[FM24] The Ajax Way

[SteinkelssonFM]

@rich ruzzian exactly that, as planned.

van Gaal was obsessed with structure within possession, almost robbing his attacking weapons of any spontaneity.

[SteinkelssonFM]

In the illustrious world of football tactics, few teams have left as indelible a mark as Louis van Gaal's Ajax side of the 1994-1995 season. This remarkable squad achieved unprecedented success, clinching the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. Van Gaal's tactical ingenuity and commitment to the principles of Total Football laid the foundation for this memorable triumph.

In this blog, we delve deep into the tactical nuances that defined Ajax's play during that extraordinary season, along with providing some much important statistical baselines for tracking the improvement of our side as they become more aligned to the Ajax philosophy, the Ajax way.

TOTAL FOOTBALL PHILOSOPHY - THE AJAX WAY

At the core of Ajax's success in the 1994-1995 season was the application of the Total Football philosophy. Originating from Dutch footballing philosophy, Total Football emphasises fluidity, positional interchangeability, and a collective understanding that allows players to seamlessly adapt to different positions on the field. Van Gaal, a disciple of this philosophy, moulded his Ajax team to embody these principles.

Van Gaal primarily employed a 4-2-3-1 formation, which served as the canvas for his tactical masterpiece. However, what set this team apart was its fluidity. The players effortlessly shifted to a 3-4-3 in certain situations, showcasing a tactical flexibility rarely seen in football at that time. This adaptability allowed Ajax to control the ebb and flow of the game, adjusting to different scenarios with ease.

It is this formation which I have opted to solely for the entirety of the 2024/25 season of the Ajax way, enabling me to not only provide you with a well tested tactic, but one which enables me to look at the statistical outputs of the players to produce some much needed statistical baselines. Given I will be now playing this save using the one system, I want to be able to understand who is performing better on the pitch, we can later delve into what attributes, or traits, impact these outputs.

PHILOSOPHY OF SPACE MANAGEMENT

The universal football pitch, consistent in size and shape, takes on a unique perspective in the Dutch approach to the game. This stems from the Dutch tendency for innovative and abstract spatial thinking, honed over centuries due to their need for inventive spatial solutions in various aspects of life.

The Dutch landscape, marked by its scarcity of space, has played a crucial role in shaping their heightened spatial awareness. Holland's densely populated and meticulously planned terrain has led to meticulous consideration and debate over every square centimetre of Dutch cities, fields, and polders. The imperative control and utilisation of land are driven by the fact that over fifty percent of the country lies below sea level, necessitating strict regulation of the Dutch water system.

In the western region, the entirely human-engineered landscape showcases an intricate network of canals, dikes, and waterways. Notable structures like the sea defences in Zeeland, the expansive port of Rotterdam, Schiphol airport, and ancient cities bear witness to Dutch mastery over their constructed environment. Considerable portions of the country have been reclaimed from the sea using age-old techniques of dike-building and drainage systems.

As the saying goes, 'God made the world, but the Dutch made Holland.'

Van Gaal's team aimed to stretch the pitch, utilising every inch to their advantage. This approach extended to defensive play, where Ajax focused on suffocating opponents by disrupting their spatial dynamics.

The four main aspects of the game according to Van Gaal are offensive organisation, offensive transition, defensive organisation, and defensive transitions.

OFFENSIVE TRANSITIONS AND BALL CIRCULATION

• Van Gaal's system focuses on ball retention and circulation to exploit spaces.
• The construction phase involves the goalkeeper as the first playmaker, playing short from the back. This can be seen in the above image. Note how only the wingers pick up a position in the wide channels, with all other players inside the central column. Their positioning is key to our build-up play, forcing the opposition to keep both full-backs deep, creating a central overload.

• Circulation of the ball is used strategically to draw opponents out of their defensive shape and create spaces for attacks.

TRANSITIONAL PHASE

• Van Gaal considers the transition phase the most important aspect of the game, emphasising the importance of capitalising on the opponent's disorganisation after winning possession. The ability to rapidly switch from defence to attack showcased the team's tactical intelligence and highlighted the seamless connection between different phases of play.

DEFENSIVE COMPACTNESS AND PRESSING

• Van Gaal's teams are described as compact, defending and attacking collectively.

The compactness of the team can be seen in the above image, capturing our average position without the ball in the UEFA Champions League matches from season two (Patience, all to be revealed in the next blog). Given the length of a football pitch is on average 100 metres, all of our players find themselves in a zone of roughly 20 metres, making it harder for opponents to play through central areas. This compact defensive shape forces opponents to play wide or resort to less dangerous areas, reducing the likelihood of conceding goals.

This paired with fluid team fluidity, ensures that there are enough supporting roles in the tactic, making the side attack and defend as a cohesive unit.

• van Gaal's teams pressed high at Ajax and Barcelona to force mistakes and regain possession in threatening areas.

One of the defining features of Ajax's out-of-possession play was their collective pressing. The entire team engaged in pressing high up the pitch, disrupting the opponent's build-up and forcing mistakes. Forwards and midfielders worked in tandem to cut passing lanes, applying pressure on the ball-carrier and instigating turnovers.

STRUCTURED PLAYER ROLES AND TASKS

Van Gaal instilled a disciplined approach by assigning specific tasks to each player based on their position. This structured system, complete with fixed shirt numbers, fostered continuity from the senior squad to the youth teams, ensuring a seamless integration of tactics.

You will note above that our trigger press is only set as 'More Often', there are two reasons for this. Firstly, looking at the squad comparison, you will note that our side do not have the greatest of stamina, a key attribute needed for individuals to hunt the ball effectively for long periods of time. Secondly, the more aggressive players are out of possession the more they would move away from their designated role within the system.

‘The main aim of pressure football, “the hunt”, was regaining possession as soon as possible after the ball was lost in the opponents’ half,’ Michels explained. ‘The “trapping” of the opponents is only possible when all the lines are pushed up and play close together.’

The tactic still aligns well to the Ajax way principle due to having a 'High Press'.

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THE AJAX WAY: BASELINES

A baseline can be any number that serves as a reasonable and defined starting point for comparison purposes. It may be used to evaluate the effects of a change, track the progress of an improvement project, or measure the difference between two periods of time.

Given our 'Game Model' hinges around set principles of play, it is essential to understand who is better aligned to each principle on the pitch. Whilst we have our DNA model, along with the tools in which to use it, covered in the 'Player Pathways' blog, I am yet to delve into the on-field outputs, which lets face it, are key to our success.

GOALKEEPERS

The primary role of the Goalkeeper within the tactic is to keep the ball out of the net, simple enough. Jay Gorter (our number 1) is doing a great job at this, he not only has a save percentage of 81%, but also is preventing an expected goal per 90 figure of 0.31. Knowing that a clear cut chance is worth 0.15 xG, he is stopping on average two clear cut chances per game.

All three options between the sticks are performing well above the Eredivisie average in terms of passes attempted, and completed.

DEFENDERS

Louis van Gaal promoted the classic Ajax model in terms of possession, the Ajax way is to build from back to front.

Looking at the outputs Josip Šutalo has the highest pass completion at 95%, along with the most passes completed per 90. This comes as no surprise given he has played every minute in the centre of the back three, in this role Josip connects play from the GK to Midfield (DLP).

Looking at progressive passes, it is our Wide Centre-Backs which are performing the best against this metric, their ability to bypass the midfield with balls to the wingers is a key element of play, especially when looking to move the ball up field quickly after winning the ball back in the middle of the pitch.

@_Ben_ conducted a thorough investigation on headers in his series 'The Norseman', I would highly-recommend. Looking at our aerial outputs we are performing above the Eredivisie average, although this doesn't necessarily reflect our ability to defend from deep, with a large volume of headers being won around the half-way line, as opponents pump the ball long, with the view to relieving pressure.

Jakov Medić, at 6'4'' is our most natural defender (highest Heading, Anticipation, and Bravery) is leading the way in terms of his tackle rate (89%) and headers won (81%). In fact the Croatian's ability to defend has made him the first name on the team-sheet for big matches, and highlights our need to recruit someone else of a similar creed.

Devyne Rensch is the worst player in terms of his aerial ability, at 5'10'' he is our shortest defender which is certainly impacting his defensive outputs. I would go as far to say that Rensch is the player that if a club came in for him, he would be the one I would happily move on, given the other six individuals are performing to higher numbers.

MIDFIELDERS

Van Gaal ordered his midfielders to stay behind the wingers; not because he didn’t subscribe to the concept of universality, but because it harmed the side’s structure. I feel this tactic replicates van Gaal's vision perfectly.

The midfield with two Carillero's enable these individuals to see lots of the ball, but most importantly provide a strong structure, with both players packing the centre, making the team harder to break down.

Van Gaal was obsessed with structure within possession, almost robbing his attacking weapons of any spontaneity. The crucial difference between Van Gaal’s system and the approach of his predecessors Michels and Cruyff was that Van Gaal effectively prohibited the classic position-switching up and down the flanks, the hallmark of Total Football.

This lack of dynamism is apparent when looking at the open play key passes per 90. Gabriel Moscardo provided the highest per 90 at 1.60, looking at our average figure of 0.98, this is a long way off the open play key passes that Quinten Timber, the Eredivisie leading midfielder is creating.

The above visual again highlights this, with not a single Ajax player in the top-left quadrant, the zone where the most effective creative central midfielders lie in the Eredivisie, ones who also create, but do not lose too much possession.

Our best progressive passer is Benjamin Tahirović, who operates most from the deep-lying playmaker role, the only role in the midfield which comes with the 'Take More Risks', encouraging them to take more low percentage passes.

WINGERS

Ajax’s approach depended heavily on width, and Van Gaal needed two outright wingers. Van Gaal placed strict instructions on these players, not to attempt dribbles past multiple opponents: in one-against-one situations they could beat their man, but if faced with two defenders they were told to turn inside and switch the play.

So, even with the above 'Dribble Less' team instruction and 'Pass It Shorter' player instruction on both wingers, we are still racking up the dribbles, with Carlos Borges in the elite with 8.11 dribbles per 90.

Focusing purely on attacking contribution metrics, our wingers are having a great impact on the game, this you can see from the non-penalty expected goals per 90 and xG per shot in which Carlos Borges again is our best performer.

It isn't until we get to the expected assist per 90 metric that the value of the winger in this system really is apparent, we are averaging over double the league average with 0.31 expected assists per 90. Steven Bergwijn led the pack with 0.50, meaning he is expected to pick up an assist every other match.

Given that the second placed player Naci Ünüvar also plays from the left, this goes to show the value of the 'Attack' role on the statistics over the 'Support' role which our right-winger has.

ATTACKERS

The primary goal scorers within the team have in both seasons stemmed from either of these two key roles. This paired with our impressive attacking outputs means that we are performing well against these metrics when compared to the rest of the league.

However, there are a few metrics in which individual performance really stands out, these are xG per shot and conversion rate.

Georges Mikautadze's performances in the Shadow Striker role continues to blossom, his non-penalty xG per shot (44 shots taken) of 0.33 is really impressive and a key factor in his impressive conversion rate (39%). I am really happy with how the tactic is working, given the importance of the Shadow Striker under van Gaal.

Van Gaal’s reasoning was simple: if the wingers dragged the opposition full-backs wider, and the centre-forward forced the opposition centre-backs backwards, it would create more space for the star – the number 10.

However, the tactic took a little twist midway through season two, switching the number 9 role from the Trequartista to an Advanced Forward. This move was made to accommodate a certain Ivan Toney, our new record signing (£31.5m) from Brentford.

*click on player image to view attributes

Looking at the below chalkboard stats provide you with an insight as to how the roles differ in our system.

Toney's outputs as an Advanced forward are also impressive.

• Non-penalty xG of 0.62 (2nd)
• Shots per 90, 2.00 (1st)
• xG per shot, 0.30 (2nd)
• Conversion rate, 44% (1st)

CONCLUSION

In the tapestry of football tactics, Louis van Gaal's Ajax of the 1994-1995 season emerges as a masterpiece. Their application of Total Football philosophy, fluid formations, and tactical flexibility showcased a level of sophistication rarely witnessed. Whether in possession or out of it, Ajax's players executed Van Gaal's vision with precision and artistry, leaving an indelible mark on football history. This team not only clinched trophies but did so in a manner that transcended mere victories—it became a symbol of tactical brilliance and aesthetic football, the Ajax way.

In the grand scheme of football, where tactics evolve and styles shift, the legacy of Van Gaal's Ajax endures as a testament to the beauty that can be achieved on the pitch. Their Total Football philosophy continues to inspire coaches and players, reminding us that football is not just a sport—it's an art form where the canvas is the field, and the brushstrokes are the movements of players working in unison to create moments of brilliance.

SUMMARY

Louis van Gaal's Ajax of the 1994-1995 season was a team that transcended the boundaries of tactical brilliance. In possession, they showcased fluidity, versatility, and creative ingenuity, seamlessly transitioning between formations and dismantling opponents with precise passing and dynamic movements. Out of possession, their collective pressing, high defensive line, and strategic defending made them a defensive juggernaut.

I hope you have enjoyed today's blog on 'The Iron Tulip', the baselines will provide you with a reference point, given that you will likely use this with another side, one which might not be well aligned to the Ajax way.

Apologies for taking a while to get this piece out, I wanted to ensure I had a season's worth of raw data to use, a season in which the outputs were not muddied by the use of different formations and roles.

Next up from me in the Ajax way series will be the 2024/25 season review, which could well be in the New Year. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, eat, drink, be merry, and play some FM using the links below.

DOWNLOADABLE LINKS

The Iron Tulip - Advanced Forward

The Iron Tulip - Trequartista

[lilljons]

Nice write up! Will look up your tactics more when I'm home.

However,did you play around with the Rijkaard role anything? He did see himself as a floating defender and the fact he at times dropped into back line in prolonged defending?

I did a quick thingy where my aim was defending as a 433 and morph into 343 diamond. Ifb's, libero. However I didn't get the diamond shape as I wanted with the DM moving parallel with the cm(s) behind a cm(a). 

 

More testing is needed after your post. Keep up the good work!

[SteinkelssonFM]

@lilljons more on the tactic after Christmas, which should help spread some light on your line of questioning.

However, for me, there was an importance on two key elements with regards to the tactic, which already has been referenced.

1) that van Gaal didn't want any of his midfielders to overlap the wingers, their role is structural, and provide passing options for recycling the ball and act as defensive cover.

2) the importance of adhering to the system, hence the 'Be More Disciplined' team instruction. We don't want players using their own intuition to impact the game, LVG supposedly drilled his team with regards to each and every in game scenario, ensuring they were prepared for whatever the game threw up. 

If you want to replicate a tactic which is a little more pleasing on the eye, I would suggest using Cruijffs version of the above which would allow for more flair and importance on the individual. 

 

[lilljons]

I'm from Sweden. We have a Swedish-speaking podcast named "when we were kings", with a sportjournalist named Erik Niva. He's made countless episode talking special teams and their story. They just did a three episode a 3-4 h each on ajax 94/95 season. it was from there I got the floating defender reference.

I totally agree with your reasoning, it's just the Rijkaard role that have puzzled me.

[keeper#1]

@MattyLewis11 Where do we put the links to the two positions that you attached?

[SteinkelssonFM]

@keeper#1

[larrie]

 

I wonder after reading about your tactics (great written piece about it) if you also use a special training with that?

[SteinkelssonFM]

@larrie my training schedules haven't changed since my second post, I have one for a weaker opponent, and the other for stronger.

https://community.sigames.com/forums/topic/579094-fm24-the-ajax-way/?do=findComment&comment=14220665

[larrie]

 

I was reading something back and finally looking at your tactics and now I wonder why you actually play with Brobbey in the first season as a trequrista and not as a complete forward?

[SteinkelssonFM]

Good question @larrie my thinking behind this decision was the need for added creativity, the trequartista role is the most creative striker role you can use in game. 

The role allows Brobbey to come deep at times, the role has a 'roam from position' instruction, which meant that he would often look for pockets of space to influence the game.

I also like to have systems where there is an interchange, I thought the SS and Treq worked well, as the Treq can pull a defender deep leaving space for the SS to attack. This still works with AF as the defence get pushed the other way.

Brobbey also has the attributes to be an effective Treq, let's not forget his underlying performances in that first campaign, the role didn't impact his goal scoring ability. 

However, the role works best in a system where the player has passing lanes in advanced positions. As covered in my writing on FM23, this would have had more success if I had midfielders busting a gut to enter the box or played with an IF on one of the flanks.

Why choose Treq over the CF, simple...the role is more creative, comes deeper, and roams more. 

[SteinkelssonFM]

tent up to speed with actual game play , after writing my last piece The Ajax Way - Masterclass in Total Football. (which took a little while than longer to finish)

If you can remember from my 2023/24 season review, the Board required us to challenge for the Eredivisie title and be competitive in the UEFA Champions League.

In today's season review, I will look to provide you with a whistle stop tour of our 2024/25 campaign, before focusing on a data driven approach to tactical tweaks. I will then look to provide a summary of our recruitment, before closing the blog with our requirements from the executive team for 2025/26.

EREDIVISIE

*click on the table to view past positions for 'The Big Three'.

We finished the season in second place, as once again Arne Slot's Feyenoord were simply too strong, they have now won the Eredivisie three times in a row, which is one of my aims of the Ajax way save!

Second place secures us direct entry to the UEFA Champions League. Playing in the elite competition of continental football is absolutely necessary for Ajax as a football club, the access to the much needed additional revenue stream. For context the UEFA Champions League Prize Money for 2024/25 equalled £87m, whilst our performance in the UEFA Europa League in 2023/24 provided an additional £11m.

Steven Bergwijn was nominated the 'Fan's Player of the Season', picking up the most POTM awards (Five) and amassing 21 goal contributions (seven goals, and 14 assists). Brian Brobbey secured the 'Young Player of the Season' award for the second year running, the striker was deadly in front of goal, scoring 26 goals across the season and racked up an expected goals figure of 0.63 per90.

Funnily enough, both players are the clubs highest earners, with Bergwijn on £77k per week, and Brobbey £69k. Maybe money is the main motivator here!

There were two new entrants to the 'Best XI', January signing Ivan Toney entered as the Advanced Forward. Toney has shown his ability to perform at the highest level, I am hopeful the Englishman pushes Brobbey onto the next level as these two players battle it out for the leading role.

Gabriel Moscardo already looks like a shrewd signing, his 77% headers won ratio is 7% above any other midfielder, showing his defensive efficiency. Moscardo is also making the most interceptions in midfield, again 0.43 per 90 above Sivert Mannsverk. This is reflected in his possession won per 90 stat of 10.61, 2.63 over any other midfielder.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Our performance in the UEFA Champions League drew parallels to the 2018-19 side, managed by Erik ten Hag. His side, after beating Juventus in the quarter-final, were seconds away from reaching the final by beating Tottenham Hotspur, until Lucas Moura scored a last minute goal, sending Ajax crashing out.

As with any change, the new Swiss model has opinions split, as the competition moves away from what has become the traditional group stage model. For your information, I am pro this format, my view is that the variety will help to improve the diversity of competition, providing teams, and fans alike the opportunity to experience a broader range of away days, along with managers/players experiencing different competitors/styles of play.

Maybe, it will also provide teams outside of England with more exposure, which just might stop UK pundits from holding the opinion that the Premier League is the ONLY league which is of value.

There were some notable performances for us in the competition, securing away victories in Naples, Dortmund, San Sebastian, and Newcastle. Whilst our home form saw us secure victories against Arsenal, Inter, and Manchester City.

LIVERPOOL vs AFC AJAX

This game was unique, in the 57th minute, one minute after bringing on Brian Brobbey (our final sub), we were forced to withdraw Naci Ünüvar because he picked up an injury. Despite being forced to play the remaining 33 minutes with only 10 players, we managed to score two goals, and were moments away from securing the club a night in Munich to play Arsenal.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as Mohamed Salah's extremely late goal was enough to take the tie into extra-time. We were able to use the extra substitute to bring the team up to full-strength. However, Liverpool at this point had the wind in their sails, scoring two unanswered goals to progress.

Despite Mohamed Salah scoring four goals in this game it was Erling Haaland who finished as the competitions top scorer, the Norwegian scored 21 goals in the competition. You might be pleased to know that Arsenal retained the trophy, joining Real Madrid in the elite category of sides who have managed to achieve back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles.

KNVB BEKER

A truly embarrassing performance from Ajax, as 10 man FC Groningen score more goals than they had shots on target!

"We've showed nothing today that shows how good we are. We lost deservedly, congratulations to FC Groningen. There were some harsh words exchanged in the dressing room."

Steven Bergwijn summed up the performance well in his post-match interview.

With the requirement of winning a domestic cup on the Boards wish-list for next season, we will need to ensure that we perform on three fronts across 2025/26. Failure to do so could have an impact on the decision to extend my contract with the club, with my current deal expiring at the end of season three.

This requirement will also have an impact on youth development, given the KNVB has historically provided me with the opportunity to showcase some of the upcoming talent from within the club.

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DATA DRIVEN TACTICAL TWEAKS

Comparing the two visuals above (general performance) provide us with headline differences between season one (3rd place) and season two.

You will note that both our non penalty expected goals (-15%) and goals per game (-10%) have decreased. whilst our goals conceded per game has increased by 15%. Given we are looking to continue to play using the same tactic, I am going to associate our attacking decline in AI's ability to nullify our attacks, as we are having one shot less per game and our xG per shot has decreased from 0.15 to 0.14.

The attacking outputs are of less of a concern given we still closed the season having created the highest expected goals figure. I want to turn my attention in this post to our defensive performance, one which sees us finish the season with only the fifth lowest expected goals against output in the Eredivisie.

Despite our performance in the defensive efficiency visual ending up in the correct quadrant (facing fewer shots per game and conceding less than expected), you can see from the above that if we want to really put pressure on Feyenoord, we need to improve.

An alarming 19 of the 51 assists conceded in the last 49 matches have come from inside the penalty area, it is time for a tactical tweak, enter the Half Back.

The Half Back looks to serve a role somewhere between that of an aggressive sweeper and a defensive midfielder. The Half Back drops deeper than a standard defensive midfielder in possession and looks to offer an outlet for quickly recycling possession and to offer protection against the counter attack.

I am hoping that the integration of the Half Back will improve our defensive stability, as stated in the role description above, the role will look to provide protection against the counter attack, with the player dropping into the back three when one of the Wide Centre-Backs push on.

The Half Back in my opinion also offers more than the Deep Lying Playmaker from a playmaking perspective. This is due to their positioning, offering improved options when in possession in the defensive third.

The role has been given the 'Take More Risks' player instruction to mirror that of the DLP, this is to ensure that we still have one of our midfield trio contributing to the creative element of the game.

Due to the role only being available with a Defend duty, we need to change the duty of one of our attacking duty roles in the team, this is to ensure we keep our team fluidity as 'Fluid'.

Given the fact that our Advanced Forward and Shadow Striker are the individuals that carry the main goal-scoring burden within the side, we must dial down the Winger.

However, you will see from the above that I have again mirrored his player instructions, adding 'Get Further Forward', and 'Cross From Byline'. This is to attempt to try and make the role have an increased impact in the final third.

I have also made the decision to remove the team instruction to 'Trap Outside' when out of possession. This instruction asks the team to set a pressing trap designed to funnel the ball into wide areas. I initially set this TI with the thought process that pressuring the opponent away from central areas will provide the defensive unit to get set, and ideally be in position to compete for the ball when delivered via a cross. However, after deliberating I feel that due to the narrow structure, we don't actually have anyone out wide to deal with them. This TI causes central players to be dragged wider than their original positioning, which could be what is leading to our central vulnerabilities.

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RECRUITMENT

The first port of call when looking to improve defensively has to start at the back with the Goalkeeper. Looking at the above visual which compares save percentage and saves per 90, the outputs of Jay Gorter are worrying.

Jay is facing fewer shots than average, this statistic is expected, given our dominance of the ball. However, when looking at his save percentage, you want him to be saving the majority of shots faced.

The leading goalkeeper in the Eredivisie is Feyenoord's Justin Bijlow who boasts a save percentage of 85%, a figure which is 14% higher than that of Gorter.

Jay is capable of producing such a figure, his save percentage in season one was 85%. However this season his performances on the pitch have slipped, he is saving less than his expected save ratio (82%).

Looking at Jay's attributes, there is no reason as to why his performance has taken a dip. Jay has excellent concentration (16), therefore he should be able to keep focused during the long spell without any action. His positioning (14), decisions (14), and composure (13) are all well above the league average.

The only attribute which could have an impact on his ability to keep the ball out of the net is that he is eccentric (15).

I opted to spend £2.9m on Kacper Tobiasz from Legia in Poland, the 22-year-old had performed well between the sticks in the Ekstraklasa with a save percentage of 80%, guiding his side to the title.

Tobiasz kept 12 clean sheets across the campaign and racked up an expected goals prevented figure of 13.05. For context Jay Gorter prevented 1.08 expected goals, whilst Gorter will remain my number 1, I will look for Tobiasz to play a role and hopefully have two keepers vying for the one spot.

Kacper wasn't the only player to join the club, there were plenty of other additions, but first let me cover the players who left the club.

PLAYERS LEAVING AMSTERDAM

First off lets cover the players who left the club after season one (loan deals), these individuals have secured a permanent deal at their respective clubs, raising us some more income. Borna Sosa (£10m) committed his future to Al-Qadsiah Football Club of Saudi Arabia. Gerónimo Rulli (£7.25m) returns to France with Lyon, he will likely see out his career in Ligue 1, given he is now 33-years-old. Chuba Akpom followed him to France, the forward scored seven league goals in 33 appearances for The Blood and Gold, which let's face it isn't enough, especially given our reliance on our striker to carry the goalscoring burden for the side. Finally, Christian Rasmussen joined Freiburg for £3.9m.

Given the above deals were pre-planned, there was still quite a bit of activity in the market with regards to outgoings, we managed to raise another £72m through the sale of players. These deals are broken down below into two sections, those which impact my plans, and those that do not.

DEALS WHICH IMPACT OUR FUTURE STRATEGY

Gastón Ávila - when the third best team in Germany (Bayer Leverkusen) comes knocking, it is hard to say no to a player who is keen on the deal. The Argentinian made 50 appearances for AFC Ajax and proved himself to be an effective wide centre-back. The deal for £15m will see all monies locked into the clubs balance, as Ethan Butera will use the transfer as his opportunity to provide back-up to Jorrel Hato in the DCL spot.

Kian Fitz-Jim - after two successful loan spells (Excelsior and sc Heerenveen), it was time for the 22-year-old to make an impact at AFC Ajax. Fitz-Jim would act as our seventh midfielder, operating as cover in case of injury or rotation. Sporting CP's offer of £9.5m was too much to turn down, especially considering the fact that Kian has only two first-team appearances to his name. With the deal for Gabriël Misehouy locked in place (more later) to continue his progression, this transfer will mean that we will rely on the durability of Kristian Nökkvi Hlynsson who can operate anywhere in the central and AM strata.

Devyne Rensch - a product of De Toekomst, Devyne has opted to join Kjetil Knutsen's Atalanta in a deal worth £11.5m. Given the above transfer of Gastón Ávila this window has disrupted our defensive unit and left us in a bit of a conundrum. Faced with the decision of promoting Olivier Aertssen into the first-team behind Jakov Medić or look externally, I opted for the latter due as the 21-year-old has yet to be tested outside of the Jong ajax team, despite being listed on the loan market.

DEALS WITH NO IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Amourricho van Axel Dongen and David Kalokoh - the Red Bull machine dipped into the Amsterdam supply chain of wingers, not once, but twice. A position which fortunately we are rich in talent, Naci Ünüvar, Carlos Borges, and Stanis Idumbo Muzambo all providing enough depth as wingers.

Jaydon Banel - Brighton enter with a £16.5m bid for Jaydon, who spent last season on loan at NAC Breda. Again, as per the above, Jaydon, a right-footed winger, has far too much competition for his position in the first-team. The fee which was presented from Brighton easily met the players valuation, I would have been looking to loan Banel out for the upcoming season, I would have been silly to reject the offer from the seagulls.

Francisco Conceição - Francisco only played a bit part role whilst on loan at FC Porto (12 appearances) in season one, and RB Salzburg (13 appearances) in season two. Again, the offer of £8.5m for a player initially signed for £4.3 is a great return on investment, the war chest builds.

PLAYERS LEAVING ON LOAN

Skye Vink - continues his progression after successful loan at sc Heerenveen (12 appearances, five goals, one assist, and two players of the match). He has secured a move to Mallorca in La Liga, where he will compete with Cyle Larin for minutes, behind Vedat Muriqi. The opportunity to develop in one of 'The Big Five' leagues could prove to be a key in Vink's ability to lead the line at AFC Ajax.

Gabriël Misehouy - the 20-year-old could well be making his final loan move before returning to Amsterdam for first-team involvement. The midfielder joins Championship side Middlesbrough to continue his development, the league is a Tier 2 league and will provide him with a similar experienced opponent to the Eredivisie. He spent last season with Fortuna Sittard, making 12 league appearances, providing five assists.

Jhojan Torres - the 22-year-old Colombian continues his progression in the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium, moving from Eupen to Royal Antwerp FC. This move see's the midfielder climb up the ladder, Eupen were relegated last season, Jhojan now finds himself with the club predicted to finish in fourth place, a different type of challenge.

Rico Speksnijder - building on from a successful season with Jong Ajax (32 appearances, four goals, 12 assist, and 3 players of the match awards), the 20-year-old has renewed his contract with AFC Ajax prior to moving to Belgium with Royal Standard de Liège. The Jupiler Pro League has seen many talented players leave for the Eredivisie over the years. Hopefully, Rico can continue to develop before I explore what is next for the player.

INCOMING

The window was now a quiet one with regards to players moving to Amsterdam with close to £60m being spent. These individuals all below the age of 23 have a strong alignment with the Ajax way DNA, stemming from 163-185 points.

Julien Duranville - Julien was signed from Borussia Dortmund for a significant fee (£24m), especially given the fact that the 19-year-old only made six Bundesliga appearances in 2024/25, all from the bench. The Belgian has a very similar profile to that of Carlos Borges and with Steven Berghuis (33) likely to be playing his final season at the club, I felt the need to bring in a player with an abundance of potential (five stars, the only other player at the club with this much is Jorrel Hato) to provide competition for the right wing spot.

Maurits Kjærgaard - The Dane is a perfect Shadow Striker, and at 6'4" will provide some much needed height to our attacking line. Given the fact that RB Salzburg had raided us for two of our players, the deal for the 22-year-old only cost us £4.5m, not bad considering on arrival his estimated value jumped between £38m-£46m.

Adamo Nagalo - the defender was a target for me earlier in the Ajax way save. However, he opted to join Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen. It could be argued that the transition from the Superliga to Bundesliga was too much, given Nagalo only made seven starts. Alonso's decision to enter the market for more central defenders Chrislain Matsima, and Gastón Ávila led me to believe Adamo would be surplus to requirements. The defender from Burkina Faso will play second string to JM, looking at how the players compare, it is safe to say that we could well have another much needed aggressive defender on our hands.

SQUAD DEPTH VISUAL

The below visual shows the squad depth, starting players, back-up options, followed by youth prospects. I am really happy with how the squad is building and am excited for what the future holds for this current crop of players.

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THE AJAX WAY 2025/26 OBJECTIVES

The actionable objectives still remain the same, with the board looking for us to continue to grow the club's reputation, along with spending the original transfer budget and signing young players to develop for the future. I feel this objective will be met with the acquisition of the below two individuals.

Kauã Elias - at 19 years of age, the Brazilian joins Ajax from Fluminense. Elias is a similar type of player to Ivan Toney, and the media have touted him as the next Washington. With a significant return on investment potentially on the cards for the £5.5m spent, one to watch.

Junior Kroupi - as per the above, Junior was signed with the view to spending his first season with Jong Ajax. The 19-year-old was wasting away in Lorient 2nd team and was picked up for £4m, immediately his value roe to £34m-£46m. The Frenchman will be played as a shadow striker, despite being a more natural playmaker, I am hoping he could well turn out to be our Dennis Bergkamp.

With regards to the five year plan, the Ajax way save could well be at risk of being derailed. You will note the board requires us to win a domestic cup next season, this paired with my contract due to expire could well see us not be retained in post given my inability to win any silverware in the first two seasons.

[_Ben_]

2 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

 

I have also made the decision to remove the team instruction to 'Trap Outside' when out of possession. This instruction asks the team to set a pressing trap designed to funnel the ball into wide areas. I initially set this TI with the thought process that pressuring the opponent away from central areas will provide the defensive unit to get set, and ideally be in position to compete for the ball when delivered via a cross. However, after deliberating I feel that due to the narrow structure, we don't actually have anyone out wide to deal with them. This TI causes central players to be dragged wider than their original positioning, which could be what is leading to our central vulnerabilities.

This whole update is fantastic - I'm loving the way you're building and it's something that I really need to sit up and take notice of with the team I've inherited in my save. However, the bit above hit home just a little bit harder! As you've seen and we've spoken about, I'm very much of the school of less is more when it comes to team instructions but I'd never actually sat and thought that these computer generated people, running around on my screen, are coded to know how to play football and, therefore, will make a sensible choice - where they can - to stop the ball from going into the net. In the same way that I removed 'Dribble More' because, actually, the roles dictate that, I've now removed 'Trap Outside' because, when you have full backs that defend that zone and when you have wingers that do track (when they can be bothered), you're naturally occupying spaces that push players outside. It feels so simple but those few sentences above really made me think - so thanks!

2 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

With regards to the five year plan, the Ajax way save could well be at risk of being derailed. You will note the board requires us to win a domestic cup next season, this paired with my contract due to expire could well see us not be retained in post given my inability to win any silverware in the first two seasons.

I think you'll be ok! It's one of those where those marginal gains add up and add up and I expect you to come out all guns blazing this year! How have Feyenoord and PSV faired this summer in the transfer market?

[SteinkelssonFM]

On 29/12/2023 at 12:07, _Ben_ said:

How have Feyenoord and PSV faired this summer in the transfer market?

Sorry to take so long to come back to you, I have provided a little update below, one which doesn't reveal all (had to keep something for the next blog)

Feyenoord have had quite a quiet window, they have sold off a few fringe players (£24m), strengthening their depth in both midfield and defence. 

The signing of 16. Rodrigo Riquelme from Club Atlético de Madrid looks like it was a masterclass as his value has jumped to £92m, which is nuts given his peanut fee! To make matters worse, he was a player which I had on my shortlist, but opted to sign Maurits Kjærgaard instead. 

PSV on the other hand have been extremely busy, bringing in no fewer than 10 players.

However, they have also seen many players leave the club, below are those that left for over £10m.

They also lost Noa Lang (£47.5m) and Hirving Lozano (£26m)  to Aston Villa, whilst Johan Bakayoko (£25m) joined West Ham. The complete wholesale changes for PSV could go wither one of two ways for them...only time will tell. 

[VeteranFM]

This is truly impressing stuff @MattyLewis11! Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet, it's fascinating to have a look. Pure quality! 

[john1]

Wow, another beautiful write up

[SteinkelssonFM]

Welcome back to the Ajax way, in today's blog I will look to provide you an update on our third season in Amsterdam.

After three seasons of Feyenoord dominance, can we make it third time lucky and fill the Eredivisie void in the Ajax trophy cabinet, the last time the club has gone over three seasons without a Dutch title was in 2017/18 (PSV 2014/15, 2015,16, and 2017,18, Feyenoord 2016/17).

With respect to our rivals, we were presented with a glimmer of hope before a ball had even been kicked. Manager Arne Slot left his managerial role to move to Spain with Club Atlético de Madrid, replacing Diego Simeone who has taken over from Pep Guardiola after he was sacked after 'the Citizens' third place finish. Feyenoord opted to secure the services of Brian Priske, the Dutchman guided Sparta Praha to their third consecutive FORTUNA:LIGA title under his management.

Then to dampen any positive thoughts, fellow Eredivisie challengers PSV flexed their muscles by securing the services of Neymar, the 33-year-old joined them from Al-Hilal, after a bumper season in which the Brazilian contributed with 20 goals, and 16 assists.

I will also be looking to provide you with an overview on how our tweaked tactic is performing, with a focus on the role of the 'Half Back'. Before analysing our strikers, Ivan Toney and Brian Brobbey, who are both fighting it out for the 'Number 9' jersey.

Finally, I will close the blog providing you with a few key takeaways from the opening few five months of the 2025/26 season. But first, let me walk you through the absolute stinker of a deadline day, which sent tremors through AFC Ajax.

DEADLINE DAY CHAOS

On transfer deadline day AFC Ajax felt the full wrath of English Super Clubs', as Manchester United, and Manchester City submitted offers for both Josip Šutalo and Sivert Mannsverk, which would see two key players from our spine leave for the Premier League.

We already had a gentleman's agreement with Josip that if a deal of over £57m was received from any club, we would allow the 25 year old to move on to test himself at the highest level. However, there was no agreement in place for Sivert, and when Manchester city came knocking at the eleventh hour, he made his position clear, he wanted to leave Amsterdam for Manchester, to play under Diego Simeone.

Both players had only been at the club for two full seasons, and the club have been able to make over £100m on the pair, given the fact they were initially signed for £24m. To me this feels like the Ajax way, as the club often will see talent move on, often after three years in Amsterdam to pastures new, with the finest talent opting to test themselves in Europe's bigger leagues. Given the fact these individuals have been headhunted by the more superior 'super clubs', I would say job done.

The only difference being our approach to spending the surplus to the transfer budget, which Ajax historically looked to invest roughly 50% of fees received back into player acquisitions, I opted for only 15%!

This would have been significantly higher if our primary target on our shortlist Ousmane Diomande didn't have such high wage demands. Ousmane would be a terrific replacement for Josip, he had a minimum fee release clause in his contract of £33.5m, enabling any team in the UEFA Champions League to acquire his services from Sporting CP. However, he demanded between £120k and £160k per week in wages, an amount which would smash the ceiling of our current structure, with no player breaking the £100k per week mark.

Given there was limited time to complete any deals, in fact FM pre-warned me of this, stating that due to the limited time, a loan option would be best due to taking less time to complete. I had to utilise the scouting that had already taken place, Ajax. I opted to sign two players, both from Morocco, adding to the line of Moroccan's which have donned the red and white of Ajax in the past.

Chadi Riad, a deal for the 22 year old could well be seen as a gamble, not because of the fee, some will immediately question the Moroccan's ability to fill the void left by Josip. The beauty of renaming each save file after each season enabled me to delve into the players stats during his time at Real Betis, and compare his outputs to the baselines established in my 'Masterclass in Total Football' blog.

The Moroccan had a pass completion of 93%, tackles won rate of 81%, and headers won rate of 74%, all above the AFC Ajax and Eredivisie average. In fact Chadi closed the season as the 13th best player in terms of his headers won ratio, and 16th with respect to his pass completion ratio, all in a Betis side which had a shocker of a season finishing in 16th place.

Azzedine Ounahi, a player which caught my eye in the 2022 World Cup had only made four starts for Marseille in 2024/25 in Ligue 1, along with a further 12 appearances from the bench. The Moroccan is technically adept, agile, and has the ability to cover lots of ground for the entire match, which is reflected in his DNA score. Given his situation in France, Azzedine was happy to agree a deal as a fringe player, meaning there would be no pressure on me to play him week in, week out.

---

THE HALF BACK

I detailed in The Ajax Way - 2024/25 Season Review that I would be making a tactical change, incorporating the Half Back into the Iron tulip, with the view to improve our defensive stability. If you can remember, our opposition were assisting too many goals from central areas, which instigated the move away from a Deep Lying Playmaker in the DM strata.

I am pleased to say that the minor adjustments to both our game model (removing the pressing trap TI), along with the above role change has really improved our defensive statistics. Taking the expected goals against metric, which fundamentally is the most important, we have reduced from the 1.23 expected goals per 90 from season two, to a much lower number 0.82, a percentage change of 33%!

We have also seen a 50% reduction in goals conceded per game (0.59 plays 1.18). Now, whilst some of this has a direct relationship with the improved save rate (Jay Gorter 95%). I am attributing some of the impact down to the Half Back, as having this extra player on a defensive mentality is absolutely helping to keep the xG per shot against numbers down, I will walk you through a few examples below.

In the above image Benjamin Tahirović is the acting Half Back, we have just been dispossessed trying to enter the oppositions final third. Note the position of Tahirović compared to the more advanced location which would have been occupied if I were still using the DLP on support. Tahirović has positioned himself alongside Adamo Nagalo, acting as a CB. This use of off the ball intelligence protects us from the counter, as if he was in the DLP position, the opposition's striker would have an opportunity to run either channel, with clear access to goal.

In the above image Silvano Vos is the player acting as the Half Back, given we look to build from the back the use of this role enables us to use the +1 principle to create numerical superiority. Vos has dropped back into the defensive line to partner Adamo Nagalo, providing us with more passing options, aiding our ability to progress the ball, and allowing a WCB to move to a higher line and progress the ball past the pressure.

We are the most efficient side in the Eredivise defensively, conceding fewer shots per game, along with conceding fewer goals than would be expected from the number of shots we face.

The above image of assist locations amplifies the added value of the implementation of the Half Back, we have conceded no assists in the Eredivisie to-date from a central location outside our area. Showing the value the Half Back has brought to providing the much needed defensive stability.

---

A TALE OF TWO STRIKERS

We are performing well above average in attacking statistics, and are scoring a high number of non penalty expected goals per 90 compared to the average. In fact, we have improved our goals per game by 10% from 1.92 to 2.11. Interestingly our non-penalty xG per shot has reduced marginally from 13.6 to 13.3, this demonstrates that despite taking shots of lesser value, we are scoring more goals, again an interesting statistic, one which is heavily influenced by the quality of striker we have leading the line.

The last statement is really emphasised in the below visual, we are a complete outlier in the Eredivisie, generating a high non penalty expected goals, and more importantly converting our opportunities into the all important goals. Don't forget, it is goals that win games!

Given that 'The Iron Tulip' operates with a lone striker, management of both individuals has played its toll in the minutes played battle. Ivan Toney (Important Player) has played 57% more minutes than Brian Brobbey (Regular Starter) in order to keep Toney happy.

Comparing the two players' statistical outputs above, you will note that both players are in the form of their lives. It could be argued that both are attempting to put pressure on me to be my first choice.

Using the Statman24 skin below which compares players outputs to those playing in a similar role across the top 20 leagues, cements this statement with both players in the top percentile for most of the key striker metrics.

What makes these outputs even more impressive is that both strikers appear to have ice in their veins, both hold an excellent conversion rate, now some credit has to do with their supply line, which is reflected in the shot xG. However, both are not volume shooters, if they are provided a shooting opportunity, the likelihood is that the ball is being picked out of the back of the net.

*clicking on the below images will reveal the player chalkboards for the relevant match.

These two performances are a great example of whatever you can-do, I can do better. I am witnessing a true battle of the number 9's here at Ajax.

Thankfully, much to the delight of myself, and our supporters, Brian Brobbey has agreed to a new five-year contract at the club. Amazingly, he was happy to put pen to paper with a continuation of his regular starter agreed playing time. His £96k per week makes him our highest paid player, £3k above Steven Bergwijn on £93k, who also signed a new four-year contract.

---

THE AJAX WAY SEASON THREE

Given I have revealed in this post that Ajax are performing above average in both attacking and defensive metrics, it shouldn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that we are again performing well in the Eredivisie.

* List of Eredivisie results.

DNA DYNAMIC

As you will know I have been working hard to develop the playing squad, ensuring the alignment to our DNA stays true. The below visual shows that we have been making progress year-on-year with the average DNA at its all time high in season three.

You will note we are harvesting some serious talent, with 12 of the playing staff now in the 'Key Player' pathway segment. There is also a continuation of a breadth and depth of talent in the pipeline with healthy volumes in the 'First Team Player' and 'First Team Integration' pathways, we are well set and replicating the Ajax way effectively.

IT'S A RESULTS GAME

For those of you who are interested in our performances on the pitch, I have provided another whistle-stop review of our performances thus far.

EREDIVISIE

It is important to remember that we have seen a drop off with regards to our performance in both seasons post the winter break. However, early signs are promising as we have managed to secure victories against the two other big Dutch clubs.

It may have taken five attempts (3D, 1L) but we have finally broken our hoodoo against PSV, the away victory at the Philips Stadion was secured late on in the game after Tobias Gulliksen should have at least given his side the lead, the Norwegian left the field with an xG of 0.45, and missed an opportunity work 0.24 xG.

The Ajax Arena has become a total fortress, with our only defeat at home coming all the way back in October 2023 (1-2 vs AZ). Incredible when you put it that way, we have that Chelsea and Mourinho vibe going on from way back when, funny how things can change!

The result and more importantly another clean sheet against the reigning Dutch champions indicate that tides could well be changing. Below are some impressive stats stemming from the match.

• Possession 70% vs 30%
• Expected goals 1.28 vs 0.48
• Headers won 78% vs 12%
• Final third passes 106 vs 35

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The importance of good performances in continental football are fundamental to elevating the profile of your club, they also bring with them a sizable income stream which helps to retain talent, as seen above with Brian Brobbey.

The most pleasing result so far has come against Liverpool, the fact we managed to keep a clean sheet at Anfield has proven to me that we do have the desired level of resilience and determination in the squad. Last year's performance in Europe was not a fluke, we are building one of the most attractive sides on the continent.

Just a few of the top performers thus far this season.

---

THE AJAX WAY CONTINUES

I am sure you all will be as pleased as I am regarding the news that the Board have approached me with a new contract. This deal will see me put pen to paper on an offer which will see me at the helm until the end of the 2030 season.

The Ajax way continues.

[Hootieleece]

That difference in goals conceded is impressive from just changing a role. I am wondering if I should do something similar with my 4-3-3 at ASSE.

[Dr Naysay]

6 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

That difference in goals conceded is impressive from just changing a role. I am wondering if I should do something similar with my 4-3-3 at ASSE.

Just want to chime in here and say that the half-back in a back three behaves differently in FM to a back 4 with fullbacks who push up. In a back three you can still have him acting like a Defensive Midfielder or even a quasi DLPwho will drop deep to replace a WCB who has pushed up, but in a 433 he will tend to sit deeper as your fullbacks push up and if you look at some of the pass maps with a back 4 he is almost level with the two CBs.

You can see here how dynamic he is in the back three:

Tolisso dropping in to the back three to replace Diomande who has pushed up.

But for the most part he sits in front of the defence and a lot of traffic can go through him.

Now you look at him in a back four, he basically forms a back three if you use fullbacks who push up, so you will lose some of what makes him great in a back three and will need to compensate for that.

It's quite a dynamic role that responds to different setups, if I was using an IFB in a back four he would respond differently too, sorry I don't want to derail or lecture but just share experience.

Edited January 6 by Dr Naysay

[SixPointer]

Beautiful written Matty! I’ve done the opposite in my first year in Venezuela. I was using the half back as my lone DM. Now I’ve opted for a DLP.

I loved the half backs movement, you get perfect Salida lavolpiana now without having to shift the wing backs. I just needed someone with a little more flair as I’ve now opted to try the new IFB role. 

[larrie]

Matty, may I ask you how you scout your players, are often not the usual names you come with! How do you put down your scouting and how do you know exactly how to recognize the Ajax DNA in these players?

[rich ruzzian]

Lets bring that title back to Amsterdam. 

How are the youth players developping? Does Jong Ajax compete for the higher ranks in the KKD? 

Edited January 6 by rich ruzzian

[El Payaso]

This is excellent stuff and definitely a way that I would also like to play the game. Sadly I don't have the time or knowledge to do it in this comprehensive way, but the main thing is that this is just the kind of content that this community needs and which also makes all of us have more faith in different aspects of the game as we can see people actually utilising them. 

 

Fantastic job! 

[SteinkelssonFM]

@larrie scouting is done by casting my net far and wide. 

I have followed the net tracking method which I documented in a previous piece Monchi Masterclass - Removing the luck factor from recruitment 

As you can see I am primarily focusing on regions where youth ratings are historically high. Once players have been identified, I chuck them onto a shortlist and get my scouts to watch them a few times (3). This will provide me with a nice highlight reel to get a feel for how they operate.

I simply manually cast an eye over their DNA, after a few seasons of looking at these specific attributes, I know exactly where they are.

@rich ruzzian I think it is fair to say the team are doing petty well, and this is without our best youth players who have been developing in leagues which are of a higher standard.

 

• Skye Vink - sc Heerenveen (2024/25), and Mallorca (2025/26)
• Gabriël Misehouy - Fortuna Sittard (2024/25), Middlesbrough (2025/26)
• Rico Speksnijder - Standard (2025/26)
• Junior Kroupi - FC Utrecht (2025/26)
• Óscar Márquez (New Gen) - Go Ahead Eagles (2025/26)

Krsto Stanić is an example of the talent which I have coming through at the club, he is the higher end of the spectrum.

 

@Dr Naysay @Hootieleece @SixPointer @Litmanen 10 thanks for taking the time to comment, very much appreciated. 

 

[keeper#1]

@MattyLewis11 Do you find that this scouting method gets you a big enough database of potential players to take a closer look at?  I've had a hard time getting reports on players with this version of FM.

[SteinkelssonFM]

@keeper#1 I don't think I have had a similar issue, all of my signings this far on the save have stemmed from scout reports. Saying that I don't think my shortlist exceeds 10 players for each position, which considering my size of database is a little crazy. How many scouts do you have within your existing team? Where do they have extensive knowledge? Is this well balanced?

When I am next on I will show you my team and where they have extensive knowledge. 

If you search under scouted players, the list should still be pretty comprehensive. 

[larrie]

 @MattyLewis11 

Thank you for your answer and go read the piece about the scouting carefully.

[SteinkelssonFM]

[keeper#1]

Most of my scouts are very France-centric.  Board isn't interested in expanding the scout room.  Hopefully, my next club will have a deep scouting department.

[Maverik1828]

@MattyLewis11 what attritbutes do you add up to get your DNA score?

Edited January 10 by Maverik1828

[lilljons]

Its in the opening post.

[Chris_ANZFM]

Brilliant to see the improvements that you’ve gained simply from switching that DM role. 
 

Combined with the incredible output from two different strikers this could well be your year! 

[SteinkelssonFM]

Following on from "A Tale of Two Strikers" todays update concludes my third season of 'The Ajax way'.

The blog will provide an overview of our performances in all competitions, along with movements in the transfer market, before closing with a change of approach for the fourth season.

Firstly, I am pleased to be able to report back to you that tactical tweaks which were documented back in the 2024/25 season review continued to produce an improved defensive stability. The expected goals against figure of 0.82, and goals conceded per game of 0.79 were the lowest figures posted to-date. This paired with a goals per game figure of 3.12 (again our highest) from a non-penalty expected goals, showed that our attacking momentum was carried forward through until the close of the season.

Ivan Toney had a fantastic campaign, scoring 38 goals in all competitions, whilst boasting attacking percentile ranks above to top 95th percentile for EVERY output which you would consider of importance for you main goal-scoring threat.

Ivan still finished eight goals shy of being crowned the top scorer in the Eredivisie, this is more down to my rotational policy, which is reflected in the above minutes per game percentile rank. When looking at average minutes per goal, the data tells a different story, with the top three players all coming from AFC Ajax. Brian Brobbey leads the way with 85.85 mins, followed by Maurits Kjærgaard with 95.75, and then Ivan Toney on 101.39.

THIRD TIME LUCKY

Silverware was finally lifted in the save, we won the KNVB Beker after beating Vitesse in the final. This victory enabled AFC Ajax to lift the trophy for the 21st time in the clubs history, more importantly it provided the fans with the feeling of familiarity, given the last trophy was secured by the club back in 2022.

THIS IS FEYENOORD'S WORLD, AJAX JUST LIVE IN IT

The below image was a screenshot which I sent one evening in December to fellow VFT blogger Dan Gear, I couldn't believe what FM was doing to me, despite hitting all the right numbers in terms of both our attacking and defensive outputs, Feyenoord had somehow managed to put together a run of 26 games without defeat, and haven't conceded in their last eight games!

The season concluded in a chaotic way, it was not the case of third time lucky, well at least not for us. The below result against PSV, where we threw away a two goal lead at the death was THE result which put us in this mess. Funnily enough, the final scorer was Tobias Gulliksen, the player that had such a torrid game against us in the reverse fixture, maybe I shouldn't have singled him out in my previous post. Once again, funny how these little side narratives keep occurring!

We did find ourselves with one last opportunity to retain first place, Feyenoord could only muster a 1-1 draw with FC Emmen in their third from last game. Unfortunately AZ held us to a 0-0 draw, and with both sides winning their remaining two fixtures the title again remains in Rotterdam with Feyenoord.

Looking at the below outputs and our rankings, you can really start to see how this failure to lift the Eredivisie, really is an absolute sucker punch.

• most goals 106 and expected goals 87.70
• fewest shots against 208 - 2nd place Feyenoord 234
• highest possession 63% - 2nd place PSV 62%
• most chances created 210- 2nd place FC Utrecht 210
• most shots for 598 - 2nd place Feyenoord 479
• 2nd highest conversion rate 17% - 1st place FC Utrecht 18%
• 2nd highest clean sheets 18 - 1st place Feyenoord 19

The biggest frustration of this season was the fact that when considering the expected points table, we should have done enough to win the Eredivisie, drawing down 11 more expected points than Feyenoord. I insist that you take a long hard look at the little green number next to their 65.5 expected points tally, Feyenoord picked up 21 more points than they were expected to! Have you ever seen a club in FM draw down a higher value, we were robbed.

The failure to win the league this season, more importantly the manner of the failure really hit home hard. I was having serious doubts if I should continue with the save, a new year, a fresh approach. However, you will be pleased to know the next save can wait, I want to have another stab at the Eredivisie, can we finally overthrow our rivals.

Maurits Kjærgaard somehow pipped Ivan Toney to the Fan's Player of the Season award, the Dane had a higher average rating (7.47 plays 7.38) but he played 1,000 minutes less. The 22-year-old deserved the other two awards, he racked up 27 goal contributions (16 goals, and 11 assists) across the season, I will cover the Dane a little more later on in this post.

The usual headline player data, showing you our most impressive performers.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

One step further in the UEFA Champions League, to reach the final of Europe's elite competition in only our third season in charge has to be considered an achievement in itself. However, on the day there was a clear gulf in talent on display with Luis Enrique's PSG showing an abundance of attacking talent on the field, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappé.

*click to view full list of results

Surprisingly, I am finding Europe easier than the Eredivisie! Madness to be able to sit here and write this, our only defeats came in the Semi-Final, and of course the Final. Ivan Toney managed to close the tournament as the top goal scorer (16), we heavily relied on his ability to hit the back of the net. Especially against Arsenal in the Round of 16 (7 shots, 5 goals), and Manchester City in the Quarter Final (3 shots, 2 goals).

THE SAUDI SHARKS STRIKE AGAIN

As if things couldn't get any worse, those pesky Saudi sharks came back to Amsterdam, offering our players ludicrous packages to swap The Netherlands for the Arabian Peninsula. Just a reminder, I have been trying my hardest to keep all players at the club on a wage of less than £100k per week, and to this point have been successful with Brian Brobbey our highest earner on £96k per week.

Ivan Toney - a complete transfer fee of £78m saw us more than double the £31.5m paid for the Englishman over 18 months ago. The whopping £625k per week, paired with his £125k appearance fee highlights money is a motivator.

Georges Mikautadze - the Georgian joined Al-Ittihad Club Jeddah for £25m, he has been a great servant to the club over the past three years, averaging 15 goals, and 7 assists per season. Again, the lure of cash is clear to see, with Georges picking up £475k per week, and £93k per appearance.

Jakov Medić - the Croatian defender joined Georges at Al-Ittihad Club Jeddah in a deal worth £18.75m. The defender secured himself a £425k per week contract, and again picked up a nice £83k appearance fee.

Again, we were hit hard on transfer deadline day with Maurits Kjærgaard moving back to the security of Red Bull. RB Leipzig offered a deal worth £45.5m to bring the Dane back to the franchise, in doing so they offered him £100k per week and a £20.5k appearance fee.

Other players to leave the club did so without breaking the £100k marker.

• Carlos Borges is on £49k per week and has a £12,250 appearance fee.
• Naci Ünüvar is on £76k per week and has a £15,250 appearance fee.
• Ahmetcan Kaplan is on £57k per week and has a £11,500 appearance fee.
• Azzedine Ounahi is on £57k per week and has a £11,500 appearance fee.
• Silvano Vos is on £16.25k per week and has a £4,100 appearance fee.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT IT, FLAUNT IT

When you are sitting on this much money, it would be rude of me not to delve into the transfer market, especially when the Board favours us to spend the original transfer budget, year in year out, within the actionable objectives.

Considering the outgoing players above, there was a clear need to invest in the core, a central defender and midfielder were high on the priority list, along with a winger. You could also argue that a striker needed to be added to the ranks, after the departure of Toney. However, if anything the last two blogs have proven is that Brian Brobbey can without a doubt carry our goal scoring burden. Skye Vink, after being on loan for the past two seasons, working his way up the world's football pyramid, is ready to prove that he is worthy of wearing the Ajax jersey.

Starting from the back.

Lucas Perri - both goalkeepers finished last season with a poorer save ratio than average. Therefore I again felt the need to dip into the market to sign an initial second choice goalkeeper to play behind Nikola Čavlina.

Víctor Guzmán - the departure of Medic and Kaplan, along with my decision to loan Butera out this season left us short at the back. Victor's signature was not only welcomed, it was needed to ensure we have cover for Nagalo. I also signed Noël Atom from January, if you are playing as a second tier side, or a top tier side, fighting for mid table, I would highly recommend approaching Brighton for the youngster.

Piero Hincapié - to sign a player of Hincapié's quality as he approaches his prime, shows that we are starting to turn the corner in terms of the pulling power of the club. The Ecuadorian has had two solid seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, helping them to achieve 3rd and 5th place finishes in the Bundesliga.

Mads Bidstrup - Mads is another player which has been acquired due to my personal admiration for him as a player. The Dane has an exceptional engine, and will fit into the role of a carrilero, like a duck to water. I am excited to have him play for Ajax, especially after agreeing to join as a squad player after his year playing in Mexico for Club de Fútbol América.

Heorhii Sudakov - the Ukrainian is simply world class, Sudakov will help share the creative burden from our midfield, alleviating the 31-year-old Branco van den Boomen from this burden.

I know you shouldn't pay too much attention to the star ratings. However, in my opinion they do serve as a good indicator to quickly compare talent within your squad. Ajax now have five four star current ability players in the first-team (Hato, Muzambo, Hincapié, Sudakov, and Olise), I doubt many sides in the Eredivisie can boast such a wealth of talent. Knowing Football Manager bases its outcomes on chance, the odds are likely to be on our side this year, thanks to these individuals.

Once you pop, you can't stop!

Whilst on paper it may look like we have got caught up in a buying frenzy, the truth is that we have brought in players which are closely aligned to our DNA, with three individuals holding a DNA value associated with a key player.

More importantly, none of these signings broke the self-imposed £100k per week barrier, smart business.

ENTER OLISE, THE MARQUEE SIGNING

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! The definition of a marquee signing is as follows...a marquee player is an athlete who is considered exceptionally popular, skilled, or otherwise outstanding, and exempt from the salary cap.

I think you all know where I am going with this one! Olise joined us from Crystal Palace for £90 million, he is our marquee signing, smashing the wage structure at the club, earning himself £190k per week.

I will be hoping that Michael, as an elite winger, can light up the Eredivisie and provide that missing spark to get over the line and secure our first title, ending the five year drought at the club. The last time Ajax faced such a baron spell was between 2013/14 and 2018/19, with the only sign of promise being that after this period Ajax went onto secure a three-peat under Erik ten Hag.

Given that I am set for now tactically, I thought I would drop another link of this iteration of 'The Iron Tulip' for you to download.

I have also had quite a few requests of late in relation to the DNA, Player Pathways, along with other spreadsheet related questions. Here is a view only copy of The Ajax way master spreadsheet which includes all of my behind the scenes workings, I really hope you find this of value.

*spoiler

Guess who is already doing bits in 2026/27.

[Shrewnaldo]

19 minutes ago, MattyLewis11 said:

 

Heorhii Sudakov - the Ukrainian is simply world class, Sudakov will help share the creative burden from our midfield, alleviating the 31-year-old Branco van den Boomen from this burden.

 

 

I was enjoying the update until this bit. How very dare you 

[larrie]

Nice update, nice to see that the first prize is under your reign.

Too bad you're just next to the title.

Very clever to get to the final of the CL again.

[keeper#1]

Olise is a top player.  He should fit in really well at Ajax.

[SixPointer]

Big business In Amsterdam! 

[El Payaso]

This is what you call a career. Brilliant updates one after another and it is nice to see that you have still a lot to chase after three seasons, even domestically. 

These kind of saves give me an inspiration also to think more about club DNAs and such and play the game in a different way. 

Thank you for this amazing thread. 

[Slipky]

Any news? This was a brilliant read. Inspired me to take Groningen and have an Ajax counterfeit in the league (Hopefully will gain promotion in the first season!)

[Rigga89]

@MattyLewis11 I've been a long-time lurker on this forum and haven't posted for far too long, but continue to play FM and read threads regularly. I had to dig out my old login details just to be able to say what an incredible thread this is to read. Real concepts, strategy and analytics fed through to developing a style of play and a club philosophy in game that blends reality and the affinity we feel for the identity of certain clubs with the fantasy of the game. I've not read a thread of this quality on here for years!

What's more, your tactics have given me a completely new style of play to explore with my Arsenal side, where I'm now entering season two and found opportunities for 2 landmark midfielders too good to resist (Gavi and Tchouameni) but then left me with a real selection issue in midfield. Freeing a man from the backline and putting an extra body in the middle makes it much more viable to get my best players on the pitch in positions they can be effective from.

Having not played with a back 3 before (I never liked tactics with 3CBs and 2WBs), the WCB role isn't one that I've utilised and I'm amazed on support duty to see them so advanced, often receiving the ball in phases of sustained possession on the edge of the opposition's box. I'd love to hear your thinking behind using this role and allowing them to be so adventurous with relatively little protection left in behind them (understandably the half-back brings some much needed deep cover). I'm tempted to drop one or both WCBs to a defend role and then see if the half-back can then change roles to play their game slightly further forward. Is this something you've any thoughts/experience with?

I hope to see this thread continue with more updates!

[SteinkelssonFM]

@Rigga89 thanks for taking the time to comment, sorry it has taken a while to respond. I have recently taken some time away from FM, you may be pleased to hear that I now back playing, albeit with a new save. It is comments like yours which really feel me with pride, most of us choose to document our saves on here to share our playing experiences, ad provide readers with insight into how we play the game, what drivers sit behind our decisions, etc. For me the community aspect is MASSIVE, none of my friends play FM and therefore this community has served as a way for me to talk about FM and share thoughts and ideas. 

If you are reading then, then one presumes you have enjoyed this series... I hope to see you over on the new Wolves: The Renaissance thread, which will hopefully offer something completely different. 

 

[Bryna robson]

 

Rare interview with Litmanen released today -

Quote

 

Jari Litmanen on Ajax, Barça and a wrist that ‘broke into eight pieces’

The best footballer Finland has ever produced reflects on the highs and lows of his career and his anonymous life today in Estonia

 

There are not many people who can get away with a leather jacket. Especially a fur-lined, double-breasted leather jacket. But Jari Litmanen, now 53, is definitely one of those people, as he strolls through the Old Town in his adopted home city of Tallinn. It would be impossible in Finland or Amsterdam but here he walks freely, seemingly just another middle-aged man trying to stay out of the cold. But between 1994 and 1996 he was the best footballer at Ajax, then the best male team in the world. Of course, he was loved for his talent. But he was also loved for the way he kicked the ball, the way he looked. Nineties Litmanen was a vibe, and it turns out the 2024 version isn’t far off.

The Finn doesn’t grant many interviews, certainly not in person. His aloofness has fed the image that he is shy, reserved, mercurial, perhaps even a little arrogant. This is the opposite picture of the person who comes bouncing into the room, who beams comfortably at the camera. Litmanen is generous with his time, polite to all those around him, meticulous with his details. He is also surprisingly funny. Not laugh-a-minute funny, but there is a mischief in his face, a sparkle in those dark eyes. We talk about his recent appearance on the Finnish version of Top Gun, his new Instagram account (in which he shares positive news of Edwin van der Sar’s recovery from serious illness), his acting as an Amsterdam diamond jeweller and comedic timing in Finnish children’s films as a Dutch art dealer and an Italian pizza delivery man.

 

Is Litmanen in danger of being a bit of a card? He shakes his head. “But before Covid, I did play in the father-son matches at my boy’s school,” he says with a laugh. “But Covid stuck with me for a couple of years. Now, I’m trying to do more things. It’s not the same though, not 100%. I can now walk, cycle, and can now do one hour of cross-country skiing. But I have to be careful because I remember how low I was. I’m more focused on family life in Tallinn than doing things in football. My wife is Estonian. I live here, Finland is my country, but Amsterdam is my city.”

Ajax have just announced a retro Litmanen fashion line. The only other player to have one is Johan Cruyff

Litmanen is, by a distance, the greatest Finnish player of all time, although he never led his country to a major tournament. As a spectator, he eagerly awaits Thursday’s Euro 2024 playoff semi-final in Cardiff. “They are the favourite but not as strong as they were,” he says with a smile of Wales.

It is difficult to overstate how much reverence they have for Litmanen at Ajax. Walk around Amsterdam and you can see his shirt adorning apartment windows or keychains in the souvenir shops, 30 years after his heyday. To put his popularity into context, Ajax have just announced a retro Litmanen fashion line. The only other player to have one is Johan Cruyff. Five Eredivisie titles, three Dutch Cups and a famous Champions League title in 1995 have left their mark on player and club.

Things could have been so different. The road to Ajax and European glory was not clear and Litmanen came close to signing for many other clubs as a teenager. “I went to train with Malmö with Roy Hodgson when I was 17,” Litmanen says. “I had also visited PSV for two weeks, one week each at Leeds and Barcelona when Johan Cruyff was the [Barcelona] coach.

“A complication was that I had to do military service. It is compulsory in Finland. I did 11 months when I was 19. We would have to survive in the forest for a few days when it was -25C and also when it was +25C. Finland has been invaded in the past. People know what can happen. We learned to protect our country with our guns.”

Litmanen eventually earned a trial at Ajax, aged 21, which nearly ended in disaster. “I had a bad first training match, playing on the right, and had a kick on my thigh. After the game, Louis van Gaal said: ‘No, he doesn’t understand the Ajax system.’ But the physio and chief scout pleaded for another game as a second striker, my position. Van Gaal only agreed as Dennis Bergkamp had an ankle problem. I scored four goals and two assists and signed for Ajax the next day.

“Van Gaal told me to spend a season shadowing Bergkamp. He was so much better than me. But Van Gaal said he would stay just one more year and then leave. When Bergkamp left [for Internazionale in 1993] I was ready. He showed me the way. Edgar Davids, Edwin van der Sar, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Finidi George, Nwankwo Kanu all came through. I signed at the perfect time. It would not have been the same if I had signed one year earlier or later.”

These youngsters were the lifeblood of that Ajax side that beat Milan in 1995. Litmanen was the linchpin, a creator and a finisher who knitted everything together.

Coming from a football backwater, Litmanen had always gone the extra mile to get the edge. He would take saunas in nothing but his boots, so they would mould to his feet, and later lost his sponsorship deal because he wouldn’t change from Copa Mundials to the new Adidas brand.

“I tested Predators in training – it must have been the worst session I ever had. I’m a football player because of feeling. Boots are the most important equipment. I always did strange things. I was a strange guy, practising alone, stretching all the time. I was ready to do more than the others, who first laughed at me, and then copied me.”

If the 1995 Champions League final was his pinnacle, it was a bittersweet match with an out-of-sorts Litmanen replaced in the second half by Kluivert, who scored Ajax’s winner.

“I didn’t feel well for a week, didn’t sleep and my eyes were red. I have an allergy to grass and plants but only three times in my life I have had a heavy reaction. One of those was before that Champions League final. That was unlucky. It was unclear if I could play. I was really tired. You have to be 100% when Marcel Desailly is man-marking you. So I was totally gone in that match. The change was logical.”

Litmanen scored six goals from midfield en route to that 1995 final, and the following season top-scored in the Champions League with nine goals, including one in the final against Juventus before a penalty shootout defeat. “We were better in ’96 than ’95. [Frank] Rijkaard had finished, Seedorf had left but we were one year more experienced. But we missed five players through injury and suspension, including Marc Overmars. He was maybe the most dangerous winger in Europe.”

Litmanen stayed at Ajax through the 90s, turning down interest “from Liverpool, Milan and Atlético Madrid”, despite many of his teammates moving on. “In the end, three clubs made an offer in 1999: Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It was not difficult to choose Barça: they had the same philosophy as Ajax. They are two different clubs who are built from the same source. I have heard [Pep] Guardiola say: ‘Cruyff built the chapel, and we just painted it.’”

But Litmanen’s first season in Catalonia was dominated by injuries. The Observer joked at the time that he was “going the way of Pope John Paul II, making few appearances and looking more frail each time”, and by the time Litmanen had recovered in the summer of 2000, the club had descended into turmoil.

“The president, Josep Lluís Núñez, left the club after 23 years,” explains Litmanen. “Van Gaal [who also joined Barcelona from Ajax in 1997] won two league titles in three years, but also left. We didn’t really have a coach for a while. All the players were away for the Euros. [Luís] Figo went [to Real Madrid]. It was chaos.”

Litmanen left a few months later to join Liverpool, the club he had supported as a boy. Hailed by Gérard Houllier as “world class”, he immediately made an impression on youngsters such as Steven Gerrard. “From the moment I saw Litmanen at Melwood, I was bewitched,” the Englishman wrote in his first autobiography. “He was like a chess grandmaster, always anticipating three or four moves ahead.”

But just as at Ajax and Barcelona, his first season at his new club was disrupted. In March 2001, Litmanen broke a wrist in a World Cup qualifier against England, at Anfield of all places. Amazingly he finished the game, almost scoring an equaliser. “It broke into eight pieces,” Litmanen says. “After the game, I collapsed in the dressing room after the adrenaline wore off. I went to the hospital but I don’t remember the journey.”

That was my best year ever, fitness-wise. People would ask in Tesco why I wasn’t playing. I didn’t have an explanation.

Recovered and revitalised, Litmanen sparked into life in his second season at Liverpool. “I played much more with Houllier but when he had his heart problem, Phil Thompson came in,” says Litmanen. “My minutes dropped down. Suddenly I didn’t play at all. I remember there were two games in four days in September 2001, Tottenham and Dynamo Kyiv, where I scored the only goals in two 1-0 wins. It took another month for me to start another league match. As a player, you think: ‘What did I do wrong?’ But I never asked why. I have never said anything negative about players or staff.

“I didn’t miss any training or games because of illness or injury. That was my best year ever, fitness-wise. People would come up to me in Tesco and ask why I wasn’t playing. I didn’t have an explanation.”

Litmanen returned to Ajax in 2002 and although he won another league title, acting as a “big brother” to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, injuries began to take hold. Some of the misfortune was almost ridiculous. At Malmö, a lemonade bottle top flew into Litmanen’s eye. “Hasse Borg, the sporting director, used a snuff tobacco box to open it. Before I realised, the top was in my eye. For six weeks I couldn’t do anything. Even now, I can’t see very well in that eye.”

At Fulham in 2008, he fell ill with a fever and an irregular heartbeat. “I went to the hospital and they put me to sleep, they shocked my heart. After that my heartbeat was normal, but I missed three or four weeks.” On his return, Fulham’s reserve goalkeeper Ricardo Batista accidentally launched a ball into the back of his head. “The next thing I know I was on the ground. The players were around me. I was out for seven to 10 days with a concussion.” Litmamen never made a competitive appearance for Fulham.

It would be easy for Litmanen to feel as if his talent was spoiled by bad luck. But he sees the beginning of his career – signing for the next European superpower from obscurity, Bergkamp’s mentorship and the perfect coach in Van Gaal – as a blessing. Alongside other legends of the game in the De Boer twins, Seedorf, Davids, Kluivert, Kanu and his good friend Van der Sar, he was fundamental in making a good Ajax era a great one. “There has been a lot of luck and unluckiness in my life and career,” Litmanen says with a smile. “In that period, a lot of lucky things happened.”

Litmanen retired in 2011 at the age of 40. An injury-prone genius who carved out a 24-year career. For a few of those years, he was one of the best and most graceful players in the world and people loved him for that, a Finnish king in glass slippers.

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Bryna robson

[Carmine81]

Il 3/11/2023 in 12:29 , MattyLewis11 ha scritto:

Given my love for developing talent from within...cue the shameless plug of my blog which featured in 'The Byline' called 'How to nail Youth Development in FM23'. I wanted to choose a club for my FM24 save which would enable me to delve a little deeper into youth development and hopefully provide you, the reader with some more insightful content.

 

After weeks of carefully reading up on multiple clubs, I found myself stumble across the following articles 'The academy spotlight: Ajax and Barcelona' and 'How a development model of promoting and selling early is keeping Ajax, PSV and Dortmund at the business end of the game', both of which are published on These Football Times.

 

This led me down a very deep rabbit hole, thanks to the breadth and depth of available literature on AFC Ajax, which I will include some enjoyable pieces at the end of this blog.

 

The development of youth has been a fundamental pillar for the club, one which has also seen dividends for Dutch Football on the whole, given that at any given time, it is estimated that up to 35 footballers playing in the Eredivisie have received an education at Ajax’s academy.

 

 

For those of you who are SI Forum regulars, you will note that Cleon posted the topic 'Ajax Youth Development - When The Real World Meets Football Manager' which was his interpretation of the Ajax blueprint. This series 'The Ajax Way' will act as my very own attempt to delve into the core pillars which have been fundamental to clubs philosophy.

 

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PLAYING PHILOSOPHY

 

The Ajax system is based on the Rinus Michels 70’s system of ‘Pressing Football’, where the team must press forward when in possession of the ball and press the opposition when the opposition is in possession of the ball. Louis van Gaal added his own philosophy to this style of play.

 

 

As you can see from the above attribute comparison, the current squad are not well aligned to this system, holding a natural fitness, and stamina average which sits only just above the Eredivisie average. I would expect Ajax to be in the top percentiles for both of these attributes, which I feel are key to playing the Ajax way.

 

The natural fitness attribute is a measure of how well a player can recover condition between matches, and avoid jadedness caused by matches and training. Whilst the stamina attribute is an indicator as to how well the squad can maintain condition while exerting effort during a match. The higher a players condition, the better he will perform any action.

 

Physical attributes essential for the Ajax way DNA: Natural Fitness, and Stamina

 

Ajax must also play captivating football as the essence of the game lies in entertaining the fans. Their style should be unique and easily identifiable, surpassing the prominence of their jerseys. Additionally, the club's academy should be acknowledged as fundamental, with half the team comprising homegrown talents. These players must excel not only in Eredivisie but also on the grand stage of the Champions League.

 

The Ajax system is attack-oriented, prioritising forward passes. If not possible, sideways and then backward passes are preferred. The approach encourages 1 v 1 situations across the field, demanding strong technique against tight marking. Ajax players need superior individual skills compared to direct opponents.

 

 

Above I am looking to see how the squad compares to our opponents with regards to Passing, Technique and First Touch. Three fundamental attributes to playing the Ajax system. You will note that in these areas the current group of players excel, providing me the assurance that we should be well equipped to both playing the ball out of defence and take a patient approach in the final-third, by working the ball into the box.

 

Technical attributes essential for the Ajax way DNA: First Touch, Passing, and Technique

 

Finally, players must create space for themselves and teammates, moving after gaining possession. Defensively, upon losing possession, immediate pressing is crucial. The closest player to the ball engages the opponent, while others take covering positions to intercept passes.

 

 

When reading the above paragraph and thinking about player profiles, three things came into my mind. The need for ajax players to both be intelligent and consistent with regards to choice of action, Ajax players will need a strong mental profile.

 

There is still a need for a little 'Je ne say qua' which is where the flair attribute plays its role, I want players to have a natural talent for the creative and unpredictable, football should entertain.

 

Off the ball there is a need for individuals to be willing to work to their full capacity, going above and beyond the call of duty, hence the importance of work rate.

 

Mental attributes essential for the Ajax way DNA: Anticipation, Composure, Concentration, Decisions, Determination, Flair, Teamwork, Vision and Work Rate

 

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DE TOEKOMST

 

De Toekomst was founded in 1900 and over the better part of a century it has produced players, coaches and a brand of football that has unlocked new layers and levels in the game.

 

The identity of the club is really important, Ajax are not a buying club, they are a club which focuses on producing young players. The youth academy (De Toekomst) is the base of the club, which when translated becomes apparent, as it means The Future.

 

'We should only pay transfer fees for a player who is special, who very clearly fills up a gap in the team that an academy player cannot.'

 

Without Ajax, it can be argued that Barcelona's football factory, known as La Masia, may not have the attacking football culture and systemic set-up that has produced some of the best players in modern football. Indeed, the source of the Barcelona model is credited largely to Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels. Ajax are synonymous with development of young and complete footballers from a technical and tactical perspective.

 

De Toekomst has played an integral role in providing a constant supply of talent to the senior team, this is reflected in the clubs average age of 22.6 years, making them the youngest club in the Eredivisie.

 

 

 At Ajax, technical ability is more important than raw power and athleticism, especially at young ages. The staff at Ajax, many of them former professionals themselves and products of the academy, assess each player and decide if they fit the model and have the mentality to be tied to a youth contract.

 

Above are some fine examples of homegrown talent, products of De Toekomst, which have been sold on for significant fees. The academy at Ajax is special. There are few clubs, if any, that can boast such an influence on player development the world over and a roll call of stars that the Amsterdammers can. For this reason, ajax will always be synonymous with championing excellence in all things - and it starts with De Toekomst.

 

THE SYSTEM

 

 

The numbers on Ajax players' shirts hold significance, denoting distinct positions and responsibilities. This system is consistent from youth to senior teams, fostering familiarity. Young players can easily identify their role models among the senior team based on shared positions.

 

A young player at the club will know which player in the first team plays in his position, and this senior player will be his role-model.

 

'We want to get footballers to a higher level faster, so they don’t have to get used to the Eredivisie for two years. Players will receive individual training from a certain age. Every player needs to be treated differently.’

 

Every Ajax youth team is made up of a squad of 16 players, There are no additions to the squad during the season. The squad is :

 

2 - Goalkeepers.

 

4 - Right footed players for positions 2,6 and 7.

 

4 - Left footed players for positions 5,8 and 11.

 

3 - Players for positions 3 and 4.

 

3 - Players for positions 9 and 10.

 

This is something which I will endeavour to maintain across the save, ensuring there is a clear pathway for individuals and ensuring that sufficient game time is secured, a factor which we all know aids development.

 

The typical Ajax player in any age group has to show four basic principles in his profile as a footballer: technical actions, tactical principles, motor performance and mental skills, and these form the modern Ajax player.

 

I will be looking to use the Jong Ajax side, who play their trade in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, as my pathway into the first-team. One of my next posts will expand on how I decide if a player is ready to be integrated into the first-team squad, which I hope will be of value.

 

THE T.I.P.S. MODEL

 

Ajax demand four fundamental requirements from all the young players at the club, which is known as the T.I.P.S. model.

 

T-Technique is the number one requirement for an ajax player, all Ajax players must be technically good with the ball. The Ajax way is to play in the oppositions half of the pitch, this means players playing in tight space, which means that the player must be able to play using good technique.

 

I-Intelligence/Insight - Football intelligence is vital for the ajax style of play. Ajax players must be able to understand instructions and follow out these instructions. Ajax players must know what to do with the ball in given situations, such as when to hold on to the ball, and when to release the ball. They must know how to create space and when to move into space.

 

P-Personality is necessary for a team player. Players need strength of character and leadership qualities. The club looks for personality in players, to see if they are confident, if they can influence other players, and most importantly if they can work within a group. Ajax players must be able to gel with the other players in the team and not be an individual. The ajax team must be as one.

 

S-Speed of thought and speed of action is a characteristic of Ajax players. Ajax players must be able to sum up situations quickly to problem solve on the pitch.

 

You would have seen earlier in this blog a reference to different attributes which I feel are essential to playing the Ajax way, these have been selected to closely align to the T.I.P.S. model and will form the DNA criteria for this save. Of course not all of this model can be captured via the attributes as personality is determined by the seven personality attributes which are under the hood.

 

However, there are some key ways to interpret these attributes, through judging personality descriptions, media handling styles, coach reports, scout reports, reactions to team-talks, and body language during games.

 

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RECRUITMENT PHILOSOPHY

 

Since 2016, in a process led by Marc Overmars, Ajax have broadened their horizons in terms of player recruitment, in a move which has seen them both scouted and recruit extensively from Latin and South America.

 

Globalisation has seen Ajax’s scouting network drastically improve, with Overmars making it clear that he wanted to have the best scouts he could find working with the club.

 

 

Above are some fine examples of how this additional pipeline of talent development has been of benefit to the club. These players have not only made key contributions for the club on the field, their sales have enabled Ajax to be sustainable, in a footballing landscape which has a large emphasis placed on the accounts off the field.

 

I will look to continue this recruitment strategy in my save. However, will only look to pay transfer fees for a player who is special, and who very clearly fills up a gap in the team that an academy player cannot.

 

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TACTICAL VERSATILITY

 

Since the 1980's Ajax have amassed a total of 17 Eredivisie titles, despite this dominance only three managers have been able to secure back-to-back-to-back trophies. Louis van Gaal (93/94, 94,95, and 95,96), Frank de Boer (10/11, 11/12, 12/13, and 13/14) and Erik ten Hag (18/19, 19/20, 20/21, and 21/22).

 

‘As you know, all good things come in threes, like Adidas’s three stripes and Ajax’s three championships in a row.'

 

The below images show the three different formations used by each manager. These will be the three different systems which fill my tactic slots on firing up the save.

Given that Ajax have a clear playing philosophy the in-game team instructions will be exactly the same across the three different systems. This will ensure that regardless of system the underlying principles of the Ajax way game model will stay consistent.

 

 

Each formation is a compromise of strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, I will be looking to react to opponents in-game, changing systems, and drawing upon every fibre of my tactical awareness with the view to making those all important marginal gains.

 

PROJECT 443-343

 

Prior to release, we were notified of the improvements to the match engine, providing the consumer with truer football motion, match authenticity, and positional play.

 

"Players now behave more intelligently, adjusting their position based on the roles and movement of teammates around them. Your players should have more passing lanes open to them and a better ability to play through the lines, allowing your team’s shape to dynamically adjust between different phases of attack."

 

The improvements to positional play has fuelled an internal fire, I want to take De Boer's 4-3-3 and make it morph into Van Gaal's 3-4-3. Providing me with a tactic which is synonymous to the rich history of the club, and again enabling me to improve my understanding of the match engine and share with you, the reader.

 

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SAVE OBJECTIVES

 

The first objective of the Ajax way will be to ensure that AFC Ajax are labelled as the undisputed number one team in the Netherlands, not just by winning the domestic title, but also by maintaining a strong financial position.

 

I want to enter the history books, joining the select list of managers that have been able to secure a three-peat of Eredivisie titles.

 

The second objective focuses on creating a dominant Ajax on the continent, one which can mix with Europe’s best by promoting players from within and shrewdly using the transfer market.

 

The third objective is to establish that Ajax have the best youth education in football at De Toekomst, furthering the greatness of their academy and giving more talents the chance to make their mark in the first team.

 

Ideally to achieve objectives two, and three, we will win the UEFA Champions League, with a team which is made up with a significant amount of players which have come through De Toekomst, ambassadors of the Amsterdam blueprint, the 'Ajax Way'.

 

As well as the above in-game objectives, I hope that in following this topic, I will be able to provide you, the reader, with a greater understanding on the following areas of he game;

 

• Training
• Individual Training
• Player Development
• Mentoring
• Staff Recruitment
• Data Driven Player Recruitment

 

I hope you have enjoyed the opening post to the Ajax way, this save will be documented here and also over on 'View From The Touchline'.

 

an exceptional story, a beautiful story, an indescribable way of carrying out the rescue.
I read it all in one go and it was really exciting. I wanted to ask you a question if possible: when you play with ten haag's 4231 or de boer's 433 the general team instructions are the same as van gaal's 3331, but how do you set the roles of the individual players in the other two systems of game?
thank you very much, and if I may, continue this save as long as you can, continue to entertain us.

[SteinkelssonFM]

You may well be pleased to know that I have fired the save back up and will be continuing from the 2027/28 season, I appreciate I need to provide a little update to remind you on the progress of the save.

I will provide that in due course. 

 

[keeper#1]

19 minutes ago, MattyLewis11 said:

You may well be pleased to know that I have fired the save back up and will be continuing from the 2027/28 season, I appreciate I need to provide a little update to remind you on the progress of the save.

I will provide that in due course. 

 

[El Payaso]

Good to hear! This has been a brilliant thread. Always love career updates where you have clear style and aims instead of just overachieving. 

[Swaban]

2 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

You may well be pleased to know that I have fired the save back up and will be continuing from the 2027/28 season, I appreciate I need to provide a little update to remind you on the progress of the save.

I will provide that in due course. 

 

Great news! I must admit that I was gutted when I read your comment about starting a new save

[danielgear]

2 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

You may well be pleased to know that I have fired the save back up and will be continuing from the 2027/28 season, I appreciate I need to provide a little update to remind you on the progress of the save.

I will provide that in due course. 

 

[fman1]

Found this on VFTT and had to come here to comment. What an brilliant in-depth explanation of a footballing philosophy put into FM practice.

I have recently taken the Dortmund job on my FM24 save and this absolutely fantastic work has helped me no end in deciding a way of playing and restore the youth back at Dortmund.

Bravo Sir.

[rich ruzzian]

On 03/04/2024 at 16:29, MattyLewis11 said:

You may well be pleased to know that I have fired the save back up and will be continuing from the 2027/28 season, I appreciate I need to provide a little update to remind you on the progress of the save.

I will provide that in due course. 

 

O yeah!