home win against of the top sides. All but securing the title and breaking the scoring record. What a night for Ajax! 

With the way the season and Brobbey played out, keeping him was the right choice. His price had to be €150+ this summer, doesn’t it?

@JustinCase0110  @LABoog4 

Well, that is going to be the main question from here on. The title is as good as ours; we still have a cup final to play.

But after that (while the World Cup will be on),  it's all about building a team that'll be competitive in UEFA Champions League. And there are two ways to go about it.

1. keep and expand on what you have (according to the Ajax-DNA philosophy)
2. replace anything that would leave with a higher level of player. Champions League means we can raise our budget and salary household somewhat, from a maximum of 20mln value / 20k salary to 30mln value / 30k salary.

The first option is building a team around the core that is goalie Bizot (35), defender Hato (20), midfielder Taylor (24), striker Brobbey (24) and captain Klaassen (33).

That would be very much like 2018-19 when veterans Schøne, Tadic, Blind and Huntelaar were joined by talent such as De Ligt, Dolberg, Mazraoui, De Jong and Van de Beek, with some South-American grit added to the mix (Tagliafico, Neres). So, in order to get there we'd need some middle aged Ajax-DNA back to our club and some South-American flavours.

The second scenario isn't very different, apart from replacing the overtalented trio that is Hato, Taylor and Brobbey, ergo players of OVR 80 or above, but within our budgetary limits.

But as this is of yet an unknown, this next transfer was negotiated under the old terms. Sheraldo Becker (once an Ajax-youth) snubbed us last summer for the salary offer we gave him. This summer his fee is lower, while he accepted our maximum available salary (20k) against a slightly higher signing bonus (250k). He came unto my radar after we played Sociedad in last year's Europa League: the guy is a high speed train and for now he is signed for any of the attackers that is getting tired.

I am always a fan of keeping players that are “core” players for as long as you can. Only selling if the player requests a move or you have more holes that need to be filled and need funds. 

If I was on the board, I would vote for you to go option 1. Stay with the Ajax DNA and try winning the Champions League with this talented core. 

Consecutive cup final wins! Well done. And even without Brobbey scoring in the final, hehe.

Speaking of finals, seeing Man United in the Champions League final against Bayern, hmmm... I know the Ajax-Tottenham game provoked a few thoughts on previous games, but this one may be an even bigger trigger of flashbacks.

Well done on another trophy. 16 shots faced!? You were efficient with your shots and passing looking at the stats. 

One trophy down and one to go. 

A win was enough for Ajax against Utrecht, to clinch the Eredivisie title definitively. And minutes before a severe injury, Brian Brobbey delivered just that with his 45th and final goal of this season. The striker will miss the 2026 World Cup due to this injury. However, Ajax showed it could also score without their main target man, with Kenneth Taylor doubling the score and securing the title: 2-0.

Even though the title is now official, Ajax opted to celebrate in the final game in their home stadium, the last round against AZ.

Only four days later but with the title secured, Marzec fielded a somewhat alternative team against PEC Zwolle. More than actual goals, manager Daniel Marzec wanted to see a proper display in possession and passing: 'We need to treat these last games of the current season as a warm-up for next season. The philosophy is that the opponent cannot score without the ball: that's why we need to have the ball (possession), keep it (passing) and chances will always arise. From there, it's a matter of quality and efficiency to convert the opportunities that are given to us. We got it half right today.'

The injury of Brobbey and the difficulties with finding the net against PEC, moved Ajax to recall striker Chuba Akpom from his loan spell at already relegated side Deportivo Alavés. Once again with a target man up front, Ajax repeated the dominant displays of recent times, only finding the net with ease this time, including a goal for the one that had returned especially for the occasion!

The last game of the season at home against regional rival AZ Alkmaar, was a goodbye game for Christiaan Peters (moving to West Ham United) and Wout Weghorst (retiring). The latter was able to score a goal in his final minutes as a professional player: four minutes after his 2-0, he got a traditional 'honourable substitution'.

The other goals were scored by Patrick Jansen and Roel Kuiper, two home grown products from the Ajax Academy that both enjoyed their debuts in the last year and a half under the spell of manager Daniel Marzec, a name that can now be mentioned in one sentence together with Rinus Michels , Johan Cruijff as winner of two consecutive Dutch Cups.

By winning a double (title & cup) he joins another elite group with Rinus Michels (2x - 1967, 1970), Stefan Kovacs (1972), Cor Brom (1979), Aad de Mos (1983), Morten Olsen (1998), Ronald Koeman (2002) and Erik ten Hag (2x - 2019, 2021)

Okay, time to review.

Looking at the first team overview, some questions/challenges that immediately pop up:

• 9 players enter their final year of contract: Bizot (35) and Klaassen (33) although aged have a key role in this team. They will either extend or retire here, or get a free transfer if they so wish. The same applies to reserve goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart: a year from now, youth GK Kujałowicz will be at 72-73 OVR and that's good enough to become 2nd goalie at least. Amourricho van Axel Dongen and Christian Rasmussen are done, they fall short and they lack quality. Owen Wijndal, Mika Godts, Kian Fitz-Jim and Julian Rijkhoff however, they are difficult - extend, or let go?
• From the new signings Aboukhlal, Rosario, Mengi and Danjuma, only the last one has truly delivered. Aboukhlal was out twice for months due to injury, while Mengi and Rosario lack accelaration and speed. Rosario compensates that by being strong on the ball, but Teden Mengi has been somewhat dissappointing. All four weigh heavily on the salary household, which is why I lean towards letting them go against proper bids and replace them with Ajax-DNA players, especially the fragile Aboukhlal and the slow Mengi.
• 1.5 years of loan has paid off for David de Vries, especially this recent season at Udinese: I think the left footed midfielder is ready for a more important role in the team, beginning next season. Carlos Forbs, who was loaned out a second year to Wolverhampton will remain there permanently as the club has decided to make use of the loan-to-buy clause of €11,000,000,- as he has outgrown that value due to his performances at that club. So another compatriot for the FC Portugal of the Premier League.

A lot to catch up on. I love the end of season decisions that come. I hope Danjuma is in your future plans, him and Brobbey can carry the attack to another title next season. 

The squad looks balanced with the age. A good mix of young players with aging players. 

Do you see Hato being a future captain or do you have other plans for a future captain?