[FM16] Ajax Amsterdam - Building a dynasty of youth

[Draakon]

February 2035

 

03.02.2035 - AFC Ajax - ADO Den Haag 3:0 (ED) - 16. Edward Schans, 37.  Tarik de Wit, 62. Johan van Dalen

We have only two days to prepare for this game, but because we rotated well in January, we looked much more fresh than ADO players before this game. Leslie Lichaba is also back from international team and adds to our defensive options. ADO Den Haag are currently 5th in Eredivisie, but we defeated them confidently in the away game and I expect us to do well in Amsterdam Arena. It would be nice to see our loan players Mithat Arabaci and Raimond Burg in action for our opponent.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman (31. Lichaba), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (62. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Valdman, van Dalen, de Wit (54. Knol)

The game started slowly, but we took the lead in 16’. Edward Schans scored from a corner and it was a great strike for any player, let alone central defender.  Tarik de Wit had a great chance in 25’, but his shot from close range hit the post. We had to make a substitution in 31’ when Fred Koeman came off with injury, but despite that we went to half time with 2:0 lead. Tarik de Wit doubled our tally in 37’ - he played well around two defenders and finished calmly. Johan van Dalen also got close to a goal when his shot hit the post in 44’ and Leslie Lichaba wasted his clear cut chance in injury time. It was a very confident performance from us in the first half.

We continued to get good chances after half time break. Stef Veldman wasted his opportunity in 51’ and Tarik de Wit sent his shot wide three minutes later, but when Johan van Dalen sent his header past ADO goalkeeper, the game was decided. We wasted way too many good chances in this game, but otherwise it was a confident win and impressive performance from us.

• our shooting was 27/11
• we created 5 clear cut chances
• Fred Koeman will be out for 2 weeks with damaged neck

 

07.02.2035 - AFC Ajax - Vitesse Arnhem 4:2 (Dutch Cup Quarter Final) - 19. Tarik de Wit, 56. Omar van der Aar, 68. Stan Knol, 87. Sjoerd de Jong - 74. Marvin van der Zwan, 84. Ilunga Gödeken

Our February continued with a cup game. Vitesse Arnhem is difficult opponent for any team and it wasn’t too much of a surprise if my assistant manager advised us to practice defensive positioning before this game. We had some players missing - Fred Koeman was injured and Tom Drost caught flu right before this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans (66. Hendriks), Lichaba, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (65. Sener Arslan), de Jong, van der Aar, de Wit (65. Knol)

It was a fairly even game for the first 20 minutes, but then Tarik de Wit opened scoring with a good shot - Nabil Herder delivered assist from our right wing. After that chances started to come our way - Sjoerd de Jong missed his clear cut chance after corner and Simon Janssen’s shot was difficult to save for Vitesse goalkeeper. Vitesse didn’t create anything dangerous until 27’ when Anthony Smith tested Ismet Gluhalic. Our Bosnian goalkeeper was ready and parried his shot with a brilliant save. The first half finished with our narrow lead - although we put Vitesse under pressure after our opening goal we couldn’t capitalize and so Vitesse have all hopes alive before the second half.

We started the second half much better. Clyde Sastrodimedjo instantly sent a dangerous shot on target and Vitesse goalkeeper had to make a brilliant save to deny it. Tarik de Wit had a great chance in 48’ - that shot was also saved. We had our shots on target and it looked like our second goal is just a matter of time. It came in 56’ - Omar van der Aar scored with a simple tap-in (assist again from Nabil Herder) and when substitute Stan Knol scored our third goal, the game looked to be over. We substituted and expected to see this out, but the game took the turn and Vitesse got back into it. At first their winger Marvin van der Zwan found the net with a really good shot from the edge of the area - I think that Ismet Gluhalic was a little bit surprised by that shot, because he allowed it in from his near post. Omar van der Aar had a great chance to score in 77’, but his shot was blocked and in 84’ Ilunga Gödeken scored the second goal for Vitesse - the cross came in from our left flank, Edward Schans did well to challenge Vitesse striker, but the ball bounced through  between them and into the far post where Nabil Herder had completely forgotten Ilunga Gödeken. Easy finish for Vitesse winger and with 2:3 it looked like Vitesse can turn this around. But it wasn’t to be, because just three minutes later Stan Knol found Sjoerd de Jong with audacious backheel pass and our right winger clinched the game with our fourth goal. Leslie Lichaba received his second yellow card in 89’ and was sent off, so in the end I was a little relieved when the final whistle called. It was a very entertaining game and we looked really good with the ball, but made two costly mistakes in defense in the second half.

• our shooting was 22/12
• we created 6 clear cut chances
• we had 17 corners in this game
• we allowed Vitesse to make 22 dribbles against us
• we will play PSV Eindhoven in the semi final

 

Helmond Sport has been in the last place in Eredivisie for a while now, but their board finally lost their patience after they got destroyed 0:6 by FC Eindhoven - team that should be their equal. Manager Robin van Persie was sacked after that game and Helmond Sport is now looking for a new manager.

 

10.02.2035 - AFC Ajax - NEC Nijmegen 4:1 (ED) - 51. and 53. Tarik de Wit, 57. Omar van der Aar, 90. Sener Arslan - 12. Mehdi Bah

Home game against NEC Nijmegen should be a little bit easier task for us. NEC is currently 13th in the table and they have serious problems with injuries - four of their defenders are out for this game and they struggle to find capable players to fill all defensive roles. We still miss Tom Drost, who has not recovered from the flu. I tried to rotate players so that first team players will get between 20-40 games in a season, no more.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, de Jonge, Hendriks, Lichaba, de Groot (70. Siereveld), Sastrodimedjo (64. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van der Aar, de Wit (70. Knol)

We did not show our best football in the first half. Chances were rare and our defensive line looked a little bit vulnerable, but NEC took the lead with a little bit lucky goal in 12’ - they got the ball into oru box and when Mehdi Bah took a shot, it deflected from our defender and went past Zeus Florentina. It was a disappointing first half and that goal in 12’ took our breath away a little. I asked players to pick themselves up and improve in the second half and they replied well.

Tarik de Wit equalized for us in 51’ with excellent shot - he turned around in the box and just smashed it into the top corner. Just two minutes later it was again de Wit in action. His second goal gave us the lead and when Omar van der Aar headed in to make it 3:1 we were in control of the game. I sent Germain Siereveld on in 70’ and moved Kevin de Jonge to DMC and we controlled easily the rest of the game. Youngster Sener Arslan extended our lead with the goal after counter, right before the end of the game. It was a poor first half for us, but we really raised our game in the second half and decided it in 10 minutes between 50’ and 60’ mark. In the end it was a convincing win.

• our shooting was 19/5 - not too many shots on target
• we didn’t allow NEC to have any real scoring opportunities
• we made 22 individual mistakes and Clyde Sastrodimedjo was responsible for 7 of those
• Leslie Lichaba committed 8 fouls, but somehow managed to get through this game without a yellow cards
• Sener Arslan scored his first ever career league goal for Ajax
• Nabil Herder and Simon Janssen were outstanding for us in this game

 

16.02.2035 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 4:1 (ED) - 6., 46. and 48. Stef Veldman, 12. Adrian Tomash (og) - 4. Chijoke Obafemi

Topper Derby is always a serious game. We have slowly gained points over Feyenoord in the table and this game against PSV is (on paper) our most difficult fixture in remaining Eredivisie season. It obviously was important in itself, but I felt that if we win this one we are really difficult to beat until the end of the season. We practiced attacking set pieces before this game. Good news from physio room say that Tom Drost is finally recovered from his illness and Fred Koeman is also back in full training.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost (74. Herder), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (68. de Jong), van Dalen, de Wit (74. Knol)

PSV had the better start in this game. They got the cross in from our left flank and Chijoke Obafemi was there behind our defensive line to finish with a powerful header that was unstoppable for Ismet Gluhalic. I was momentarily watching for offside flag, but the replay showed that Obafemi timed his run very well indeed and Tom Drosts’ poor positioning a little bit behind the rest of the defensive line covered his offside. Too bad, but it took only two minutes and we equalized in the very next attack. Stef Veldman had a half-chance and he used it well, sending his shot into the goal. In 12’ we had a free kick and Edward Schans managed to get his header on target. It was held by PSV goalkeeper, but replays clearly showed that it actually crossed the line and so we were robbed of that goal. However, it didn’t matter much, because soon after we saw the most curious own goal I’ve seen in my Football Manager career. We pressured PSV defensive line in the middle of the park and their central defender Adrian Tomash was forced to backpass. His pass from 40 yards caught their goalkeeper completely by surprise and went past him into the net. Probably the most unexpected goal we could score, but I don’t mind! Now we had the upper hand in the game and we felt a lot more confident and relaxed at half time.

When I could be pleased with our first half, we came out after the break with all guns blazing - Stef Veldman scored a quickfire double in the first three minutes and completed his hat-trick. PSV looked in a real mess in that point and although they recovered as the game progressed, they never looked like a threat after that. Johan van Dalen was a little bit unlucky to send his header against the crossbar in 70’, but that didn’t matter. In the end it was a great result and performance from the whole team and I was really happy with that.

• Stef Veldman and Tarik de Wit had a great game for us
• Stef Veldman scored his 10th goal of the season in this game

 

22.02.2035 - Olympiakos - AFC Ajax 1:2 (Europa League 1st knockout round 1st leg) - 4. Ismet Gluhalic (og) - 19. Johan van Dalen, 57. Stan Knol

The draw has been good for us and Olympiakos should be more less equal opponent to us in Europa League 1st knockout round. At least we’re marked as favourites in both games. We continued to practice attacking set pieces for our match training and I hoped to capitalize on set piece situations to score at least one away goal.

Germain Siereveld was suspended for this game and Kevin de Jonge took his place in defensive line.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost, de Jonge, Schans, Lichaba (65. Koeman), Engin Ari (67. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (42. Knol)

We had the first chance of the game - Tarik de Wit had a great look from close range, but his shot was saved and in 4’ we conceded an own goal. Olympiakos clearly looked to use their wings and cross balls into the box - one of such crosses came in from our right wing, Ismet Gluhalic couldn’t react to it properly and it somehow went into our goal from deflection of him. That was a poor mistake from our goalkeeper and not the best start for us. Olympiakos looked complacent after gaining the lead in this game and in 19’ Johan van Dalen managed to equalize - he found some space in the box and used his chance very well. We had away goal, but worse news were about to come. Tarik de Wit was forced off with a knee injury and for the rest of the game my thoughts were more on his condition than on the game itself. Stan Knol came on in his place. First half finished 1:1 - it was a fairly even game, but certainly not our best football so far. We could have created more chances and dealt better with Olympiakos’ wingers. 

It continued to be an even battle in the second half. Olympiakos’ striker Edilson headed just over and Stan Knol wasted his clear cut chance in 53’, but our young striker scored what proved to be a winner in 57’ - it was a corner situation that was initially cleared by Olympiakos defenders, but van Dalen crossed it back into the box and Stan Knol was in front of the goal, completely alone and unmarked. Good goal and a lot of confidence for the youngster. Simon Janssen should have extended our lead in 62’, but his chance went wide and Johan van Dalen found the framework once again in injury time (he’s been very unfortunate in that department this season). It was a tough battle in midfield and both teams collected a bunch of yellow cards - fortunately nobody was sent off. The final whistle marked our 2:1 win - a narrow win, but it means two away goals for us and we have the upper hand in this tie now.

• our shooting was 20/8
• we collected 7 yellow cards - clearly too many
• Johan van Dalen was outstanding for us in this game
• Tarik de Wit will be out for at least 2 months with torn knee ligaments - it’s almost a season-ending injury, because at best he’ll be back in the end of April

 

de Wit injury is a serious problem, because we have between 10-15 games left in this season and only one capable striker in the squad for that period of time - 18 years old Stan Knol, who needs to carry a huge load in the coming weeks. He’s been doing great so far and has scored 6 goals in this season, but to play 90 minutes in Europa League level or in the away game against PSV in the cup semi final is another matter. We will miss Engin Ceylan a lot in this Spring and Feyenoord now clearly feel that they too might have a chance if our attack will start to fall short.

 

27.02.2035 - Telstar - AFC Ajax 2:5 (ED) - 43. Luuk Hoek, 77. Robert Ochieng - 2. Sjoerd de Jong, 7. and 66. Stan Knol, 28. Clyde Sastrodimedjo, 51. Germain Siereveld

Between two European games this one should be easy fixture. Telstar is a small team and currently just 17th in the table, so I used this chance to play youngsters and rotation players and give them some playing time.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman (66. Lichaba), de Groot, Sastrodimedjo (46. Engin Ari), Janssen (46. Sener Arslan), de Jong, van der Aar, Knol

We started with high tempo and scored our first goals quickly - Sjoerd de Jong found the net early in the first half and just 5 minutes later Stan Knol doubled our lead with a soft shot that somehow found its way past Telstar goalkeeper. Clyde Sastrodimedjo added another goal in 28’ and at this point we looked really strong and confident, but in the end of the first half Luuk Hoek managed to score from corner. It wasn’t the best set piece defending from us in that situation and we allowed Telstar to get something positive in the end of the first half. But we had a good lead and we’ve looked good, so nothing wrong at half time and I made bold substitutions in midfield.

Second half started equally well for us. Sjoerd de Jong missed his clear cut chance in 50’, but in the following corner we found another goal. Germain Siereveld won a header, but it was initially cleared off the line by defense. However, Siereveld got another chance and his second header found the net. In 66’ young striker Stan Knol scored his second goal of the game and although Telstar scored their second goal in 77’ (Robert Ochieng won aerial duel against Leslie Lichaba), we secured a comfortable 5:2 win in away game. We looked really impressive in attack, but I was a little bit disappointed with two conceded goals. Considering that we fielded a weakened team, it wasn’t too bad, though.

• our shooting was 30/15
• we didn’t allow Telstar to create any real chances (even though they managed to score two goals)
• Stan Knol was outstanding for us in this game
• Simon Janssen made his 300th appearance for Ajax

 

We’ve been really impressive in February - straight wins from all games and we’ve had a good goalscoring form in the past weeks. Tarik de Wit’s injury means a different test for us in March and April, but at this point I’m fairly positive about our chances. It’s interesting to see how the board and fans react to our form - confidence in my performance as a manager is high overall, but fans are not too impressed with our winning streak (meaning that those wins were anticipated in February) and the board thinks that we could give even more chances to youngsters (although we have two 18-years old players in Sener Arslan and Stan Knol playing regularly for the first team).

 

Eredivisie

Feyenoord have struggled to win games and we’ve now opened 11 point gap before the last 9 games. I hope that should be enough for us to secure the title. Helmond Sport look doomed and AZ Alkmaar have also failed to escape relegation zone. In the end I expect that FC Eindhoven will drop there and AZ will push their way out of danger.

[Draakon]

March 2035

 

March looks like an average month with six games scheduled, but I know that if we managed to hold onto our lead against Olympiakos, we will get two more games in the Europa League and that tightens things up a lot.

 

01.03.2035 - AFC Ajax - Olympiakos 0:1 (Europa League 1st knockout round 2nd leg) - 28. Santiago Pereira

Our goal for the second leg game in Amsterdam Arena is a simple one - defend well, avoid conceding home goals and maintain our 2:1 aggregate lead. I rely on more experienced players in continental games, so there’s no surprises in the starting line-up. Stan Knol has to carry the load in attack once again, but he did so well against Telstar and I hope he can continue his excellent form.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (62. Herder), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (69. de Jong), van Dalen (61. van der Aar), Knol

We got an early chance in the game - in the very first minute of football Johan van Dalen crossed to the far post and Stef Veldman got a free header from close range, but he sent it well over the crossbar. That was a sitter and he should have scored from so close. It was even game after that in the first half and Olympiakos found the goal in 28’ from direct free kick. Santiago Pereira curled his free kick over our wall and there was little that Ismet Gluhalic could do about that one. Johan van Dalen had another clear cut chance in extra minutes of the first half, but his shot was blocked by late-arriving defenders and so we went to half time with 0:1 deficit. We were still leading on away goals, but it was a narrow advantage.

Our players looked clearly more motivated in the second half. Germain Siereveld had a great look after free kick, but his shot was blocked (Olympiakos defended really well, that has to be said) and in 61’ our captain Tom Drost received his second yellow card and was sent off. That changed the game for us - Engin Ari came off, Nabil Herder came on and we continued with 4-2-2-1 formation, hoping to survive in the last 30 minutes in what I expected to be a continuous Olympiakos pressure.  However, it wasn’t to be, because just four minutes later Olympiakos’ Herman Cordoba was booked for the second time in this match and he too was sent off, so it was 10 vs. 10. It should have opened things up for attackers, because it’s always easier to find space with less players on the pitch, but it wasn’t the case. Instead, it was a fairly boring thirty minutes and final score 0:1 was enough to put us through into the second knockout round. I’m not happy with defeat, but we did well enough.

• our shooting was just 26/6
• we didn’t give Olympiakos any real chances in this game
• we will play against Olympique Lyon in the next round

 

04.03.2035 - Sparta Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 21. Germain Siereveld, 28. Stef Veldman, 81. Leslie Lichaba, 85. Stan Knol

Just three days later we traveled to Rotterdam to meet Sparta in what I expected to be a fairly tough away game. Sparta are 11th in the table, but can surprise any team in their home stadium. We were a little bit tired after continental game, so it was important to maintain our focus and rotate wisely to add some fresh legs to the team.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (68. de Groot), Janssen (62. Sener Arslan), Veldman, van Dalen (60. van der Aar), Knol

We didn’t start this game very well. I didn’t see much passion from the team and we looked a little bit nervous, but when Germain Siereveld opened scoring in 21’ with a good header from corner it was a bit of relief and made things easier for us. The second goal came shortly after - Engin Ari released Stan Knol with a great ball behind Sparta defensive line. Sparta goalkeeper managed to save his shot, but Stef Veldman arrived on time to finish from rebound. We led with two goals at half time even though there was room for improvement in our performance.

We kept things under control in the second half and not much exciting happened until the final 10 minutes. Perhaps Sparta grew impatient with their defeat and changed their tactics (didn’t really notice that, though), but we started to find some space and Leslie Lichaba scored our third goal from pretty much our first half-chance of the second half. It was his first goal of the season and surely he was really delighted. Stan Knol then finished things off with a great strike into the top corner. Final score looked very convincing indeed. I was very happy with our defensive effort - we kept Sparta under control and two goals were scored by defenders, too. Engin Ari was our key player in this game - he assisted two goals and started the move that led to our second goal.

• we had 8.06 average rating
• we didn’t allow Sparta to get any scoring opportunities
• we committed 22 fouls - a little too many
• Engin Ari, Stan Knol and Nabil Herder were outstanding for us
• Stan Knol scored his 10th goal of the season

Relegation candidates Helmond Sport appointed Joost van Aken as their new manager. Interesting to see if he can change their course before in the end of the season. I doubt that.

 

09.03.2035 - AFC Ajax - Vitesse Arnhem 2:0 (ED) - 58. Simon Janssen, 78. Stef Veldman

We continued with home game against pretty difficult opponent - Vitesse are 6th in the table and I reckon their attacking players are almost level with us, PSV and Feyenoord. Weakness lies in their defense (if anywhere). Good news is that Erwin Vormer is back in full training after being injured for almost 3 months - he can expect to feature in the first team more, while Sener Arslan moves back to Jong Ajax. Kevin de Jonge asked for more playing time and I granted his wish, because our lead in the table is pretty solid and I have to rotate anyway, so no harm to give Germain Siereveld some games off. Actually, it was pretty bold line-up for us - a lot of rotation players, as first team got a rest day ahead of tough Europa League games.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, de Jong, Schans, Koeman (68. Lichaba), de Groot (63. Engin Ari), Sastrodimedjo (68. Vormer), Janssen, de Jong, van der Aar, Knol

First half was pretty even game - both teams got some half-chances and some shots on target. Perhaps Vitesse looked even more dangerous, because their strikers, namely Anthony Smith looked threatening and Zeus Florentina had to make some good saves to deny those shots. We looked motivated in the first half, but didn’t do enough to open scoring in the first 45 minutes.

Second half continued in the same fashion until Simon Janssen broke the deadlock in 58’ - he sent his shot low from the edge of the area and that rolled past Vitesse goalkeeper. The playmaker has given a lot of assists in this season, but it was his first goal in this year. Things got easier for us in 75’ - Nick Sleegers clattered Erwin Vormer in the box and the referee awarded the penalty. It was a harsh call, as replays show, but that didn’t matter. Vitesse’s Remi Mercier protested so furiously that he received his second yellow card and received his marching orders. Kevin de Jonge took the penalty, but his spot kick was saved by the goalkeeper. However, Stef Veldman managed to score just two minutes later and that decided the game. It was a hard fought win for us - we improved our game in the second half. For a weakened team it was a very good result. Young goalkeeper Zeus Florentina did very well with some key saves and he deserved his clean sheet.

• our shooting was 23/12
• we allowed 22 dribbles for Vitesse
• we collected 5 yellow cards - we are the team with the worst discipline in Eredivisie and again we got too many bookings

 

15.03.2035 - Olympique Lyon - AFC Ajax 4:2 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 1st leg) - 60., 78. and 80. Daniel Ngo’o, 72. Federico Barrientos - 15. Johan van Dalen, 58. pen. Knol

I anticipated a very tough games from this tie, especially in away game. We practiced defensive positioning before this game and I used our Champions League tactics in the first leg - standard, fairly wide, more disciplined. Our captain Tom Drost was suspended for this game and that forced me to start with Nabil Herder in right defense. 

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba (63. Koeman), Engin Ari (79. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (68. van der Aar), Knol

Lyon got small initiative after kick-off (as I anticipated), but worrying sign was that we were losing headers in our box and from set pieces. That was potentially dangerous sign, as I expected our opponents to get a fair amount of corners and free kicks in this game. But against all odds we opened scoring in 15’ - excellent counter attack and a cross from Stef Veldman found Johan van Dalen in the box. Our left winger took a half-volley and sent it into the net. Lyon switched to more attacking style after our goal and in 20’ Glenn Avanel had a great chance to equalize, but his shot from angle hit the bottom of the post and went wide. Lyon tried harder in attack, but we too found some gaps in their defense and before the end of the first half Stef Veldman had two good shots on target. Van Dalen’s strike was the difference at half time, as it was a fairly even game in the first half.

We started the second half well and almost found our second goal - Stan Knol sent his shot just wide from close range. However, our defense started to crack and Lyon found better chances in this half. Federico Barrientos had a great opportunity from the break, but his shot went just over, scraping crossbar. Stan Knol fell hard in 55’ and broke his hand, but kept playing and when Stef Veldman was tripped in the box by Michel, Knol was the man to convert our penalty and doubled our lead. Things looked really good at that point, with us leading with two away goals, but Lyon replied quickly and substitute Daniel Ngo’o headed in to make it 2:1. What then followed can be described only as complete collapse of our defense. Lyon found space on our wings, Glenn Avanel delivered deadly crosses to our box and our defenders were always just a little bit late to situations. Federico Barrientos equalized with a simple finish and Daniel Ngo’o added two more goals to complete his hat-trick. We went from 2:0 to 2:4 in 20 minutes and I couldn’t wait for this game to end soon enough. Final score 4:2 marked how much better Lyon was in the final 30 minutes. We did so well for the 2/3 of the game, but that was not enough.

 

18.03.2035 - MVV Maastricht - AFC Ajax 1:1 (ED) - 59. Raul Ibanez - 14. Sjoerd de Jong

Only two days to prepare for this league game. We take it a little bit less seriously, because it’s between two continental games and we have a good lead in the table. MVV are 10th in Eredivisie at the moment, but I expect us to be good enough to beat them with rotation players. Fred Koeman will be suspended for this game, but the rest of the team are fit and ready for this game. Stan Knol allegedly broke his hand in the previous game, but afterwards there was no sign of his injury, so he too is fully fit.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, de Jonge, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (55. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (63. Vormer), Janssen, de Jong, van Dalen (69. van der Aar), Knol

We looked a bit rough in the first minutes - a couple of players looked nervous on the pitch and we made some rushed decisions in attack, but Sjoerd de Jong scored our first goal in 14’ and that lifted some pressure from us. It was a good counter attack and excellent cross from Leslie Lichaba that found de Jong in front of MVV goal. It was sunny in the beginning of the game, but right after our goal it started to rain and wet pitch made things more difficult for us. MVV are physically strong team and it was harder to win duels in wet conditions. Stan Knol got our second great chance in 27’, but his shot was saved and we went to half time with a narrow lead. Not the best first half - a bit too many individual mistakes and poor decisions, but we have the lead and that’s what mattered.

Second half was a drab football until 59’, when Kevin de Jonge made a terrible mistake that led up to MVV goal. His backpass to Zeus Florentina was way too soft and was easily intercepted by Raul Ibanez and MVV striker finished his chance confidently. In 75’ Omar van der Aar fouled MVV player in our box and the referee awarded a penalty. Fortunately for us, Florentina stepped up and made a great save to deny Sjors Vink spot kick. It was a relief for van der Aar, who indeed made a very unnecessary foul in the corner of our area, far enough from our goal. Terrible decision from him, but hopefully he’ll learn from it. I was unhappy with our second half performance and that we gave away our led, but surely it could have been a lot worse for us. Stan Knol had a bad day - his shooting was way off target and he missed his clear cut chance in the first half, but surely that’s normal for a young player to be a little inconsistent. Kevin de Jonge’s mistake will certainly haunt him - when you’ve asked for more first team chances that’s not the best way to improve your place in the pecking order if this chance is granted. In conclusion - we were lucky not to lose this game and I expected players to do better.

• our shooting was just 20/4 - 12 long shots contributed to this stats
• we made 23 fouls - probably at least partly because wet conditions

 

22.03.2035 - AFC Ajax - Olympique Lyon 3:2 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 2nd leg) - 56. Stan Knol, 62. Johan van Dalen, 72. Omar van der Aar - 76. Glenn Avinel, 90.+1 Giovanni Galante

After disappointing second half in Lyon we had little hope that we could overturn this two-goal deficit. Lyon were favourites for the second leg game as well, so we practiced defensive positioning before the match and I hoped that perhaps we could at least get a respectable draw at hope. To add to our problems, Leslie Lichaba suffered back strain in training and he was out for the game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman (80. Hendriks), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (80. Vormer), Veldman, van Dalen (70. van der Aar), Knol

The first half was very quiet - possession was evenly distributed between teams and although we looked good to my eye at the sidelines, there weren’t any real dangerous moments to either side. Just a couple of shots on target, but those were easily dealt by goalkeepers.

Second half was when the action started. We took the lead in 56’ and it was youngster Stan Knol who looked determined to change something. His strike into the top corner came a little bit out of nowhere, but it was a great shot and inspired the whole team. So, when we had a free kick six minutes later, Engin Ari bent it ambitiously straight to the goal from 30 meters. The shot was saved, but the ball got loose and Johan van Dalen was the first to react and finish from rebound. We were up 2:0 and that means we have the advantage on away goals. Lyon players looked a little bit shocked, because in 72’ Omar van der Aar hit a wonderful goal from 18 meters and it looked like Lyon had no answer to our attacking confidence. We almost got lucky in 74’ when Stef Veldman’s cross bounced back from the upright, but then finally Lyon picked themselves up and started to fight back. Good combination and calm finish from Glenn Avinel made it 3:1. Stan Knol almost got his second goal in 88’ when his shot scraped crossbar on its way over, but in the end Lyon did enough to find another goal. Giovanni Galante found just enough space to score from IFK in injury time and that was a heartbreaking moment for us… so much effort and hopes, all threw out of the window in those last minutes. Final score 3:2 meant that Lyon will go forward from this tie and we fell short again, just as we failed in our last Champions League fixture of this season. Huge disappointment, because we really played very well over those two legs, but a little bit more experience and cool heads are needed to edge those close games.

• Engin Ari had a great game for us
• Fred Koeman came off with a bruised thigh and he’ll be out for a week

 

25.03.2035 - AFC Ajax - sc Heerenveen 2:1 (ED) - 45. and 54. Stan Knol - 2. Marco van Heusden

Last game of the month against overachieving sc Heerenveen. Our opponents should be a mid-table side, but they’ve in 5th position at the moment and playing fairly well in this season. We wanted to leave our disappointment over Lyon result behind, but I went to this game with several missing players - Fred Koeman and Leslie Lichaba were both injured, so my only option in left-back was Rick Hendriks (who can play in this position, but is very ineffective in attacking phase). Kevin de Jonge and Simon Janssen were suspended for this game and while de Jonge can easily be replaced, Janssen is the integral part of our attacking play and that makes things a lot more difficult for us.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Hendriks, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo (59. Engin Ari), Vormer, Veldman (63. de Jong), van Dalen (70. van der Aar), Knol

We didn’t start well and in less than two minutes conceded a goal. We cleared sc Heerenveen corner, but the follow-up cross found Marco van Heusden at our far post and he headed it in from close range. Nightmare start and this quick goal allowed sc Heerenveen to relax and defend in numbers. It was a struggle for us in this first half - we missed creativity and skills of Simon Janssen and our attacks didn’t produce any chances until the very end of the first half. Finally a good combination in the final minute and Stef Veldman found Stan Knol in front of the goal with a good pass. Simple finish for the youngster and we went to half time with 1:1 scoreline. It was a great time to score as well, because it made my team talk easier and gave the team some confidence.

We were a lot better in the second half. Germain Siereveld found a clear cut chance from IFK, but his shot was saved. However, four minutes later a terrible mistake by sc Heerenveen goalkeeper gave us the winning goal. His short pass to centre-back was easily intercepted by Stan Knol and the young striker finished his one-on-one situation calmly. Second half was under our control after that, and although we missed two more good chances, the final whistle markedo ur home win. I was pleased with the result, but not so happy with our performance. Then again, we missed some key players, so considering that it wasn’t too bad.

• we had 5 clear cut chances in this game
• we didn’t allow sc Heerenveen to create any real chances
• we allowed sc Heerenveen to make 24 dribbles in this game - too many for my liking

 

March was a little disappointing for us. We did well enough in Eredivisie, but Europa League was our big focus in March and we fell short of expectations. Not the expectations of the board, but my personal expectations, at least. Our European campaign has been impacted by Tarik de Wit injuries and that certainly has left its mark to our results.

 

Eredivisie

Things look fairly clear in the table. With five more games to go, we’re close to securing our next league title. Feyenoord have lost some points in the recent games and PSV have almost caught them in the table.

[Draakon]

Youth Intake 2035

 

I feel that we have a good cover and enough talent in most of the positions. However, if I can wish something from this year’s youth intake, it would be:

• a striker (or two) to cover Engin Ceylan’s departure and Tarik de Wit’s injury proneness
• a great left-back (to finally replace this average pair of Lichaba and Koeman
• advanced playmaker (for long-term replacement of Simon Janssen)

 

To answer my requests, this season’s bunch of youngsters looks like this:

 

There are strikers, but not so many other positions that I needed.

 

Erik Jansen

 

The best prospect of this intake. Driven, two-footed striker who has just turned 16 years old. Plenty of time to develop. Not the ideal player for single striker formation, because complete forward or false nine needs a better passing, but nevertheless I’m happy with this lad coming up to the team.

 

Elroy Meulensteen

Versatile central midfielder - can play in DMC or MC in various roles. Not quite the advanced playmaker that I hoped for (I dreamed of quickness combined with vision, passing and dribbling), but can fill that position too. Engin Ari will tutor him off the pitch to get his determination up and we’ll see what we can make of him then. Alson just turned 16, so plenty of time to improve.

 

Klaas Dekker

Right winger. Plenty of positives - physically very good player, with some flair and can be a decent set piece taker (considering how poor we are in this department as a team). His only problem is low determination, but that’s the easiest thing to improve by tutoring.

 

Martin van den Pol

Second good striker in this year’s intake. He’s physically strong and quick, has great teamwork and work rate attributes and has professional nature, but some things have gone astray too. For starters he’s very inconsistent, which could be a big problem. Then he has some poor attributes, like vision (that is necessary for single striker) and his preferred moves puzzle me. Why would he attempt long range free kicks if his long shot attribute is 4? Or why would he dive into tackles (or rather, dive to miss tackles) if he obviously can’t tackle at all? What’s the use of his work rate if he’s not brave enough to challenge properly or good enough to nick the ball away? Not sure he’s our first team material, but at least he has three years to develop and we’ll see.

 

Robert Visser

Solid centre-back option for the future. Strong enough, good in the air, good tackler and determined. Again, a very young player who has almost an extra year compared to others. Onyl curious thing is his desire to shoot from distance, but I can live with that.

[Draakon]

April 2035

 

04.04.2035 - PSV Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 2:1 (Dutch Cup Semi Final) - 4. Khalid Tran, 83. Ismet Gluhalic (og) - 71. Omar van der Aar

April started with the cup semi-final and another derby game against PSV Eindhoven. Because our position in the league is so strong, I regard this game our most important in the remaining season and prepared our strongest line-up for this fixture. We practiced attacking set pieces in pre-match training, but this was no easy challenge for us - PSV have been in great form in the second half of the season and they’ve scored a lot of goals, especially their loaned-in striker Khalid Tran, so perhaps it was no wonder that bookies considered PSV as slight favourites in their home game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Drost, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari (76. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (71. de Jong), van Dalen (62. van der Aar), Knol

PSV took the early lead and it was the second consecutive game in which we conceded an early goal. Ambitious attempt from some distance came on target, Ismet Gluhalic made a save, but let the ball get loose and Khalid Tran was there to finish from point blank range. It was a great start to PSV and it took some time for us to recover from it, but in 17’ we got our own clear cut chance - Johan van Dalen had a great look to equalize, but his shot went wide. We started to get a grip on the game and held most of possession, but struggled to make it count in front of the goal. Still, some chances came our way and in 35’ Stef Veldman had a good shot on target that required a brilliant save from PSV goalkeeper and in 41’ Veldman missed an easy chance after our good counter. We went to half time with 0:1 scoreline and I was mostly disappointed with our finishing - we had played fairly well in this first half, but couldn’t execute from our chances and PSV had the lead.

The players looked more motivated in the second half and most of the chances started to come our way. Clyde Sastrodimedjo smashed against the crossbar in 52’ and Stan Knol sent his header just inches wide a minute later. We didn’t get our equalizer until we made the changes in the second half and substitute Omar van der Aar then scored an equalizer. He showed excellent skill to take the ball into the box against two defenders, keep them away and then putting it in from under the arm of the PSV goalkeeper. We clearly deserved this goal because of the way we had played so far, but PSV picked themselves up fairly quickly and instantly started to attack better. Khalid Tran had a great chance to score in 76’ - fortunately for us Gluhalic saved that shot, but he made a bad mistake in 83’. PSV’s Rogier Steemers had a shot that looked like it was going wide of the goal, but Gluhalic went for the save and the ball deflected into the goal from his had. Poor mistake from our keeper and (although all the experts didn’t see it that way) to my eyes it was his second mistake leading to goal in this game. The final whistle called and PSV had one this battle. We fell short and the result was obviously disappointment, although we were a little unlucky in this game and with better finishing could have won it instead. Ismet Gluhalic will definitely feel responsible for the goals he conceded, but for the second year in a row we were not able to win the Dutch Cup.

• our shooting was 24/6 - too many attempts from distance and blocked
• Stef Veldman suffered dead leg and has to skip our next game
• Simon Janssen had a great game for us - his 15 key passes were key factor in our midfield

 

07.04.2035 - FC Twente Enschede - AFC Ajax 0:2 (ED) - 2. pen. Mario de Groot, 36. Omar van der Aar

Back to Eredivisie and we needed just one point to secure our title. FC Twente are in 9th position at the moment, but we should be able to defeat them easily, even in away game and some tired legs in the squad. Twente stadium welcomed us with wet and muddy pitch - not the best conditions for our style of football.

Squad: Florentina, Herder (69. Sandler), de Jonge, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Vormer, Janssen (52. Sener Arslan), de Jong, van der Aar (64. van Dalen), Knol

That muddy pitch could have played to our favour, however, because in the very first minute Sjoerd de Jong was fouled in the box by Martijn Koman and the penalty was awarded for us. Mario de Groot calmly finished from the spot and we took control of the game. Stan Knol hit the post with a fierce shot in 20’, but when Omar van der Aar scored our second goal with a simple tap in, it looked like the game was done. We had only those two chances in the first half, but that was enough to go on the break with a comfortable lead.

Second half was a fairly boring affair and we controlled the game until the final whistle. Good win for us, exactly what was needed and we secured our Eredivisie title with this win.

• we gave FC Twente no goalscoring chances
• Omar van der Aar scored his 10th goal of the season
• Jelle Sandler made his debut for Ajax in this game
• Mario de Groot pulled his hamstring and he’ll be sidelined for 3-4 weeks

 

14.04.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Utrecht 0:0 (ED)

We have four games left in our season and with the title secured, we can play them without pressure - it’s time to share playing time and give youngsters more minutes. FC Utrecht is a tough opponent, though. They’re 5th in the table and it’s a sort of a derby game too, so plenty of motivation despite our points in the table.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, de Jonge, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Vormer, Janssen, Veldman (61. de Jong), van Dalen (66. van der Aar), Knol

The game finished without goals, but there was plenty of action despite that. The best chances in the first half fell to FC Utrecht - in 16’ Nabil Herder gave a terrible backpass to our goalkeeper. Stan van Dijk intercepted it and was one-on-one against Ismet Gluhalic, but his shot went awfully wide and we escaped that consequence. Both teams had some shots on target, but another clear cut chance fell to FC Utrecht in 41 - Michel de Graaf found an opening after IFK, but his shot from close range was held well by Gluhalic. It looked fairly even first half - we had more possession and held the ball better, but couldn’t create enough good opportunities. FC Utrecht at the same time found two great chances, but missed those.

Teams were even more motivated after half time break. Stef Veldman made a great interception in 50’ and had his one-on-one situation, but his shot was brilliantly saved by FC Utrecht goalkeeper. FC Utrecht’s substitute striker Sjoerd Kok and our substitute Omar van der Aar then sa their shots going wide. Both teams tried to find a winning goal until the final whistle, but in the end draw looked like a fair result.

• our shooting was 24/5 - not enough shots on target
• we allowed FC Utrecht to make 24 dribbles - should have stopped their players better, but our young defensive line wasn’t exactly up to the task
• Engin Ari committed 6 fouls in this game (again too many)

 

20.04.2035 - AZ Alkmaar - AFC Ajax 2:0 (ED) - 21. Donny Weeber, 60. Bob Vissie

The last game in April was a trip to Alkmaar. AZ struggled in relegation zone for a long time, but have now improved their form and climbed into 13th place in the table. My assistant advised us to practice defending set pieces before this game and we did exactly that.

News from physio room were optimistic about Leslie Lichaba - he returned to full training in this week, but suffered food poisoning shortly after and has to miss this game too. Tarik de Wit has started his light training program and hopefully he’ll recover from his injury for the last games in May.

Squad: Florentina, Herder (70. Drost), de Jonge, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Vormer (60. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van der Aar (60. van der Aar), Knol

We played poor from the start - just a couple of half chances for us in the first half, but AZ got the breakthrough in 21’. Nabil Herder gave possession away in attack and after a switf counter Donny Weeber was one-on-one against Zeus Florentina and he took his chance really well. We couldn’t get our attack going, despite having enough possession and even controlling most of the game.

Second half looked pretty much the same and in 60’ AZ extended their lead. Bob Vissie header came from some distance, but some scramble in the box just in front of our goalkeeper confused everyone and the ball bounced freely into the goal. Poor set piece defense, Kevin de Jonge lost his challenge and Florentina took his eye away from the ball. I made substitutions after that goal, but those didn’t make any difference and we had to accept our first defeat of the league season with disappointing performance. Unacceptable despite our weakened squad.

• our shooting was just 16/5
• we allowed AZ to make 21 dribbles
• Engin Ari made his 200th league appearance for Ajax

 

I can’t be too happy with April. Yes, we secured our Eredivisie title, but it was easy with our lead. At the same time we lost the most important game against PSV and our rotation players have not impressed in recent games, although the pressure is off and they should use their first team opportunities better.

 

Eredivisie

[Draakon]

May 2035

 

06.05.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Groningen 1:0 (ED) - 38. Leslie Lichaba

Two home games to finish our season with and the first of those was more difficult challenge. FC Groningen have done exceptionally well and find themselves 4th in the table in closing phases of the season. However, their midfield star Klevis Dema is suspended for this game and home crowd should give us the advantage. Tom Drost is suspended from our side, but Leslie Lichaba, Mario de Groot and most importantly - Tarik de Wit, are all fit after injuries and will start in this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, de Groot (68. de Jonge), Vormer, Janssen, Veldman (71. de Jong), van Dalen, de Wit (61. Knol)

We had a small initiative from the start, but chances were not coming so easy and FC Groningen looked well organised defensively. Surely, they’re a good team, as their table position indicated. Simon Janssen had our first good shot on target in 13’ and in 35’ Johan van Dalen got a free header from close range that bounced back from the crossbar. Unlucky from the left winger. However, we broke through in 38’ - Tarik de Wit flicked on our free kick and Leslie Lichaba was there to head it in. Good header from the left back and we were leading. FC Groningen got their best opportunity in 43’ - Gerry Schuur had a fairly good shot on target, but Ismet Gluhalic was ready and parried it. I was pleased with our first half, because we played well in defense and in midfield and set piece goal looked good enough at this point.

Second half was even better under our control, although chances were still rare. Johan van Dalen had a half-chance in 67’ and his shot again smashed the crossbar - for the second time in this game, and Sjoerd de Jong got a crack in 72’, but his shot was well held by FC Groningen goalkeeper. It finished 1:0 and I was pleased with our win and performance.

• we didn’t give FC Groningen any real chances in this game
• we made 22 fouls - 9 of those were committed by Leslie Lichaba, who miraculously escaped without booking

 

13.05.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Eindhoven 1:0 (ED) - 87. Simon Janssen

It’s our last game of the season, a home game and farewell game for Tom Drost and Dirk van Grinsven, who have been true legends of this club, but should move on after this Summer. Dirk van Grinsven already announced his retirement from football after this season and it’s appropriate that our fans can bid them farewell in this home game.

We’re clear favourites for the game, but FC Eindhoven have plenty to play for - they’re 15th in the table and good result here will save them from relegation play-offs. However, when they fail to get any points, then it’s possible that they’ll drop down to 16th place. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and I shared playing time according to matches played, match fitness and yellow cards (meaning that all players who were one yellow card away from suspension are sitting on the bench).

Squad: Florentina, Drost, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba (71. Koeman), de Jonge, Vormer, Janssen, van Grinsven (64. de Jong), van der Aar, de Wit (64. Knol)

Another game with unusual line-up and that showed in the first half - it was a drab football until half time and our only great chance came in 17’ - Erwin Vormer found Tarik de Wit with well-placed through ball, but de Wit couldn’t use his chance and the shot was saved.

We needed to improve in the second half, but it didn’t happen to be, until we increased our pressure after substitutions were made. Omar van der Aar headed against the crossbar in 76’, but we finally found the goal in 87’ - Simon Janssen reacted first to the loose ball and finished with confident strike from close range. We should have played a lot better, but it was another win and clean sheet for us, so a positive finish to our season.

• our shooting was 22/7
• we didn’t give FC Eindhoven any scoring opportunities

 

Two wins without pressure and solid finish to our season.

 

Ajax goals: Johan van Dalen 17, Engin Ceylan 15, Stan Knol 14, Stef Veldman 12, Omar van der Aar 10

Ajax assists: Johan van Dalen 15, Simon Janssen 12, Stef Veldman 10

 

Eredivisie

 

PSV Eindhoven made a big push and went past Feyenoord in the last matchday of the season. 

Helmond Sport were relegated, but (as it has happened most times in recent seasons), both Eredivisie teams retained their places in the relegation play-offs. Roda JC Kerkrade were promoted to Eredivisie for the next season.

[Draakon]

Season Update 2034-2035

In conclusion it was a fairly average season for us and our results were clearly affected by injuries of key players - first team striker Tarik de Wit was injured 62% of the season and that (with Engin Ceylan’s departure in January) clearly weakened our attack. It didn’t affect our Eredivisie campaign, because although Feyenoord had a really strong start, we picked up our form and won the title comfortably in Spring, but we missed key players in the key moments of European campaign and fell just a little bit short in both Champions League group stage and in Europa League 2nd knockout round. We need a bit more depth in the team to tackle those situations better in the future.

It was a season of our rebuilding and the last season of our two legends - captain Tom Drost and Dirk van Grinsven. Both have played 400+ games for Ajax and have come from our own youth ranks. Both announced their retirement in this Summer, but will not remain in football after finishing their playing career.

At the same time we have plenty of young players eager to prove themselves in the first team. Nabil Herder played 20+ games as DR and did really well. Erwin Vormer had some good games in midfield and young winger Mark van der Plas has been really good in Jong Ajax, so he definitely deserves a chance in the first team. But most of all I’m impressed with Stan Knol - he shouldn’t have played a role in the first team, but injuries demanded that 18 years old striker needed to be called from Jong Ajax and he finished his season with 14 goals for the senior team. That’s a true relevation and perhaps the next wonderkid coming up.

 

Fans Player of the Season

1. Simon Janssen
2. Clyde Sastrodimedjo
3. Engin Ari

 

Goal of the Season: Clyde Sastrodimedjo vs. ADO Den Haag 25/08/2034

Young Player of the Season: Nabil Herder

 

Interesting Statistics

We weren’t the best attacking team in the league (PSV scored a lot more goals), but we played well in defense and lost only one game in the whole season. We used our chances fairly well - 45% of clear cut chances finished with a goal (pretty normal percentage), but we converted 16% of our half chances and that’s pretty good (average is around 10% in previous seasons). We didn’t have too much luck in scoring, though - we hit the framework no less than 19 times in 34 games. That’s a lot of goals that we didn’t get.

We do not have good set piece takers in our team, but still managed to get a decent amount of goals from corners and I’m happy with that. Our goalkeepers managed to save every third of opposition clear cut chances in Eredivisie and around 25% in all competitions (10 out of 40), so that’s pretty decent as well - no wonder Ismet Gluhalic was named the best goalkeeper in Eredivisie again.

 

Eredivisie Awards

 

Golden Boot

1. Khalid Tran - PSV Eindhoven
2. Remi Mercier - Vitesse Arnhem
3. Dave de Mos - sc Heerenveen

 

Top Goalscorer

1. Khalid Tran - PSV Eindhoven - 32
2. Chijoke Obafemi - PSV Eindhoven - 25
3. Georges Kongnyuy - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 23

 

Goalkeeper of the Year

1. Ismet Gluhalic - AFC ajax
2. Martijn van der Velde - FC Groningen
3. Peet Smetsers - ADO Den Haag

 

Young Player of the Year

1. Lars Ames - FC Utrecht
2. Khalid Tran - PSV Eindhoven
3. Remi Mercier - Vitesse Arnhem

 

Manager’s Manager of the Year

1. Me
2. Clarence Seedorf - Feyenoord Rotterdam
3. Sander Duits - PSV Eindhoven

[Draakon]

July 2035

 

We had three friendlies before Dutch Super Cup final (including 9:1 away win over Napoli) and I’m positive moving towards the beginning of the new season. All players are fit and friendlies are going well.

At the same time we have some changes in backroom staff - our Italian scout Giuseppe Martino decided to return to Italy and join AS Roma. U-19 coach Mitchell Dijks was offered managerial position of NEC Nijmegen and he accepted, of course. NEC survived the relegation play-offs in Spring and they desperately need to improve their squad if they want to have a better season after that. Hopefully Dijks will do well in that role and when asked in a press conference, I stated that I was proud of him and his appointment is a proof of his professional work here in Ajax.

 

28.07.2035 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 2:1 (Dutch Super Cup) - 46. and 88. pen. Tarik de Wit - 59. Kees van der Werff

This years’ Super Cup game was held in Amsterdam Arena, so it was almost like a home game for us. PSV are one of the favourites for this season and they’ve strengthened their squad in the Summer - ex-Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt retired and their loan star (Top Goalscorer and Golden Boot winner) Khalid Tran returned to England, but they acquired another ex-Ajax star defender Tarik Gennissen from Aston Villa and have signed their key players down with contracts with around £50,000p/w salaries, so it’s correct to say that they’ve invested a lot to be successful in the coming years. To beat them will be a challenge in itself.

We have Rick Hendriks injured, but the rest of the players are fit and ready (although match fitness level are still not exactly high, as expected in pre-season).

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder (7. de Jonge), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (37. Koeman), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (84. van der Aar), de Wit

The first half was a bit of a disaster for us. It started in 7’ when Nabil Herder had to come off with a sprained ankle. I replaced him with Kevin de Jonge, moved him to central defense and Germain Siereveld took DR position, but it was a forced substitution and desperate move, because Siereveld is a lot less effective in attacking phase and also a little bit slow against quicker wingers. The second bad moment arrived in 37’ when Leslie Lichaba received his second yellow card and marching orders with it. I was furious, because again our left back’s poor discipline let us down, but at the same time I felt that we’ve been unfairly targeted by the referee - we didn’t make too many fouls in the first half, but finished it with 4 yellow cards and 10 men. PSV instantly tried to take advantage of the situation and their best strikers Chijoke Obafemi had a couple of great chances in the end of the first half, but Ismet Gluhalic managed to make good saves and we could go to half time break with 0:0 scoreline and a tough second half ahead of us, with 10 men and one remaining substitutions.

I tried to encourage the lads in the half time break and it probably helped, because we took the lead right after second half kick-off. Tarik de Wit worked well to keep PSV defenders under pressure and he managed to take the ball away from Julio Silva and then went on to finish his opportunity with a great strike that goalkeeper Rene Rauws was unable to stop. PSV players looked clearly frustrated with that outcome and in the remaining of the second half we had to survive their constant attacks. Unfortunately the chances also came with their attacks and we looked unable to stop Chijoke Obafemi properly. Our defenders kept losing him, Edward Schans was often beaten in the air and we struggled to limit their chances. Only the fact that Obafemi himself wasted his chances and/or Ismet Gluhalic made some really good saves, helped to keep our clean sheet until in 59’ Kees van der Werff equalized from corner and made things even more difficult for us. PSV’s Edu had a great chance to score a winner in 80’ after a good counter and again Gluhalic was on hand to tip his shot over the crossbar. Finally, luck smiled at us right before the final whistle - Germain Siereveld was tripped in the box and the penalty was awarded. Tarik de Wit stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick and two minutes was not enough time for PSV to repair that mistake. A little bit lucky and unexpected win for us, but I was really delighted with how things came together for us.

Obviously this game didn’t give us much information about who’s the most likely favourites for the league title, because for most of the game we had to play with 10 players, so the questions remain even though PSV looked like they deserved to win this game.

• we won the Dutch Super Cup for the first time in 5 seasons, despite the fact that we’ve not missed the final in my reign
• our defense clearly struggled in this game against PSV’s numbers - their shooting was 23/10 and they created 5 clear cut chances: worrying numbers, but explainable with our red card
• Nabil Herder will be out for at least 5 weeks because of his sprained ankle

[Draakon]

August 2035

 

10.08.2035 - AFC Ajax - Sparta Rotterdam 3:2 (ED) - 36. and 54. Stef Veldman, 67. Johan van Dalen - 72. and 75. Ferry de Geer

Our Eredivisie campaign starts with a home game against Sparrta. Sparta should be a fairly easy opponent for us - their predicted to finish 14th and have yet to address some serious issues with their squad, namely signing a proper goalkeeper after their previous first team choice retired in this Summer and they also don’t have a single proper right-back in their first team. Sparta will probably try to solve those issues during August, before transfer deadline, but for the time being I conclude that they’re just not ready for that game.

We, on the other hand, look fairly good, although some problems in defense remain. Rick Hendriks is back in full training (although he hasn’t played in pre-season and needs match fitness), Leslie Lichaba is suspended because of his dismissal in Super Cup game and Jelle Sandler will need to cover for Nabil Herder’s absence in DR position. It’s a good chance for him to impress in those early games in August and fortunately the opponents in the first weeks are not too strong, too.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (66. Arabaci), Veldman, van der Aar (66. van Dalen), de Wit (70. Knol)

We played a very good first half. Omar van der Aar had the first great chance to score - he received a through ball from Tarik de Wit, had plenty of space and enough time, but sent his shot well wide. Stef Veldman had a great opportunity in 16’ after our counter-attack, but his shot was saved and in 32’ van der Aar missed another great look when his shot hit the post instead of going into the net. Jelle Sandler saw his deep cross turn towards goal and bounce back from crossbar and at this point I started to feel that indeed we’ve been very unlucky in this game, but in 36’ Stef Veldman finally managed to break through and finished after our counter. It was a good first half from us, but we missed some very good scoring chances and that could be a lot better.

We continued well into the second half. Omar van der Aar saw his shot being tipped over by Sparta goalkeeper, but in 54’ we scored another goal. Engin Ari tried his luck from distance, his shot bounced back from the post, but Veldman was there to finish. Johan van Dalen came on in 66’ and had instant impact on this game, scoring a quick goal and the game looked over in that moment. However, we got clumsy in defense and although Sparta had not pose any threat to us until that point, but Ferry de Geer managed to score two goals in quick succession and we suddenly looked lost on the pitch. I couldn’t understand what was going on and tried to figure out how to maintain our lead until the final whistle, but another blow came in 79’ when Jelle Sandler received his second yellow card and left us with 10 men. Inexperience combined with nervousness there and a big learning moment for the young right-back. The last 10 minutes were very nervous - Sparta were obviously encouraged after their goal and the red card,  but we had actually better moments from counter attacks. Stef Veldman could have completed his hat-trick in 87’, but his shot went wide. Sparta tried to apply pressure to our defense, but couldn’t find another good chance and so the game finished 3:2. It should have been much easier game for us and we actually were very good in the first 70 minutes, but the end of the game was a real mess and we allowed things to go completely out of control. It almost cost the game for us. Our finishing needs to improve too.

• our shooting was 23/8
• we created 7 clear cut chances
• Stef Veldman had a great game for us
• Fred Koeman will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks with sprained ankle
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

15.08.2035 - Roda JC Kerkrade - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 57. Artur Michalski - 1. Stef Veldman, 80. Johan van Dalen

Newly-promoted Roda JC are predicted to finish 16th in this season, but they have at least a couple of good players in their squad and they have put their emphasis on players with good teamwork. They play attractive 4-2-3-1 tactics and for us this away game is a good chance to see our loan star Erwin Vormer in action for Roda JC.

We, on the other hand, had serious problems with defense before this game - Nabil Herder and youngster Clive Noordhoff were injured and with Jelle Sandler suspended after his red card in Sparta game, I had to move Germain Siereveld to DR again. Fortunately Rick Hendriks is back in training after his injury and although he lacks match practice, this has to be good enough, because we have no other options. Leslie Lichaba starts in left defense, because Fred Koeman is injured.

Squad: Gluhalic, Siereveld, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (70. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van der Aar (57. van Dalen), de wit (79. Knol)

We had a great chance to the game - in the very first attack Stef Veldman used his half-chance well and opened the scoring for us. However, things settled down after that quick goal and it was a drab first half. Roda JC looked good with the ball and we actually lost possession in the first half. Our strikers found themselves in offside position too often and that meant we couldn’t create any good chances.

Second half wasn’t much difference and in 57’ Roda striker Artur Michalski found the goal. He first sent his shot against the crossbar, but our defenders were slow to react and Edward Schans’ touch wasn’t good enough, so Michalski got another chance and finished it off from close range. I tried to change things, but at first substitutions didn’t have any effect. However, in 80’ two substitutes combined our winning goal - Stan Knol delivered the ball into six-yard box and Johan van Dalen dived into tackle to put this into the net. Great fighting spirit from our left winger - it was the second game in a row when his goal proved to be vital for our win. The last 10 minutes looked fairly nervous again, but we held onto our lead and came away from this game with three points. We got the result, but I have no reason to be happy with our performance. For Roda, however, it seems that they’re good enough to keep their place in Eredivisie, if they play like this throughout the season.

• we lost possession 44/56 - the most surprising line in stat sheet for me
• we allowed 21 dribbles - another mark that we should have done better
• Player of the game: Germain Siereveld

 

18.08.2035 - AFC Ajax - Telstar 4:0 (ED) - 3. Stef Veldman, 50. Jelle Sandler, 71. Omar van der Aar, 78. Stan Knol

Back to Amsterdam Arena and another small team to play against. Telstar are predicted to finish 18th in this season, but after two match days they’re leading Eredivisie table and have made an excellent start to their season. We’re still clear favourites for this game.

We have Jelle Sandler back in the line-up after he served his suspension, but there are some tired legs in the team, because there’s just three days between two games. Johan van Dalen has deserved to start in this game after scoring two goals in consecutive games - Omar van der Aar will be on the bench and think about his missed chances in the previous games.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (69. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (69. van der Aar), de Wit (66. Knol)

We started the game very well. Quick counter-attack in 3’ gave us a great chance and Stef Veldman scored another goal in this season to put us in control. The rest of the half was more quiet - we controlled midfield, but only managed to create a couple of half-chances and went to half time with 1:0 lead. We looked OK in the first half, but could play a lot better, as I know very well.

Things improved in the second half. Clyde Sastrodimedjo tried his luck from distance and his shot was saved with difficulties, but then Jelle Sandler moved forward to finish from rebound - his first ever goal for Ajax and a rare moment for right-back to get his name on the score-sheet. Substitute Omar van der Aar added another goal from corner and in 78’ Stan Knol rounded things up for us with his first goal of the season. It was a very similar to our second goal. This time Mithat Arabaci had an attempt and Telstar’s goalkeeper Bob Leeflang couldn’t hold onto it. The ball fell to Stan Knol who scored an easy finish from close range. Final score looked very convincing and this game was perhaps a reality check for Telstar after their great start in this season.

• our shooting was 26/11
• we didn’t allow Telstar to create any chances in this game
• Jelle Sandler scored his first ever goal for Ajax
• Stef Veldman had a great game for us
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

25.08.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Volendam 2:0 (ED) - 58. Johan van Dalen, 71. Stef Veldman

Our schedule in August has been generous enough so we can start our season with games against bottom half teams. We’re clear favourites against FC Volendam in this home game - Volendam are predicted to finish 14th in this season and although they’ve invested a little more than £1m into new players, they don’t look much stronger compared to previous years. Their danger man Veljko Ostojic is now 33 years old and starting to show his age, even though he’s still very good in the air and I have to select my defenders according to their height and prowess in the air. It means that Edward Schans will be replaced by Rick Hendriks. The rest of the team will remain the same, because we played well against Telstar and there’s no need to change that.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (72. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (72. van der Plas), de Wit (55. Knol)

The first half was quiet. We looked to be a slightly better team, but we couldn’t create decent chances and the closest moment to a goal came in 7’ when Tarik de Wit sent won a header after our corner and sent it against the crossbar. In fact, we looked good in the air and won headers in set piece situations, but couldn’t direct them on target and those efforts were for nothing. So, I could not be happy with our first half performance and in addition to that, Jelle Sandler and Rick Hendriks looked nervous on the pitch and Sandler picked up a knock, too.

I changed things in the second half - asked full-backs to overlap more and soon took off underperforming de Wit. Stan Knol replaced him and dropped deeper as false-nine. That proved to be effective, as Knol and van Dalen combined our first goal in 58’ and it was a huge relief for me. Two minutes later Knol made a good interception and went on goal, but was denied by a brilliant save from Volendam goalkeeper Marcel Peters. Johan van Dalen had another chance in 62’, but his shot from angle hit the post and at this point it looked like control in this game has come more and more into our hands. Stef Veldman extended our lead to two goals in 71’ and that secured our position. I could send on youngsters and enjoy the rest of the game. Volendam’s danger man Veljko Ostojic finally showed his danger in the air in 82’ when he won a header from a corner and it cracked against our crossbar. That was a close call, but we controlled things better after that. Even though Veldman wasted his second clear cut chance in 87’, our win was certain at this point.

It was a poor first half, but we were better after the break and that was good enough to win this game.

• our shooting was 20/8
• we didn’t allow FC Volendam to create any good scoring chances
• Mark van der Plas made his league debut for Ajax in this game
• Jelle Sandler suffered calf train and will be out for 3 weeks
• Rick Hendriks and Tarik de Wit were disappointing - Hendriks looked good in the air, but otherwise error-prone, nervous and (later) complacent; de Wit offered no creativity in attack and his shots went off target
• Player of the game: Marcel Peters (GK) - FC Volendam

 

31.08.2035 - ADO Den Haag - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

Final day of the transfer window is even more busy because of this league game. ADO Den Haag are expected to finish 7th in Eredivisie, but they’ve started very poorly and have got only one draw from their first four games in this campaign. Their squad looks ready and fit and I don’t expect it to be a walk in the park in the away game, though. However, I was surprised when just before the game I found out that ADO Den Haag were marked as slight favourites for this game. We have four straight wins and they haven’t scored a single goal yet and they’re favourites against us? I wonder what sort of mushrooms have these bookies eaten lately...

Still, we have (again) problems in defense, because Jelle Sandler injury. Nabil Herder is recovered and back in training, but not fit enough to start in this game, so I have no other option than to use (again) Germain Siereveld in DR. Fred Koeman is also back in light training and I expect him to be back in line-up in our next games in mid-September.

Squad: Gluhalic, Siereveld, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (77. Burg), van Dalen (61. van der Aar), de Wit (56. Knol)

We started the game well and had a couple of half chances in the first fifteen minutes. The best one came in 11’ when Stef Veldman had a good look from our IFK, but he was brilliantly denied by ADO goalkeeper. The rest of the first half was drab football - we couldn’t find our mojo in attack, didn’t create any good chances and found ourselves constantly in offside positions. 

I managed to get the lads more motivated with my half time team talk, but it didn’t reflect in what I saw on the pitch. We continued to be poor in attack (and it got more evident why ADO have not scored goals - they’re just too invested in defense). The best chances in this half fell to ADO’s Bryan de Bruin - he found himself one-on-one against Ismet Gluhalic after a good counter in 63’, but great save from our goalkeeper kept our clean sheet. ADO had more shots and some of them on target, but the score remained goalless until the end. It was a por draw, especially because ADO looked a better team in the second half and they shut us down well in defense. We have to improve in the future if we want to win those games. I can’t be happy with Johan van Dalen and Tarik de Wit, who were both anonymous in attack and called for too many offsides.

• ADO Den Haag have not scored in the first five games now
• we gave ADO Den Haag 12 corners, but defended them well
• we allowed ADO to make 24 dribbles - too many
• Player of the game: Germain Siereveld - solid performance, even though he made 8 individual mistakes

 

I’m not happy with our performance against ADO Den Haag, but overall we’ve started our campaign well and 13 points from the first five games is not too bad. Some small injuries and suspensions have disrupted our rhythm, but we head to international break now and all players should be fit when Eredivisie campaign resumes.

 

Champions League draw was made and we were (again) seeded in the first group. We landed in Group D with Borussia Dortmund, Zenit and FC Basel. The draw was OK and I believe we should beat FC Basel and are fairly equal with Zenit, so we have our chances in this group.

 

Eredivisie

Good start for us, but PSV and Feyenoord are doing fairly well, too. ADO Den Haag are struggling in the bottom, without wins and goals.

[Draakon]

Transfers Update Summer 2035

 

I made two big decisions in this Summer.

First was about Sjoerd de Jong. Italian Serie A side Como was interested in him and I allowed him to go to Italy for £1,6m. He is 23 years old no, our second best right winger and unlikely to improve much, so there’s no point to keep him in the squad and keep the position. Instead I could use some younger prospects like Peter Lemmens in this position, but for now Raimond Burg can provide adequate cover for Stef Veldman.

The second call was a bit more difficult, but in the beginning of August I accepted Watford’s £6m+clauses (up to £7m) bid for Kevin de Jonge. He’s a good talent, but has some flaws and I’m not sure how he really fits in my system. I prefer Engin Ari in DMC and de Jonge played mostly in DC in the previous season, but he’s not good enough in the air to play DC in long-term and he although he’s a model professional and good player, he has one major flaw - he’s not good in big games and can become nervous under pressure and that was also often evident in his games for Ajax, so I reckoned that I will probably not get a better deal for him and allowed him to go for Premier League. I have to admit that I personally don’t believe he’ll make it there, but that’s already Watford’s problem.

In the very last day of the transfer window I had to made a quick call and match bid for a talented Ajax CT left winger Kwanele Nkoana, landing a talented 17-years old prospect for £725k. A rare moment for us to buy a player, but we’ve collected good prospects from Ajax CT before and I expect him to progress well in the near future. In this season, however, he’ll remain in Jong Ajax.

 

Loans

• Erwin Vormer to Roda JC Kerkrade
• Niek van der Ent to Roda JC Kerkrade
• Peter Lemmens to FC Eindhoven

 

Eredivisie Transfers

 

Eredivisie transfer window looked to be more busy than usual. Clubs in Holland are used to sell for more money that they spend and it was the case in this Summer as well, with FC Utrecht bringing in the biggest transfer fee for their talented left-back Danny Eind, who moved to Real Madrid for a whopping £18,25m. The final day of the window was busy as well - FC Twente made a lot of last minute deals to bolster their squad and a lot of players switched clubs inside the league.

In general, transfers brought roughly £29m net profit into the coffers of Eredivisie clubs. ADO Den Haag and PSV Eindhoven invested nearly additional money £4m into their players while FC Utrecht and AFC Ajax made the most profit. 

PSV also have the biggest annual salary with £24m. AFC Ajax and Feyenoord follow with £17-18m and FC Utrecht is fourth with a little less than £13m salary funds.

 

 

Major transfers in Eredivisie Summer 2035

• Danny Eind from FC Utrecht to Real Madrid for £18,25m
• Kevin de Jonge from AFC Ajax to Watford for £6m
• Remi Mercier from Vitesse Arnhem to PSV Eindhoven for £5,75m
• Jan Sanafikhah from Feyenoord Rotterdam to West Ham United for £4,3m
• Michael Diemers from AZ Alkmaar to FC Twente Enschede for £4,2m
• Ulisses Barros from Vitesse Arnhem to Nottingham Forest for £3,8m
• Maurice Jenner from Feyenoord Rotterdam to Celtic Glasgow for £3,5m
• Paulo Pires from Sporting Lisbon to Vitesse Arnhem for £3m (looks to be talented Portuguese midfielder, has already played some games for their U-21 national team)
• Fadel Harianto from FC Utrecht to Vitesse Arnhem for £2,8m
• Patryk Rodak from Lech to ADO Den Haag for £2,6m (pretty good Polish striker)
• Abubakar Onyekachi from AZ Alkmaar to Feyenoord Rotterdam for £2,5m
• Job ter Borgh from FC Twente Enschede to ADO Den Haag for £2,1m (ex-Ajax DC/DMC, probably not worth that kind of money)

Most notable free signing was Roda JC’s capture of Polish striker Artur Michalski and the most interesting loan move was ex-Ajax striker Wim Splinter, who moved from his current club AS Monaco to NEC Nijmegen on a one-season loan

[Draakon]

Squad Update 2035

 

This season’s first team is a lot younger than in previous years. Obviously, because two veterans retired, but we’ve included a lot of youngsters to fill those roles. I try to limit our squad size to 25 players. In this season it is 25 players, out of which Erwin Vormer and Jaap Hoogdorp are on loan at the moment. Average age is just 23,3 years (as of August 2035).

 

Goalkeepers

 

No changes here. Ismet Gluhalic is still our first choice, but Zeus Florentina has proved that he can be relied upon when it’s necessary.

 

Defenders

 

Right-back position is the most interesting one, with Nabil Herder, Jelle Sandler and youngster Clive Noordhoff (who starts for Jong Ajax) all eyeing first team place after Tom Drost hung up his boots.

The rest of the team are more familiar - Germain Siereveld, Edward Schans and Rick Hendriks fill central defense and Leslie Lichaba shares playing time with Fred Koeman in left defense.

 

Midfielders

 

One addition here - Mithat Arabaci returned from loan and I’m trying to find the best use of him. He’ll do well as box-to-box midfielder, but perhaps can fill the role of Simon Janssen as well. I also kept Sener Arslan in the team to give him minutes against smaller teams and help his development.

 

Wingers

 

Stef Veldman looks really good with improvements in training and his form. Sjoerd de Jong is gone and Raimond Burg is back to provide backup if necessary. There is more competition on the left - Johan van Dalen and Omar van der Aar will need to make space for young and talented Mark van der Plas.

Strikers

 

Tarik de Wit and Stan Knol should be capable duo. Hopefully they both stay fit in this season.

[Draakon]

September 2035

 

15.09.2035 - VVV Venlo - AFC Ajax 0:3 (ED) - 28. Stef Veldman, 46. Tarik de Wit, 67. Omar van der Aar

Our campaign continues in September with away game against VVV Venlo. VVV are predicted to finish 9th in this season and to my eye they look a little bit unbalanced as team. We used these two weeks well and players had time to recover from small injuries and train hard. I expected better performance from our attacking players in this game and expectations were made clear to them as well.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba (67. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (67. Burg), van der Aar, de Wit (65. Knol)

It was a quiet first half and we didn’t create too many chances. We won headers in VVV box and got one goal out of those when Stef Veldman scored with a very good header, but that’s not really good enough from our attacking players and midfield.

My half-time criticism worked well and we scored a quick goal after second half kick-off. Tarik de Wit took Leslie Lichaba’s cross down with his chest and scored a good goal from his chance. Omar van der Aar added another goal in 67’ and we secured a good win in the end.

• we didn’t give VVV any real chances in this game
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

Ajax board offered me a new contract and I accepted it. The new deal will keep me in Amsterdam Arena until 2039 with £30,000 p/w salary.

 

18.09.2035 - FC Basel - AFC Ajax 3:2 (Champions League Group D) - 29. Sven Wehrli, 38. Roman Wehrli, 53. Elia Kälin - 53. and 55. Tarik de Wit

It’s our first Champions League game in this season and FC Basel were slight favourites, according to the bookies. They play attractive 4-3-3 formation and we’re not very familiar against that,  but I expected us to do well. Either way, we needed good results against FC Basel if we want to have a chance in this group. We have a few players missing: Fred Koeman and Clyde Sastrodimedjo were suspended because yellow cards from the previous season.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Arabaci (81. Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van der Aar (46. van Dalen), de Wit (72. Knol)

First 20 minutes were fairly even football and the highlight of our first half was in 22’ when Stef Veldman sent his header against post. But then chances started to fall to home team and they finished their opportunities very well. Good combination from our left wing resulted in the first goal and when Roman Wehrli scored the second goal for Basel from IFK, we looked in trouble. Simon Janssen had a great chance in 40’, but his shot hit the post (again) and another combination from Basel exposed our defense three minutes later. At half time it was a bit difficult to find the right words about that first half - we were completely outplayed by Basel in the last 20 minutes and our defense crumbled in front of my eyes. We clearly couldn’t cope with that 4-3-3 formation and were exposed by fast-moving attacks.

I asked the players pull themselves together and show something different in the first half and that helped a little. Good defense-splitting pass from Simon Janssen found Tarik de Wit on the run and our striker finished his opportunity well. Right after our goal Mithat Arabaci had a great chance to score our second goal, but his shot was saved. However, the very next attack again brought a goal - de Wit doubled his tally and we looked much more dangerous before the final 30 minutes. However, FC Basel regained their composure and cemented their defense and held onto their lead until the final whistle.

It was a good second half from us, but very disappointing defeat. I expected us to get six points against FC Basel, but the loss from here could mean that our Champions League ambitions are doomed even before the campaign has really started.

• Simon Janssen had a great game for us, despite our defeat
• weak links were Omar van der Aar (didn’t offer anything in attack) and Ismet Gluhalic (couldn’t save anything that came his way)
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

22.09.2035 - AFC Ajax - sc Heerenveen 2:0 (ED) - 21. Tarik de Wit, 87. Omar van der Aar

I wanted to bounce back from our Champions League defeat with a win and we were favourites for the home game against sc Heerenveen, so I expected the team to do exactly that. sc Heerenveen was predicted to finish 8th in the table, but they’re still looking for their first win after the first six games, so it’s been a rocky start for them, to say the least. Their most interesting acquisition in this Summer is ex-Ajax goalkeeper Marvin Koops. Koops moved to SC Bastia three years ago, but played below expectations in the Ligue 1 and now the 32 years old goalkeeper moved back to Eredivisie.

Our team looked a little bit tired after European game and I felt that wise rotation was necessary. Nabil Herder was rested and Jelle Sandler started in right-back. Johan van Dalen recovered from his dead leg that he suffered in FC Basel game, so Omar van der Aar took his place in the line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba (55. Hendriks), Engin Ari (72. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (66. Burg), van der Aar, de Wit

We started the game well and Stef Veldman got two half-chances in a row in 3’. Both of his shot were saved, but that showed early on that sc Heerenveen defense looked vulnerable and we managed to keep them under good pressure for the best part of the first half. We scored our first goal from the corner - Tarik de Wit sent his header from target and that was saved rather clumsily by Koops, so de Wit got to rebound and finished his chance well. Scoreline was 1:0 after the first 45 minutes - we’ve looked good, but could have created more chances and what really bothered me was our number of fouls. Leslie Lichaba made 9 fouls in the first half and to be honest, was lucky to be on the pitch at half time, so I took him off early in the second half.

The game moved after the break and things looked similar to the first half - we had possession and tried to create chances and sc Heerenveen hoped to find an equalizer from rare counter or set piece situation. They got close in 78’ when George Okoro won a header in free-kick situation and that went only narrowly over our goal, clipping the crossbar in the process. That was a close call and I got a little bit nervous at the sidelines, but in 87’ we scored our second goal after excellent counter-attack. Combination by de Groot, Burg, Janssen and Omar van der Aar was too quick and well-executed for sc Heerenveen defense and van der Aar finished his chance with a great strike that secured us all three points from home game.

• our shooting was 21/8
• we didn’t give sc Heerenveen any real chances in this game
• we allowed sc Heerenveen to make 23 dribbles - a little bit too much
• we committed 25 fouls in the game and the referee had a lot of work - Leslie Lichaba was guilty of 9 fouls individually
• Simon Janssen had a great game for us
• Ismet Gluhalic played his 200th game for Ajax

 

27.09.2035 - SVZW - AFC Ajax 0:4 (Dutch Cup 2nd round) - 6. Mark van der Plas, 42. pen. Mario de Groot, 75. Mithat Arabaci, 90.+1 Raimond Burg

Our next game was easy cup game against amateur team.Although easy game for us, it was a massive event for our opponents, because over 1000 tickets were sold for this cup game and it was probably the first time we played against SVZW. It was a good moment to rest key players ahead of our derby game against PSV Eindhoven. Rotation players and youngsters will get their chance to impress.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Arslan, Arabaci, Burg, van der Plas (62. van der Aar), Knol

We started the game well and young winger Mark van der Plas opened scoring from a simple tap-in. We managed to hit the woodwork twice in the first half and needed a penalty to get our next goal. Mithat Arabaci was fouled in the box and Mario de Groot converted the spot kick. 

We continued well in the second half, with Mithat Arabaci scoring his first ever goal for Ajax from the corner and Raimond Burg added another goal in injury time. I expected more goals from this game, but the result was good enough and I can’t really complain about the performance.

• we had 66% possession
• our shooting was 34/11
• we had 8.29 average rating
• we created 7 clear cut chances
• we made 33 dribbles
• we didn’t give SVZW any chances in this  game
• Mithat Arabaci, Raimond Burg, Mario de Groot and Rick Hendriks were outstanding in this game
• Mithat Arabaci scored his first ever goal for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Mithat Arabaci
• we will play Excelsior in the third round game

 

30.09.2035 - PSV Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 4:0 (ED) - 19. Dennis de Jong, 31. Ismet Gluhalic (og) 49. Rogier Steemers, 76. Chijoke Obafemi

September ended with a tough away derby against PSV Eindhoven. PSV are expected to finish third in this season, but in my eyes they’re perhaps the strongest team in the league at the moment, so it’s a difficult challenge for any team. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and hoped for the best. Some of the PSV players looked a little tired, so I hoped that our better fitness could help us in the second half.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari (69. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van der Aar (50. van Dalen), de Wit (55. Knol)

The game started slowly, but in the first half it was PSV who looked more likely to pose a real threat to our goal. Chijoke Obafemi’s header in 19’ required a good reflex save from Ismet Gluhalic, but Dennis de Jong collected the rebound and finished his chance well. We had huge difficulties against Obafemi in the Super Cup game, but this time our defenders did better and he didn’t find too much space in our box. Rick Hendriks looked like a worthy opponent to him in the air. However, PSV soon scored their second goal from IFK. Stef Veldman allowed Adrian Tomash to have shot on goal, Gluhalic saved it, but the ball bounced on the line and in the end Gluhalic couldn’t clear it, so it was marked as an own goal. We went to half time, trailing 0:2 and I have to admit that defensively we weren’t good enough in the first half - PSV found chances and used them well. We, at the same time, couldn’t create much and our only half-chance in 34’ was missed by Tarik de Wit.

I reminded the players that we’re expected to be better than that, but it had no apparent effect in the second half. Another poor IFK defense gave PSV their third goal and that pretty much decided it. Our best chance gave in 67’ when de Wit found Clyde Sastrodimedjo with excellent through ball, but his shot was saved and in 76’ PSV scored their fourth goal - again from IFK. This time Fred Koeman was too slow to follow Chijoke Obafemi at the far post. PSV’s Remi Mercier wasted his clear cut chance in injury time and I couldn’t wait for the final whistle to blow. It was an embarrassing defeat for us. PSV was clearly better team on the pitch and while we weren’t SO bad, they just destroyed us from set pieces. We conceded three goals from free kicks and that was completely unacceptable. I looked furious in our dressing room and told the whole defensive line to look into the mirror and reflect on that performance. We definitely need to improve a lot before we will play Feyenoord in a week’s time.

• our shooting was 13/3 - not enough good chances and most of the shots well off target
• our average rating was just 6.79
• Player of the game: Dennis de Jong (PSV Eindhoven)

 

I have mixed feelings about our form in September. We’ve done well in regular Eredivisie games, but we failed when it really mattered - in Champions League and in a derby game against PSV. We need to play big games much better and, of course, there are questions of squad selection too.

 

Eredivisie

We remained 1st in the table despite that defeat. VVV Venlo have started their season well. FC Eindhoven and Telstar have both made a strong start. At the bottom of the table NEC and sc Heerenveen are still looking for their first win.

[Draakon]

October 2035

 

03.10.2035 - AFC Ajax - Zenit St. Petersburg 4:1 (Champions League Group D) - 17. and 44. Johan van Dalen, 42. Simon Janssen, 60. Stef Veldman - 45.+1 Engin Ari (og)

I wanted us to forget this defeat quickly and move forward, but October started with a tough Champions League game against Zenit. It’s important in many ways - we’re fairly evenly matched teams and it’s important to win at least the home game if we want to get anything from this group. And of course, Holland is contesting with Ukraine and Russia in nations coefficient table, so it’s important to do better in continental competitions than the clubs from those two countries.

We practiced defending set pieces before the game, I used Champions League tactics (more disciplined approach and wider formation) and selected more experienced players to our starting line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder (56. Sandler), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (70. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (60. Knol)

We started the game well and Clyde Sastrodimedjo got an early chance in 1’, but his shot was denied by a brilliant save by Zenit goalkeeper. Johan van Dalen scored our first goal in 17’ after a good cross from Janssen. We looked more confident and in control, but couldn’t relax too much, because Zenit got at least two half-chances in the first half and Ismet Gluhalic had to make big saves to keep our goal intact. The final minutes of the first half were extremely action-packed. Simon Janssen doubled our lead in 42’ with an excellent strike - he didn’t have too good of a look on goal, but hit the ball really well and it went into the net at the far post. Zenit were not yet recovered from that goal when van Dalen scored his second goal of the game with a simple tap-in. Things looked really great at that moment, but in the end of the half we allowed Zenit to get one goal back. Vadim Shestakov had a great chance in injury time, Gluhalic made a good save, but Engin Ari stood in the way of the ball and it deflected into our goal after his touch. A little bit disappointing, because that goal will certainly give Zenit some hope before the second half.

Zenit indeed looked much more motivated after the second half kick-off and we had to maintain our concentration. Chances went to both ways - Johan van Dalen saw his header hit the crossbar in 55’ and a minute later Zenit’s Ruslan Andreev found a clear cut chance from a counter-attack. Gluhalic was ready and made a good save. Our excellent counter resulted in a goal in 60’ and this time it was Stef Veldman who got his name on a score sheet. Ruslan Andreev had another great chance in 70’, but he wasted his opportunity and only managed to hit the post. Mithat Arabaci and Stef Veldman saw their chances being denied by Zenit goalkeeper, but it didn’t matter any more, because we had a solid lead and held onto it until the end.

It was a very entertaining game and our clinical finishing and discipline prevailed. That result could give us some much needed confidence and is exactly what I hoped for before the game.

• our shooting was 21/11
• Johan van Dalen, Stef Veldman and Simon Janssen were outstanding for us
• Player of the game: Johan van Dalen

 

07.10.2035 - AFC Ajax - Feyenoord Rotterdam 5:1 (ED) - 14. Johan van Dalen, 17. Tarik de Wit, 21., 39. and 43. Stef Veldman - 30. Georges Kongnyuy

We didn’t have too much time to rest after Zenit game and had to prepare for Klassieker Derby in Amsterdam Arena. We continued to practice defending set pieces in our pre-match training and I was pleased to see that the players are mostly fit and ready for the game. Feyenoord, at the same time, looked exhausted after their Europa League game in Thursday, and they had more injury problems too, especially in defensive line. That could play into our advantage in this game, and of course I expected home crowd to make things difficult for Feyenoord players - the stadium was sold out, as it should be before derby games.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (61. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (61. Burg), van Dalen (67. van der Aar), de Wit

We started the game well and got on the scoresheet fairly early - Johan van Dalen was completely unmarked in the box and received excellent cross from Stef Veldman and finished it confidently. Three minutes later Tarik de Wit doubled our lead with a fine header from a corner and when Stef Veldman added another goal from easy chance, it looked like Feyenoord are completely falling apart. However, their best striker Georges Kongnyuy found a chance in 30’ and so Feyenoord got one goal back and tried to find their way back into this game. Leslie Lichaba’s missed interception led to that opportunity and there wasn’t much that Ismet Gluhalic could do about that goal. Despite that bump on the road we finished the first half strong - Stef Veldman added another two goals in quick succession and completed his hat-trick before the half time. I was really happy at half-time, because it had been a brilliant performance in the first half and we’ve pretty much secured all three points before second half had even started.

Feyenoord made all three substitutions at half time and tried to change the game. The second half was indeed more evenly balance, but we looked comfortably in control and when the final whistle called, our fans could start to celebrate that memorable victory. Confident performance from the whole team and wonderful result for us.

• our shooting was 21/14
• we had 8.05 average rating
• Stef Veldman scored his 10th goal of the season
• Stef Veldman, Johan van Dalen and Simon Janssen were outstanding
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

21.10.2035 - MVV Maastricht - AFC Ajax 0:5 (ED) - 40. Simon Janssen, 46. pen. Tarik de Wit, 58., 84. and 89. Johan van Dalen

Two weeks of international football was behind us and we could use these weeks to train hard for our next game against MVV. I hoped to keep our momentum going and carry on confidence from Feyenoord game into this one. With this game starts our difficult schedule that extends into November - two games in a week for a three weeks period.

MVV are predicted to finish 13th in this season and they had some injury problems in defense, but in away game they’re fairly capable opponents and we couldn’t be complacent. We practiced defending set pieces before the game (a lesson learned after PSV defeat).

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (58. Sener Arslan), Janssen (67. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (64. Knol)

We played the first half really well - kept MVV under pressure, attacked in numbers and won dangerous headers in their box, but their defense held on and goalkeeper made some good saves to deny our shots. Johan van Dalen and Tarik de Wit wasted their clear cut chances in the first half and it took 40 minutes before we found a gap in their defense. Simon Janssen got the ball in the box, turned and managed to put it behind defense and goalkeeper for a well-deserved goal. 

The second half started much better - Nabil Herder was quickly fouled in the box and Tarik de Wit converted the spot kick. Pressure was off then and what followed was Johan van Dalen show. Our left winger scored his first goal with wonderful volley from Herder’s cross and added two more goals later in the game. Stef Veldman and Stan Knol had great chances too, but couldn’t find the net. To be honest - lack of goals from Stan Knol is starting to worry me. He gets decent minutes from the bench and finds himself in good positions, but his finishing has let him down in this season and it could soon start to affect his confidence.

In the end it was another impressive victory. We could have scored more goals, but it was a fantastic second half and I’m very happy with the team.

• our shooting was 33/16
• we had 60% possession
• we had 8.27 average rating
• we created 7 clear cut chances and didn’t give MVV any scoring opportunities
• we made 34 dribbles in this game, 13 of those were made by Stef Veldman
• Johan van Dalen, Stef Veldman and Nabil Herder were outstanding in this game
• Player of the game: Johan van Dalen

 

24.10.2035 - Borussia Dortmund - AFC Ajax 1:2 (Champions League Group D) - 85. and 87. Leo Thorandt - 38. Tarik de Wit

Our season continues with the away game against Borussia Dortmund and it’s probably the most difficult fixture in our Champions League group. We practiced defensive positioning before this game and I used my Champions League tactics against them - more disciplined and wider formation with more experienced players.

Holland boss Roberto Martinez was on the stands for this one, so it’s a great opportunity for certain players to impress the national team manager.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari (63. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (69. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (70. Knol)

We looked fairly good in the first half - couple of half chances before Tarik de Wit scored from a corner and we got the lead before half-time. More importantly - we defended well and managed to limit Dortmund’s opportunities in the game, so I was fairly pleased with our performance in the first half.

Second half looked the same and in 58’ Johan van Dalen missed two chances in a row - a moment that could easily prove decisive later on. Dortmund improved after substitutions and looked more motivated and attacking. Their pressure grew in the final ten minutes and Ismet Gluhalic had to make a couple of good saves, but in the end our defense finally cracked. Fred Koeman missed his interception and allowed Leo Thorandt a great chance and Dortmund’s winger didn’t waste that opportunity. Two minutes later it was again Thorandt who was open in front of our goal and that was it. At some point in the second half I already celebrated victory in my mind, but we let it slip away and returned from Dortmund with empty hands. I have to admit that our game fell apart a little after substitutions and players from the bench couldn’t offer that kind of intensity and positive impact to our game. That’s a tough learning experience for our young team and a reason why we have failed so many times in Champions League.

• we allowed Dortmund to make 33 dribbles in this game - a proof that Dortmund players are individually very good
• Fred Koeman had a poor game - costly mistake and he couldn’t handle Leo Thorandt in the final 10 minutes
• Player of the game: Leo Thorandt (Borussia Dortmund)

 

We’ve played half of the games in this group and have 3 points. We still have a chance, but I’m disappointed that we’ve given away games that we could have won, or at least we could have get one point. Instead we’ve lost two games narrowly and have to improve if we want to qualify from this group.

 

27.10.2035 - AFC Ajax - NEC Nijmegen 0:0 (ED)

It’s good that our schedule balances tough with easy and home game against NEC Nijmegen should be fairly easy for us. NEC are predicted to finish just 15th, but are at the bottom of the table - they have suffered 8 straight defeats and are still looking for their first win in the league. I rotated some players, because we have some tired legs after Dortmund game and I expect that our rotation players should be good enough to win this game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo (52. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (63. van der Plas), de Wit (68. Knol)

As expected, we dominated that game from the beginning and had a number of good chances in the first half. Clyde Sastrodimedjo was denied by a brilliant save from NEC Nijmegen goalkeeper, who managed to parry the shot against goal post. Unlucky! Stef Veldman and Simon Janssen sent their attempts just wide of goal and then came the first dangerous attempt from NEC - Alex Marco took a fierce shot from 20 yards and it required a brilliant save from Zeus Florentina. Great to see that our young goalkeeper was up to the task.Unfortunately our attacking players weren’t and in 33’ Johan van Dalen wasted another great chance, hitting the post once again when it was easier to score. First half was actually pretty good from us, finishing aside, but I expected us to find a goal or two after the break.

I asked fullbacks to overlap more and move forward in attacking phase, but it didn’t change much in our attack. NEC Nijmegen got their best chance in 63’ - Nick Gillett found himself alone in front of our goal, but somehow managed to miss his shot and in 74’ Leslie Lichaba received his second yellow card and was sent off. Things went from bad to worse, but as it often happens in football - when there’s more space on the pitch, the team that has more quality starts to play better and our smaller numbers didn’t mean too much. Our finishing, however, didn’t improve. Substitute Mark van der Plas wasted his great chance in 77’ and Stan Knol managed to hit the post three minutes later from another clear cut chance - our third  time to hit the frameworks in this game. Final whistle marked a very disappointing result for us - it should have been easy and to be fair, we created enough chances to win this one, but I’ve rarely seen worse finishing from our players in this season, so that’s the main reason we lost two points from that game.

• we somehow lost possession 48/52 in this game
• our shooting was 18/4 - need to hit the target if we want to score goals, especially when we have 4 clear cut chances
• our average rating was just 6.91
• Player of the game: Daudi Ferrere (NEC goalkeeper)

 

Leslie Lichaba was fined for 1 weeks wages because of his second dismissal in this season. He first felt that the fine was unfair, but I explained things to him and in the end we agreed that there are certain expectations that he failed to meet, so I hope that that’s enough of a lesson for him.

 

30.10.2035 - Excelsior - AFC Ajax 2:3 (Dutch Cup 3rd round) - 21. Sylvian Moennoe, 59. Jesper Verlijsdonk - 18. Sener Arslan, 78. and 92. pen. Tarik de Wit

The second easy game (on paper) was our cup match against Jupiler League side Excelsior. I was upset about our futile attack against NEC, but decided to continue with rotation players, because those are the games they should play and if they can’t perform against smaller teams, there’s no way they’ll improve by training alone.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Arabaci (59. Janssen), Burg, van der Plas (57. van der Aar), Knol (59. de Wit)

We started the game fairly well and took the lead in 18’ when Sener Arslan found the top corner with his shot from 16 yards - great strike from the midfielder and there wasn’t much that Excelsior goalkeeper could do about that. What was less impressive that it took only three minutes before we allowed Excelsior to equalize - good cross came in from our left, Schans and Hendriks were too slow to react before Sylvian Moennoe got to the ball and it was 1:1. We continued to have better chances in this game and Stan Knol continued his woeful goalscoring form with a bad miss in 37’. That’s another great chance he’s wasted in this season. I was not happy with our performance at half time - we needed to concentrate better in defense and finish our chances in attack. Sener Arslan was our only spark in midfield in the first half.

Second half looked similarly drab until 59’ when Excelsior managed to find their second goal, this time from corner. It was time to stop joking and I brought on big guns - Simon Janssen in midfield and Tarik de Wit in attack. That finally changed the game, because de Wit scored our equalizer in 78’ and we managed to take this game into extra time.

Raimond Burg was tripped in the box early in the extra time and de Wit confidently scored from the spot. It looked like we’ve finally turned things around, but Excelsior still got another chance - Jeremy van Buren had a great opportunity to equalize in 110’, but his shot only hit the post and Florentina collected it then. When the final whistle called it was more of a relief than anything else - we got a narrow win, but needed extra time for that and against Jupiler League side that is not good enough. I didn’t need our players to be exhausted after 120 minutes of football and that was not the sort of performance we’ve used to. Disappointed with some of the players and can certainly use this game as evaluation for playing time in the near future.

• our shooting was 24/12
• Sener Arslan and Raimond Burg were outstanding for us
• Tarik de Wit scored his 10th goal of the season in this game
• Jelle Sandler suffered thigh strain and will be out for 2-3 weeks
• we’ll play FC Oss in the next round - they stunned AZ Alkmaar in their third round game
• Player of the game: Sener Arslan

 

October started with some excellent results and brilliant performances for us, but then our form started to decline. The game that hurt the most was defeat from Dortmund, because we were in the winning position so late in the game, but it proves once again what we lack in European level. Last two games were disappointing, especially performances of some of the rotation players who (according to themselves) hope to get more first team football. We’ll see.

 

Eredivisie

 

No serious harm done by that draw with NEC Nijmegen. We’re still leading the table and PSV Eindhoven are virtual second. Vitesse are also doing fairly well.

[Draakon]

November 2035

 

02.11.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Utrecht 4:0 (ED) - 29. Simon Janssen, 48. and 66. Stef Veldman, 56. Tarik de Wit

November begins with principal game against FC Utrecht. A rival match in front of our home fans and Amsterdam Arena was sold out for the match. FC Utrecht are predicted to finish 4th in Eredivisie and they have a very good team. We had only two days to rest after we played 120 minutes in a cup game and so there were some tired legs in the team. We missed Jelle Sandler because of injury and Leslie Lichaba was suspended for this game, so defensive options were a little limited.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (62. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen (68. van der Plas), de Wit (62. Knol)

We controlled this game from the beginning and our first attempt on target came in 8’ when Engin Ari sent his free kick over the wall and FC Utrecht goalkeeper had to make a difficult save to parry it. Stef Veldman had a great chance after counter in 28’ and his shot was saved brilliantly, but the following corner brought our opening goal - Simon Janssen found the net. We had 1:0 lead at half time and it was a deserved lead - we had some good chances and dangerous shots from distance. FC Utrecht goalkeeper had a busy first half.

We looked even more impressive after half time break - Stef Veldman doubled our lead with a great strike on a turn and Tarik de Wit scored with a volley from IFK. FC Utrecht occasionally had a shot on our goal and Juddy Menga had their best opportunities. His shot in 63’ required a good save from Ismet Gluhalic, but our clean sheet was intact and in 66’ Stef Veldman doubled his tally after another counter-attack. When the final whistle called, it marked a great result for us with impressive performance and I was really happy with what I saw on the pitch.

• we lost possession 38/62 - it didn’t really show when watching highlights, because FC Utrecht was content passing the ball between defenders, but we were so quick and lethal in transition that we created way more scoring opportunities
• our shooting was 18/12
• we committed 30 fouls with Engin Ari and Fred Koeman both responsible for 8
• we won 91% of tackles - very determined defeding
• Stef Veldman had outstanding game for us
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

06.11.2035 - AFC Ajax - Borussia Dortmund 1:0 (Champions League Group D) - 28. Simon Janssen

It was a narrow defeat for us in Dortmund, but it’s time to leave this disappointment behind and prepare for home game. We practiced defending set pieces before the game and I asked the players to play in wider formation than usual and be more disciplined on the pitch. As usual, more experienced players were selected. Roberto Martinez was on the stands again, so extra pressure for the players who want to be included in the national team.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman (64. Lichaba), Enigin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (57. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (89. Knol)

The game started slowly and we found a goal in 28’. It came from our counter, Stef Veldman crossed for Simon Janssen and our playmaker finished it calmly. Dortmund’s Omar Oltolina had a good chance to equalize in 39’, but Ismet Gluhalic made a brilliant save to deny him and we went to half time with a narrow lead. Chances were rare for both teams in this first half and it was a fairly even first half.

We were encouraged by our good first half performance and Simon Janssen almost doubled his tally in 46’. His shot hit the post and it was really unlucky that we didn’t get our second goal from there. Dortmund slowly started to increase pressure to our goal and their striker David Hernandez hit the target twice and Ismet Gluhalic had to be alert in our goal. Despite those attempts we managed to control the game fairly well and held onto our win. That was a very important result for us and I was really happy that we could turn small things to our favour in this game. It’s funny how things can turn around - we lost two games and things looked poor after that, but then two wins and we’re back in the competition. It’s important to win games in the group stage - draws won’t take you far enough. Let’s hope we can keep this kind of form going.

• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

10.11.2035 - AZ Alkmaar - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 32. Jan Jarc - 1. Stef Veldman, 39. Azar Haciyev (og)

Next in our schedule was a short trip to Alkmaar to meet AZ in Eredivisie encounter. AZ are predicted to finish 11th in this season and they managed to make £9m profit from their Summer transfers, so they have rebuilt a little and are not too much weaker as a result. We practiced attacking set pieces before this game. It was our last game before international window and I wanted to go to the break with a good feeling.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans (72. Hendriks), Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (78. Arabaci), Veldman, van Daeln, de Wit (64. Knol)

We started off with a flyer when Stef Veldman scored just after 22 seconds after kick-off. His shot took a little deflection from defender and AZ goalkeeper Azar Haciyev couldn’t react to it. It took some time until AZ finally got into the game, but they too found some chances and in 27’ Randy Hoogeland had a great opportunity to equalize, but his shot was parried by well-positioned Gluhalic. The equalizer came three minutes later when measured cross behind our defensive line found Jan Jarc and it was a very easy finish for AZ striker. We reacted well and scored our second goal in 39’ - excellent counter finished with a shot by Johan van Dalen. It was not clear if it even was on target, but AZ goalkeeper Azar Haciyev decided to go for a save and somehow managed to direct it into his goal instead. It felt like a little gift to us, but I didn’t mind. At half time we had a narrow lead, but AZ exposed our defense at least twice in the first half, so there was no room for complacency.

I tried to secure things by retaining possession in the second half - it increased our possession, but limited our chances. Still, things were more or less under our control after the break. Tarik de Wit had a good shot on target in 48’ - Haciyev did brilliantly to save this one and in injury time Rick Hendriks saw his header bounce back from the crossbar. In the end it wasn’t too convincing win for us, but we returned with all three points in the bag, and that’s the important thing.

• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

23.11.2035 - FC Twente Enschede - AFC Ajax 2:6 (ED) - 21. Michael Diemers, 41. Jean-Paul Smits - 1., 18., 20. and 37. Tarik de Wit, 25. Stef Veldman, 33. Johan van Dalen

We had a good two weeks for rest and training. Some players got international football, but we looked fit and prepared for return of Eredivisie games. FC Twente is predicted to finish 10th in this season, so I expected a difficult away game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (64. Sener Arslan), Janssen (64. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen (64. van der Plas), de Wit

The first half was incredible attacking football from both sides. We scored our first goal after excellent possession attack - we were patient and smart and Tarik de Wit finished our move off with a good goal. Johan van Dalen saw his header hit the crossbar in 14’, but de Wit added two more goals and completed his hat-trick in 20 minutes. It looked like demolition was about to start, but FC Twente weren’t beaten. Michael Diemers got one goal back for them and we were caught napping in this time. But our goalscoring didn’t stop - Stef Veldman added another goal and Johan van Dalen scored our fifth from IFK. Tarik de Wit completed his night with his fourth goal and even though Jean-Paul Smits scored the second goal for FC Twente with a free header from IFK, we went to half-time with commanding 6:2 lead. It was a tremendous football in the first half - brilliant attack so far, but obviously I was not too impressed by two goals that we conceded.

Second half was quiet and relaxed after this turmoil and both teams seemed to accept the result from the first half. I was very happy with our performance and goalscoring form.

• our shooting was 24/9
• we had 8.07 average rating
• Tarik de Wit, Stef Veldman, Johan van Dalen and Simon Janssen were oustanding for us
• Johan van Dalen scored his 10th goal of the season
• Tarik de Wit scored his 150th goal for Ajax
• Player of the game: Tarik de Wit 

 

28.11.2035 - AFC Ajax - FC Basel 0:0 (Champions League Group D)

Last game of the month is a very important home game against FC Basel and journalists made it even more important by reminding that this was my 1000th game in football management.

After our loss in Switzerland in the first game I almost lost any hope to get through the group stage, but our great result against Dortmund has put us back into competition and now I feel that we’ve got every chance if we play well and with good spirit. Big lesson from the first game was our inexperience against three strikers, but I believe that we’ve found a solution and I asked Engin Ari (DCM) to  play with defending mentality instead of usual support duties, so that he could stay back and track back more often and prevent those three strikers overwhelming our two-man central defense.

All those preparations were undone when FC Basel came against us with 4-4-1-1 formation, so it meant that we had less threats to deal with in defense, but we had a difficult task to break down their well-disciplined defense.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (72. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (66. van der Aar), de Wit (74. Knol)

The first half was quiet. Very quiet indeed and we had our first half-chance only in 41’ - Stef Veldman had a look, but his shot went wide. FC Basel’s Jeremy Tixier had a great chance to score in 45’, but his shot was too soft and it was held by Ismet Gluhalic. We went to half time with 0:0 and I reminded the players that we need to be concentrated in defense.

Those words didn’t have much effect, because FC Basel continued to create better chances - Elia Kälin had a great opportunity in 47’, but he only managed to hit the post. Tarik de Wit had our best goalscoring opportunity in 72’, but his strong shot was saved brilliantly by opposition goalkeeper. Injury forced substitute Mithat Arabaci to come off in 85’ and in the final five minutes we had to play 10 against 11. Elia Kälin found a great chance in the injury time and it looked like he could score a late winner for FC Basel, but Gluhalic made another save to keep his clean sheet and allow us to come away from this game with a point. In the end I had mixed feelings about that game - we had more shots, but FC Basel created much better chances, so we can’t complain too much about the final result. We certainly should have been better defensively and FC Basel again played a good game tactically - well organized in defense and managed to create chances with their 4-4-1-1 formation.

• our shooting was 20/3 - not good enough, nearly not good enough
• we made 22 individual mistakes, Germain Siereveld was responsible for 6 of those
• Mithat Arabaci came off with damaged achilles tendon and he’ll be out for 3-4 months
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

I can be  very pleased with our November - we had three wins in Eredivisie, a great result against Borussia Dortmund and I can’t be too upset with that draw with FC Basel.

 

Eredivisie

We have a very good lead in the table. At the bottom NEC Nijmegen and Sparta Rotterdam are in relegation trouble.

[Draakon]

December 2035

 

We have six games in December and the most important of those games is of course the final Champions League game against Zenit. Our league games in this months are fairly regular and we’re favourites for those games, so I expect us to continue our good form in the league and play at our best level in this decisive game in Russia.

 

01.12.2035 - AFC Ajax - Vitesse Arnhem 2:0 (ED) - 9. Stef Veldman, 35. Johan van Dalen

Our month began with home game against Vitesse Arnhem. Vitesse is predicted to finish 5th and to be fair, they’re looking really strong, both on paper and by actual results, so I knew this wasn’t going to be easy game. We missed Leslie Lichaba, who was suspended for this game, but the rest of the best players were in our starting line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari (61. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (68. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (75. Knol)

We took the lead in 9’ - Johan van Dalen sent a cross to six yard box and Stef Veldman made a slide to get a touch on the ball and put it over the line. Excellent start for a tough game. van Dalen scored our second goal with a fine header in 35’ - questions about goalkeeping in this situation, as Vitesse keeper got his hands to it, but still let it into the goal. Vitesse got their best chance in 42’ when Aurelien Lecomte got the ball and went for a counter attack. He managed to skip the challenge by Germain Siereveld and found himself one-on-one against goalkeeper, but Ismet Gluhalic made a great save with his feet and kept our clean sheet. I was pleased with our lead at half time - we used our chances well, although nervousness of Vitesse goalkeeper probably helped us on the way.

Second half offered no goals and less chances, but we had things better under our control. I was happy with our performance and result.

• we allowed Vitesse to make 28 dribbles - their wingers were very technical and at times we struggled to stop them
• Johan van Dalen had a great game for us and was named as Player of the game

 

05.12.2035 - FC Groningen - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

The second game in December wasn’t much easier. It was our first of four away games and we started with a trip to northern Netherlands. FC Groningen is predicted to finish 6th and they’ve shown very well-organized defense so far, conceding only 14 goals in 14 games. Their best midfielder Klevis Dema was suspended for this game and that could turn things to our favour, but I still expected it to be a struggle.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herdr, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot (69. Engin Ari), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (64. van der Aar), de Wit (79. Knol)

To be honest, it was a fairly boring game from start to finish. We had initiative and more possession, but FC Groningen were indeed very well-organized and defended with skill and motivation and managed to keep us at bay. Our best shot in target came in 51’ when Fred Koeman sneaked into the box and his attempt was fairly good too, but it was brilliantly saved by FC Groningen goalkeeper. So, in the end it was a bore draw and we looked a little bit out of ideas.

• FC Groningen got no chances in this game
• we won 91% of tackles - stat that I’m fairly happy with
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

After this matchday ADO Den Haag board made a decision and they sacked manager Piet Velthuizen. ADO dropped too close to the relegation zone and although it looks a little early in the season to fire managers, some changes are necessary and better to make them early than late.

 

08.12.2035 - Sparta Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 1:3 (ED) - 58. Corey Moore - 14. and 85. Omar van der Aar, 82. Stef Veldman

The schedule is tough and away games continue with three days interval and at this point we probably have to make some changes and rotate wisely to keep our key players fresh against Zenit. Sparta are in trouble in this season - they’re rock bottom at the moment and find themselves in relegation danger, so I hope that a few changes in our line-up won’t weaken us too much.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder (68. Sandler), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (55. Janssen), Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Aar, de Wit (59. Knol)

Good counter attack in 14’ gave us our first goal and it was the story of the game - Sparta could defend fairly well if organized properly, but when they lost possession, we could move forward quickly and then we managed to cut through their defense with relative ease. Sparta players looked nervous in the first half and although we didn’t put them under too much  pressure, we looked fairly effective in transition.

Sparta improved a little after half-time break and in 57’ they got their first shot on target. Corey Moore cut inside from our right wing and his shot was tipped over by Ismet Gluhalic. The following corner resulted in equalizing goal, because Tarik de Wit forgot to mark his man and it was Moore again who was first to the ball and scored from close range. Nothing that Gluhalic could do about that one and I was really unhappy at the sidelines - a cheap goal to concede from set piece. Sparta players gained confidence from that goal and with some substitutions made, it looked like the game might go away from us. Sparta went for the winner, but that opened their defense up for counters again and we almost punished them in 60’ - Simon Janssen wasted his great chances after counter-attack and sent his shot well wide. Very uncharacteristic for him. The goals came, though, in the final ten minutes. Another counter-attack from our left wing, Omar van der Aar crossed it to Stef Veldman and our right winger fired it in from 19 meters. What a shot! Excellent strike from Veldman and Sparta players looked desperate. And when van der Aar scored his second goal of the game three minutes later, that settled it. We came away with a win and I was happy with our determination in the end, even though it looked difficult for us in the second half. We improved when it mattered the most and I was very proud of the players.

• we had 63% of possession
• our shooting was 25/7
• we gave 56 key passes
• Omar van der Aar and Sener Arslan were outstanding for us
• Player of the game: Omar van der Aar

 

We’ve now played 17 games in Eredivisie and have 42 points. That’s very good for the first half of the season and other teams struggle to keep up with us. Sparta Rotterdam sacked their long-serving manager Georginio Wijnaldum after that defeat - being 18th in December is definitely not good enough for them and that defeat was the last straw for Wijnaldum.

 

11.12.2035 - Zenit St. Petersburg - AFC ajax 1:1 (Champions League Group D) - 34. Osvaldo Jofre - 80. Stan Knol

It was time for our most important game in December. It was a long trip to Russia and cold winter day to play football, but we went to give our best. I used our Champions League tactics - wider formation with more disciplined mindset. We missed Nabil Herder and Engin Ari due to suspensions, but the rest of the players were fit and ready.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba (62. Koeman), de Groot, Sastrodimedjo (60. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de wit (77. Knol)

We were very motivated, but right from the kick-off we were under pressure. Jelle Sandler replaced Nabil Herder in our right defense and he struggled against much better attacking players. The first chance for Zenit came from this zone in 4’ - Zakaria Brusnikin had to attempts and a great look on goal, but his shot from close range hit the post and was then cleared by our defenders. Brusnikin found opportunities and his header in 34’ smashed against our crossbar and then Zenit got their goal - Osvaldo Jofre’s shot from 14 meters was just unstoppable for any goalkeeper. We were 0:1 behind at half time and to be honest, we were lucky that it wasn’t worse after 45 minutes. We were not good enough in possession and Zenit kept things under control.

I switched to our regular Eredvisie tactics at half-time and that seemed to work better. Simon Janssen got our first very good chance of the game in 68’, but he sent his shot well wide of goal. We found the equalizer in 80’ - Johan van Dalen delivered a cross to the far post, it curled dangerously towards goal and cracked against post, but Stan Knol was there to finish off from rebound. Game on! We then had 10 minutes to find a winner, but we were very disappointing in that period - unable to create anything dangerous and when the final whistle called, be had to accept that we fell short again and had to settle with third place in the group. Very disappointing, but it probably reflects our abilities compared to the rest of the group.

• Stan Knol finally scored after 17 games without a goal
• Player of the game: Alexey Samsonov (Zenit)

 

Champions League Group D

1. Borussia Dortmund 12
2. FC Basel 8
3. AFC Ajax 8
4. Zenit St. Petersburg 5

 

15.12.2035 - FC Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 77. Halil Bölükbasi - 55. Stef Veldman, 86. Raimond Burg

It was our last league game of the year and I wanted to finish it with a good spirit. FC Eindhoven is predicted to finish just 17th, but they’re clearly overachieving and are currently 6th in the table. I’m happy to see Peter Lemmens who has had a great season for FC Eindhoven so far - 5 goals and 5 assists to his name in this season.

Sener Arslan came to me and asked for more playing time and I was happy to grant his wish - he’s been working hard in training and has played well so far.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Siereveld, Schans (68. Hendriks), Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan (68. Sastrodimedjo), Janssen, Veldman (61. Burg), van der Aar, Knol

Eindhoven welcomed us with a dump weather and wet pitch and that clearly left a mark to our game. We had more initiative in the game and Stan Knol got our first great chance in the game, but he was denied by a brilliant save from FC Eindhoven goalkeeper. Sener Arslan had a good attempt from distance in 44’ that was again brilliantly saved. Couple of good moments in the first half, but that wasn’t really good enough.

I tried to change our game and asked fullbacks to overlap more in the second half. That seemed to work better and we kept FC Eindhoven under pressure and that resulted in our first goal - Stef Veldman managed to find a goal from corner and that was a huge relief for us. But we gave our lead away in 77’ when we allowed FC Eindhoven to build up their attack from our left wing and Halil Bölükbasi had too much space in the box and that was 1:1 with less than 15 minutes to go. It looked like a frustrating draw for us, but we managed to score the winner in 86’ - Stan Knol had a good shot on target that was parried by goalkeeper, but Raimond Burg collected the rebound and managed to put it into the net. In the end I was pleased that the result came our way, but disappointed with our performance.

• we’re now unbeaten in 12 games in a row
• Simon Janssen had a great game for us
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

19.12.2035 -  AFC Ajax - FC Oss 3:1 (Dutch Cup 4th round) - 15. Stan Knol, 19. Sener Arslan, 43. Mark van der Plas - 8. Eli Leroy

The last game of the month (and year) was a cup game against Jupiler League side FC Oss. We played in Amsterdam Arena and we were clear favourites, so I sent out yougnsters and rotation players and expected them to do the job.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Janssen, Burg, van der Plas, Knol

We made a poor start to the game and allowed FC Oss to take the lead. Both fullbacks were slow to react to our opponents’ attacking move, Jelle Sandler was a step behind Eli Leroy and FC Oss winger headed it in from close range. Very disappointing start, but we equalized just seven minutes later - Stan Knol made a good interception and finished his chance with a good shot. Knol was in action four minutes later too - his soft through ball gave Sener Arslan a good goalscoring chance and our midfielder gave us the lead in 19’. The game belonged to us then and in the end of the first half we added another goal from counter - Raimond Burg found Mark van der Plas with excellent diagonal pass and the young winger finished his chance well. The game was more or less decided at half time and we controlled the second half much better, although the second half didn’t add any goals. Stan Knol had one great chance in 80’, but his shot was parried well by FC Oss goalkeeper. In the end I was fairly pleased with our win and the way we reacted to conceded goal. Youngsters did well enough.

• our shooting was 18/10
• we didn’t give FC Oss any real goalscoring opportunities
• Stan Knol had a great game for us
• Player of the game: Stan Knol
• we will play sc Heerenveen in the quarter final in February

 

A lot of movements in managerial positions in the end of December. ADO Den Haag hired Volendam manager Jason Oost as their new manager. Sparta Rotterdam made their decision and announced Kevin Strootman as their new manager and Mats Knoester was unveiled as FC Volendam manager after Jason Oost’s departure from that post.

 

Eredivisie

We have a very good lead in the table in December, being 10 points ahead of PSV Eindhoven and the rest of the pack. FC Twente have impressed so far and find themselves in European play-offs position.

[Draakon]

January 2036

 

It’s been a pretty quiet January for us. Young left winger Kwanele Nkoana joined us from Ajax CT (he turned 18 this Autumn, so transfer was postponed until January) and I loaned him back to Ajax CT right away - it’s better for him to get regular playing time there. Otherwise it’s been quiet in the transfer market - no serious offers for our first team players and some Eredivisie clubs offered ridiculous transfer fees for our hot prospect and rotation players (Rick Hendriks, Stan Knol, Sener Arslan) - I dismissed those proposals without a second thought.

Some loan moves had to be made, though. Goalkeeper Rob Pluim moved to sc Heerenveen, left-winger Mark van der Plas joined NEC Nijmegen for the next six months and Jelle Sandler went on loan to FC Twente Enschede.

 

We played two friendlies in January and I used those games to give opportunities and match fitness to youngsters and keep first team players fresh for the second half of the season. We won both games 5:0 and that gave us a lot of confidence for the second half of the season.

Clubs in Eredivisie made decisions about their management posts. ADO Den Haag hired Jason Oost (from FC  Volendam). Volendam reacted by appointing Mats Knoester as their new manager and Sparta Rotterdam unveiled Kevin Strootman as their new helm.

 

27.01.2036 - AFC Ajax - Roda JC Kerkrade 1:1 (ED) - 78. Omar van der Aar - 4. Rob Viergever

Eredivisie season resumes and we play Roda JC at home. Roda JC are 11th at the moment and in addition it’s nice to see our young talents Niek van der Ent and Erwin Vormer in action. They’ve played a lot of games for Roda JC in this season and developed well in the process.

We have all players fit, with Leslie Lichaba and Jaap Hoogdorp also back in training, but squad is a little bit thinner after loan departures, so we need to rotate and keep the players fit.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba (69. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sener Arslan (46. Sastrodimedjo), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (58. van der Aar), de Wit

The first five minutes looked like a disaster. Roda had initiative and it took only two minutes for them to get their first shot on target - Niek van der Ent had a good look from IFK, but Gluhalic was ready and parried it brilliantly. Then Cem Kocyigit saw his shot being saved by our Serbian goalkeeper and in the next attack Rob Viergever broke through - he moved to the box and Engin Ari was too slow to follow him, good pass from Kocyigit and he found the back post. This time Gluhalic couldn’t save us. The first half finished with 0:1 and I was disappointed - we lacked confidence and made too many fouls and rarely put Roda JC under pressure.

I changed tactics in the second half - 4-2-3-1 - and sent Clyde Sastrodimedjo on for Sener Arslan. Things started to look better and Simon Janssen got our first half-chance in 61’ - his attempt was brilliantly saved by Roda JC goalkeeper. Change of tactics had less effect than I hoped and I switched back to 4-1-2-3 + overlapping. Tactically we still looked poor, but we found an equalizer - substitute Omar van der Aar intercepted backwards header from Erwin Vormer and finished his chance calmly. The final result remained 1:1 and it was a very disappointing for us - we should have been a lot better at home and I wasn’t happy with our central defense in this game.

• we lost possession 47/53
• our shooting was just 9/6
• our average rating was just 6.82
• Clive Noordhoff made his league debut in this game
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen

 

30.01.2036 - Telstar - AFC Ajax 0:1 (ED) - 37. Stef Veldman

We needed to do better in this game after Roda JC draw and the players knew it. Telstar is 14th at the moment and after a pretty good start they’re slowly moving down towards relegation zone. Fred Koeman and Engin Ari were suspended for this game, so that made selection choices easier.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, de Groot, Sener Arslan (60. Sastrodimedjo), Janssen (67. Hoogdorp), Veldman, van der Aar, de Wit (72. Knol)

The first half was very uneventful and our goal was the only exception to that - Omar van der Aar crossed for Stef Veldman and our right winger finished his chance well. Otherwise it was a drab football from both sides.

Second half was slightly better, or at least we controlled the game better. Stef Veldman had a good shot in 61’, but that was well held by Telstar goalkeeper. Veldman also saw his header hit the post in 66’, but we didn’t get another goal and the game finished 1:0. Slightly better game for us in defense, but lack of creativity and chances was still evident. Simon Janssen looked absent on the pitch and he got the rating of 6.2 - very unlikely for him.

• we made only 16 key passes
• we didn’t give Telstar any real chances
• Player of the game: Omar van der Aar

 

Two games in January and a slow start for us, but I expect us to improve with the next games. 

 

Eredivisie

We’re still 11 points clear in the table and things look very good for us.

[Draakon]

February

 

February will be tough - we have 8 games in this short month and we need to rotate wisely to share playing time and keep the players fresh. The schedule is very difficult and we have a mixture of league games, cup games and Europa League knockout round games. With our strong position in Eredivisie table we can be confident with our league game and rotate players boldly, but the most important three games are in the end of the month - Europa League fixtures with Vitoria Guimaraes and Kassieker derby with Feyenoord in De Kuip.

 

02.02.2036 - FC Volendam - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 6., 19. and 45.+1 Omar van der Aar, 60. Stan Knol

February started with a trip to Volendam. FC Volendam are 15th at the moment and we’re clear favourites in this game. Some tired legs in the squad before this game, but the bigger problem was Ismet Gluhalic - our goalkeeper suffered food poisoning before this game and Zeus Florentina had to take place between the sticks for at least a couple of games.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (54. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman (60. Burg), van der Aar, de Wit (33. Knol)

We dominated the first half and Omar van der Aar was on fire. He converted two easy chances after crosses came in from our right wing and completed his hat-trick in extra time of the first half. Volendam barely had a chance in the game and it looked over at half-time. Stan Knol had to come in after Tarik de Wit picked up a knock and he tried hard to get his name on a score sheet - his fierce shot in 60’ rattled crossbar, but Knol himself picked up the rebound and finished his chance. Omar van der Aar too was slightly injured in 81’, and the injuries were perhaps the biggest problems for us in this game, because FC Volendam wasn’t a true match for us, despite the game being held in their home.

• we had 8.07 average rating
• Tarik de Wit will be out for 3 weeks with calf strain
• Omar van der Aar will be sidelined for 4 weeks with back strain
• Omar van der Aar and Clive Noorthoff were outstanding for us
• Player of the game: Omar van der Aar

 

05.02.2036 - sc Heerenveen - AFC Ajax 1:3 (Dutch Cup Quarter Final) - 12. George Okoro - 33. Johan van Dalen, 67. Stan Knol, 90+3 Mario de Groot

Our month continued with a cup quarter final. Only two days to prepare and we had some tired legs in the squad, but sc Heerenveen didn’t have more time to rest, so it was an even battle of fatigue, squad depth and physical preparation. We missed some key players like Ismet Gluhalic, Tarik de Wit and Omar van der Aar, but I had confidence that the team is good enough to beat sc Heerenveen.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (71. Koeman), Engin Ari (64. de Groot), Sener Arslan, Janssen, Veldman (71. Burg), van Dalen, Knol

sc Heerenveen had a good start to the game and in 12’ they took the lead. Nabil Herder is a short full-back and he lost his header against George Okoro in IFK situation. sc Heerenveen striker managed to direct his header exactly next to our goal post and Zeus Florentina could not get there in time - questions about our goalkeeper’s positioning can be asked, but we were trailing and had to react. Nabil Herder tried to do so and he almost scored a fluke goal in 22’ when his cross went towards goal and bounced back from the post. Johan van Dalen found the equalizer for us after excellent cross from Veldman and in 38’ Zeus Florentina had to make a brilliant save to deny another shot from Okoro. We didn’t create enough chances in the first half and although we didn’t give sc Heerenveen too good opportunities, they had two good shots on target and perhaps deserved to have a draw at this point.

I switched Stan Knol back to F9 from CFs at half time. sc Heerenveen almost took the lead after second half kick-off - Nabil Herder had a game of ups and downs and he lost the ball early in the second half, being the last man in our defense and Okoro went pretty much one-on-one against Florentina, but sent his shot wide of goal. We had our best chance to take the lead in 50’ - Stef Veldman took the penalty after Stan Knol was tripped in the box, but our best goalscorer in this season saw his penalty being saved and that was a wasted opportunity for us. Mario de Groot came on in 64’ and I switched his orders to DLPs instead on DMCs. It was effective, because his long pass released Stan Knol to attack and young striker kept away two defenders to score from a half-chance in 67’. Incredible solo effort from the young striker and we had the upper hand from there. sc Heerenveen had to open up their game and they were more attacking in search of the equalizer, but Mario de Groot scored our third goal from IFK in injury time and finished off this game. I know that we could play a lot better, but we did enough to win and reacted well after being behind. Mario de Groot made an impact in the second half and I’m pleased with his effort.

• we will play FC Groningen in the semi final in March
• player of the game: Dave de Mos (sc Heerenveen)

 

08.02.2036 - AFC Ajax - ADO Den Haag 3:0 (ED) - 4. Simon Janssen, 31. Stan Knol, 42. Stef Veldman

Again just a couple of days to prepare for our next game - ADO Den Haag should be a tough opposition, but they’re underperforming in this year and find themselves just in 15th place in the table. We concentrated in attacking set pieces training before the game and I was pleased to see that Ismet Gluhalic was fit again, so the Serb took the place in our goal.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman (67. Lichaba), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (22. Sener Arslan), Veldman (58. Burg), van Dalen, Knol

We took the lead early on - Simon Janssen opened scoring with a header after a good cross from Veldman. Stan Knol had a great chance in 10’, but his shot went well wide and Clive Noordhoff had a good look in 31’, but he reacted as a defender and his shot was parried by ADO Den Haag goalkeeper. However, Knol collected the rebound and finished off into the empty goal. Stef Veldman scored our third goal of the first half with a volley from corner and we went to half time with 3:0 lead after dominant performance. Our only concern was Simon Janssen - playmaker had to come off with injury in 22’ and Sener Arslan took his place.

We continued well in the second half - Johan van Dalen had a great chance and two attempts in 63’ that were brilliantly saved by ADO Den Haag goalkeeper and Stan Knol had a great chance in 68’ that was also saved. We could and should have scored a lot more goals, but I was pleased with our win and overall performance.

• our shooting was 31/12
• we created 6 clear cut chances
• we gave ADO Den Haag no chances in attack
• Simon Janssen twisted his ankle and he’ll be out for 3-4 weeks
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

13.02.2036 - AFC Ajax - VVV Venlo 3:0 (ED) - 57. and 87. Stef Veldman, 88. Stan Knol

We continue our Eredivisie season and host VVV Venlo in Amsterdam Arena. VVV is 12th in the table at the moment, but we’re clear favourites for this game. We practiced attacking set pieces before the match and I expect us to continue our good form in this game, even though we have five players out - Simon Janssen, Tarik de Wit, Mithat Arabaci and Omar van der Aar are out and Germain Siereveld caught cold, so he too will miss this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (44. Koeman), Sastrodimedjo (69. de Groot), Sener Arslan (72. Hoogdorp), Veldman, van Dalen, Knol

The first half did not go as I expected. We managed to only get some shots on target, but didn’t create anything dangerous and in 44’ chaos ensued, when Rick Hendriks pushed VVV player in corner situation and penalty was awarded. Leslie Lichaba couldn’t keep his calm and received his second yellow card for arguing and was sent off. Fortunately for us Robert Munter hit the post from the spot and so we didn’t concede a goal, but we went to the second half with 10 men and it didn’t look too good for us.

We managed to keep things under control, despite all odds, and in 57’ we found a breakthrough - Stef Veldman scored his 20th goal of the season. VVV didn’t create anything too dangerous, but their winger Leonardo Dupont made an attempt from 30 yards in 85’ and that shot hit the goal post - another lucky moment for us in this game. VVV took some risks and we had opportunities in attack, so after Veldman doubled his tally in 87’ and Stan Knol scored our third goal with a header just a minute later, it was all over. Excellent second half from us with a man down and good result in a game that was so close to be lost.

• our shooting was 19/10
• we allowed VVV to make 22 key passes - probably helped by their numerical advantage
• Stef  Veldman was outstanding for us, scoring his 20th goal of the season 

 

16.02.2036 - sc Heerenveen - AFC Ajax 0:2 (ED) - 23. Johan van Dalen, 87. Germain Siereveld

Again we play sc Heerenveen - for the second time in two weeks. sc Heerenveen is 8th in the table and they came against us with their usual 4-1-2-3 DM tactics. Germain Siereveld recovered from his illness before this game, but Leslie Lichaba was suspended, so our squad was as thin as in previous game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (63. Hoogdorp), Sener Arslan, Veldman (70. Burg), van Dalen, Knol (70. Mulder)

We had two good moments in the first half - first was in 23’ and resulted in a goal - Johan van Dalen converted a good cross from Nabil Herder. In 31’ Stef Veldman had a great chance to double our lead, but his shot was held by sc Heerenveen goalkeeper.

We played calmly and kept things under control in the second half and in the final ten minutes sc Heerenveen had to take more risks. That gave us some chances and after Raimond Burg hit the post and Johan van Dalen saw his shot being saved brilliantly, Germain Siereveld tucked it in after corner to secure us all three points.

I was pleased with the result and our defensive efforts - we kept a clean sheet and did well to break down Heerenveen attacks.

• we created 5 clear cut chances
• we’re now unbeaten in 20 games in a row
• 17 years old striker Wim Mulder made his debut in the second half
• Player of the game: Nabil Herder

 

21.02.2036 - Vitoria Guimaraes - AFC Ajax 2:3 (Europa League 1st knockout round 1st leg) - 7. Victor Palomino, 90.+2 Tiago da Silva - 41. Stef Veldman, 44. Sener Arslan, 47. Clyde Sastrodimedjo

We travelled to Portugal for our Europa League first leg game. Two teams looked pretty similar and home advantage makes Vitoria a slight favourites for this game. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and I asked the players to be more disciplined and play with wider formation in the away game. Tarik de Wit is back in full training, but he will start from the bench tonight.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder (65. Noordhoff), Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari (69. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (77. Hoogdorp), Veldman, van Dalen, Knol

 We didn’t have the best start to the game - Victor Palomino had just some space in our box and his shot went right into the top corner - unstoppable for Ismet Gluhalice. We tried to find an equalizer, but didn’t have luck at first - Stef Veldman headed against post in 19’ and saw his shot in 21’ being stopped by a brilliant save from Vitoria goalkeeper Hudson. Hudson looked very good in the goal, but he too was powerless when Veldman finally found a goal in 41’ - it was a smart move from our right winger, to move inside and receive a cross from Nabil Herder. Vitoria players’ heads dropped for a while and that allowed us to score another goal - Sener Arslan found the net with a good strike from the edge of the area and we went to half time with 2:1 lead. I was pleased with our efforts in the first half - we reacted well to conceding a goal and two goals in away game put us in a very strong position.

We started the second half very well too - Johan van Dalen found a clear cut chance in the very first attack, but his shot was denied brilliantly by Hudson, but Clyde Sastrodimedjo scored our third goal in the next attack. Stan Knol wasted another great chance in 77’ and when it looked like we were in good control of the game, Vitoria managed to stun us right in the end of the game - Tiago da Silva headed in from IFK in injury time and that made the final score 3:2. I was disappointed with this late conceded goal, but overall I was pleased with our efforts and the result, too. We’re in a good position for the second leg in Amsterdam Arena.

• our shooting was 24/10
• we made 27 individual mistakes, 8 of those came from Clyde Sastrodimedjo
• Germain Siereveld made his 100th appearance for Ajax in this game
• Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a great game for us

 

24.02.2036 - Feyenoord Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 3:1 (ED) - 2. Georges Kongnyuy, 19. Screve N’Goma, 70. Tini van Hemert - 55. Stef Veldman

The last league game in February, but the most important one - Klassieker derby, this time in away stadium. Feyenoord were certainly looking for revenge for the last meeting that finished with our 5:1 win. This time, however, we weren’t at our best - Simon Janssen was still missing, Omar van der Aar and Mithat Arabaci had just started light training. Tarik de Wit was ready to start, but his form was a question for us.

Feyenoord have been a little worse than expected in this year, occupying 6th place in the table - a position that their manager Clarence Seedorf needed to improve, because rumors about his position have circled around for a while now.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (69. de Groot), Sener Arslan (71. Hoogdorp), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (65. Knol)

We started poorly and in less than two minutes found ourselves 0:1 behind. Feyenoord’s best striker Georges Kongnyuy had two attempts on goal and his second shot went in. The attack started after Sener Arslan missed his interception in midfield. That quick goal derailed us a little and in the first 20 minutes Feyenoord dominated. Screve N’Goma scored their second goal in 19’ (missed header by Germain Siereveld gave that chance) and we went to the break after very disappointing first half. The scoreline wasn’t the first, but our performance was - although the game in midfield balanced out after Feyenoord goals, we couldn’t create anything dangerous in attack and a couple of headers won in their box was the best we could do.

The second half was a little better and in 59’ Stef Veldman put us back into the game with his goal - solid header that went in off the bar and at that point I was feeling that the game was on. Feyenoord’s Kaj Wassenaar wasted his clear cut chance in 61’, but in 70’ Tini van Hemert finished our comeback hopes with a great DFK that curled over our wall and landed in the top corner - nothing that Ismet Gluhalic could do about that particular goal.

The final result was a disappointment, but more importantly our performance was not good enough. The second half was fairly even game, but we didn’t create enough chances and first half mistakes cost us the game.

• our shooting was just 8/3
• we didn’t create any real chances in this game - difficult to score goals when we play like that
• that loss ends our unbeaten streak of 21 games
• Player of the game: Tini van Hemert (Feyenoord)

 

28.02.2036 - AFC Ajax - Vitoria Guimaraes 1:0 (Europa League 1st knockout round 2nd leg) - 1. Johan van Dalen

We didn’t have to do much in this second leg game - just to be well organized defensively, not concede more than once and we’re through to the next round. It looked like we can do this, especially with Amsterdam Arena behind us. We practiced defending set pieces before the game, to avoid any stupid errors in dead ball situations.

Good news from physios - Omar van der Aar was back in full training and Simon Janssen resumed light training, so I hoped to see them back in the squad soon enough.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans (65. Hendriks), Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (56. Hoogdorp), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (56. Knol)

We didn’t need much time to score - in fact, just 20 second and in our first attack we made a good combination, Stef Veldman crossed for Johan van Dalen and the left winger put us in control before Vitoria could get their minds on the task at hand. We continued to control the game for the best part of the first half. Stef Veldman had several good chances to score, but he was either wasteful or unlucky to miss many clear cut chances. He managed to hit the post in 20’ when it was easier to score and that continued into the second half - he did everything else well, like taking the ball away from Vitoria defender in 47’, but his shot from one-on-one situation landed in the post again. It was just that kind of game for him, but despite that rotten luck in front of the goal, we maintained our narrow lead until the final whistle and moved on to the next round with 4:2 aggregate win.

• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• we will play Shakhtar Donetsk in the next round
• Player of the game: Johan van Dalen

 

I can be pleased with our February, despite that derby loss against Feyenoord. We maintained our good form in Eredivisie and did well in Europa League, so in big picture we did as well as we could hope in the beginning of the month.

 

Eredivisie

We maintained our lead in the table (PSV couldn’t take advantage of our defeat, they made a disappointing 2:2 home draw with FC Eindhoven). Competition for the second place is still fierce, as is the relegation battle.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Draakon

[Draakon]

March 2036

 

So, without even noticing it, we’ve got through difficult February into March. We have six games in March and some key fixtures in the list are two games in Europa League against Shakhtar Donetsk and the Topper derby with PSV in which we hope to take revenge for the humiliating defeat in Autumn.

 

05.03.2036 - FC Groningen - AFC Ajax 0:2 (Dutch Cup Semi Final) - 37. Raimond Burg, 66. Stan Knol

We start our month with the cup semi final against FC Groningen. Good news before the game is that Simon Janssen is back in full training and ready to start this game. Mithat Arabaci has returned to light training and so we’re finally close to full fitness.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (68. Herder), Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Janssen (53. Hoogdorp), Burg, van Dalen, de Wit (63. Knol)

It was even battle in the first half and both teams defended well, but in 37’ we found the first goal - Johan van Dalen delivered a perfect cross to Raimond Burg and the right winger made it 1:0. Simon Janssen had a half chance in the end of the first half, but his shot went wide and that was it for the first half.

The game continued in the same fashion after the break. Substitute Stan Knol doubled our lead in 66’ after a good forward pass from Burg and when FC Groningen’s Nicolas Soria was sent off in 73’ for a reckless tackle on Johan van Dalen, the game was decided. van Dalen had a great chance to add another goal in injury time, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper. Nevertheless, a good win for us and we’ve through to the final with a confident performance. I was happy with what I saw on the pitch - very well played game in defense, well-organized formation and good discipline.

• we didn’t give FC Groningen any real chances
• we made 21 individual mistakes - not too good, but teammates covered well for those errors
• we will play PSV Eindhoven in the final
• Raimond Burg was outstanding in this game

 

08.03.2036 - AFC Ajax - MVV Maastricht 1:1 (ED) - 10. Tarik de Wit - 80. Yacine Benali

The first league game in March was at home against MVV Maastricht. MVV are 10th in the table and to be honest - our minds were already on Shakhtar game and I hoped that our rotation players could take all three points and give some key players a day off. MVV play pretty standard 4-4-2 formation.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Janssen (59. Hoogdorp), Burg, van Dalen (53. van der Aar), de Wit (53. Knol) 

We dominated the first half and Tarik de Wit gave us the lead with a good header in 10’. Soon after our goal, we gave MVV a great chance to equalize, but Raul Ibanez sent his shot well wide. It was a deserved lead for us at half time, but sure we could use some more chances than we created and most of our shots went off target.

The second half looked very similar - we dominated midfield, but couldn’t get shots on target. Stan Knol had a half-chance in 64’, but his shot was brilliantly saved by MVV goalkeeper. We couldn’t capitalize our possession and general control of the game and eventually we were punished by MVV. It was the second clear cut chance that we gave MVV in this game and this time our defense was completely taken apart, so that Yacine Benali could had a clear look on our goal and his finish was calm and composed. The game finished 1:1 and I was very upset with the result. I felt that we should have decided the game earlier, but we didn’t and so we dropped two points in a manner that was not acceptable.

• our shooting was 18/5
• Tarik de Wit finally got to scoresheet after 798 minutes of football without a goal
• Player of the game: Marc van Leeuwen (MVV Maastricht)

 

13.03.2036 - Shakhtar Donetsk - AFC Ajax 1:1 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 1st leg) - 11. Stef Veldman - 16. Artem Solovjov

Our tie with Shakhtar is very important. Both teams are evenly matched and bookies put emphasis on home advantage. I feel that we have a realistic chance to get through against Ukrainian side and so we will do our best to succeed. Winning is extra important, because Ukraine and Russia are two countries that fight with Holland in the League reputation table and UEFA club/league coefficient table. So - if we have a chance to move forward in expense of them, the best.

But the first leg was held in Ukraine, so that meant a long journey for us. We practiced defensive positioning before the game. Team news is that Mithat Arabaci is back in full training, but Stan Knol damaged his knee cap in training and he’ll be out for 4 weeks. I used our well-proven European tactics - asked the players to be more disciplined and play wider to take advantage of crosses.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder (78. Noordhoff), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Sastrodimedjo (65. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman (69. Burg), van Dalen, de Wit

Working on crosses paid dividends almost immediately. Johan van Dalen found Stef Veldman with a wonderful cross and right winger used his chance to give us the lead in 11’. However, Shakhtar equalized just five minutes later - Nabil Herder made a bad mistake and his missed header gave Artem Solovjov a great chance and there wasn’t much that Ismet Gluhalic could do about that. It was 1:1 after 16 minutes, but we had away goal and that could be crucial in overall score. We continued to play well and created some better chances in the first half - Stef Veldman wasted his opportunity in 31’ and in 35’ Tarik de Wit saw is shot from close range being saved by Shakhtar goalkeeper. Shakhtar players looked a little bit complacent in this first half and that opened up things for us, but our finishing could have been better.

We continued to show good football after half time break, but finishing didn’t improve (or Shakhtar goalkeeper just had a great game against us). Tarik de Wit put a fierce shot on target - that was saved with difficulties, but Johan van Dalen couldn’t score from the rebound. Stef Veldman hit the post in 60’ when it was easier to score. Missed chances accumulated and we almost came to regret them when the second bad mistake by Nabil Herder gave Shakhtar’s striker Souza a clear cut chance. Gluhalic was ready and tipped his shot over the bar. Entertaining second half finished 1:1 - we can be happy with the draw and away goal, but I hope that those missed chances won’t cost us that aggregate win in the end. We could have been much more decisive with our finishing.

• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• Player of the game: Junior (Shakhtar Donetsk)

 

16.03.2034 - NEC Nijmegen - AFC Ajax 2:1 (ED) - 56. and 83. pen. Wim Splinter - 63. Fred Koeman

NEC Nijmegen are 18th in the table and with the second leg game coming up against Shakhtar, I took a calculated risk and rotated freely to give key players a day off. Tarik de Wit needed a rest and so 17 years old Wim Mulder was brought to the first team and he was handed his first start for Ajax. Mulder is a bit unorthodox player, so his role in our formation was DLFs. It’s also nice to check up on Mark van der Plas who’s done fairly well for NEC during his loan spell.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Hoogdorp (70. Sastrodimedjo), Burg, van der Aar (56. van Dalen), Mulder (56. de Wit)

Things weren’t quite right in the first half. We looked OK on the pitch and our commitment was good, but as the team our movement was somehow out of sync. NEC almost took advantage of that - they got their best chance in 5’ when Wim Splinter found too much space in the area, but his shot was well held by Zeus Florentina. In 24’ Peter Zeinstra hit the crossbar with a header and a couple of half chances too went on target. We didn’t manage to create anything dangerous in the first half, so changes were necessary. I switched Mulder to F9s in attack, de Groot back to DMCs instead of DLPs and ordered fullbacks to overlap more.

That didn’t help much - instead, Wim Splinter opened scoring from IFK in 56’. Zeus Florentina was perhaps too optimistic to go for the cross and when he missed the ball, the goal was empty for Splinter to score. I instantly made substitutions and sent out our best attacking force. However, it was Fred Koeman who equalized in 63’ - he somehow managed to squeeze his shot in from between near post and NEC goalkeeper. In the next 20 minutes things were more or less in balance, but we missed it up in 83’. Wim Splinter was left completely alone in a corner situation and his header from point blank range hit the crossbar. It was a close call, but in a follow-up situation Tarik de Wit made a stupid fould and gifted NEC a penalty. It was completely unnecessary, because Peter Zeinstra was moving away from goal with the ball, but the striker was in an unfamiliar situation and made a wrong decision. Wim Splinter stepped up and converted from the spot and in the remaining minutes we couldn’t find an equalizer. Embarrassing defeat for us - mostly because our weakened team, but I expected better performance against the last club in the table. 

• our shooting was just 8/2
• our average rating was 6.83
• we made 24 fouls in this game
• Player of the game: Wim Splinter (NEC Nijmegen)

 

20.03.2036 - AFC Ajax - Shakhtar Donetsk 1:0 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 2nd leg) - 34. Johan van Dalen

We were in a good position after first leg game, but it was important to defend well and keep our clean sheet in this home game. We practiced defending set pieces before the game and again I used wider formation with more disciplined orders.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (68. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (77. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman (86. Burg), van Dalen, de Wit

We controlled most of the game and took initiative in the first half. Several half-chances and shots on target in the first 20 minutes, but in 22’ Stef Veldman had the best chance so far, but saw his shot being saved by Shakhtar goalkeeper. We didn’t give Shakhtar strikers too much space in our box, but they got some shots on target and looked dangerous nevertheless. Ismet Gluhalic did brilliantly to save Souza’s attempt from 15 meters. We took the lead in 34’ - Johan van Dalen intercepted a poor backpass by Shakhtar defender and finished his chance calmly. Two more clear cut chances in this first half - Leslie Lichaba wasted his opportunity in 43’ (a little bit typical eyes-closed finish of a defender) and Stef Veldman couldn’t use his second great chance of the game in the injury time. We looked fairly confident at half time, but of course, we needed to be much more clinical in front of goal.

Unfortunately we continued to miss our chances in the second half - Stef Veldman had a great opportunity in 63’, but his shot hit the post. Souza again looked the most dangerous of Shakhtar players and his shot was brilliantly saved in 70’ Stef Veldman missed his third easy chance of the game and substitute Raimond Burg couldn’t finish off our counter attack in 87’. The final whistle marked our 1:0 win and I was happy with the result, but our finishing was terrible and some great goalkeeping by Ismet Gluhalic kept our clean sheet in the other end. Not the kind of performance that helps us further in European level.

• our shooting was 22/11
• we created 7 clear cut chances
• we made 31 dribbles
• Leslie Lichaba made his 200th appearance for Ajax in this game
• Ismet Gluhalic had a great game for us
• we will play Villarreal in the next round

 

After the game Germain Siereveld received good news from Holland national team - Roberto Martinez called him up for the next international window.

 

23.03.2036 - FC Utrecht - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 15. pen. Juddy Menga - 33. Johan van Dalen, 90.+3 Tarik de Wit

The last game of the month was a rival match against FC Utrecht. Utrecht are 6th in the table and they’re missing some key players for this game, but I didn’t expect this game to be easy. We practiced defending set pieces in training and I knew that we need to concentrate better, because FC Twente are in a winning streak and they’re closing the gap with us.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari (71. de Groot), Sener Arslan, Janssen (62. Sastrodimedjo), Veldman, van Dalen (82. van der Aar), de Wit

We didn’t start very well and Tom Noordhoff’s lapse of concentration gave FC Utrecht’s Sjoerd Kok a great chance in 3’. Ismet Gluhalic did a great save to parry that shot from close range and kept us in the game. Gluhalic couldn’t help us in 15’, when Edward Schans pushed Juddy Menga in the box and the penalty was awarded. Menga converted the spot kick and FC Utrecht took the lead. We didn’t have too many good chances in the first half, but the best of those came in 33’ - Stef Veldman finally delivered a good cross and Johan van Dalen converted an easy chance from close range. The first half was fairly even and 1:1 looked like a fair outcome after 45 minutes of football.

I asked the players to be more disciplined and hold the formation in the second half. That closed things down and neither team had good chances after the break. The game had almost finished and I accepted draw as a fair result when Tarik de Wit found a goal in the last minute of the injury time. He somehow found the space and put his shot past the goalkeeper and into the net. Wonderful moment for us, even though we didn’t quite deserve it. FC Utrecht looked heartbroken and that loss will certainly hurt for a while. It could have gone either way and we managed to scrape that one - valuable three points in the table.

• we allowed 27 dribbles for FC Utrecht - Leslie Lichaba had difficulties with Jos van Leeuwen on our left wing and that also showed on the stat sheet
• Player of the game: Tarik de Wit

 

I have little bit mixed feelings about March. We won the games that really mattered - with Shakhtar and FC Groningen. To be honest, I expected our rotation players to be better than they actually were and the defeat against NEC Nijmegen was especially below-par. Still, no harm done and we’re continuing into April, still competing in all fronts.

 

Eredivisie

Title race is between us and FC Twente - they are on a long winning streak, but we have two games in hand. Our end of the season schedule is a tough one - games against FC Groningen, PSV Eindhoven and Vitesse, so nothing is for granted, but the title showdown is held between us and FC Twente in Amsterdam Arena already in two weeks time. PSV Eindhoven have lost ground in the table, Feyenoord are further down. In the relegation battle, Sparta Rotterdam have started to drop behind and they need to pick up some points soon.

[Draakon]

Youth Update 2036

 

This year’s youth intake exceeded my expectations. I didn’t get a proper left back that I hoped for, but we received six great prospects and two of those could become key players in the first team. It’s a very high overall level of those youngsters that makes me happy.

 

Lamin Plat

Excellent right-back in this age. Driven mentality, consistent performer and excellent teamwork are keywords, but his overall attributes are also impressive.

 

Wesley Graafland

Another striker (our youth ranks might get too crowded in this position) - professional nature, very determined and also could become a decent free kick taker. Still a long way from being a complete forward in our single striker formation.

 

Soren Vlijter

Young centre-back. Very talented and quick - that suits with our high defensive line, but has some weak spots too - balanced nature and low determination can be improved by tutoring. Overall consistency might be better. Needs some work if he wants to become first team player here.

 

Henk Blom

A little bit unorthodox midfielder. Professional nature is a big advantage, but he’s very tall and he needs work in most departments. Consistency might be an issue. Not sure he can excel in our formation and roles in midfield, but let’s see what I can get out of him.

 

Chandra Purwanto

Can play various positions from DC to MC, but looks the most like DMC for me. Should be better in the air to become a centre-back, but good attributes overall. A little bit injury-prone, as my physios have warned me.

 

Simon Roger Benteke

Good centre-back prospect. Fairly determined and very consistent performer, but flaws are also evident - needs to be quicker, stronger, more composed and work better in the unit. Could make it, but might not.

[Draakon]

April 2036

 

Because of our prolonged European season we have 7 games in April and that’s a tough schedule. It’s been normal to have 4-5 games in this phase of the season, so 7 is a pretty rare and our opponents in April are very difficult - two games with Villarreal in Europa League and the month ends with two back-to-back derby games against PSV Eindhoven - one of those is the Dutch Cup final. It is wise to use our first team players in European games and hope that rotation players do well enough to secure Eredivisie title in remaining games.

There was an international break in the end of March and Germain Siereveld was a surprise inclusion in Holland squad - 23 years old defender earned his first cap for his country.

 

05.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - AZ Alkmaar 2:0 (ED) - 41. Tarik de Wit, 56. Johan van Dalen

April starts with a relatively easy game in Amsterdam Arena. AZ are 12th at the moment - they brought in 7 new players in January and it looks like they haven’t got their team in sync so far. International break was a good chance to get some players back in fitness and Stan Knol returned to full training for us.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, de Groot, Sener Arslan (74. Engin Ari), Janssen (69. Arabaci), Burg, van Dalen (64. van der Aar), de Wit

AZ got their best chance of the game early in the first half. Tom Noordhoff missed his interception and Stan van Dijk had a great opportunity to score, but Zeus Florentina made a great save to deny him. Tarik de Wit’s ambitious shot in 15’ landed against the crossbar, but most of the first half was less exciting, until in 41’ Tarik de Wit opened scoring for us from easy chance. We were a little better side in the first half and probably deserved to lead at half time.

Johan van Dalen doubled our lead in the second half with a good shot from 15 meters and that was enough to secure our win and all three points. The rest of the game was uneventful, except Sener Arslan’s injury in 74’ - that looked pretty serious at first glance and he had to come off. Solid result in the end and efficient work from the team.

• we allowed AZ to make 23 dribbles in this game - should have controlled things a little better
• Sener Arslan will be out for 5-6 weeks with sprained ankle
• Player of the game: Johan van Dalen

 

10.04.2036 - Villarreal - AFC Ajax 1:5 (Europa League Quarter Final 1st leg) - 49. Julio Blanco - 12. Jose Dias (og), 47. Johan van Dalen, 57. Stef Veldman, 75. Tarik de Wit, 81. Stan Knol

Villarreal looks a slightly stronger team than Shakhtar Donetsk and they were favourites for the home game. We practiced defensive positioning before the game and used our regular Champions League tactics against their 4-4-2 formation. Leslie Lichaba was suspended for this game, but the rest of the team was available for selection.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Siereveld, Schans (60. Hendriks), Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (79. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (75. Knol)

It looked like Villarreal were not completely in this game mentally. They looked a little bit complacent and uninterested, but we had a lot of luck on our side in the first goal situation. Johan van Dalen moved to counter attack with the ball. He was completely alone and had nobody to cross to, but he delivered the ball into the box and it took a deflection from Jose Dias and bounced over goal line. Tarik de Wit wasted his clear cut chance in 16’ and after his header hit the crossbar in 33’, another great opportunity in 36’ was wasted. I was pleased with our game and 1:0 lead at half-time - our defense looked well organized and we had away goal that could be very valuable in the end.

We continued to dominate in the second half - Stef Veldman saw his shots saved brilliantly in 47’ before Johan van Dalen doubled our lead in the next attack. Villarreal still had something to prove and in 49’ Julio Blanco scored with a fine header from IFK. That goal gave Villarreal a way back into the game, but our excellent counter in 57’ finished this hope. We continued to attack well and de Wit’s 20th goal of the season extended our lead further. Substitute Stan Knol finished things off in 81’ with our fifth goal of the game.

It was a great game from us and a wonderful result in away game against strong opponents. Villarreal looked vulnerable defensively in the second half and we took full advantage of that. Second leg should be just a formality after that.

• we had 60% possession
• our shooting was 25/12
• we had 8.39 average rating
• we gave 58 key passes
• Johan van Dalen, Stef Veldman, Tarik de Wit and Engin Ari were outstanding for us
• Tarik de Wit scored his 20th goal of the season
• Johan van Dalen has now given 20 assists in this season

 

13.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Twente Enschede 2:1 (ED) - 16. Tarik de Wit, 68. Stan Knol - 90. Isaac Osei

That game is important, because it can decide the title race in April. FC Twente have been impressive, recording win after win and fighting their way up to 2nd place in the table. They have a good team and good tactical setup, so we have to be at our best to beat them.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (68. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen (66. van der Aar), de Wit (61. Knol)

FC Twente surprised me a little bit tactically - instead of their usual 4-1-2-3 DM, they came against us with 4-2-3-1. Perhaps too attacking formation in Amsterdam Arena. Could be one of the reasons why we dominated the first half and had two good chances - Johan van Dalen wasted his clear cut chance in 15’, but Tarik de Wit scored from the following corner and that goal gave us 1:0 lead at half time.

We continued impressively in the second half - some half chances went wide, but substitute Stan Knol made a good move into the box, received a pass from midfield and finished well - his 10th goal of the season. We looked confident and well organized throughout the game, but in the last minute we still conceded a goal - it was the first chance for FC Twente and their danger man Isaac Osei used it well. Ismet Gluhalic took the blame for the goal - he gave away possession too easily and FC Twente scored from the following attack. Despite that goal we took all three points and that was the decisive win for us - we’re now 9 points clear with 3 games to go and the title is virtually secure.

• our shooting was 22/10
• Stan Knol scored his 10th goal of the season
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

17.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - Villarreal 1:1 (Europa League Quarter Final 2nd leg) - 10. Johan van Dalen - 40. Alejandro Villegas

After beating Villarreal 5:1 in the first game, we’re in a very strong position to go through and need to just finish the job, so I was fairly relaxed before the game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Hendriks, Lichaba, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (58. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen (67. van der Aar), de Wit (60. Knol)

Villarreal came against us with interesting 4-1-3-1-1 formation, but it didn’t seem to make much difference, because in 10’ Johan van Dalen found an easy chance and we took the lead in that game. The first half finished 1:1, because Alejandro Villegas equalized with a fierce shot from the edge of the area. It was a great strike, I have to admit, and Ismet Gluhalic was just left standing. van Dalen had a great chance to double his tally in 42’, but his shot from six yard box was denied by a great save from Villarreal goalkeeper. I was still fairly pleased with our first half performance, because we played well and there wasn’t much we could do about Villarreal goal - sometimes shots like that come your way and sometimes they go in.

Villarreal was encouraged by that goal and in the second half their game improved. Alejandro Villegas’ shot in 53’ was saved brilliantly by Gluhalic. Four minutes later van Dalen only managed to hit the post when it was easier to score. Villegas kept creating chances for himself and we lost himself again in our box in 81’, but again Gluhalic was better in this duel.

Draw in this second leg game can still be regarded as a good result and I’m satisfied with the outcome.

• our shooting was 23/8
• we will play Everton in the semi final
• Player of the game: Tom Noordhoff

 

20.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Groningen 2:1 (ED) - 32. pen. Mario de Groot, 76. Raimond Burg - 79. Cees Vossebelt

We needed just 1 point from this game to secure our Eredivisie title. FC Groningen are 10th in the table, so I calculated risks and decided to use mostly rotation players in this game, aiming to distribute playing time and keep first team players fresh against two big games against PSV Eindhoven in the next week. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and rotating players means that young centre-back Mario van Eijk will get his first start for Ajax in this game.

Squad: Florentina, Herder (65. Noordhoff), van Eijk, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, de Groot, Arabaci (71. Janssen), Burg, van der Aar, Knol

It was a quiet start to the game, but FC Groningen had the first great scoring opportunity. Gerry Schuur found some space in our box in 26’ and Ismet Gluhalic made a good save to deny him. In 31’ Petro Oliveira clattered Omar van der Aar and we got the penalty - it was taken by Mario de Groot and the midfielder calmly put it next to the post. We had the lead at half time, but surely we needed more chances than we created in the first half - attacking movement looked out of sync and decisions weren’t the best.

The second half didn’t offer too much fireworks either. Raimond Burg doubled our lead with easy tap-in in 76’ and it looked like that settled it, but just three minutes later Cees Vossebelt got one goal back for FC Groningen - his header from corner went over Gluhalic and landed in our goal. That made the final ten minutes more nervous, but we held on and took the win - our weakened team did well enough to secure Eredivisie title and I was pleased with our win.

• we allowed 22 key passes and 21 dribbles by FC Groningen - clear sign that that we weren’t at our best defensively and in midfield
• Mario van Eijk made his first ever appearance for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Omar van der Aar

 

23.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 1:1 (ED) - 28. Tarik de Wit - 68. Mark Richards

It’s time for those two important derby games in the end of the month. The first one doesn’t decide much - only pride is at stake, because we still remember our 0:4 defeat to PSV very well and want to take revenge. PSV look strong, but they have struggled to get results lately and after FC Twente and Vitesse have been on winning streak, PSV find themselves in fourth place. We know PSV’s 4-4-2 formation fairly well and before the game we practiced attacking set pieces to capitalize from free kicks and corners.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (85. Herder), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (68. Burg), van Dalen, de Wit (74. Knol)

Things started slowly, but from 20’ we managed to put PSV under pressure for the first time. Clyde Sastrodimedjo fired on target and PSV goalkeeper just managed to tip his shot over the crossbar. Tarik de Wit headed against crossbar from the following corner and Johan van Dalen wasted his excellent chance to score just a minute later. Another fierce shot from de Wit rattled crossbar in 27’ and when it looked like we have a rotten luck that night, we finally found the goal - de Wit headed in from corner and at that point it was a well-deserved lead. Our pressure eased, but we took confidence from that goal and looked more comfortable with the ball. Johan van Dalen’s shot in 41’ required a brilliant save from PSV goalkeeper, but we couldn’t find another goal and went to half time with 1:0 lead. I can complain about our luck in front of the goal, but we played well in the first half and I was confident that we can continue this fashion after the break.

PSV learned the lesson and perhaps their manager made some changes at half-time. Anyway, they got things more under control in the second half and chances were rare. Stef Veldman saw his header clip the post and go wide in 65’ (our third time in this game to hit the frameworks) and of course, PSV then found the equalizer. Edward Schans missed his interception in the box, loose ball fell to substitute Mark Richards and he put his shot past Gluhalic. It remained 1:1 and it was a very disappointing result to take. We were unlucky not to score more goals in the first half and individual mistake gifted PSV the equalizer. Should have done better and the players know it.

• our shooting was 20/8 
• Simon Janssen had a great game for us and he was the player of the game

 

27.04.2036 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 2:0 (Dutch Cup Final) - 28. Johan van Dalen, 72. Stef Veldman

After that draw four days earlier, winning in the cup final was even more important to the whole team. We had a lot to prove to ourselves and to PSV as well. The final was held at De Kuip - neutral ground for both teams. We switched to practicing defending set pieces before the final. Bad news from training ground - Engin Ari suffered hernia in training and he’ll be out until the end of the season. Mario de Groot will take his place in DMC and that’s our only change in the starting line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (69. Herder), Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (80. Arabaci) Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (67. Knol)

We believed that we can beat PSV and the confidence and motivation showed in the first half. We looked slightly better team and chances started to come our way. Tarik de Wit had a great opportunity from close range after our counter-attack in 19’. His shot was saved by PSV goalkeeper, but the opening goal came in 28’ after another good attacking move that gave Johan van Dalen a good look. He finished it off with a good shot and we took the lead - it was van Dalen’s 20th goal of the season. PSV couldn’t create anything too dangerous until 39’ - Edu found some space in our box and his shot from close range hit the post and in the following attack Remi Mercier had a crack, but his attempt went well wide. We had the lead at half time, but couldn’t relax too much, because our goal clearly alarmed PSV and they improved towards the end of the first half.

The second half was more quiet, both teams tried to change pace with substitutions, but without much effect and the only good chance in this half came in 72’ - Stef Veldman had a great opportunity to score. He needed two attempts on goal, but found the net with his second shot and that goal settled it. Stan Knol wasted his opportunity some minutes later, but it didn’t matter - we kept our composure and clean sheet to win another Dutch Cup - definitely a great achievement for the whole team.

• our shooting was 24/9
• we created 5 clear cut chances
• Johan van Dalen scored his 20th goal of the season
• Player of the game: Clyde Sastrodimedjo - his midfield performance was a joy to watch

 

It’s been a great month for us - we defeated Villarreal (a little unexpected by most experts, I believe), we secured Eredivisie title and defeated PSV in the cup final. Can’t become much better. With that, we’ve won all domestic competitions of this season and can fully concentrate on remaining Europa League games in May.

 

Eredivisie

There’s still a battle for 2nd place. NEC Nijmegen can’t get out of relegation zone and they’re looking like they might finish in the bottom of the table.

[Draakon]

May 2036

 

01.05.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Everton 0:1 (Europa League Semi Final 1st leg) - 16. Marcel Becker

We prepared well for this home game. I knew that we couldn’t allow to concede too many goals, because that would be disastrous in the home game. We had no pressure, but a lot to prove. We practiced defensive positioning in pre-match training. Everton came against us with a pretty standard 4-4-2 formation - we’ve played a lot against 4-4-2, so I was fairly confident with our usual Champions League tactics.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba (76. Koeman), de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (67. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (de Wit (61. Knol)

The game itself was a very close affair. Chances were extremely rare and Everton scored the only goal of the game in 16’ - Marcel Becker won a header from a corner. It smashed against the crossbar, but Becker himself was the first to react and scored from the rebound. Stef Veldman had a half-chance in 18’, but his shot went well wide. I didn’t know it then, but it was our best chance in the whole game. Everton was extremely well organized in the remaining 70 minutes and we couldn’t find a single crack in their defense. Set piece goal for Everton proved to be the difference that night and we were a little disappointed, although 0:1 still left a lot to play for in the 2nd leg.

• Player of the game: Pavel Cerny (Everton)

 

04.05.2036 - Vitesse Arnhem - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 55. Aurelien Lecomte - 45.+1 Stef Veldman, 70. Omar van der Aar

Eredivisie game between two Everton matches sent us to Arnhem. Vitesse are a tough team to face in the away game and I would never underestimate them, but in this situation result was less important for us, so I sent out rotation players. Vitesse came for us with very similar 4-4-2 formation.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Siereveld, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Arabaci (70. Janssen), Veldman, van Dalen (62. van der Aar), de Wit (70. Knol)

The first 30 minutes of the game were fairly quiet, but then things started to happen. Clyde Sastrodimedjo made a good run into the box and received excellent through ball from Tarik de Wit, but his shot was saved brilliantly by Vitesse goalkeeper. Stef Veldman had a great scoring opportunity in 38’, but just managed to hit the post in 38’. We wasted two good chances, but had one opportunity yet more to come - Mithat Arabaci released Stef Veldman with a backheel pass and Veldman’s finish was much better this time. Late goal put us into the lead just before half time.

We looked more confident in the beginning of the second half, but soon Vitesse equalized - Aurelien Lecomte scored with a header from close range. But 15 minutes later we managed to score the winner when Stef Veldman delivered an excellent cross to the far post and Omar van der Aar was there to finish - it was his 10th goal of the season and a good moment for the left winger. Nabil Herder had to come off with injury in 73’, so we had to play almost 20 minutes with 10 men. We moved Mario de Groot to DR and he did fairly well in this unfamiliar role. We managed to hold onto our win, even though van der Aar wasted another clear cut chance in 86’.

I was pleased with the result and happy with the players who were on the pitch.

• Nabil Herder will be out for 6-7 weeks with strained knee ligaments
• Player of the game: Mithat Arabaci

 

After this game I took some time and dealt with some contract negotiations. It was time to start to look for the next season, so Tarik de Wit, Engin Ari, Ismet Gluhalic, Leslie Lichaba and Fred Koeman signed new deals until 2038-2039 season. We’ve done a good job to keep wage budget under control and we’re still paying just around £350k-360k per week.

 

08.05.2036 - Everton - AFC Ajax 3:0 (Europa League Semi Final 2nd leg) - 11. Lima, 18. Marcel Becker, 35. Chris Johnson

We didn’t make any big changes before away leg - the same defensive positioning training and the same squad. Sener Arslan returned to full training before this game, but he wasn’t fit enough to start, so no changes in the line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Siereveld, Schans, Lichaba, de Groot, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, (73. Arabaci), Veldman, van Dalen (73. van der Aar), de Wit (62. Knol)

We looked very motivated in the beginning of the game - a good sign, but it didn’t help much ,because Everton scored their first goal already in 11’. Lima found some space in the box and put it calmly into the far post. Questions about Tom Noordhoff’s positioning in this situation, because he was nowhere to be seen. Soon after Marcel Becker doubled Everton’s lead and we looked in trouble at that point. Stef Veldman had a great chance to score after our counter in 33’, but his shot was saved and two minutes later Everton added another goal from their counter. Nobody tracked Chris Johnson into our box from midfield and when the cross came in, he was alone in front of the goal to score Everton’s third goal. It was survival mode from now on, because there wasn’t much hope that we could score four goals in the remaining time. At half time I felt that we didn’t play poorly and perhaps didn’t deserve to be 0:3 behind, but we didn’t create enough chances and Everton was clinical with theirs.

The second half was more under control from both sides and at least it didn’t get worse for us. Stan Knol had a great chance to score a consolation goal in 84’, but he managed to just hit the post from close range. The second half in general looked slightly better, but the damage was done and Everton looked calm and confident with their lead.

• Player of the game: Lima (Everton)

 

11.05.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Eindhoven 2:0 (ED) - 22. Omar van der Aar, 31. Mario de Groot

It was the last game of the season and I wanted to finish this year off with a good game. We were clear favourites, although FC Eindhoven have been perhaps the biggest overachievers in this season and find relegation candidates find themselves in the 13th position in the end of the season. Rotation players will get another chance to impress and Sener Arslan is back in the line-up. Germain Siereveld is suspended for this game, but it doesn’t matter much, because I would have rested him anyway.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, van Eijk, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Arabaci (56. Hoogdorp), Burg, van der Aar, Knol (69. Jansen)

We took the lead in 22’ - Sener Arslan had an attempt from the distance, in fact from all the way out around 30 meters from goal. The shot was saved with difficulties by FC Eindhoven 

goalkeeper, but Omar van der Aar was there to finish from the loose ball. Mario de Groot doubled our lead in 31’ with a really outstanding volley from 18 meters - what a goal that was! Two great goals sent us to half time with 2:0 lead. The second half was more relaxed and although van der Aar had another clear cut chance in 72’, the ball went into the side-netting and there were no more goals in this game. Mario de Groot received his second yellow card in 87’ and was sent off before the end of the game. Despite that dismissal, it was a solid win to finish our season and I was happy with the players.

• we didn’t give FC Eindhoven any scoring opportunities in this game
• young striker Erik Jansen made his debut for Ajax in the second half
• Player of the game: Omar van der Aar

 

Two good wins in the Eredivisie this month, but Everton proved to be too much for us in Europa League. They went on to win the final as well, so we can’t complain about poor luck - they were just better team in those two games.

Despite that, I can be pleased with our season - Eredivisie title, Dutch Cup, Dutch Super Cup and reaching to Europa League semi finals. Not bad at all.

Ajax goals: Stef Veldman 27, Tarik de Wit 22, Johan van Dalen 20, Omar van der Aar 11, Stan Knol 10

Ajax assists: Johan van Dalen 21, Stef Veldman 20

 

Eredivisie

We won the league with impressive lead. It’s pretty normal that winning the title requires at least 80 points and we didn’t make anything extraordinary in this regard, but the rest of the contenders all struggled at some point during the season, so nobody really came close to 70.

FC Twente held onto their 2nd place. Impressive achievement for them and it meant that PSV Eindhoven had to settle with 3rd place. Feyenoord were disappointed with their season and their manager Clarence Seedorf fell under criticism in this Spring. He wasn’t sacked, but he resigned after this season and took charge of Poland national team in this Summer, so Feyenoord will need to start their off-season with the search for the new manager.

NEC Nijmegen were unfortunate to finish 18th with the same points as Telstar. Telstar and Sparta Rotterdam won their games in relegation play-offs and retained their places in top division. Go Ahead Eagles won Jupiler League and will be promoted to Eredivisie for the next season.

[Draakon]

Season Update 2035-2036

 

I was really happy with our results in this season. We won every domestic title we could win and reaching Europa League semi final is a lot better than our average continental campaign. In addition to everything else (reputation and money) it adds to our ranking points, so we moved up 6 places in European club ranking table and find ourselves in the 30th position after this season. I can only hope that this bunch of players (and some new youngsters) can improve going forward.

 

There are a few things that really stood out on the stat sheet in this season. Firstly - clear cut chances. We’ve done fairly well with our chances in Eredivisie, scoring at least from 50% of those. We have a good percentage of shots that go on target (in fact, Johan van Dalen leading Eredivisie in this category) and it’s a good sign, but it all changes in Champions League. In European level we can convert just around 30% of our clear cut chances and that’s too many wasted scoring opportunities, because against bigger teams those chances will be rare.

Another good stat from Eredivisie is our goals from corners - we’ve scored 9 goals from corners in this season (the best in Eredivisie) and it’s good to see us using set pieces better. On the other hand, our set piece defending could be better, because we’ve conceded too many goals from IFKs.

Embarrassing to say, but we’re probably the dirtiest team in the league. Most fouls, yellow cards and red cards in this season. Yellow cards are not a problem in itself, because we have enough depth in our squad to handle a suspension here or there. The problem is that constant fouling in the games against smaller teams brings down tempo in the game and gives our opponents some breathing time and I’ve noticed it really disrupts our rhythm. So, that could be the area we can improve in the future and perhaps be less physical.

 

Fans Player of the Season

1. Stef Veldman
2. Simon Janssen
3. Johan van Dalen

 

Goal of the Season: Stef Veldman vs. FC Twente Enschede 23/11/2035

Young Player of the Season: Stef Veldman

 

Eredivisie Awards

 

Golden Boot

1. Paulo Pires - Vitesse Arnhem
2. Jos van Leeuwen - FC Utrecht
3. Georges Kongnyuy - Feyenoord Rotterdam

Top Goalscorer

1. Georges Kongnyuy - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 34
2. Isaac Osei - FC Twente Enschede - 24
3. Stef Veldman - AFC Ajax - 22

Goalkeeper of the Year

1. Ismet Gluhalic - AFC Ajax
2. Stijn Bakkenes - FC Groningen
3. Azär Haciyev - AZ Alkmaar

Young Player of the Year

1. Ilunga Gödeken - Vitesse Arnhem
2. Nico Tol - Sparta Rotterdam
3. Peter Lemmens - FC Eindhoven (on loan from Ajax)

Manager’s Manager of the Year

1. Stefan de Vrij - FC Twente Enschede
2. Me
3. Joey Pelupessy - MVV Maastricht

[Draakon]

Offseason

 

Offseason started with holiday for the player and some rumours about manager movements. My name was speculated in connection with Manchester United and Real Madrid. No official contacts from those big clubs, though. I declined job interviews from Olympique Marseilles and Olympique Lille and then things settled down on this front.

I sat down with the board and we agreed to improve our youth training facilities that were downgraded after this season, so renovation works are on the way and scheduled to finish in November. We also agreed to add salary funds to assistant manager role to attract better staff to the club.

 

European Championships were held in this Summer. Stef Veldman was among 30 players that went to pre-tournament training camp, but in the end he didn’t make it into the team. That’s a shame. However, after his great season he requested the new contract and I accepted his point. He’s played a key role in this season and his £18,000 p/w contract doesn’t reflect that, so he signed a new deal (£38,000 p/w until 2040) and I was pleased to keep him in the team.

Two players were released after their contracts finished - Jaap Hoogdorp was surplus to our needs and youngster Ilias Namli too left the team after his deal ran out. Namli is a left back who couldn’t make it into the team after his season in Jong Ajax.

 

The biggest news in off-season in Eredivisie was probably Clarence Seedorf’s departure from Feyenoord. Their league position was disappointment, of course, but Seedorf had a huge reputation and that didn’t threaten his job. However, he decided to quit himself and accepted the job offer from Polish national team in this Summer.

Feyenoord reacted with appointing AZ’s Nico Elvedi as their new manager in July.

 

Transfers

I transfer listed two players in May - Raimond Burg and Omar van der Aar who I reckoned were dropping down to 3rd or 4th place in the pecking order for the next season, so it was probably time for them to move on. Raimond Burg was the first to go - I accepted AZ Alkmaar’s bid of £650k for him (up to £825k with clauses). In July Omar van der Aar joined Championship side Crystal Palace for £1,5m (up to £2,4m with clauses).

What I didn’t expect was a big interest in the services of Germain Siereveld. Queens Park Rangers came forward with a decent bid and if asked a lot more, they matched my price, so I let our best central defender go with heavy heart. He went to QPR for £9,5m (up to £10,5m with clauses). Personally for Siereveld it was a right move - he earned his first cap for Holland in this season and he needed playing time in higher level to develop further. His age (23) also probably the best age to move to bigger leagues, but for Ajax it means our defense is a lot weaker in the upcoming season and I have to include younger centre-backs into the first team. Fortunately we have a lot of those - Ifenildo Deyl, Mario van Eijk, Niek van der Ent and Ronald Jansen are in the list to compete for places in the squad next to Edward Schans and Rick Hendriks.

There were a lot of interest from big clubs in Sener Arslan and Mark  van der Plas too, but I was determined to hold onto those youngsters for at least another couple of seasons, so I declined all bids around £5m price range.

 

Loans

Despite those departures, I had some positions with three good players, so some of them needed to go to loan.

• Jelle Sandler joined FC Twente
• Erwin Vormer moved to Roda JC Kerkrade for additional season (he had a great time there in the last year)
• Kwanele Nkoana went to ADO Den Haag

 

Staff

I had some departures in this Summer - some coaches decided to retire, but to my own surprise it didn’t affect the quality of our training as much as I anticipated. I signed Italian Arturo Andreoni as our new U-19 manager - hopefully his guidance will result in a better league position than the 4th place we got in the last season.

 

July 2036

Pre-season went well (in fact, really well) - we did win all the friendlies, including 6:0 thrashing of Inter Milan in San Siro, all players were fit and we looked ready for Dutch Super Cup spectacle.

 

26.07.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Twente Enschede 2:1 (Dutch Super Cup) - 22. Johan van Dalen, 90.+3 Stan Knol - 43. Isaac Osei

The Super Cup game was held in Amsterdam Arena. FC Twente looked fairly strong (and slightly improved over Summer), but I could send out our best team and we were slight favourites against them in this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (90.+3 Herder), Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (63. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (77. Knol)

The game took off and it took a little time before anything really dangerous happened. Johan van Dalen took ambitious shot from the distance and that was brilliantly parried by FC Twente goalkeeper. Rick Hendriks was our starter in central defense and he made two high-profile errors in this game. The first one gifted Isaac Osei a half-chance in 21’, but Gluhalic was ready and saved this shot. FC Twente got a corner kick from that, but we won the ball back and launched our counter-attack that finished with our first goal - Johan van Dalen somehow squeezed his shot in from the first post and that was a disappointing moment for otherwise good FC Twente goalkeeper Paul Kuijpers. We seemed to control the game for a while after our goal - defense looked good and our lead gave us chances to move forward with quick transition attacks that looked fairly dangerous. That didn’t last until half-time, because Isaac Osei took advantage of another error by Rick Hendriks and equalizer for FC Twente came right before the half time whistle. It was a good combination from them - a string from one-touch passes that broke down our defense, Hendriks was out of position and missed his interception and Osei moved well into the gap to receive through ball. Beautiful football.

We were back to square one after the break. Second half was better controlled for both teams. FC Twente had two good attempts from distance - not really chances, but just ambitious shots that were well hit and went on target, so Gluhalic had to make a couple of great saves. We had our best chance of the game in 73’ - Tarik de Wit moved into the box from our left flank, found Simon Janssen with his pass, but the playmaker missed his easy scoring opportunity. It looked like it could go all the way to extra time and (perhaps) penalties, but it wasn’t to be, because substitute Stan Knol scored the decisive goal in injury time. He reacted well to loose ball and fired it into the top corner from 15 meters. Unstoppable strike and at what moment! FC Twente players looked devastated. We can say that we probably deserved to win, but honestly it was really harsh for FC Twente. Stan Knol has rarely scored a goal better than that and at least (as I remember) not in a moment like this. That goal gave us consecutive Super Cup wins and a good start to our season.

• despite our win we lost possession 45/55 - FC Twente formation was well set up well and they managed to hold the ball well
• Player of the game: Ismet Gluhalic - his few brilliant saves in the second half were decisive 

[Draakon]

August 2036

 

We moved towards the beginning of the new Eredivisie season with positive spirits. I declined Manchester City job interview and sat quiet during the time when speculations tied me to Athletic position. There was enough movement around other clubs in the league, though. PSV manager Sander Duits took charge of Holland national team, Stefan de Vrij left FC Twente for PSV post and FC Twente then appointed Joris van Overeem as their new manager (actually a good choice in my opinion).

I made one staff decision and signed Carlos Martins as a new U-19 coach.

 

08.08.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Volendam 2:0 (ED) - 14. Clive Noordhoff, 40. pen. Tarik de Wit

Our league season started with home game against FC Volendam. Volendam are lingering in the final third of the table in recent seasons and are predicted to finish 14th by media and pundits. They haven’t invested too much into their team and don’t look really strong on paper, but I wanted to start our season with a win and sent our our best eleven. All players were fit, but Mario de Groot was suspended for the yellow cards from the last season.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (62. Sener Arslan), Veldman (67. Lemmens), van Dalen, de Wit (70. Knol)

We started well and had shots on target early on. Johan van Dalen had a crack in 8’ and his shot was brilliantly saved by Volendam goalkeeper. We took the lead in 14’ - Clive Noordhoff moved into the box, received a good pass from Sastrodimedjo and scored from a very narrow angle. In 24’ our defensive mistake gave a great chance to Volendam striker Ali Tesselaar, who found himself one-on-one against Gluhalic, but sent his shot wide of goal. Johan van Dalen was brought down in the box by Volendam defender and Tarik de Wit converted the penalty and with that the first half finished 2:0. Volendam had their chance, but wasted it and with two goal lead we felt much more confident.

The second half was completely under our control. Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a great chance in 62’, but he sent his shot wide. Substitute Peter Lemmens had a crack in 89’, but his shot was blocked and so the youngster couldn’t score a debut goal. 2:0 final score wasn’t too impressive, but I was pleased with the result and a clean sheet too.

• our shooting was 22/8
• we made 52 key passes
• Peter Lemmens played his first game for Ajax
• Johan van Dalen was outstanding for us and was named player of the game

 

15.08.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Groningen 4:0 (ED) - 4. Johan van Dalen, 61. Rick Hendriks, 76. and 84. Mark van der Plas

Our next game was again at home, but this time against fairly strong FC Groningen. Our opponents were predicted to finish 7th in this season and, unlike FC Volendam, had worked with their squad in this Summer. They sold midfielder Jesse Renken (a great talent) to Galatasaray, but brought in striker Denis Caracci from Ligue 1 for £4m and that’s a huge transfer fee in Eredivisie. They also signed ex-Ajax midfielder Jaap Hoogdorp after his contract ran out and their squad looks formidable enough. But perhaps all those new players or poor tactical choices, they lost to ADO Den Haag 0:3 in their first game, so confidence levels were probably low. Groningen came against us with 4-2-3-1 formation, with Caracci in AMR and Hoogdorp in AMC position.

I didn’t feel the need to change much after our first game, so the starting line-up remained the same. Mario de Groot returned to bench.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (60. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (69. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (69. van der Plas), de Wit

We started the game well - Simon Janssen found a good chance in 4’, his shot was saved but Johan van Dalen was the first to react and scored from rebound. It was a fantastic start for us and gave us confidence while FC Groningen looked more nervous. We looked in complete control in the first half and while we couldn’t create any clear cut chances, we looked comfortable with the ball. Simon Janssen made clever runs into the box and found himself in a shooting position quite often. His fierce shot in 34’ was parried by goalkeeper with difficulties. In 42’ FC Groningen midfielder Dirk Drent received his second yellow card and was sent off and that put us in a very strong position to win this game. Despite our good first half we had only narrow 1:0 lead at half-time, but we had 45 minutes to play 11 against 10 and I was fairly confident that we could finish things off.

We did exactly that in the second half. Rick Hendriks scored our second goal of the game in 61’ after our corner. I have to say that FC Groningen defenders did extremely well to keep us at bay so far - several late tackles and blocks stopped our attacks and in this corner situation I witnessed the same - two shots were blocked before the ball fell to Hendriks and our central defender put it into the goal. Substitute Mark van der Plas added two more goals (both assisted by Stef Veldman), the second goal of his was a joy to watch - wonderful combination from transition play, some one-touch passes in midfield, volley-cross from Veldman and finish from the air by van der Plas. Outstanding attacking move. Final score was well deserved and I was very happy with our performance with that good result.

• our shooting was 22/9
• we had 8.08 average rating
• FC Groningen couldn’t create any chances
• Rick Hendriks and Mark van der Plas scored their first ever league goals for Ajax
• Simon Janssen, Stef Veldman and Tarik de Wit were outstanding for us in this game, with Janssen taking the player of the game award

 

22.08.2036 - Feyenoord Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 0:2 (ED) - 29. Stef Veldman, 55. Tini van Hemert (og)

Next in line was our first away game in the season and probably the toughest fixture in August - Klassieker derby in De Kuip. Feyenoord have started their season well and collected two wins and a draw in their first three games, but they lost their first team goalkeeper due to injury and now have only 18 years old youngsters to put between the sticks. Goalkeeper problem aside, Feyenoord look very strong as a team in all departments and if they avoid injuries, could be considered title contenders this season. Bookies expect them to finish 3rd.

I didn’t see the need to change things after two good wins, so our first eleven remained the same against Feyenoord.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (72. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (68. Sener Arslan), Veldman, van Dalen (68. van der Plas), de Wit

The first 30 minutes were closed and careful from both sides. We seemed to have a small initiative and it resulted in the first goal in 29’ - Johan van Dalen delivered an excellent cross to the far post and Stef Veldman was there on time to finish. Veldman had another great scoring opportunity in 44’, but this time his shot was blocked. We looked fairly confident with our 1:0 lead at half time and I felt that our defensive organisation had been excellent so far. We won some good headers from attacking set pieces and that too favoured us.

The second half was similarly good. I made one tactical change at half-time and switched our left-back Leslie Lichaba to FBs role - Feyenoord pushed their right-back Juan Pagan up in attack and our left flank had a huge space for him to exploit, but Lichaba’s role now closed that gap. We controlled the game, had corners and one of those set pieces resulted in our second goal. Johan van Dalen delivered a cross into the box from follow-up situation after our corner, Edward Schans went for it and his aerial duel with Tini van Hemert led to Feyenoord own goal, when the ball went into the net after van Hemert was the last player to touch it. Feyenoord looked like they’re out of ideas after our second goal and after their striker Georges Kongnyuy had to come off ten minutes before the final whistle, when all three substitutions were made, Feyenoord were left to 10 men and the result was decided. We took the huge win in the rival game in away stadium - I’m very happy with that.

• our shooting was just 18/5
• we didn’t give Feyenoord any scoring opportunities in this game
• Player of the game: Engin Ari - made 12 tackles and was relentless in midfield

 

Champions League Groups were drawn after this matchday and we were seeded into the 1st group, but unfortunately it didn’t give us any easier draw. Instead we got extremely tough group.

Champions League Group A

1. AFC Ajax
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Juventus
4. Galatasaray

 

To get Juventus as 3rd seed team is extremely tough luck and Galatasaray are no pushovers either. I reckon we’d do extremely well to finish 3rd in this group. Getting through to the next round would be a great achievement. The first game is against Juventus in September.

 

30.08.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Eindhoven 2:0 (ED) - 76. Lemmens, 90.+3 Knol

In the last league game in August we’re hosting FC Eindhoven. That’s one of the easiest games of this month (on paper, at least). FC Eindhoven are predicted to finish 16th and it could be a good chance to rotate a little ahead of international window.

We have two players missing for this game - Mario de Groot injured himself in training and he’ll be sidelined for 2 weeks with damaged shoulder. Mithat Arabaci was sent off in Jong Ajax game and he now serves his suspension in Eredivisie.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sener Arslan, Janssen, Veldman (68. Lemmens), van der Plas (70. van Dalen), de Wit (54. Knol)

We didn’t do well enough in the first half. One good attempt from 20 meters by Sener Arslan required a brilliant save from FC Eindhoven goalkeeper, but otherwise it was a drab match. We didn’t create chances and goals and although midfield seemed to be well under our control, I had no reason to be happy at half time.

The second half went on in similar fashion until the breakthrough came in 76’. Fred Koeman found substitute Peter Lemmens with a wonderful cross and finally we managed to find a goal. It looked like this one goal could be enough, but Stan Knol added another one in injury time, after Koeman’s attempt was parried by opposition goalkeeper. It was the second injury time goal from Knol in this season. The final score looked decent enough and I was happy with our solid defense, but our attacking movement was not good enough - we should have created a lot more chances and scored more goals.

• we didn’t allow any real chances for FC Eindhoven
• Peter Lemmens scored his first ever goal for Ajax
• Player of the game: Fred Koeman - his two assists made the difference in the second half

 

I can have some complaints about how we’ve played, but the results in August have been outstanding. Four straight wins with 10:0 goal difference and we’ve only conceded one chance in those games. Great defense so far. Let’s see what September and Champions League games bring.

 

Eredivisie

 

We’ve managed to create a small gap already. Both PSV and Feyenoord have dropped some points and we’re leading the table with ~5 points advantage. It’s a challenge for any contenders to catch us if they want to have a say in the title race.

[Draakon]

Transfer Update Summer 2036

 

In retrospect it was a fairly busy transfer window and Eredivisie proved to be a selling league once again. Several big deals happened that made Dutch clubs richer (in fact, financial health of the clubs in Netherland has rarely been better). Hopefully the level of football have not decreased too much and the other clubs can do well in continental games too. Vitesse and FC Twente were extremely busy and made some key changes in their line-up.

The biggest transfers in this Summer:

 

• Remi Mercier from PSV Eindhoven to Newcastle United for £10m
• Germain Siereveld from AFC Ajax to QPR for £9,5m (up to £10,5m with clauses)
• Serginho Vink from Vitesse Arnhem to Nottingham Forest for £7,25m
• Alfredo Sainrimat from ESTAC Troyes to Vitesse Arnhem for £5,25m
• Jesse Renken from FC Groningen to Galatasaray for £5,25m
• Stan van Dijk from FC Utrecht to Lille Olympique for £4,4m
• Denis Caracci from ESTAC Troyes to FC Groningen for £4m
• Aurelien Lecomte from Vitesse Arnhem to Sheffield Wednesday for £3,4m
• Juan Pagan from Feyenoord Rotterdam to Galatasaray for £3,4m
• Menno Mulder from VVV Venlo to PSV Eindhoven for £3,3m
• Gerry Schuur from FC Groningen to Valencia for free (valued £17m after his contract run out in FC Groningen)

[Draakon]

Squad Update 2036-2037

 

 

Goalkeepers

 

Ismet Gluhalic

Gluhalic is still our no. 1 goalkeeper. His last season’s average rating (6.92) was not as high as it has been in previous years, but he was named as Goalkeeper of the Year for the 4th consecutive time and it’s difficult to find a keeper as good as him in Eredivisie. What he did better than ever was saving us when defense failed - he saved 17 shots from clear cut chances and collected 19 clean sheets in all competitions. Bosnian international has now represented his country 25 times and that experience could be handy for the club as well.

 

Zeus Florentina

Younger keeper in the squad had some good games in 2035/2036 season. Although he was selected for the easier league games, he had 5 clean sheets in 13 games and can be happy with his playing time and progress he made in training. He’s not far behind Gluhalic.

 

Defenders

 

Clive Noordhoff

The 19 years old right-back was the revelation of the last season. He slowly took over the position from Nabil Herder and played the most games in the first team after Christmas. He has excellent work rate, he’s better in the air and can cross the ball very dangerously. His level of performance didn’t drop much in European games. If he can play like that in his age, just imagine what can he become in 2-3 seasons.

 

Nabil Herder

One of those players who look fairly average on paper, but can produce excellent performances on the pitch. He’s a great player for Eredivisie (average rating 7.61 last season), but his weaknesses and inconsistency becomes more evident in Champions League level. 

 

Edward Schans

Our most experienced centre-back. He had a fairly average season in 2035/2036 and for the first time it made me ask if he’s good enough to hold that position, but Germain Siereveld departure means I have little choice, so Schans is essentially our best central defender at the moment.

 

Rick Hendriks

Will make up our centre-back partnership with Schans. Fairly average player, to be honest. Only advantage over Schans and Siereveld is that Hendriks is a really tall figure, who can dominate in the air and that could help us against bigger strikers and, of course, in set piece situations. He too is rather inconsistent and probably not good enough for Champions League level. He’s 22 years old, so can develop his game, but not too much, I suspect.

Mario van Eijk

Niek van der Ent and Mario van Eijk are third and fourth number in our central defense, and they have enough potential to be just that - a good rotation player, nothing more. They’re pretty basic centre-backs, good in the air, strong players and decent tackling/heading/marking, but some flaws are also evident - limited bravery, composure, teamwork and consistency mean that they’re probably not good enough to hold first team place in Ajax. We have better prospects coming up from Jong Ajax (like Ifenildo Deyl and Ronald Janssen), but for the 2036/2037 season we will move on with van der Ent and van Eijk.

Leslie Lichaba

South African international had a good season and when at times it’s been a close contest for our left-back position between him and Fred Koeman, Lichaba got the most important games after last Christmas. His contributions in attack are more evident now. I’ve ordered him to tackle less to avoid fouls, but despite that he collected 7 yellow cards and 2 red cards in Eredivisie - that’s still a huge problem.

 

Fred Koeman

Koeman had a decent season, but I expected more in attack from him - his number of assists was low and he didn’t pushed up on his left flank to deliver his crosses into the box.

 

Midfielders

 

Engin Ari

Turkish international is our best holding midfielder - very good tackler. His free kicks were a disappointment in the last season - we only scored two goals from IFKs and no DFK goals either. In fact, no goals for Engin Ari in the last season. 

 

Mario de Groot

de Groot plays in DMC too, but in different role - he’s more of a DLP - he can pass the ball very well and in the last season managed to score 4 goals (2 from penalties). 

 

Clyde Sastrodimedjo

Sastrodimedjo is reaching his best age now. One of the key players in the team. Interestingly, his ratings in Eredivisie dropped in the last season, but he played much better in continental games. Physically very impressive stats, good work rate, can pass the ball well.

 

Sener Arslan

I’m sensing that it could be a breakthrough season for young Dutch-Turkish midfielder. He can play in both midfield roles (B2B and APa). Only 20 years old and some bigger clubs are taking notice.

 

Simon Janssen

Veteran playmaker is our oldest player now, but still almost irreplaceable in midfield. His rating in European games was 7.85 and he put in eight performances with 9.00+ rating in the last season. 

 

Mithat Arabaci

Mithat could be a great player in another squad, but he’ll start as our fourth option in this season. His last year was disrupted by injury and Sener Arslan took his chance to prove his skills and develop in the process. The main problem is that Mithat is more like a DLP and we don’t play with DLP. He can do OK in other roles too, but his performances have not impressed just yet.

Stef Veldman

The right winger was our main force in attack in the last season. He finished with 27 goals, 20 assists and 7.96 average rating in Eredivisie. Can’t imagine that those numbers could get much better. Fairly quick, tall and extremely powerful for a winger, although not too skilled with the ball at his feet.

Peter Lemmens

Here’s a new prospect for you and I have to make sure that he’ll get enough minutes next to Veldman. Very talented player, consistent performer. He spent his last season in FC Eindhoven and collected 6 goals and 9 assists in 25 games there.

Johan van Dalen

The left winger had one of the best seasons in his career - 20 goals and 21 assists in all competitions (he’s done 20 goals once before, but that was back in 2029/2030 season). He has a wonderful crossing ability and he can score even though his finishing stats look poor on paper.

 

Mark van der Plas

Young winger spent six months with NEC Nijmegen last season and did well there. He’s a great talent and very similar player to Stef Veldman - tall and powerful in the air, but quick at the same time. Good leader on the pitch too.

 

 

Strikers

Tarik de Wit

Still our best striker - after injury disrupted his season in 2034/2035, he did better in year and collected 22 goals in all competitions. I was impressed with how he finished his clear cut chances (13 goals from 22 ccc-s), but his performances in the league declined in Spring and 7.18 average rating is not good enough in the long term.

 

Stan Knol

Can’t believe he’s still just 19 years old, because it looks like he has been around for ages. Different type of player than de Wit, I use him as F9s. He had the first season in 2035/2036 when he scored 10 goals in all competitions. It’s a good number, considering that he didn’t start too many games, but came on from substitution in 34 occasions.

 

Erik Jansen

New face in the team. 17-year-old striker has a driven personality and massive amount of talent. The rest will come with training. Not sure yet how he’ll do in my system, but I have big expectations about him. 

[Draakon]

September 2036

 

International break went well - Stef Veldman earned his first cap for Holland and did reasonably well in this game. U-21 players such as Stan Knol, Sener Arslan and Tom Noordhoff were also included in games and got some match practice.

I used international break to work on contracts. Jelle Sandler signed the new deal until 2039. I contacted Simon Janssen’s agent and they’ve come down from their ridiculous wage demands, so I expect to reach agreement with Janssen too.

 

12.09.2036 - ADO Den Haag - AFC Ajax 0:1 (ED) - 35. Clyde Sastrodimedjo

The first game in September was a trip to Haag. ADO Den Haag are predicted to finish 8th in this season and they’re the perfect example of the unbalanced team that is a pretty common in Eredivisie - midfield and attack looks fairly good (at least in first eleven), but defense lacks quality. It doesn’t help that both their first team goalkeepers are injured and the best defender - left-back Jeroen van Bergen - is out until Christmas with a broken foot.

That’s why I was fairly optimistic before the game. We sent out our regular team - Mario de Groot was still injured (although close to returning), but the rest of the players were fit.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (73. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen (61. van der Plas), de Wit (54. Knol)

The stadium welcomed us with rainy weather and that has never been our kind of conditions. The first half was a drab affair - both teams looked dangerous only from set pieces, but ADO had too much possession and they managed to get four shots on target, so Ismet Gluhalic had to be alert. We didn’t create anything in this first half until our goal in 35’ - Simon Janssen sent his cross into the box, right between goalkeeper and defensive line where Clyde Sastrodimejdo timed his run perfectly. Easy tap-in for a goal and we went to half-time with 1:0 lead even though ADO probably deserved it a little more.

The second half was a little bit better for us in defense, although Rick Hendriks was very close to scoring an own goal, twice! Gluhalic continued his good performance and his good reactions saved Hendriks from embarrassment. The final whistle was more of a relief than anything else - it was a scrappy win, but I was not at all happy about our performance. It’s good to win and we can be satisfied with another clean sheet, but overall lack of creativity and midfield control was not good enough.

• our shooting was just 14/2
• we made only 19 key passes
• Simon Janssen was outstanding in this game - his 8 key passes and assist were only good thing about that game

 

16.09.2036 - Juventus - AFC Ajax 3:2 (Champions League Gruoup A) - 37. Ryan Carrasco, 55. Jefferson, 90.+2 Pedro Wolff - 77. and 80. Stan Knol

Our Champions League campaign begins with a trip to Turin. It’s one of the toughest games in this group and Juventus are marked as favourites for this game. No wonder that we practiced defensive positioning before the match. Mario de Groot was back in full training and started on the bench, but the first eleven was the same as against ADO.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (57. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (64. Lemmens), van Dalen, de Wit (69. Knol)

No surprises that Juventus were the better team in the first half. Their striker Jefferson was the main threat - he hit the post in 8’ and wasted a great chance from corner in 15’ (or it was Gluhalic who was well-positioned and held the ball). We tried to get into the game and our most dangerous attack in the first half came in 29’ - Stef Veldman had a crack after our corner, but his shot was blocked by arriving defender. Juventus took the lead from another corner in 37’ - we were unable to clear the ball and there was a lot of pinball in the box until the ball fell to Ryan Carrasco who managed to put it behind Gluhalic. Our inability to defend corners was my main concern after the first half and I had to admit that Juventus deserved their lead. However, it was just 0:1 and we were still in the game.

Stef Veldman had another good shot on target in 54’ and this time it was a brilliant save by Juventus’ goalkeeper to stop his attempt. However, Juventus managed to double their lead soon after. Jefferson skipped past Edward Schans’ challenge in midfield and he continued his solo run into the box to poke it past Gluhalic. Excellent solo run and counter-attack from the striker, but questions about defending there. Substitutions changed the pace of the game, though, especially after we brought on Stan Knol and switched him to false-nine. 19 years old forward received a lovely pass from Clyde Sastrodimedjo that split Juventus central defense, took it a little left and finished with a lovely strike. Outstanding goal from the youngster. His header three minutes later made it 2:2 and at that point it even looked like initiative was ours and we could score the winner here. Knol got a great chance to complete his hat-trick in 88’, but this time his shot went way over and this miss cost us dearly when Juventus’ defender Peter Wolff headed in from another corner in injury time. Football is cruel sometimes and that defeat was a huge disappointment for us, after fighting so bravely in the second half and coming back from 0:2. Juventus was a threat from set pieces all night and our inability to deal with their corners cost us the game, however, there were a lot of positives to take with us from this second half performance.

• we gave Juventus 5 clear cut chances and that was too many
• we made 22 individual mistakes - need to cut back those errors in Champions League level
• Player of the game: Paterne Tshimpi (Juventus)

 

20.09.2036 - AFC Ajax - Roda JC Kerkrade 1:1 (ED) - 48. Stef Veldman - 56. Edwin Arends

After encouraging defeat (heh) from Juventus, we were back to Eredivisie and against Roda JC in Amsterdam Arena. Roda had a very good first season back in the top tier - they finished 7th in Spring, but didn’t make any significant signings over this Summer and media predicts them to land in the 15th place in this season. It is a good chance to rotate the squad a little bit and to check up with our loan players Niek van der Ent and Erwin Vormer, too.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sener Arslan (56. Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, van der Plas (58. van Dalen), Knol (71. de Wit)

It was a drab match from the first half. Stef Veldman had our best chance in 21’, but his shot was parried by Roda goalkeeper and it bounced back from the post. Roda didn’t create much in their attacks, but their striker Artur Michalski got a shot in 24’ that hit our goal post from narrow angle. Goal frames were in the game once again in 39’ when Veldman’s header flicked the crossbar and went over. We controlled the midfield in this first half, but didn’t create enough good chances and Veldman’s poor finishing let us down twice. Some players started to become nervous as goalless score remained on the board and it was a concern.

We improved after the half time break - Stef Veldman cut inside nicely and finally finished off his chance after a good pass from Stan Knol. However, Edwin Arends got a good chance for Roda in 56’ - he managed to escape Leslie Lichaba and cut behind the left-back to equalize. Roda defended well until the final whistle, our substitutions had no real effect and in the end we had to settle with a disappointing draw. We conceded our first goal of the league season and it cost us two points. Performance was below-par, as was the result - some players looked a little nervous that shouldn’t be the case when playing against smaller team in Amsterdam Arena.

• our shooting was 17/5 - pretty poor accuracy
• I expected better from Sener Arslan and Mark van der Plas, but youngsters failed to make an impression in the starting line-up
• Player of the game: Stan Knol

 

23.09.2036 - OJC Rosmalen - AFC Ajax 0:6 (Dutch Cup 2nd round) - 3. and 34. Mark van der Plas, 31., 61. and 65. Erik Jansen, 69. Mithat Arabaci

Dutch Cup 2nd round game took us to tiny Rosmalen stadium with 2500 supporters watching their small team playing against Ajax giants. Clive Noordhoff was suspended for this game, but I used this opportunity to rotate and gave a chance to other players anyway.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, van Eijk, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Arabaci, Lemmens, van der Plas (77. van Dalen), Jansen

The game itself was a pretty usual hammering of the early cup round. Our attacking three looked lethal enough and our debutant Erik Jansen managed to complete his hat-trick in the second half - pretty impressive from the 17 years old striker. Rosmalen players couldn’t take a single shot to our goal and we enjoyed the evening until the final whistle. Our only moment of concern was in 77’ when Mark van der Plas had to come off with injury, but the result was good enough for me.

• our shooting was 32/15
• our average rating was 8.83
• Erik Jansen scored his first ever goal (and hat-trick) for Ajax
• number of outstanding performances - Erik Jansen (player of the game), Mark van der Plas, Peter Lemmens, Nabil Herder, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan and Mario de Groot
• Mark van der Plas came off with back strain and he needs around 4 weeks to recover from that injury
• we will play sc Heerenveen in the next round

 

27.09.2036 - VVV Venlo - AFC Ajax 0:1 (ED) - 17. Stef Veldman

VVV have established themselves as a decent mid-table side in the past few seasons and they’re predicted to finish 9th by the pundits, so this away game against them could be a tricky tie for us. They play 4-1-2-3 DM Wide like we do and we haven’t played our best against that formation.

Mark van der Plas was injured, but Stan Knol started again in this game, because he looked decent against Roda JC and Juventus. Tarik de Wit form has been below par in the recent games and he’s benched because of that.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (58. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (69. Arabaci), Velmdan, van Dalen, Knol (63. de Wit)

We played a good first half - Stan Knol got our first clear cut chance in 10’ and his fierce shot was well saved by VVV goalkeeper, but Stef Veldman opened scoring in 17’ with an easy finish from close range. Knol had another great scoring opportunity in 26’ and this time his shot rattle crossbar. In 35’ Leslie Lichaba almost got lucky when his cross surprised VVV goalkeeper and landed against the bar. It was a deserved lead for us at half-time, but we could and should have scored more. Knol got himself into good positions in attack, but wasted his chances when it was easier to score.

The second half looked the same - we controlled midfield, but 1:0 lead was a little too narrow to feel comfortable, even when VVV didn’t exactly look a threat in attack. They got a couple of shots on target that needed action from Ismet Gluhalic, but nothing too dangerous. We controlled the midfield, but chances were few - Mario de Groot got a shot on target from corner in 65’ - VVV goalkeeper manage to save it off the line and Rick Hendriks couldn’t finish it from the rebound. That was the most dangerous moment in the second half.

The final score remained 1:0 - we wasted a lot of chances, but the performance was otherwise solid and for away game it was good enough.

• we didn’t give VVV any scoring opportunities
• we got 15 corners in this game, but didn’t find a goal from set pieces
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

September was not as perfect as August was for us - we dropped the first points in Eredivisie (although we still continue our unbeaten run). I’m disappointed that we couldn’t get anything from Juve game, but it was difficult to expect points from Italy, to be honest. So, I’m still satisfied with how we’ve played in this season.

 

Eredivisie

With Feyenoord and PSV still struggling to put together a good winning streak, we’re leading the table and FC Utrecht looked to be in the best position to challenge us at the moment. At one point during September it looked like Telstar are dropping to 18th place and are the main relegation candidates, but the month finishes with a very tight contest in the bottom of the table, so perhaps it’s too early to make those conclusions.

[Draakon]

October 2036

 

October will feature two weeks international break, but also some key fixtures - a must win game at home against Galatasaray, trip to Dortmund and important Eredivisie battle with FC Utrecht.

 

01.10.2036 - AFC Ajax - Galatasaray 1:0 (Champions League Group A) - 9. de Wit

This is a must win game at home if we want to qualify from this group and the players know that. We’ve practiced attacking set pieces before this game and our best eleven are fit and ready, but it’s a small concern that Galatasaray are considered to be favourites by the bookies even though the game is in Amsterdam. It looks like our chances are not regarded to be very high by football experts.

Galatasaray came against us with 4-4-1-1 formation that looked fairly defensive at first glance.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (69. Sener Arslan), Veldman (65. Lemmens), van Dalen, de Wit (61. Knol)

We started with a positive attitude and almost instantly could create something in front of Galatasaray goal. Tarik de Wit managed to get a shot on target in 5’ - his shot was parried by Galatasaray goalkeeper and Stef Veldman had a great look for the second attempt, but his shot was brilliantly saved. We took the lead four minutes later, when de Wit headed in after a cross came in from Leslie Lichaba. Throughout the first half it looked indeed that Galatasaray had come to this away game too defensively - we had initiative and most of the ball and our attacks looked more dangerous. Johan van Dalen got another clear cut chance for us in 27’, but his shot went just wide from the goal and the first half finished 1:0. It was a good 45 minutes of football and I was fairly pleased with what I saw on the pitch.

Things levelled up for a while in the second half - Galatasaray tried to find an equalizer and they got some half-chances with shots on target, but nothing too dangerous. Our attacks stalled a little and I brought on Stan Knol. Switching our striker to false-nine changed the pace of our attacks and Galatasaray defense was under pressure once again, but finding good goal scoring opportunities wasn’t so easy and we settled with 1:0 in the end.

I was happy with the result - our first win in the group and three points in the table. Dortmund and Juventus made a 2:2 draw in the other game.

• we had 15 corners, but failed to take advantage of set pieces despite our pre-match training
• Player of the game: Leslie Lichaba - provided assist to our winning goal and contributed well to attacks from our left flank
• Johan van Dalen was a disappointment - he wasted his chance in the first half and his crosses went off target and he didn’t contribute much to our attacks. Shame that van der Plas is injured - I don’t have a solid substitution for him now.

 

05.10.2036 - FC Utrecht - AFC Ajax 2:4 (ED) - 4. Juddy Menga, 58. Sjoerd Kok - 43. Engin Ari, 45.01 Tarik de Wit, 70. and 84. Stef Veldman

Next in line, and the last game before the international break, was away trip to FC Utrecht - the club who have done exceptionally well so far in this season and look to become the main challengers for the title, after PSV and Feyenoord have dropped points in several games. That means this away game with them will be extremely important for the table and could lift them only 2 points from us. FC Utrecht look fairly strong and are expected to finish 5th

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari (71. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo (58. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van Dalen, de Wit (64. Knol)

The game didn’t start well for us. Simon Janssen made a foul and Juddy Menga sent his free kick over our wall and into the net from 25 meters. Great strike without a doubt, but cold shower for us. FC Utrecht took encouragement from that and we needed to start to look for equalizer. Instead, we almost conceded another goal in 11’ - long ball over our defensive line found Juddy Menga on the run, Rick Hendriks lost him and experienced striker went one-on-one against Ismet Gluhalic, but luckily for us he sent his shot wide. The game evened out then, but what troubled us was the lack of chances for us. Things changed late in the first half when we got a corner, Simon Janssen took the ball down with a header and Engin Ari fired it in. FC Utrecht looked a bit shocked after that goal and another great attacking move in injury time resulted in another goal - Tarik de Wit was the finisher in this one. First half looked fairly even, but our finish was excellent and we went to half time with 2:1 lead.

FC Utrecht did not give up and in 58’ they equalized after a good counter-attack. Juddy Menga crossed from our left, Edward Schans was late to mark Sjoerd Kok in the box and although the shot took a deflection from Schans and we were a little bit unlucky, it was a clumsy defense from our centre-backs. Despite that equalizer FC Utrecht defense started to show weaknesses and Stef Veldman found some chances - his first opportunity came right in 59’, but this shot was saved, but in 70’ Sener Arslan found Veldman at the far post with his half-cross and the right winger scored from close range. Another great combination in 84’ added another goal and that settled the game for us.

It was a great entertainment, although I was not impressed with our defending in the first half. We did well to score four goals and FC Utrecht perhaps wonder if they were too attacking-minded after half-time.

• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• FC Utrecht gave 35 key passes - they moved the ball well and attacked with numbers; it is very rare if any team can get over 20 key passes against us in Eredivisie
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman - slow start, but brace in the second half
• Stan Knol twisted his ankle late in the game and he’ll be sidelined for 3-4 weeks

 

19.10.2036 - AFC Ajax - Telstar 4:0 (ED) - 6. Mohamed Sakim (og), 31. Fred Koeman, 33. Erik Jansen, 73. Stef Veldman

International break was a quiet one. Youngsters got their playing time in U-21s and from the first team Ismet Gluhalic and Engin Ari represented their countries. Our next game is at home against Telstar, who is the smallest team in the league and predicted to finish in the bottom of the table. That is a chance to start rotation players and youngsters, especially with Champions League game coming up in midweek.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, van Eijk, Hendriks, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Mithat Arabaci, Veldman, van Dalen (3. Lemmens), Jansen

We could play just for a minute when Johan van Dalen had to come off with injury. Mark van der Plas was back in full training, but not yet fit to start and so he was not on the bench and I had only Peter Lemmens to send out. Lemmens is right winger and unfamiliar in AML position, but his shot three minutes later gave us the lead. It took a deflection from Mohamend Sakim and sent goalkeeper in the wrong way. Stef Veldman wasted his clear cut chance in 13’ and Telstar had their best chance of the game in 20’ when Dave Monster hit the crossbar from close range. We controlled the midfield, but didn’t keep Telstar under constant pressure, but it was a game of fluke goals and the second one like that came in 31’ - Fred Koeman’s deep cross curled towards goal and landed in the far post. Telstar goalkeeper looked embarrassed, but I didn’t mind. The pressure was off then and two minutes later young striker Erik Jansen added another goal (his first ever league goal for Ajax). Telstar defenders looked nervous from the beginning and 3:0 at half-time was a deserved lead for us.

The second half offered less action, but Stef Veldman had the best two chances and his goal in 73’ completed the night for us. Convincing win in the end, great result for us and I was happy for the players who came into the team.

• our shooting was 26/11
• we had 8.39 average rating
• stat sheet confirmed that Telstar didn’t create any chances in this game, although that moment in 20’ and Dave Monster’s shot looked fairly dangerous
• Fred Koeman, Peter Lemmens, Mithat Arabaci and Nabil Herder had a great game, with Fred Koeman taking the player of the game award
• Johan van Dalen’s injury was worse than expected - damaged achilles tendon keeps him out for at least 3-4 months

 

22.10.2036 - Borussia Dortmund - AFC Ajax 3:2 (Champions League Group A) - 39. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 67. David Hernandez, 69. Marco Antonio - 73. Tarik de Wit, 88. Mark van der Plas

Another tough game in Champions League for us. Interesting, but we have been drawn in the same group with Dortmund third time in three consecutive seasons. Those have been difficult games, but at least we did beat them in Amsterdam in the last season. Our last visit to Signal Iduna Park finished with 1:2 defeat, although we led 1:0 in 80’.

At least this time our first team looks well rested and fit for the game (van Dalen aside). We practiced defensive positioning before the game and I used our usual Champions League tactics.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (70. Herder), Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (67. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman (60. Lemmens), van der Plas, de Wit

We had a great chance to take the lead in 4’ - Dortmund defender missed his interception and Veldman’s cross found Mark van der Plas at the far post, but young winger couldn’t score from the point blank range. The first half looked fairly even after that until 39’ when Dortmund’s Iranian midfielder Reza Kiani had a shot on target. Gluhalic saved it in front of him and Juan Carlos Gonzalez finished it from the rebound. It was a good first half from us, but Dortmund was more clinical and they used their chances better.

Dortmund stepped up their game in the second half and two forwards, Gonzalez and David Hernandez combined well together. Quick counter attack in 60’ led to a great chance and Ismet Gluhalic made a great stop to deny Hernandez. Rick Hendriks’ mistake in 67’ gave an easy chance to Hernandez and it was 2:0 and two minutes later Marco Antonio added their third goal with unstoppable strike from 18 meters. In that point it was all survival mode for us and when Gluhalic saved another clear cut chance in 72’ we didn’t look like in contention. However, Tarik de Wit managed to score a good consolation goal and when Mark van der Plas finished after a great cross from Peter Lemmens, it looked like we could get a come-back. However, it was too late, exactly like it was against Juventus. Dortmund held onto their lead and in the end it was a deserved win for them. I was disappointed with how our defense fell apart in the second half. Rick Hendriks and Edward Schans were unable to cope with speed and skill of Dortmund strikers. In some occasions they were taken on in one-on-one situations and skipped past too easily and honestly, Dortmund should have scored more goals.

• Dortmund shooting was 20/14 - it was a real barrage on Ismet Gluhalic goal
• Dortmund created 6 clear cut chances and their players made 42 dribbles - that shows how much in trouble we were in the second half
• Leslie Lichaba made 8 individual mistakes from our side
• Player of the game: David Hernandez (Borussia Dortmund)

 

25.10.2036 - Go Ahead Eagles - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 4., 7. and 55. pen. Stef Veldman, 20. Eljero Blokland (og)

Back to Eredivisie and our schedule balances tough with easy. Next opponents are Go Ahead Eagles who are predicted to finish 17th in this season and it should be an easy win for us. 

Stan Knol and Johan van Dalen were injured and Peter Lemmens suffered a concussion in this week’s training. I used the chance to give rotation players some game time, but also made some changes based on performances - Fred Koeman started in left defense (I still can’t get over those 8 mistakes by Lichaba in Dortmund game). Tarik de Wit has not been too good in the games and he trained poorly as well, so youngster Erik Jansen took his place. I also called up young centre-back Ifenildo Deyl from Jong Ajax and he got his first start for the club. I know it turned out a very bold line-up, but I was confident and expected the youngsters to do well.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff (57. Herder), Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Engin Ari (57. de Groot), Sener Arslan, Janssen (53. Mithat Arabaci), Veldman, van der Plas, Jansen

We started the game really well - good pass from Simon Janssen gave Stef Veldman a great opportunity and our right winger took his chance well. Three minutes later he was again in action, intercepting a throw-in and scoring with a fine strike. Eagles’ players looked shocked and nervous and we were in control from that point forward. Erik Jansen had a great chance to extend our lead in 20’ and while his shot was saved, the ball took a deflection from Eljero Blokland and bounced over the line. At half time it looked like we didn’t miss any of the players who weren’t present and confidence was high in the team.

After Erik Jansen was tripped in the box, Stef Veldman stepped up to take the penalty in 55’ and he converted the spot kick to complete his hat-trick. It was a convincing win in the end and I was happy that the youngsters did really well - Erik Jansen had a good game, Ifenildo Deyl looked impressive in defense and I just know that there’s a lot of football ahead for these guys. It could look like a weakened team for us, but to win 4:0 in away game is even more impressive because of that.

• Stef Veldman had an outstanding game and he took away the game ball after completing his hat-trick
• Fred Koeman made his 100th league appearance for Ajax
• Ifenildo Deyl made his league debut for Ajax

 

28.10.2036 - sc Heerenveen - AFC Ajax 0:3 (Dutch Cup 3rd round) - 7. Mark van der Plas, 19. Mario de Groot, 54. Erik Jansen

It is very unusual to get drawn against Eredivisie side in the 3rd round, so sc Heerenveen game is much tougher for us than expected. I planned to use rotation players and youngsters in the first cup rounds and despite that draw I held firm to my plan. Hence the line-up.

Stan Knol returned to full training before this game, but he’s not ready to start and hopefully he’ll be OK for our next league game against Sparta.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, de Groot, Sener Arslan, Mithat Arabaci, Veldman, van der Plas, Jansen (57. de Wit)

We played a good first half and quickly took the lead - Mark van der Plas scored with a simple tap in and Mario de Groot doubled our lead with a great strike from the edge of the area - a really good shot and I was delighted for him. We played well and sc Heerenveel rarely created anything dangerous in our box.

Heerenveen woke up in the second half and they managed to get some half chances and shots on target. George Okoro ran past Edward Schans in 47’ and his shot was saved well by Zeus Florentina. Erik Jansen scored our third goal with a header after a good run and cross by van der Plas. Heerenveen’s Maxwell de Goede had a crack in 62’, but his shot went well over our goal. In the end it looked comfortable win enough, despite our weakened team, and it looked like sc Heerenveen didn’t even put up much of a fight.

• we made 24 individual mistakes - only weak side in our game
• Mario de Groot and Mithat Arabaci had a great game - de Groot was selected as player of the game with his impressive midfield performance and a great goal
• we will play FC Utrecht in the 4th round

 

31.10.2036 - Sparta Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 17. Leslie Lichaba, 62. Stef Veldman, 87. Fred Koeman, 90.+2 Clyde Sastrodimedjo

Our last game of the month was away match with Sparta Rotterdam. Sparte are predicted to finish 13th in this season - they’re pretty average mid-table side, but away games against those teams could be tricky. We practiced defending set pieces before the game and I reckoned it was time for first team players to get back into the starting line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (66. Mithat Arabaci), Veldman, van der Plas (69. Koeman), de Wit (61. Knol)

We took the lead in 17’ and the goal came from corner. Stef Veldman headed it towards the goal and Leslie Lichaba stood at the post to flick it into the net. Good set piece play and I was delighted. Tarik de Wit has been without a goal for a while now, but he got a crack after our counter in 26’, but his shot from some way out hit the crossbar - unlucky once again. Sparta too had some shots on target and Brayen Cairo’s attempt in 28’ looked fairly dangerous, but Ismet Gluhalic made a great save. It was a drab first half, but we were leading at half-time, so I was fairly pleased with how things had turned out.

Stef Veldman scored with a simple finish in 62’ - it was his 10th goal of the season and 50th overall for Ajax. We looked in control with our 2:0 lead, but the final 20 minutes offered more action than the rest of the game before that. Mark van der Plas had to come off with injury in 69’ and because we had no other winger on the bench, Fred Koeman went on to this unfamiliar position. Sparta’s Ferry de Geer had a half-chance in 73’ and another good save from Gluhalic kept our clean sheet. Stef Veldman headed against the crossbar around 76’ mark. Fred Koeman managed to get into score sheet in 87’ with a good finish after corner (our second set piece goal in this game) and Clyde Sastrodimedjo completed the game with a great shot from the edge of the area - excellent strike from the midfielder. Sparta could probably feel that 0:4 final score was harsh, but our performance in the second half was much better and it was a deserved win (in fact, we improved a lot after de Wit came off and Stan Knol went on…)

• Stef Veldman, Leslie Lichaba and Clyde Sastrodimedjo were outstanding for us, with Veldman named player of the game
• Mark van der Plas came off after he twisted his knee - he needs 2-3 weeks to recover

 

October has been excellent in domestic competitions - we’ve won games with whatever selections I’ve made. Youngsters have got some experience and performed well, we’ve looked solid in defense and scored some goals too.

Champions League season has offered disappointments, though - yes, the win over Galatasaray was a good result, but defeat from Dortmund makes me cringe and that’s a very typical for us - those narrow defeats against big clubs, with a feeling that we could have done better.

We have a serious injury problem in AML position, so I decided to recall young winger Kwanele Nkoana from ADO Den Haag - he will get at least 2-3 games in the first team in November.

 

Eredivisie

We have put some 10-11 points between us and the rest of the pack. Feyenoord have struggled to keep pace, but PSV have done even worse - they’re in relegation zone at the moment! No wonder their manager is under pressure and the first candidate for sacking in Eredivisie.

[Draakon]

November 2036

 

04.11.2036 - AFC Ajax - Borussia Dortmund 0:1 (Champions League Group A) - 45.+1 Marco Antonio

That’s the moment - we have two home games in the Champions League this November and both of them are very important. I believe that with good performances we have a good chance to get a good result.

We will go against Dortmund without a proper left winger. Kwanele Nkoana returned to the club, but because he has not been in Ajax for 2 years, he was ineligible for the Champions League, so I went for the second best alternative and sent out Peter Lemmens as AML - 19 years old right winger is not a proper match for Dortmund defensive line.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (72. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (60. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, Lemmens, de Wit (67. Knol)

We had a good moment in the first half in 16’ when Tarik de Wit made a good interception and looked to be clear on goal, but his shot from the edge of the area went well wide. The game was fairly even until 40’ when Dortmund got their first good scoring opportunity - Edward Schans missed his header and David Hernandez had a great chance, but Ismet Gluhalic was ready and parried his shot. Dortmund took the lead in injury time, however. Tom Noordhoff missed his interception and Marco Antonio was completely unmarked and he scored with an easy finish.

We continued to play fairly well in the second half and Clyde Sastrodimedjo got our best chance of the game in 53’, but his shot was blocked. In the end we had to accept another narrow defeat despite our good performance.

• Player of the game: Omar Oltolina (Borussia Dortmund)

 

08.11.2036 - AFC Ajax - AZ Alkmaar 5:0 (ED) - 21. Kwanele Nkoana, 30.pen. and 48. Tarik de Wit, 73. Peter Lemmens, 83. Stan Knol

Back to Eredivisie and I hoped that we could shake off this defeat with another win in Eredivisie. It was the last game before the international break. AZ Alkmaar are predicted to finish 11th and they came against us with their usual 4-2-3-1 tactics. Kwanele Nkoana was now ready to start and he was set to make his debut for Ajax in this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (54. Herder), Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (54. Lemmens), Nkoana, de Wit (67. Knol)

AZ got the first chance of the game - Robin Claeys had a crack after IFK, but it was saved by Gluhalic. But that was the last chance that they got in the whole game. Debutant Kwanele Nkoana got his name to score sheet in 21’ with a goal from corner. Stef Veldman was tripped in the box and Tarik de Wit converted the spot kick in 30’ - in replay it looked like a harsh decision, but that penalty gave us 2:0 lead in the half time.

We were encouraged by our lead and started our second half very well. Kwanele Nkoana, Stef Veldman and Tarik de Wit combined perhaps the best counter-attack that I’ve ever seen in the game and de Wit finished it well to score his second goal of the game. Substitute Peter Lemmens scored a great strike in 73’ - he fired it hard and low and it was unstoppable shot for any goalkeeper. Stan Knol came on and also had an impact - his clear cut chance was wasted, but in 83’ he headed in from Nkoana’s cross (second assist for the youngster) to get himself another goal in this season. The final score was impressive 5:0 and our second half performance fully merited that scoreline. Kwanele Nkoana couldn’t imagine a better debut for himself - a goal and two assists to his name.

• we had 8.23 average rating
• Edward Schans made his 300th league appearance for Ajax
• Tarik de Wit scored his 150th career league goal
• Kwanele Nkoana and Tarik de Wit were outstanding for us in this game

 

21.11.2036 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 3:1 (ED) - 15. Stef Veldman, 22. and 63. Kwanele Nkoana - 75. Rogier Steemers

Topper derby against PSV does not have usual tension in it. It is supposed to be title six-pointer, but instead PSV are way down in the middle of the table and although they have picked up a few wins lately they do not look as strong as they should be. Their manager Stefan de Vrij was under a lot of pressure few match days ago, but now his job looks a little bit less under threat.

PSV came against us with 4-2-3-1 tactics - change from their usual 4-4-2.

We have some tired legs in the squad - younger players were used heavily in U-19 and U-21 games. Tom Noordhoff and Sener Arslan were rested because of that, but we have Mark van der Plas back in full training and that is good news.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (66. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman, Nkoana (66. van der Plas), de Wit (66. Knol)

PSV’s best striker Chijoke Obafemi had an early chance in the very first attack, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Ismet Gluhalic and two minutes later Tarik de Wit answered with a header that cannoned off the crossbar. We took the lead in 15’ and it was Kwanele Nkoana again who made things happen for us - his clever pass found Stef Veldman in the box and it was a fairly easy finish for right winger. Nkoana got himself to score sheet soon after - his right-footed shot landed next to the far post. Very good strike with his weaker foot and we had control of the game after that. PSV were no pushovers in this first half, but we went to half time with 2:0 lead and looked good enough. de Wit won a lot of headers in PSV box and some of them went on target. I felt that he was a little bit unlucky not to score.

PSV improved a little after the break. Karim Doumbia found their first clear cut chance in 51’ and Gluhalic made a great save to deny him. Kwanele Nkoana doubled his tally in 63’ with excellent shot that went in off the post. Our defensive teamwork looked to be a little poorer after substitutions - Koeman and Herder didn’t offer the same kind of intensity like I’ve used to see from Lichaba and Noordhoff, so it looked inevitable that PSV found at least one good chance and it happened in 75’ when Rogier Steemers were unmarked in front of our goal and scored with a simple tap-in, after cross came in from where Koeman should have blocked it. Two minutes later Nabil Herder saw his cross bounce back from the crossbar, but that was it. No more goals and we saw the rest of the game out.

Good derby win in front of the home fans and we continue our winning streak in the league.

• Kwanele Nkoana picked up where he left off and his performance was as impressive as it was in the previous game - two goals and assist to his name

 

26.11.2036 - AFC Ajax - Juventus 1:1 (Champions League Group A) - 43. Tarik de Wit - 22. Jefferson

The time is now. Those are the decisive games in the Champions League group stage and if we want to progress from this group we need to do well at home against Juventus. It’s a huge task, obviously, but we almost made a come-back in Turin and I know we can do better. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and once again I regretted that we couldn’t use in-form Nkoana in European games.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (62. Janssen), Veldman (73. Lemmens), van der Plas, de wit (68. Knol)

We did good in the first 20 minutes, but the first goal came again from individual brilliance of Jefferson. He easily skipped past Edward Schans and found himself one-on-one against our goalkeeper and his finish was so good that Gluhalic had little possibilities to save it. Juventus had another great chance from the counter in 36’, but this time the shot was saved brilliantly by our goalkeeper and right before the end of the first half we were able to equalize - Lichaba found de Wit in the near post with a good cross and the striker used his opportunity well. Our defense had looked a bit vulnerable in the first half, but 1:1 at half time was not bad at all.

Clyde Sastrodimedjo started the second half with a good attempt that was saved brilliantly by Juventus goalkeeper and for the rest of the second half it was rather difficult for us to find chances. In between 60-70’ mark Juventus had three good opportunities - Jefferson sent his shot wide from clear cut chance, his second attempt two minutes later hit the ost and in 68’ Nicolas Nunez waste his easy scoring opportunity. We fought until the end, but Juventus looked better in the second half and we have to be happy with a point from this game. What is good news (and a little unexpected, to be honest) is that we still have a chance to progress - we just have to win our last game against Galatasaray and hope that Dortmund beats Juventus in their last game.

• Player of the game: Jefferson (Juventus)

 

29.11.2036 - sc Heerenveen - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 20. Simon Janssen, 38. Stef Veldman, 64. pen. Tarik de Wit, 90.+2 Kwanele Nkoana

The last game of the November will be trip to Heerenveen. sc Heerenveen are predicted to finish 10th in this season. Their form has been inconsistent and they are playing like a typical mid-table side. We did beat them already in the cup game, so I was confident that we could do it again here.

Tom Noordhoff was rested for this game, because he started to look a little jaded, but the rest of the first team was fit and ready.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sener Arslan (64. Sastrodimedjo), Janssen (41. Mithat Arabaci), Veldman (69. Lemmens), Nkoana, de Wit

We took the lead in 20’ when Simon Janssen was the player who found the net with excellent strike from 11-12 meters. Stef Veldman extended our lead with a simple tap-in in 38’ and although we didn’t have too many scoring opportunities, we looked good enough to deserve 2:0 lead at half-time.

In the second half Tarik de Wit extended our lead from the spot after Nkoana was pushed in the box and referee had awarded a penalty. Nkoana saw his header clip the upright in 82’, but in the end he too found a goal, even though it happened late in injury time. 4:0 marks a confident win for us and the players did very well.

• we didn’t give sc Heerenveen any scoring chances
• Simon Janssen had to come off in the end of the first half with a twisted knee - he will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks
• Kwanele Nkoana had another outstanding game - a goal and two assists from him this time

 

We continued our good season in November. Defeat from Dortmund was a little disappointment, but we’ve looked very impressive in all domestic games and look good for the title (although it’s just November).

 

Eredivisie

Our lead is huge in the table. FC Utrecht are doing very well, while Feyenoord and PSV continue to struggle. Telstar are unable to take points from anywhere and their relegation seems more and more sure with every matchday. 

[Draakon]

December 2036

 

A lot of games in December - we start of with a massive away game against Galatasaray, but there’s plenty of league games to come and then a cup time against FC Utrecht too.

 

02.12.2036 - Galatasaray - AFC Ajax 2:2 (Champions League Group A) - 70. Ernesto Gaeto, 71. Luciano Papalia - 56. and 58. Mark van der Plas

Our task seems fairly straightforward - we needed to beat Galatasaray and hope that Dortmund will win their game against Juventus. With 1:0 win under our belt from home game it looks possible, and we were positive that we can do it. We practiced defensive positioning before the game and Galatasaray waited us with their 4-4-1-1 formation that looked rather defensive at first sight, at least for a home game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (74. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (57. Mithat Arabaci), Veldman, van der Plas, de Wit (46. Knol)

We started well and Tarik de Wit had the first clear cut chance already in 4’ - Mark van der Plas found him with a wonderful forward pass, but de Wit blasted his shot into orbit. Rick Hendriks conceded a penalty in 32’ - he pushed the opponent in IFK situation. Luciano Papalia stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Gluhalic managed to save it and keep our hopes alive. Galatasaray looked more nervous of the two teams, but they had the last good chance of the first half - Leandro found a crack after we were not able to clear the ball after corner and his shot from close range hit the post. With that scary moment we went to half time break - we had a glorious chance to take the lead in this game, but after 20-25 minutes Galatasaray seemed to have more control. Ismet Gluhalic had a great game so far - saved the penalty and made some good saves from different shots. It definitely doesn’t hurt that Bosnia & Herzegovina manager is on the stands watching. I knew that we needed to change something in our attack, because for the most part of the first half it didn’t seem to work, so Stan Knol went in after half time and I expected him to offer something different.

Knol almost made an impact, but his header in 53’ hit the post and went wide. Both teams had some shots and half-chances, but in 56’ Stef Veldman found Mark van der Plas with a great cross and a simple tap-in from our left winger did the job. van der Plas wasted another great chance two minutes later - his shot was initially saved, but the ball bounced loose on the line and van der Plas himself went for it and somehow managed to tuck it in from between defenders - 2:0 with just two minutes and we looked in control of that game! Galatasaray reacted well - they started to attack in numbers and our defense had to make some important interceptions and determined blocks to keep the pressure minimal to our goal. However, we failed defensively around 70’ mark - we gave Galatasaray strikers three attempts in one attack and in the end Ernesto Gaeto finished it off from rebound. We couldn’t really recover before Luciano Papalia made it 2:2 in the very next attack - our game plan was undone in just two minutes and Galatasaray turned things around quickly. The game balanced out after that - Mark van der Plas had another great scoring opportunity in 80’, but this time he was denied by another difficult save from Galatasaray goalkeeper. Yohann Le Roux from opposition rattled our crossbar with his shot in 87’ and Stan Knol saw his fierce shot being parried in injury time. The game finished 2:2 and to be fair, neither of the teams deserved to lose this game. For us, it means that we failed to deliver once again and have to accept our third place in the group. With 2:0 lead at 60’ I can’t be happy with that outcome, but at least partly I have to accept manager’s responsibility in that come-back we allowed. I probably should have changed something in tactics when we were 2:0 ahead, but hesitated and Galatasaray bounced back. Dortmund did indeed beat Juventus in the other game, so qualification was ours to take, but we failed with a small margin.

• Galatasaray had 27 shots in this game
• we created 5 clear cut chances, but wasted most of them
• Player of the game: Mark van der Plas

 

Champions League Group A

1. Juventus 16
2. Borussia Dortmund 6
3. AFC Ajax 5
4. Galatasaray 5

 

06.12.2036 - FC Twente Enschede - AFC Ajax 1:3 (ED) - 52. Michael Diemer - 7. Stan Knol, 54. Kwanele Nkoana, 89. Tom Noordhoff

We have to shake off our disappointment from the Champions League and focus for the next Eredivisie game. FC Twente are a strong team and they’re predicted to finish 6th in this season and doing fairly well at the moment. They have a very young team, but their best striker Isaac Osei is injured and that should make things a little easier for us. I didn’t make too many changes after our Galatasaray game, but Kwanele Nkoana started in AML and Stan Knol in attack, because he looked good to me against Galatasaray.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (65. de Groot), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (60. Mithat Arabaci), Veldman, Nkoana, Knol (70. de Wit)

We made a great start to the game - Stef Veldman had a great scoring opportunity in 7’ - his shot was saved with difficulties, but the ball bounced free and Stan Knol was the first to arrive and finish it off. The game looked very attacking from both teams after that, but chances were not so good and defenders did their job well. FC Twente’s Michel de Graaf almost surprised Gluhalic with attempt from the distance, but this shot hit the post and so we went to half time with 1:0 lead. FC Twente looked good in possession and we had to be careful to protect our lead, but we failed to do that in 52’ - the cross came in from our right and Michael Diemers practically tackled it off from the feet of Leslie Lichaba and the ball went into our goal - very passive and disappointing defense at that moment. However, we reacted well and just two minutes later Kwanele Nkoana reinstated our lead in the game - he needed two attempts to score, but found the goal in his second chance and that gave us some confidence back. FC Twente tried hard to find another goal, but in 89’ it was Tom Noordhoff who found some space in their box and fired an excellent shot to top corner - outstanding goal from a right back that settled the game for this time. In the end we had the win, but I had to admit that it was a struggle and FC Twente put up a real fight.

• Mario de Groot made his 200th appearance for Ajax
• Player of the game: Tom Noordhoff

 

13.12.2036 - AFC Ajax - MVV Maastricht 1:1 (ED) - 78. Stan Knol - 90.+3 Jan Loen

The whole week to prepare for our next game against in-form MVV Maastricht. MVV are predicted to finish 12th in this season, but they’re currently 4th in the table and doing well with their standard 4-4-2 tactics. 

Our team news is that Simon Janssen was still not ready to start, although he was back in light training. Despite that I chose to rotate some players and share the load.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (62. Lemmens), van der Plas (57. Nkoana), de Wit (70. Knol)

We looked like the better team in the first half - we didn’t create too many chances, but Stef Veldman had a great look after IFK and Mark van der Plas wasted his opportunity, so we went to half time with 0:0 scoreline and I felt it wasn’t good enough - our finishing should have been more clinical.

That story continued into the second half (or was it just our rotten luck in this game) - Edward Schans saw his header clip the crossbar after corner, Stef Veldman hit upright with his shot in 58’ and Tarik de Wit also headed against the crossbar some minutes later. It looked like we just couldn’t score in this game, but substitute Stan Knol finally broke the deadlock in 78’ - his first shot was saved, but not held by the goalkeeper and Knol finished it off from the rebound. It was a moment of relief for us and for a period it looked like we could control this game until the end, but we managed to concede a late goal in injury time - Leslie Lichaba left too much space to Jan Loen and MVV player scored a good goal with their first shot on target in this game.

I was really disappointed to concede a late equalizer like that, especially after we dominated the second half and were so unlucky with shots against framework. We looked a little bit more cramped in attack, but that’s not a real excuse. Most of those narrow games have come our way in this season, but this time MVV was able to snatch a point from us with a late equalizer.

• our shooting was 28/11
• Rick Hendriks will be out for a week after he suffered a bruised head in this game
• Player of the game: Sener Arslan - 12 key passes from him in this game

 

16.12.2036 - AFC Ajax - FC Utrecht 3:1 (Dutch Cup 4th round) - 23. Stef Veldman, 65. Ifenildo Deyl, 76. Stan Knol - 74. Marc de Groot

It was a tough draw for us in this cup fourth round game - FC Utrecht are a very good team even though their best striker Juddy Menga is injured for this game. I used the cup game for some rotation. Simon Janssen is back, but he’ll start from the bench.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (62. Janssen), Veldman (70. Lemmens), van der Plas (70. Nkoana), Knol

We looked good in the first half and took the lead in 23’ - Stan Knol went forward on the counter and crossed for Veldman, who took it on the half-volley and fired into the top corner. Great strike without a doubt. Veldman almost doubled his tally two minutes later, but his header hit the post and bounced back and both Knol and Mark van der Plas had half-chances in the end of the first half. Our lead was narrow at the half-time, but we looked confident and things were under our control.

Mark van der Plas didn’t have luck in 52’ - he had a good shot that hit the post (what is it with framework in this season?), but young defender Ifenildo Deyl scored our second goal with a good header from IFK and things looked much more secure then. FC Utrecht’s Marc de Groot headed in from their corner (Nabil Herder was just too short to win this duel), but good move by Kwanele Nkoana and Stan Knol led to our third goal soon after, so there wasn’t enough time to get nervous about their possible come-back.

Overall it was a very good performance and solid win, despite that conceded set piece goal.

• our shooting was 27/12
• we created no less than 12 half-chances in this game
• Ifenildo Deyl scored his first ever goal for Ajax in this game
• Clyde Sastrodimedjo made his 200th appearance for Ajax
• Stan Knol had a great game and he was named player of the game - a goal and assist to his name today

 

21.12.2036 - FC  Volendam - AFC Ajax 0:3 (ED) - 20. Tarik de Wit, 52. Clyde Sastrodimedjo, 90.+3 pen. Tom Noordhoff

FC Volendam are in the bottom half of the table at the moment and they look like one team in Eredivisie that are weakened by Summer transfer window and lack of quality in some areas. Training before that game was good and it was great to see that Rick Hendriks was back in training, although he was not yet at 100%.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba (54. Koeman), Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (62. Lemmens), van der Plas, de Wit (71. Jansen)

Volendam decided to park the bus in this game, with their 2 DM-s sitting deep in front of their defensive line and to be honest they were fairly good in that. We had a small chance early on, but de Wit’s header scraped crossbar in 7’. The striker was able to score in 20’ after our good counter. At half time our 1:0 lead felt deserved, but it wasn’t our best performance, because we were not able to crack their defense open as I would have expected.

Clyde Sastrodimedjo scored our second goal in 52’ with a great shot. He took his attempt from 20 meters and it was driven low into the far post area, unreachable for the goalkeeper. A brilliant goal and I was really delighted with that. The game eased after that, because we had no rush and FC Volendam couldn’t create anything dangerous. Erik Jansen saw his 86’ shot being denied brilliantly by Volendam goalkeeper. In injury time Peter Lemmens was getting through on goal when he was pulled back by his shirt by FC Volendam’s Jozef Ferfaillie - it was a clear foul and goalscoring opportunity denied, so Ferfaillie received a red card and Tom Noordhoff converted the spot kick. Solid 3:0 win in the end and I was pleased with the result.

• our shooting was 20/9
• Sener Arslan and Clyde Sastrodimedjo were outstanding for us - it wasn’t difficult, because Volendam midfielders sat so deep and rarely applied any pressure on them
• we have now collected 47 points with our first 17 games in this season

 

31.12.2036 - Vitesse Arnhem - AFC Ajax 1:3 (ED) - 52. Jordy Postma - 10. Stef Veldman, 15. Mark van der Plas, 90. Tom Noordhoff

It was another difficult fixture for us - Vitesse were clearly underachieving because they have lost some key players to injuries, but their striker partnership looks very dangerous and our defenders have to be aware of that.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (71. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, van der Plas (71. Nkoana), de Wit (62. Knol)

The first half was fairly even and both teams looked fairly organised, but we had a great 10 minutes period in this half and that gave us 2:0 lead at half time. Stef Veldman made a good interception in 10’ and finished his chance calmly. Mark van der Plas doubled our lead after a good counter-attack and Tarik de Wit almost added the third goal in 17’, but his shot hit the crossbar.

Vitesse looked equal to us and they scored a goal in 52’ - Clyde Sastrodimedjo lost a header in corner situation and Jordy Postma headed it in. It looked fairly nervous for us at this point, but as the time went on and Vitesse couldn’t find an equalizer, they had to take more risks, so in the final minutes we had more space and freedom in their area and Tom Noordhoff converted a good cross from Kwanele Nkoana with a simple tap-in. It was his fourth goal of the season - very good for a right-back. Vitesse looked like they were even better organised in the second half, but we held on and it was a good fin for us.

• our shooting was 20/10
• we didn’t give Vitesse any real scoring opportunities
• Simon Janssen were outstanding for us in this game

 

The last matchday of the year was the last for Stefan de Vrij as PSV Eindhoven manager - he was finally sacked after abysmal first half of the season. PSV are still lingering just above the  relegation zone and they are really struggling to get results

I used December to extend some contracts for the players who’s deal is about to run out in 2038. Johan van Dalen, Mark van der Plas, Stan Knol, Sener Arslan, Erik Jansen, Peter Lemmens and Klaas Dekker all extended their deals until 2040+ 

 

Eredivisie

We have a huge 20 points lead in the table, but the next bunch is really tight. The difference between the 2. and 15. place is just 10 points, so there’s still hope for PSV too.

[Draakon]

January 2037

 

The first half of January was spent with transfers. Mario de Groot moved on and joined Championship club Preston for £1m (up to £1,3m with clauses). Erik Jansen attracted bids from Manchester City, but his contract extension means he will stay put.

I decided not to offer new contracts to Mario van Eijk and Niek van der Ent - young centre-backs are talented, but not really good enough for Ajax first team and it’s better for them to move on.

Three players went on loan: Rob Pluim and Yemaro Jochems joined FC Volendam until the end of the season and Klaas Dekker joined with Niek van der Ent and Erwin Vormer in Roda JC Kerkrade.

Good news from training ground is that we had a good three weeks of work under our belts and it shows in players’ attributes. Johan van Dalen is finally back in light training and although he’s not match fit until perhaps February, it’s great to see him back.

PSV Eindhoven hired ADO Den Haag’s manager Jason Oost as their new manager and that leaves ADO with some choices to make.

 

23.01.2037 - AFC Ajax 0:1 - Vitesse Arnhem 0:1 (ED) - 85. Alfredo Sainrimat

Two consecutive games against Vitesse in Eredivisie and this one in Amsterdam Arena should have been easier of the two. We missed Leslie Lichaba and Kwanele Nkoana, because two South Africans were away at Cup of African Nations with their national team. Perhaps the biggest loss was training injury to Tarik de Wit - he has to sit out for at least 4-5 weeks. All this means that some changes were necessary and we started with Stan Knol up front.

Vitesse surprised us with 4-2-3-1 tactics instead of their usual 4-4-2.

Squad: Gluhlaic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (70. Sener Arslan), Veldman (76. Lemmens), van der Plas, Knol (76. Jansen)

The first half finished goalless - Mark van der Plas got two shots on target and we applied some good pressure to Vitesse goal in the end of the first half, but they managed to withstand it well and looked well organised.

The second half was similar midfield struggle. Edward Schans looked nervous after the break and his foul in IFK situation gave Vitesse a penalty in 79’. Ilunga Gödeken took the spot kick, but Ismet Gluhalic made a great save to deny him from the spot. Vitesse got their goal in 85’, however. Alfredo Sainrimat pushed Schans off the ball too easily and this time finished his chance with a great strike. Mark van der Plas had a great chance to equalize in 89’, but his shot hit the upright and so the final whistle marked our first defeat of the season in Eredivisie.

I felt that we were not good enough in this game - Vitesse looked very organised and they were patient to wait for their chances and we couldn’t create anything dangerous for the most of the game.

• our shooting was 21/6
• we allowed Vitesse to make 24 dribbles - that’s too many
• Player of the game: Alfredo Sainrimat (Vitesse Arhnem)

 

28.01.2037 - AFC Ajax - Feyenoord Rotterdam 2:1 (ED) - 56. Mark van der Plas, 64. Stef Veldman - 17. Kevin Drent

We needed to bounce back with a win and the next game was Klassieker derby at home, so no better moment to do that than in this game. Defensive midfielder Engin Ari was suspended for this game, but Leslie Lichaba and Kwanele Nkoana were back from Africa. Feyenoord still missed their best striker Georges Kongnyuy because of the competition.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (65. Koeman), Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (71. Sener Arslan), Veldman (71. Lemmens), van der Plas, Knol

We had an early chance in the game - Stan Knol took the ball into Feyenoord box and was tripped by defender. The striker himself stepped up to take the penalty, but his spot kick was saved and that was a poor miss to start our game with. Simon Janssen got another shot on target and it looked like we were in control of the game, but it was Feyenoord who took the lead in 17’ - their patient attack picked our defense apart and we abandoned our formation too easily. In the end it was young striker Kevin Drent who received a pass in our box and fired it home. We tried to find an equalizer - Edward Schans saw his header cleared off the line and Stef Veldman’s strike in 34’ was denied by a great save from Feyenoord goalkeeper. I was disappointed with our first half - we were clearly more attacking in the first period, but we wasted our penalty and Feyenoord played smarter. Stan Knol looked ineffective as a striker and our 12 corners in the first half didn’t give us anything substantial.

I changed our attack for the second half and Knol was ordered to play as CFs instead of F9. It improved things a little - in 56’ Mark van der Plas equalized from our corner and a simple tap-in by Stef Veldman put us in control. We looked better in defense and Feyenoord didn’t get good chances in the second half, so in the end it was a good win and turnaround for us. I was happy with our reaction and effort and of course, it’s always great to win a home derby.

• our shooting was 28/11
• Player of the game: Mark van der Plas - a goal and assist from him in this game and he scored his 10th goal of the season

 

31.01.2037 - FC Groningen - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

Our form and rhythm didn’t look oru best in January so far and the month finished with another tricky game in Groningen. FC Groningen are 9th at the moment, their best striker Coen Swinkels was injured and they looked really exhausted before the game, so I hoped that we might have an advantage in this match.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (46. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas (56. Nkoana), Knol (70. Jansen)

It was a drab first half for us. FC Groningen played 4-1-2-3DM Wide tactics and their DM marked Stan Knol well, so I switched him to CFs already in 23’, to put more pressure on their defense and move him a little bit further on the pitch. FC Groningen got two of the best chances in the first half - Haci Bertram’s shot in 23’ was well held by Gluhalic and in 42’ Dirk Drent got a good look - his shot was brilliantly held by our goalkeeper. I had no reason to be happy with our game at half time - we created no chances in the first 45 minutes and Sener Arslan had been extremely poor in midfield as APa. That was the reason why he was taken off at half time and Simon Janssen went on. Things improved a little after that - Stef Veldman saw his header hit the crossbar and in 74’ we had a real winning chance when substitute Kwanele Nkoana found himself alone in front of goal. His shot was parried away by Groningen goalkeeper, so we had to accept the goalless draw in the end. Our second half was slightly better, but overall I wasn’t happy with the result and our lack of creativity.

• our average rating was just 6.90
• we made only 17 key passes in this game
• we made 24 individual mistakes 
• Player of the game: Klevis Dema (FC Groningen) - in a game without any exceptional performances Dema got the award

 

I am not happy with our games in January. Wins against Feyenoord are always important, but our form and performances on the pitch have not been good enough - motivation is there, but there’s also a little bit too much nervousness and we really miss Tarik de Wit’s presence in attack. Stan Knol have made some good games in the past, but at the moment his form is not good enough and I’m not sure that 17 years old Erik Jansen would be an improvement.

 

Eredivisie

We have dropped some points, but we still have a good lead in the table, so no reason to be too worried just yet.

[Draakon]

February 2037

 

A lot of games in February - Eredivisie schedule looks a little easier at first sight and perhaps the last game of the month against FC Utrecht is a bit more difficult. The biggest challenge in February are two games against Stade de Reims in Europa League - I really want to progress to the next round and while it looks possible, Stade de Reims are fairly similar team to us and it’s a very even tie.

 

04.02.2037 - Sparta Rotterdam - AFC Ajax p0:0 (Dutch Cup Quarter Final)

February began with a cup game and it means some rotation in the squad. Sparta doesn’t look particularly strong team and I want to give some players like Zeus Florentina, Fred Koeman and Mithat Arabaci more playing time. Cup games are the best option, so perhaps we went to this game with a little bit weakened team.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan (66. Sastrodimedjo), Janssen, Lemmens, Nkoana (84. van Dalen), Knol (84. Jansen)

We started the first half well, but the game evened out and at least the last 15 minutes in the first half were really quiet. The best moment came in 23’ when Stan Knol took the ball into the box and had a fierce shot, but that cannoned off the crossbar and Knol denied a great goal.

The second half started slowly as well, but after the first substitutions things started to happen. Knol had a great chance in 71’, but his shot hit the post and Mithat Arabaci wasted his opportunity in 80’ time. Ninety minutes finished without a goal and it left me with a feeling that we needed better chances to find the goal. However, those chances were rather rare in this game.

Sparta had the best opportunity in extra time - their long IFK found Eluoan Morel in the box, but Ismet Gluhalic made a great save to deny Sparta defender. Sparta’s Ferry de Geer was forced off with injury in 98’, so we enjoyed advantage in the last 20 minutes, but despite the numbers we couldn’t create anything noteworthy in attack - that was a real disappointment of this game - I know that playing away against mid-table side can be tricky at times, but I expected to be significantly better against them with 11 vs. 10. And, as it often goes when smaller team have withstood against favourites in 120 minutes, they were better in the penalty shoot-out. All their five players scored confidently, while Peter Lemmens missed his penalty and it added to already disappointing performance from him today. Not happy with the performance and of course, the result as well. Young players should have done better.

• Player of the game: Simon Janssen - 13 key passes from him and solid game in midfield

 

ADO Den Haag made their decision and appointed Bruno Martins Indi as their new manager.

 

08.02.2037 - FC Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 0:3 (ED) - 4. Stef Veldman, 68. Kwanele Nkoana, 83. Erik Jansen

Back to Eredivisie and the team was a bit fired up after our cup loss. It was clear to everybody that things had to improve and win was expected in our next game against overachieving FC Eindhoven.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (48. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman (65. Lemmens), Nkoana, Knol (72. Jansen)

Eindhoven stadium welcomed us with rainy weather and damp pitch, so it wasn’t the most suitable for our technical football, but we started the game very well. Good counter and cross from Nkoana laid it on a plate for Stef Veldman, who scored with a simple finish from close range. In 10’ Nkoana had a great opportunity to double our lead, but his shot went wide. We went to half time with 1:0 lead - it was a decent first half with encouraging performance, but no reason to be complacent in the second half.

And complacent we couldn’t afford to be, because FC Eindhoven came out with a real fire after second half kick-off. their winger Mattia Galimberti had a shot after IFK that require a good save from Zeus Florentina. We went to counter right after that and Simon Janssen had excellent chance to punish FC Eindhoven for that miss. His shot was brilliantly parried by FC Eindhoven goalkeeper. We slowly regained control of the game and Kwanele Nkoana doubled our lead in 68’. For that moment physical game and wet pitch started to claim victims - Clyde Sastrodimedjo limped off with a bruised thigh and Peter Lemmens came on after Stef Veldman pulled his hamstring.

Soon after that Lemmens wasted his clear cut chance and hit the post with his second attempt (another disappointing and struggling performance from the winger - he didn’t look good enough against Sparta and weren’t good enough here. Young striker Erik Jansen finished things off with a good goal in 83’ and this time Lemmens got an assist to his name. FC Eindhoven got their best chance in the game in 85’ - their striker Monteir Elisio Monteiro had a great look on goal, but again Florentina was better and did well to parry his shot.

In the end I could be pleased with our clean sheet and three goals. FC Eindhoven looked well motivated in this game, but their defenders made some mistakes and those were punished in the end.´We could have played a bit better in defense and could have used our chances better, but Zeus Florentina did well in our goal and things turned out fine for us.

• we created 6 clear cut chances in this game
• we committed 23 fouls on that wet pitch
• Stef Veldman will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks, while Clyde Sastrodimedjo has to miss our next game against Stade de Reims - his experience is a big loss for us
• Player of the game: Clive Noordhoff

 

12.02.2037 - AFC Ajax - Stade de Reims 2:1 (Europa League 1st knockout round 1st leg) - 19. Sener Arslan, 54. Erik Jansen - 54. Eric Moreira

We will go to the most important game in February without our key players - Stef Veldman and Clyde Sastrodimedjo are injured, Tarik de Wit is still recovering from his knock and to make things worse, Stan Knol caught cold right before that game, so it left us with underperforming Peter Lemmens on our right wing and … 17 years old Erik Jansen in attack. Doesn’t look great.

We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and I used our well-proven Champions League tactics against Stade de Reims - more disciplined approach, with wider formation.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (75. Koeman), Engin Ari, Sener Arslan, Janssen (71. Mithat Arabaci), Lemmens, van der Plas (67. Nkoana), Jansen

Dutch striker Tim van Overen was one of the danger men in Stade de Reims squad and he almost scored in 9’ - he won the header against Leslie Lichaba, but it came back from the crossbar and we escaped that with a bit of luck on our side. We managed to take the lead in 19’ - Peter Lemmens delivered a good cross into the box and Sener Arslan timed his run perfectly - simple finish from close range resulted in his first goal of the season. Fairly even first half meant that both teams had just one good chance and we used ours a little better, so we had the advantage at the half time.

Good combination of one-touch passes in the box gave youngster Erik Jansen a half-chance, but he took it really well and his shot from behind a defender surprised Stade de Reims goalkeeper a little. But just as we started to celebrate our 2:0 lead, we conceded a goal ourselves. Leslie Lichaba struggled with headers in this game and again he lost one - this time against Eri Moreira, who scored with a thumping header to make it 2:1 very quickly. We managed to keep our narrow advantage until the final whistle, but 2:1 lead is inconclusive, because Stade de Reims got their away goal that is so important in those ties and it’s right to say that the game almost starts from 0:0 in the second leg.

• Player of the game: Sener Arslan - good display and a goal from our midfielder

 

Feyenoord finally made a decision and appointed FC Groningen’s Erik Pieters as their new manager. I have to admit it’s an excellent choice and significant improvement after Nico Elvedi era. 

 

15.02.2037 - AFC Ajax - ADO Den Haag 1:2 (ED) - 77. Sener Arslan - 6. and 68 Patryk Rodak

We played on Eredivisie game in between those Europa League fixtures and hosted underperforming ADO Den Haag in Amsterdam Arena. They are just 16th in the table, so a little bit because they have looked so poor, but also a little bit because we needed our best players to be fresh for the trip to France, I rotated heavily and bench players got their opportunity to shine.

We continued to practice attacking set pieces in trainings and I prepared for ADO 4-2-3-1 tactics. Stan Knol had almost recovered from his illness and he was on the bench, but I didn’t want to start with him, because he didn’t look fit to play all 90 minutes just yet, so Erik Jansen continued in our first eleven.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Deyl, Hendriks ,Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan, Janssen (73. Engin Ari), Lemmens, van der Plas (57. Nkoana), Jansen (64. Knol)

We didn’t start well and ADO Den Haag took the lead in 6’ - our centre-backs didn’t react quick enough to the cross into the box - Patryk Rodak had some time to take the ball and his fierce shot came in too powerful and from too close for Zeus Florentina to make a save. Disappointing start, but I hoped we could react well and turn things around. And we almost did in 10’ - Fred Koeman took ambitious shot from 20 meters that did beat ADO goalkeeper, but hit the post and bounced back. We didn’t have enough luck in this first half, because Erik Jansen too saw his header skim crossbar in 19’ and Ifenildo Deyl had a great chance from corner - the centre-back sent his shot wide from where any striker would have scored. We did look like a better team in the first half, but I wasn’t happy to be 0:1 behind at half time.

Frameworks was the word of the game for us - Mark van der Plas’ header grazed crossbar in 52’ and after all that rotten luck Patryk Rodak doubled his tally - the second time he was given space in our box and again it was Nabil Herder who wasn’t able to stop the run and cross from our right that led to the goal. Two mistakes and two goals for ADO Den Haag, while we continued to waste our chances - exactly what Kwanele Nkoana did in 74’. Sener Arslan was finally able to score in 77’ (very similar to the goal he had against Stade de Reims), but the time ran out for us and our frustrating evening finished with our second defeat in this Eredivisie campaign.

I know it was a weakened team, but the result was unacceptable and it was perhaps the worst performance of the season so far. I can’t really understand what’s the thing with us and frameworks in this season - we’ve no hit the woodwork more than 20 times in Eredivisie games alone.

• we lost possession 45/55
• our average rating was just 6.97
• we made 22 fouls in this game
• Player of the game: Patryk Rodak (ADO Den Haag) - scored two goals, was patient with his chances and was able to shake off our defenders to create space in our box

 

19.02.2037 - Stade de Reims - AFC Ajax 0:2 (Europa League 1st knockout round 2nd leg) - 6. Stan Knol, 74. Mark van der Plas

We pushed back thoughts of that defeat, because it was time for the big test in Europa League. We continued to practice attacking set pieces before the game. Stade de Reims tried to surprised us with 4-3-3 formation. I countered that with our Champions League tactics, but asked full-backs to play with support duty, to overcrowd midfield and limit space for those wide strikers, so that our centre-backs wouldn’t be overwhelmed. After all, we needed to control the game and midfield and didn’t need to find a goal desperately, at least not at first.

Stan Knol returned to our starting line-up and I mixed things up by sending out Mithat Arabaci as our attacking playmaker, to offer more physical presence in midfield.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (81. Sener Arslan), Mithat Arabaci (67. Janssen), Lemmens, van der Plas (78. Nkoana), Knol

Stan Knol looked like a different man in this game. He hasn’t been the sharpest since January and hasn’t scored goals, but he started well right away and his first attempt from distance rattled crossbar. Two minutes later he finished another attacking move and got himself to scoresheet. Peter Lemmens delivered a good cross into six yard box and Knol was at the right place to finish it off. Stade de Reims were no pushovers and we gave them the best chance of the game in 10’ - Eric Moreira got a shot on target from close range, but Ismet Gluhalic was well positioned on the line and was able to save it. Mark van der Plas wasted his clear cut chance in 19’ and Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a lot of time and space to finish our counter attack in 35’, but he sent his shot wide. Those misses were the only side of our game that needed improvement in the first half - otherwise it was a very well disciplined performance and our tactics seemed to work very well.

We controlled things even better in the second half - defended well, kept the ball and in 74’ Stan Knol found Mark van der Plas in the area with excellent through ball. The left winger had to shoot quickly, but he did well to put it past the goalkeeper. The game finished 2:0 and I was really happy with that result and our performance - a really good game away from home, right when it mattered.

• we will play SLB in the next round - they’re much tougher opponents than Stade de Reims, no disrespect
• Player of the game: Stan Knol - he made things happen for us in attack today and 4-3-3 formation gave him a lot of space to exploit between the lines

 

22.02.2037 - Roda JC Kerkrade - AFC Ajax 0:1 (ED) - 76. Peter Lemmens

Back to Eredivisie and we have two more games to play in February. Roda JC are 14th at the moment - it doesn’t look to be too difficult for us, but away games are almost tricky and they managed to get a draw from Amsterdam Arena, so their 4-2-3-1 formation is not the easiest for us. It’s great to see Tarik de Wit back in full training (he’ll start from the bench) and I’m keen to see our loan players playing for Roda against us.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (64. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Lemmens, van Dalen (50. van der Plas), Knol (60. de Wit)

It was a drab first half for us - Johan van Dalen made his first start after injury and he didn’t look in sync with others, Peter Lemmens couldn’t create much from our right wing too and Johan van Dalen’s header hitting the post in 34’ was our best moment of the whole half - not good enough.

I asked the players to overlap in the second half, but it didn’t make much of a difference. Problems appeared in 68’ when substitute Tarik de Wit had to come off with another injury - he was able to play just 8 minutes after recovering his previous injury, but picked up another knock. This time we had no substitutions left and no striker on the pitch, so I went for a creative tactics with Simon Janssen in AMC and wingers pushed high, hoping that van der Plas and Lemmens could combine a goal with some of their crosses. And it happened in 76’ - Mark van der Plas’ cross was tipped forward by Roda goalkeeper and Lemmens managed to head it into the empty net. Great moment for him and I was delighted on the sidelines. Two minutes later Ifenildo Deyl had a great chance from corner, but his shot from close range was blocked. We looked good despite being a man down and managed to hold onto that lead until the final whistle. Like it often happens, Roda JC players became perhaps too bold after de Wit went off and they got advantage in numbers, but we punished them with a goal. I’m not happy with our football in 11 vs. 11 part of the game, though.

• our shooting was just 16/4
• we allowed Roda JC to make 23 key passes and that’s too many
• Tarik de Wit is sidelined for another 5-6 weeks with a sprained ankle
• Player of the game: Peter Lemmens - nothing extraordinary, but his header clinched all three points for us

25.02.2037 - AFC Ajax - FC Utrecht 2:0 (ED) - 57. Peter Lemmens, 74. Mark van der Plas

The last game in February was a rival match against FC Utrecht. They are 2nd in the table, so perhaps for them it was a six-pointer, but I didn’t feel it because our lead is so big in this season. I selected more experienced players for this game - Tarik de Wit was injured and Stef Veldman was back in training, but he wasn’t fit to play just yet, so we had to get through without our two best goalscorers.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (56. Mithat Arabaci), Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (56. Sener Arslan), Lemmens, van der Plas (69. Nkoana), Knol

We were clearly better team in the first half, but couldn’t find a goal in the first 45 minutes. The best chance we had came in 19’ - Mark van der Plas saw his shot being saved by FC Utrecht goalkeeper, went for the follow-up, but managed to hit the post from point blank range. We could have been more accurate with our shots, but it looked like FC Utrecht struggled to create anything against us and our goal is a matter of when, not if.

Peter Lemmens continued his goalscoring run into this game and it was his touch that resulted in our first goal in 57’ - Leslie Lichaba delivered a cross from our left wing. It wasn’t the most accurate, but Lemmens went to tackle it and got his foot in to put it over the line - a little lucky, but deserved because he fought for it. Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a great chance in 60’ after good interception, but he only managed to beat the goalkeeper and was denied by goal post. FC Utrecht defense continued to struggle against us and in 64’ Kwanele Nkoana doubled our lead with a simple tap in after Lemmens delivered a cross to the far post. Lemmens had another chance to score in 90’, but this time his shot was saved. The second half belonged completely to su and FC Utrecht had no answers - I was happy with our performance and clean sheet, too.

• our shooting was 31/11
• FC Utrecht didn’t have any real chances in this game
• Clive Noordhoff twisted his ankle and he needs 3-4 weeks to recover from it
• Player of the game: Stan Knol - made things happen in attack and gave 11 key passes

 

Our form has been a little bit up and down in February. I was disappointed with the result against Sparta and that we were knocked out of Dutch cup, but we slowly improved and younger players have done fairly well in those games. ADO Den Haag game does not bother me, because we have a comfortable lead in Eredivisie and one loss doesn’t matter much, but we were able to deliver good performances against Stade de Reims and this was important in this month, so overall I can be fairly satisfied with how we’ve done.

It’s also important that Vitesse too have progressed to Europa League second knockout round - our points in league coefficient table are important to all clubs in Holland.

 

Eredivisie

Still a huge lead in the table. The rest of the pack is fairly mediocre and FC Utrecht with MVV Maastricht are in the top three at the moment.

[Draakon]

March 2037

 

Our schedule in March balances tough with easy - the big test in this month are two games against Portuguese giants SLB, but in Eredivisie we can relax a little and we play against bottom teams - VVV Venlo, Telstar and Go Ahead Eagles are in the list. I’m also anticipating our new youth intake and hope to get some good prospects from this bunch of players.

 

01.03.2037 - AFC Ajax - VVV Venlo 3:0 (ED) - 28. and 31. Peter Lemmens, 48. Mark van der Plas

March begins with easier home game against mid-table side VVV Venlo before we host SLB. VVV are 9th at the moment and they came against us with their usual 4-2-3-1. I rotated freely, but tried to keep all players as fit as possible.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Deyl, Hendriks, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (63. Sener Arslan), Lemmens (49. Nkoana), van der Plas, Knol (71. Jansen)

Both teams tried to settle in the first half and VVV held on until 28’. Then a quickfire double from Peter Lemmens gave us a comfortable lead. Both crosses came in from our left flank and those were easy chances for the right winger.

Lemmens also assisted Mark van der Plas’ goal right after half time break, but unfortunately he then to leave with an injury in 48’ and Kwanele Nkoana took his place on the pitch. The South African is not used to play on the right, but with Stef Veldman also out we didn’t have a fit right winger in the team. The rest of the game was more quiet and only Clyde Sastrodimedjo’s attempt in 66’ drew a brilliant save from VVV goalkeeper.

Good solid win at home and exactly what I expected from the team.

• our shooting was 20/8
• Peter Lemmens will be out for 2-3 weeks with a twisted knee
• Player of the game: Mark van der Plas - a goal and assist to his name today

 

Nico Elvedi was appointed as the new FC Groningen manager after that matchday, so you can effectively say that Feyenoord and Groningen swapped managers. Let’s see who benefits more from this move.

 

05.03.2037 - AFC Ajax - SLB 1:2 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 1st leg) - 61. Stan Knol - 45. Alberto Aguimcer, 66. Aschraf Flemming

The big test in this month and we played the first leg at home. We practiced defending set pieces before the game, because keeping a clean sheet at home is so important. I expected SLB to come against us with 4-3-3 tactics, but they opted for 4-4-2 for the away game. We missed Peter Lemmens, but fortunately Stef Veldman returned to full training and he started for us in this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Schans (84. Deyl), Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (75. Sener Arslan), Veldman, van der Plas (59. van Dalen), Knol

The first 15 minutes belonged to us - less than two minutes had passed from the kick-off when Mark van der Plas received a forward pass from Stan Knol and he was clear of all defenders, but the shot was parried brilliantly by SLB goalkeeper. van der Plas had another clear cut chance in 15’, but again couldn’t beat the keeper and his second attempt from point blank range hit the post - three goalscoring opportunities missed in the first 15 minutes. Then SLB woke and Alberto Aguimcer found a gap in our defensive line - his shot was saved brilliantly by Gluhalic. The game settled after that, but right at the end of the first half SLB took the lead - Aguimcer took the ball past Gluhalic and scored into the empty net - very disappointing moment for us, because I felt that we had edged the first half, but still found ourselves trailing at half time. It was the same problem we had in the Champions League - we wasted too many clear cut chances.

We equalized in 61’ when excellent combination through middle gave Stan Knol a chance and his shot was driven low and landed right next to goal post - very good finish from the striker and that marked his 10th goal of the season. Ex-Ajax striker Aschraf Flemming created the most dangerous moments for SLB in the second half - his shot landed against our post in 62’ and four minutes later he got free of Rick Hendriks in our box and that goal proved to be a winner for SLB. SLB skillful strikers were a threat, but they didn’t get too many chances and overall we did fairly well against them. It was entertaining match for the fans, but I feel that we should have come away with more than 1:2 defeat. It is very difficult to win those ties over two legs if you concede two goals at home and I feel that SLB did enough here to secure their place in the quarter finals.

• Player of the game: Alberto Aguimcer (SLB)

08.03.2037 - Telstar - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

Telstar is clearly the weakest team in this season’s Eredivisie and we’ve been lucky that schedule has them between two SLB games. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and I sent out all youngsters and rotation players, because I expected that any team we put out will be good enough to win this game.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Deyl, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sener Arslan, Mithat Arabaci (75. Janssen), Veldman, Nkoana (58. van Dalen), Jansen (73. Knol)

I was wrong about easy wins - our attacking game was completely out of sync and Telstar defended well. If after 25 minutes we had no real chances in the game, I asked fullbacks to overlap more, but it made no difference. The best chance of the game came in injury time of the first half - Erik Jansen got a good shot on target after our counter attack, but it was saved brilliantly by Telstar goalkeeper.

Our opponents did well enough in the second half too to limit our chances until they finally got theirs in the last ten minutes. Telstar striker Luuk Hoek found two clear cut chances in 82’ and 87’, but couldn’t get his shots on target. We were certainly lucky in those moments, but it illustrates further how poor we actually were in this game. I was pretty upset after the final whistle and tried to calm my nerves so I wouldn’t shout at everybody in the dressing room, but it was unacceptable, really.

• our shooting was just 17/4
• Player of the game: Mithat Arabaci - I don’t really know why, but to be fair, no player was really good in this game

 

12.03.2037 - SLB - AFC Ajax 5:1 (Europa League 2nd knockout round 2nd leg) - 37. Adrian Rojas, 60., 62. and 77. Aschraf Flemming, 73. Jozo Perica - 43. Kwanele Nkoana

We prepared for this game, practicing defensive positioning. This time SLB didn’t surprise us and played their usual 4-3-3 tactics, which we countered with our Champions League tactics and FBs orders. Engin Ari was suspended for this game - it was a big loss, because we needed his tackling and work rate in deep midfield. Mithat Arabaci replaced him in DMC.

Squad: Gluhalic, Herder, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (66. Koeman), Mithat Arabaci (29. Nkoana), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas, Knol (73. Jansen)

The first half was fairly good performance for us, until Stef Veldman did something unbelievably stupid in 28’ and hacked opponent down with a reckless two-footed challenge. Straight red card for him and with that decision our hopes seemed to evaporate. I had no other option than replace Mithat Arabaci with Kwanele Nkoana and move him to AMR position. Adrian Rojas gave SLB the lead in 37’ - his solo run into the box cracked our defense open and fierce shot was unstoppable for Ismet Gluhalic. Stan Knol had a great chance to equalize from IFK, but he blasted it over, but three minutes later Kwanele Nkoana managed to find a goal - loose ball fell to him in the box and young winger looked very composed with his finish. That goal gave the whole team a lot of motivation and at half time we had to be very happy with 1:1 scoreline - we were still alive despite being a man down and looked very positive.

That same motivation and high spirits sent us to the second half and Mark van der Plas had a good shot on target in 55’ that was brilliantly saved by SLB goalkeeper, but then the inevitable happened - Aschraf Flemming scored two goals in two minutes. Rick Hendriks was directly responsible for the first of those and when Jozo Perica added another one in 73’, we were on a survival mode. Rick Hendriks and Leslie Lichaba looked completely outclassed by SLB attacking players and another terrible mistake from Hendriks gave Aschraf Flemming his hat-trick. It could have been even worse, but at least Gluhalic could do something about it and his brilliant save in 88’ denied SLB their sixth goal. The last 30 minutes of the game was unbearable to watch and I was quick to get to our dressing room after the final whistle. I can’t be pleased with the performance and the result. I’m not sure if we had a chance with 11 men or not - definitely Veldman’s red card was a key moment in this game, but it’s fair to say that we failed under pressure and our defensive problems were well exposed by SLB. Rick Hendriks was directly responsible for two goals and he finished with 4.6 rating - a clear sign that he’s not good enough centre-back in European level and we have to look further into the youth ranks.

• our shooting was 18/6 - not bad in stats, but 11 of those shots came from outside of the box
• our average rating was just 6.59
• SLB made 64 key passes in this game
• Rick Hendriks was fired for 2 weeks wages for poor performance - no complaints from him
• Player of the game: Aschraf Flemming (SLB) - hat-trick hero for SLB in this game

 

15.03.2037 - AFC Ajax - Go Ahead Eagles 2:0 (ED) - 2. Kwanele Nkoana, 21. Stef Veldman

I knew that we needed to bounce back with a win after those three disappointing results in a row. The first news before this match came from Rotterdam - Sparta had fired their manager Kevin Strootman after another defeat in the league.

Go Ahead Eagles are 17th in the table and I was confident that we should win this game, but my assistant manager Diego Rivas advised that we should practice defending set pieces, because Eagles are fairly dangerous from dead ball situations.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman (74. Lichaba), Engin Ari, Sener Arslan (64. Mithat Arabaci), Janssen, Veldman, Nkoana (68. van Dalen), Jansen

We had an early chance in the very first minute - Nkoana crossed for Veldman and the right winger had a very open look in front of the goal, but his shot was somehow saved by Eagles’ goalkeeper. In the very next attack it was Nkoana who found the target, though - his solo run into the box and good shot with his weaker right foot went straight past the goalkeeper - good run and good goal from the youngster. Stef Veldman got his second great chance of the game in 21’ and this time he used it well, scoring with a simple tap-in from a cross by Leslie Lichaba. Eagles players looked very nervous for the most part of this game and it wasn’t surprising that things didn’t work out for them. They started to defend in numbers after our second goal and that limited our chances, but midfield was under our control and we looked fairly comfortable for the rest of the game.

The second half was less exciting - we didn’t have to switch gears, because of our solid lead, and rotation players that were on the pitch weren’t able to create good chances. Zeus Florentina didn’t have to do too much in this game until Eagles’ right-back Gerard van Duren had a free header on target from IFK - Florentina reacted well and made a great save from close range, keeping his clean sheet.

It wasn’t the most impressive performance, but I was pleased with the result.

• we made only 16 key passes - not the most impressive attacking creativity
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman - not outstanding, but good game from our right winger

 

21.03.2037 - AFC Ajax - Sparta Rotterdam 4:1 (ED) - 13. and 22. Mark van der Plas, 17. Stef Veldman, 90.+2 Erik Jansen - 70. Guyon de Graaf

Why Kevin Strootman’s sacking was important for us? Because our next opponent is Sparta and they come against us without a manager, so it could favour us. Sparta is 16th in the table at the moment and we’re clear favourites for this game. We do miss some players, though, because Leslie Lichaba and Kwanele Nkoana are away with South Africa squad. I’m happy that Peter Lemmens is back in full training and Clive Noordhoff is also almost fit after his injury.

Squad: Florentina, Herder, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sener Arslan, Janssen, Veldman (62. Lemmens), van der Plas (62. van Dalen), Knol (68. Jansen)

Sparta came against us with interesting 4-1-2-1-2 diamond tactics and that was a big mistake. We exploited the space on their wings in the first half and chances started to come our way quickly. Stef Veldman found Stan Knol with a cross and Knol’s header cannoned back from the crossbar. Then Veldman had a great chance himself, but sent his shot well over Sparta goal. The first goal came in 13’ - Sener Arslan’s attempt from 14 meters was saved, but Mark van der Plas tucked it in from the rebound. Stef Veldman doubled our lead with easy finish four minutes later and another simple tap-in by van der Plas made it 3:0 with just after 22 minutes were played. Sparta switched to 4-2-2-2 (with 2 DM-s) formation and that stopped the gaps in their defense, but on the other hand they couldn’t create anything in attack either, so our lead at the half time was very comfortable.

The second half was much more quiet - we didn’t try too much and Sparta had few attacks (if any). However, our complacency was punished in 70’ - Sparta had a free kick and the ball fell to Guyon de Graaf in our box, who was left completely unmarked and he sent his shot past Zeus Florentina. That didn’t matter too much. We didn’t create anything dangerous until injury time - Johan van Dalen flicked on our IFK and Erik Jansen made a good run into the box to finish it off - good for the substitutes to provide a goal like that. Final score 4:1 looks fairly convincing and this result secured our league title before the end of March.

• our shooting was 22/9
• we created 6 clear cut chances in this game
• Stan Knol came off after he picked up a knock and damaged heel will keep him sidelined for a week
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen - good game from our playmaker

 

I have mixed feelings about our March - we did good enough in the league and secured our title very early, but failed to cause an upset against SLB. Despite that our minimum goal in Europa League was achieved, so I can be satisfied with our campaign overall.

 

Eredivisie

Five games to go - MVV Maastricht and FC Utrecht are still doing well and look good for top three finish. Telstar can’t find a win from anywhere and they looked destined for relegation.

[Draakon]

Youth Intake 2037

 

No surprises in hopes and expectations before this season’s youth intake - I feel that we’re well bolstered in all positions except left-backs. It’s possible, of course, to import some from Ajax CT (as we did with Leslie Lichaba) but while we have several 3,5-4* players in DR, we have merely 2,5-3* players in DL.

This season’s intake looked like this.

Plenty of talent and at least 5-6 players are worth taking a closer look.

 

Stephan Heijstek

Short, but quick winger. Good crosser (already at this age). I asked Stef Veldman to tutor him to get his mental attributes up quicker. His only weakness is that he’s a little inconsistent.

 

Joost Smit

Good young goalkeeper. He will turn 17 very soon, and his skills are nothing exceptional, but no obvious weaknesses either. It looks like he could be a good rotation player, at least. He too, is a little inconsistent.

 

Wil van de Laak

Left winger. Very young and fairly quick player. His mental attributes don’t impress anyone, but he can be tutored and Johan van Dalen will takes him under his wing for now - this determination will definitely go up from 3. Also a little inconsistent.

 

Emre Bakker

Young centre-back. Has some good physical attributes,determined character and he’s very good at marking. Looks good for his role.

 

Leo Doorn

Midfielder with impressive physical attributes. One-footed, but with the right training could become a solid box-to-box midfielder

 

Steven Lammers

Interesting striker. Professional player (that always helps) and with some interesting preferred moves. He’s very young, so I’m not so concerned about attributes or talent, but I’m not sure if I can turn him into a good lone striker.

 

So, a good bunch of players across the board, but at the same time no exceptional talent who could be a wonderkid in a couple of years.

[wesl]

Just wanna say Zeus Florentina has to be one of the best names FM has ever come up with.

[Draakon]

April 2037

 

Three games in April, but our schedule at the end of the season is packed with high-profile games. Neither of those free is too easy and in April we will play in another Topper Derby against PSV Eindhoven.

April started with the news from Sparta Rotterdam - they hired Norichio Nieveld as their new manager.

 

04.04.2037 - AZ Alkmaar - AFC Ajax 1:0 (ED) - 25. Jan Klomp

AZ Alkmaar are mid-table side and are in the 12th position at the moment, but away games against mid-table teams are always tricky. They fielded 4-2-3-1 formation and that too is not something we’ve played too often against. I used this game to balance playing time. Engin Ari suffered an injury in training and had to skip a couple of games, but Tarik de Wit was back in training and I could start him in our attack.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks (76. Jansen), Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan, Janssen, Lemmens, van der Plas (55. Nkoana), de Wit (55. Knol)

We didn’t play well in the first half and our problems started from midfield - gaps were too large between our lines, we lost the ball too often and too easily, being exposed to counter-attacks right after that. Too often AZ players got a half-chance or a shot on target and one of those counter-attacks resulted in their goal in 25’ - Rick Hendriks left his man unmarked in the box and Jan Klomp finished their move with a good strike. Our best chance of the first half came in 28’ when Peter Lemmens had a great look to score an equalizer, but his shot was saved.

I tried to change things in the second half - asked the players to retain possession and fullbacks to overlap more, to offer attacking options on the flanks. That didn’t work out - while we looked better in possession and limited counters, we couldn’t create much ourselves until substitute Stan Knol got a free header in 89’ - his attempt went well wide and that was the second great chance we wasted in this game. So - disappointing defeat for us. Tactically inadequate in the first half and poor finishing in attack cost us the points. AZ defended well and didn’t give us too many opportunities. I feel that we have no real excuses, because it wasn’t too weak team from us and those players should have done better.

• our shooting was just 7/1 in this game
• Tarik de Wit made his 300th appearance for Ajax
• young centre-back Ronald Jansen made his debut for Ajax in the second half
• Player of the game: Jan Klomp (AZ Alkmaar)

 

10.04.2037 - PSV Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 2:1 (ED) - 9. Chijoke Obafemi, 39. Tarik Gennissen - 33. Mark van der Plas

PSV are just 9th in the table, but this home derby was their chance to prove that they are better team than their league position assumes. They came against us with bold 4-3-3 tactics and I countered it with our Champions League tactics with fullbacks on support duty. We practiced defending set pieces before the game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (76. Sener Arslan), Veldman, van der Plas (65. Nkoana), de Wit (59. Knol)

PSV’s Chijoke Obafemi opened scoring in 9’ with a very good header. Leslie Lichaba was just a few steps behind him, but that was enough space for their danger man to use it well. It took some time, but in 33’ we found an equalizer when Clive Noordhoff found Mark van der Plas with his excellent cross and it wasn’t the most difficult finish for our left winger. PSV went to half time with 2:1 lead after ex-Ajax player Tarik Gennissen scored from IFK. It didn’t look like a very good chance, actually, and Ismet Gluhalic got his hand on that shot, but couldn’t stop it from going in. Our marking in defense was not good enough in this first half and we lost possession in our attack too easily - not so smart decisions with the ball.

The second half looked fairly similar - PSV’s Edu had the best goalscoring opportunity in 50’, but Ismet Gluhalic stopped his shot with a great reaction save. We, however, were not really close to finding an equalizer and PSV looked fairly comfortable in their lead. That game was another sign for us that we need to think about rebuilding our defensive line - Ifenildo Deyl looked too often out of position, but he will learn from this. It was our second defeat in a row and that will hurt our morale a little bit.

• we allowed PSV to make 44 key passes in this game
• Player of the game: Dennis de Jong (PSV Eindhoven)

 

18.04.2037 - AFC Ajax - sc Heerenveen 4:1 (ED) - 10., 17. and 71. Kwanele Nkoana, 80. Sener Arslan - 28. Roche Odang

Two defeats in a row and we needed to bounce back with a win to get something positive out of this April. It was our home game and I hoped that the home fans and Amsterdam Arena will do the difference. Engin Ari was also back in training (although not in the starting line-up).

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (21. Janssen), Veldman (71. Lemmens), Nkoana, de Wit (64. Jansen)

This time we started well and quickly took control of the game - Kwanele Nkoana scored two goals inside the first 20 minutes and we were cruising, but Mithata Arabaci was forced off with injury and I replaced him with Simon Janssen. Because we had no true DMC, we continued with unorthodox 4-3-2-1 tactics that left our defensive line with a little cover, but offered good numbers and creative ability in midfield. sc Heerenveen quickly found their answer and Roche Odang scored with a fine header from IFK - Ifenildo Deyl lost this aerial challenge and there were questions about Ismet Gluhalic’s positioning.Kwanele Nkoana had a great chance to complete his hat-trick in 40’, but his shot hit the post and we went to half-time with 2:1 lead.

I wasn’t completely sure if we could keep our lead with this kind of tactics and things got worse in the second half - Clive Noordhoff brought down sc Heerenveen’s Job Blaauw in our area and the referee awarded the penalty. It looked like it’s sc Heerenveen who could make a great come-back in this game, but Ismet Gluhalic made a crucial penalty save to deny Maxwell de Goede and we maintained our lead. Kwanele Nkoana did complete his hat-trick in 71’ to secure our position and Sener Arslan finished things off with a screamer from 25 yards in 80’ - probably the best goal I’ve seen in this whole season. The final score looked like a very confident win for us, but sc Heerenveen were actually really close to come back into this game.

• our shooting was 21/8
• Mithat Arabaci suffered fractured wrist and his season is over because of that injury
• Kwanele Nkoana and Sener Arslan were outstanding for us

 

I wasn’t happy with our April. Sure, we experimented with line-ups and tactics and those games didn’t mean anything to our position in the table, but I still hate to lose and I’m not happy to be outplayed on the pitch.

Good news from April is that Ajax U-19 team won the league - it doesn’t happen too often, but this time it looks like we really do have a good bunch of players and our U-19 manager has done incredibly well to make things work on the pitch.

 

Eredivisie

It’s confirmed that Telstar will be relegated - they have gathered some points from draws lately, but they haven’t been able to win games and that will cost them the place in top division.

[Draakon]

May 2037

 

Only two games in May and no pressure on us, but both of those games are against teams in good form, so we have to do well if we want to win and finish our season on a high.

 

03.05.2037 - AFC Ajax - FC Twente Enschede 4:1 (ED) - 8. and 25. Stan Knol, 48. and 76. Kwanele Nkoana - 71. Isaac Osei

It is our final home game of the season and fans flock into the stadium to celebrate our excellent league campaign. FC Twente is 3rd in the table and they come against us in their usual 4-1-2-3DM Wide formation. They’re missing their most creative player Michael Diemers for this game and that should make our life a bit easier.

We have some problems with injuries - fitness training sessions during international break caused smaller traumas to Leslie Lichaba and Rick Hendriks. I wanted to balance playing time so that no player needs to play more than 40 games in the season - that’s partly the reason why we field inexperienced partnership in central defense: Ifenildo Deyl and Ronald Jansen.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (71. Herder), Deyl, Jansen, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (56. Lemmens), Nkoana, Knol (76. de Wit)

We started the game really well and instantly put FC Twente under pressure. It didn’t take long before we managed to score our first goal - Engin Ari found Stan Knol in front of the goal and the striker finished his chance off with a good shot from close range. In 25’ he doubled his tally after a good cross from Nkoana and although our left winger missed his goalscoring opportunity in 37’, we looked really good at half-time with our 2:0 lead.

We continued well into the second half - Kwanele Nkoana added our third goal soon after kick-off. In 71’ Ifenildo Deyl made a rare mistake - his backpass to Gluhalic was really poor and was easily intercepted by Isaac Osei. FC Twente striker finished his chance with a strong shot and there was nothing that Gluhalic could do to save this situation. It was a bad mistake by Deyl, but to be honest - it was probably the best moment in the whole season to make such a mistake - in a game that doesn’t decide anything, while leading 3:0. We recovered well and five minutes later Nkoana scored his second goal of the game to make it 4:1 and that’s how it finished. Really good performance and excellent result to please our home fans.

• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• Stan Knol scored his 50th goal for Ajax in this game
• Kwanele Nkoana and Engin Ari were outstanding for us - Nkoana was picked as the player of the game with his two goals and an assist

 

10.05.2037 - MVV Maastricht - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

Another difficult fixture at the end of the season. MVV are fighting with FC Twente for the third place and need this win badly to secure the place in the top three. They’ve been impressive and overachieving in this season, doing smart business in the transfer market, but remaining their good form despite the changes in line-up.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (67. Janssen), Veldman, Nkoana (60. van der Plas), Knol (46. de Wit)

It was a little bit boring game of football and not really worthy to be the last game of the season. We struggled a little to get possession under our control, but overall it looked like a fairly even game. MVV were really well organised as a team and especially in defense, so good chances were difficult to find. Both teams only had one clear cut chance - Clyde Sastrodimedjo made a determined block to stop MVV attempt in the first half and Stef Veldman had the best scoring opportunity after Sener Arslan fed him with a great through ball in 64’, but our right winger missed his shot by some margin. I expected us to do better against MVV, but you have to give credit to how well they held their discipline against us.

• Player of the game: Clive Noordhoff - nothing special, but just a little better than everyone else around him

 

Decent games in May and that’s a fairly positive finish to our season.

 

Eredivisie

 

Ajax goals: Stef Veldman 18, Mark van der Plas 15, Kwanele Nkoana 14, Stan Knol 12

Ajax assists: Peter Lemmens 12, Stef Veldman 11

[Draakon]

Season Summary 2036/2037

 

It was a fairly good season for us, especially in Eredivisie. I’m happy with how we played in domestic competitions and we’ve maintained our good form for the most part of the season. We also have a good number of very young players in our team who have developed well and we managed to avoid serious injuries to key players.

Eredivisie season was certainly affected by poor campaigns from PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Usual contenders were well behind in the table this time around and both failures could be blamed on poor management. Both teams hired new managers in the last Summer and it’s fair to say that both teams flopped and had to sack their coach in Winter. Let’s see how the new guys will do in the next season.

 

Our Dutch Cup campaign ended with the penalty shoot-out defeat against Sparta Rotterdam. In retrospect we should have won this game easily. Vitesse went on to win the cup final and celebrated their success.

 

Our Champions League ambitions took a hit with the group stage draw - we were handed a really tough group and to get into knockout stages were a huge challenge. We fell short (just as we have done in the past) by a small margin and just a little details were decisive in this level of football. However, I’m pleased that we managed to reach to 2nd knockout round in Europa League - we did what we could and were defeated by bigger opponents.

 

Statistically, I’m very happy with how well we’ve used our clear cut chances in Eredivisie. Our conversion rate was 85/50 - well above 50% and a lot better than in previous seasons. Frameworks were also often in action and we’ve managed to hit posts and crossbar more than 20 times (27 in Eredivisie alone). At the same time our finishing was much worse in the Champions League (or goalkeepers there were just so much better) and our wasted chances were often a difference between a draw or loss.

Over the past seasons we’ve started to play less physical football and have been more cautious with our tackles and pick up less yellow cards because of it. That helps a lot, because we didn’t have to miss too many players because of suspensions. I like that.

 

Fans Player of the Season:

1. Simon Janssen
2. Stef Veldman
3. Clyde Sastrodimedjo

 

Goal of the Season: Sener Arslan vs. sc Heerenveen 18/04/2037

Young Player of the Season: Stef Veldman

 

Eredivisie Awards

 

Goalkeeper of the Year:

1. Ismet Gluhalic - AFC Ajax
2. Daan dos Santos - FC Utrecht
3. Mohamed Nouri - MVV Maastricht

 

Golden Boot:

1. Dave de Mos - sc Heerenveen
2. Marc van Leeuwen - FC Utrecht
3. Niek Seedorf - Go Ahead Eagles

 

Young Player of the Year:

1. Kwanele Nkoana - AFC Ajax
2. Clive Noordhoff - AFC Ajax
3. Peter Lemmens - AFC Ajax

 

Top Goalscorer of the Year:

1. Georges Kongnyuy - Feyenoord Rotterdam - 23
2. Chijoke Obafemi - PSV Eindhoven - 19
3. Stef Veldman - AFC Ajax - 17

 

Manager’s Manager of the Year:

1. Me
2. Tieme Klompe - Vitesse Arnhem
3. Joey Pelupessy - MVV Maastricht

[Draakon]

July 2037

Our offseason was unusually quiet. Johan van Dalen was on the transfer list, but no club was interested and it seems if I want to sell him before August, I have to push for a transfer myself. I expected some interest in our wonderkids (Sener Arslan, Clive Noordhoff, Mark van der Plas, Peter Lemmens), but virtually nothing in that regard, so my main dealings concerned trimming our squad to avoid too many players in one position. DR, MC and AML look a little crowded, so someone has to leave.

I felt that it’s time to promote Elroy Meulensteen from Jong Ajax - he’s the kind of player who could take over playmaker position from Simon Janssen. Janssen is now 33 years of age and he’s starting to show it with declining physical attributes. It’s likely to be his last season in Ajax first team and Meulensteen could be his long-term replacement.

Because the interest in our players was relatively low, our transfer window was quiet. Niek van der Ent, Mario van Eijk and Idriss Azzouzi contracts ran out and they left the club. I decided to sell Yemaro Jochems to Roda JC for £300k, Nabil Herder moved to KV Mechelen for £1,1m and Frank van Oevereen moved to FC Den Bosch for £50k + clauses. All three are decent youngsters, but not good enough for Ajax first team. I was a little bit sad to let Herder go, but Jelle Sandler returned from loan and he looked so much improved over the last season that I couldn’t see a place in my team for Herder.

Several backroom staff - coaches and scouts left the club, but I chose not to replace them. Their departure didn’t have any effect to quality of training sessions and although I’ll keep in mind to bring in some U-19 coaches to replace them in time, there’s no need to hurry things.

 

Youngsters went on loan, too. As always, I like to pick teams for them very carefully. Promising striker Erik Jansen joined sc Heerenveen for the next season, Robert Visser went to Roda JC (I really like what Roda manager has done with our loan players in previous seasons) and Erwin Vormer to VVV Venlo. Vormer is an established player already, but we have a lot of good players in midfield and with Meulensteen stepping up, I needed to create some space in the team.

 

24.07.2037 - AFC Ajax - Vitesse Arnhem 2:0 (Dutch Super Cup) - 25. Tarik de Wit, 35. Stef Veldman

Vitesse won the Dutch Cup in Spring and we’re playing for Super Cup against them in this July. Our opponents have a good team and they’ve created around £10m profit in the transfer market in Summer. That’s possible because they sold Ilunga Gödeken, but their best player Paulo Pires is back in fitness after skipping almost entire last season due to cruciate ligament injury, so it doesn’t look like they have weakened too much and I expect them to finish in the top 5 in this season.

We had almost our best eleven ready for this game - Sener Arslan being the only exception. The midfielder has struggled with some minor injuries and needs some more friendlies to regain his fitness.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (52. Vormer), Veldman (65. Lemmens), van der Plas, de Wit (74. Knol)

We controlled most of the first half, although it took some time before we created anything dangerous. Vitesse defenders struggled to cope with our crosses and it was Mark van der Plas who created havoc from our left wing. His excellent cross in 25’ opened Tarik de Wit for the first goal and ten minutes later Stef Veldman rose above his defender to head in another cross from van der Plas. Veldman had a great opportunity to score our third goal of the night in 43’, but this time Vitesse goalkeeper was up to the task and tipped it over.

The second half was much more quiet - we controlled midfield and were happy with our lead and Vitesse could do enough to create anything dangerous in front of our goal. 2:0 final score marked comfortable win for us and solid start to our season.

• our shooting was 21/9
• Mark van der Plas was outstanding for us and was named player of the game

[Draakon]

August 2037

 

We have only four games in August, but those are all difficult fixtures and three of those are away games. We will play both Feyenoord and PSV right in the beginning of our campaign and those games could be decisive to our start of the season, our confidence and for the rest of the year.

12.08.2037 - VVV Venlo - AFC Ajax 1:2 (ED) - 66. Adil van Breukelen - 80. and 84. Mark van der Plas

Our first opponent was VVV Venlo. They’re predicted to finish 9th in this season, so it’s going to be a tricky tie, but after scouting their team I wasn’t sure they’re moving in the right direction as a club - their choices in the transfer market looked just wrong. For me it was interesting to see Erwin Vormer in action against us, but our own midfield was like a hospital - Sener Arslan, Clyde Sastrodimedjo and Simon Janssen were all out with minor injuries and we had serious problems to pick our starting eleven. It meant that youngster Elroy Meulensteen was set for debut as our APa - role that is usually filled by Janssen or Sener Arslan.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (65. Koeman), Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Meulensteen, Veldman, Nkoana (65. van der Plas), de Wit (67. Knol)

We started well and Stef Veldman had a great chance after just five minutes from the kick-off, but he sent his shot well wide. VVV sent out the first warning in 19’ when Wilco Schmidt had a shot on target - ambitious attempt, but it required a brilliant save from Ismet Gluhalic. Kwanele Nkoana had a good look in 26’, but his shot went well wide. Our defense looked a little vulnerable in this first half and in 36’ VVV striker Joey de Haan had enough time to prepare for his shot from close range, but Rick Hendriks arrived at the last moment and made a crucial block to save us from conceding the first goal. The first half finished goalless, but I wasn’t happy with what I saw on the pitch. We missed two good chances and our defense didn’t look good enough.

The start of the second half looked a little better and Stef Veldman saw his header scrape crossbar before it went over, but then our attacking creativity dried off and in 66’ it was VVV Venlo who took the lead - Tarik de Wit was just a step behind Adil van Breukelen when we defended a corner and van Breukelen had enough space to head it in. Great header from van Breukelen and VVV looked like they could take advantage of the set piece goal. We looked lacklustre and needed to create something, but things didn’t work out. Substitutions took some time to settle, but in the end it was Mark van der Plas who made the difference - he converted his clear cut chance after Mithat Arabaci played an excellent through ball for him and four minutes later he gave us the lead with another goal from counter - good play from the left winger to make himself big, held off his defender and wait patiently for the right moment to shoot. Stan Knol too had a great attempt on target - this time brilliantly saved VVV goalkeeper, but the brace from van der Plas was enough to turn this game around.

We had to dig deep and our performance was far from ideal, but I’m happy with how we came back into this game. We have lots of things to improve, but what matters is the positive result from our first league game.

• we allowed VVV to make 26 key passes and that’s obviously concern
• Mithat Arabaci was outstanding for us in this game - he made 8 key passes, won all challenges in midfield and set up van der Plas for the first goal
• Elroy Meulensteen made his league debut for Ajax in this game

 

15.08.2037 - AFC Ajax - Feyenoord Rotterdam 0:1 (ED) - 86. Job Blaauw

A little encouraged after our late turnaround in VVV game, our next match was just three days away and it was the Klassieker derby at home. Feyenoord look really strong, at least on paper, and they’re predicted to finish 2nd in this season, but they just lost their first game against PSV Eindhoven, so you’ll never know. They used 4-2-3-1 tactics against us, but we’ve used to it.

Our midfield injury problems wasn’t over - Sener Arslan and Simon Janssen were back in training, but not ready to start. Elroy Meulensteen looked like a too big of a gamble in a derby game, so I opted for Kwanele Nkoana in midfield and Mark van der Plas started on our left wing. Leslie Lichaba was also replaced after his sub-par performance against VVV Venlo.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Nkoana, Veldman (77. Lemmens), van der Plas (51. Janssen), de Wit (67. Knol)

We started well and played a fairly good first half - controlled midfield and created more chances. Mark van der Plas had our two of the best opportunities in before the break, in 15’ and 26’, but both his attempts were saved and it made me cringe at the sidelines. You just can’t waste chances in derby games and van der Plas’ excellent finishing that helped us to beat VVV Venlo was evidently not present in this game.

Feyenoord organised their defense better in the second half. Kwanele Nkoana didn’t look like a creative force in midfield, so I took van der Plas off, sent on Simon Janssen and moved Nkoana to our left wing. That didn’t improve things and if anything made our attack even worse. In the final ten minutes Feyenoord finally started to create something in front of our goal - Raymond de Vet had their first attempt on target in 81’ and in 86’ they managed to score the winner - Fred Koeman allowed his man to get away in defense, and although he made a brave tackle in the last moment and won the ball, it fell in front of Job Blaauw who had empty goal in front of him and probably one of the easiest goals to score in his career.

It was  extremely frustrating finish to a disappointing game and we had to accept our defeat in the derby, in front of our home fans. That loss certainly hurts for a while. On the other hand, we played well most of the game and controlled it 90% of the time, so that is definitely encouraging and when our midfielders will get fit again it we’re definitely stronger.

• Simon Janssen made his 400th game for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Tini van Hemert (Feyenoord Rotterdam)
• Mark van der Plas strained his groin and will be out for 2-3 weeks
• Tarik de Wit will also be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a thigh strain

 

23.08.2037 - PSV Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 1:3 (ED) - 27. Mark Richards - 15. Stef Veldman, 46. Edward Schans, 80. Kwanele Nkoana

The second tough game for us in August and after our defeat against Feyenoord, we couldn’t allow to lose this one against PSV Eindhoven. However, this game looked more difficult, because it was in Philips Stadium and PSV came against us from a winning form, so no wonder that they were marked as slight favourites for the game. We practiced defending set pieces before the game and were a little surprised when they came against us with 4-3-3 formation - definitely something new from their manager Jason Oost.

Sener Arslan and Simon Janssen are fit and ready for this game, but Mark van der Plas and Tarik de Wit were still injured, so our attack was a little hampered by their absence.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci (89. Meulensteen), Janssen (64. Sener Arslan), Veldman (86. Lemmens), Nkoana, Knol

Both teams looked a little careful at first and defended well, but in 15’ we managed to take the lead. It was individual brilliance from Stef Veldman, who, even tightly marked, somehow managed to send his shot towards goal, past the goalkeeper and it went in off the post. A wonderful strike from our right winger and probably something that PSV (and their home fans) didn’t expect. But PSV didn’t panic and in 27’ they managed to find an equalizer. The cross came from our left wing and Rick Hendriks left perhaps just a little bit too much space for Mark Richards in our box. That was enough and the striker was able to send his shot past our goalkeeper. Stef Veldman had an excellent choice to regain our lead in 33’, but his shot from 8 meters went just wide. The first half finished 1:1 and that was probably fair result, I have to admit. It was not easy to find chances, PSV looked fairly well organised in defense and it made me wonder how can we find another goal in the second half.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. We had a corner early in the second half, PSV’s Chijoke Obafemi missed his header and the ball fell to Edward Schans, who put us in front with a simple finish from just a meter from the line. Now PSV grew more restless and their search for another goal allowed us some space for counter-attacks. I was well aware that their attacks are more dangerous from our left and so I ordered Kwanele Nkoana to AMLs, so he could track back more and provide support to Leslie Lichaba. Our defense held on and in 80’ one of our counter-attacks resulted in our third goal - Stef Veldman released Nkoana with a nice diagonal ball and our South African winger finished calmly - very composed from the youngster. That looked enough to secure our win, although Stan Knol had one more good shot on target a few minutes later.

It was a very intense game to watch, but the final result was a massive win for us - it restored our confidence, took points from PSV and showed that they can be beaten in their home stadium. Great performance and excellent result.

• Stef Veldman scored his 50th career league goal for Ajax in this game
• Simon Janssen and Stef Veldman were outstanding for us in this game - Janssen was selected as the player of the game

 

Champions League groups were drawn after this game. We were seeded 1st, so I knew that everything depends on who comes to our group from 3rd seed clubs. Against all odds we got a fairly playable group and I believe that our chances to progress are much higher than usual in this season.

 

Champions League Group C

1. AFC Ajax
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. FC Basel
4. Galatasaray

 

28.08.2037 - FC Groningen - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

August ends with a trip to Groningen and while we took a lot of confidence from that win over PSV, FC Groningen is a tricky opponent, especially in their own stadium. They are predicted to finish 8th, so top half club for sure, and they look good on paper, but they miss their best left-back due to injury and their best midfielder Klevis Dema will be suspended against us, so that could give us the advantage.

We had some absentees too - Mark van der Plas was still injured, Clyde Sastrodimedjo and Tarik de Wit were back in training, but not fit enough to start in this game, so our starting line-up was perhaps not our best selection.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba (72. Koeman), Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Janssen (59. Sener Arslan), Veldman (72. emmens), Nkoana, Knol

The first half didn’t offer us any clear cut chances, even though we had good motivation and we looked good in possession. Our game in attacking third just didn’t sync and we missed that final pass or burst of creativity that is needed to get a goal. Several half-chances were either off target or easily held by FC Groningen goalkeeper and in the end of the half their striker Denis Caracci got to test Ismet Gluhalic with a good shot - the Bosnian made a brilliant save to keep it out and the teams went to half time with 0:0 scoreline.

The second half offered even less action. Substitutes failed to make a significant impact and in the end we had to settle with a bore draw. FC Groningen were clearly more pleased with the result, but we dropped another two points in August.

• our shooting was 23/9 in this game, but we didn’t create any clear cut chances
• we committed 24 fouls (6 by Clive Noordhoff) and that disrupted the flow of the game
• Player of the game: Thibaut Beck (FC Groningen) - the right-back did well defensively and was solid throughout the game

 

Our Eredivisie season has started with ups and downs. We played well against Feyenoord and PSV, but were a little bit unfortunate to lose the Klassieker derby. PSV win was the best result and performance from the team.

Injuries have played their part too, especially in midfield, so I hope that after international break in September we’ll be back to full fitness and that will improve our game.

 

Eredivisie 

No big surprises. FC Twente have started well, Feyenoord and PSV are up there too, so fairly tight pack after the first four games.

 

Eredivisie transfer window was more quiet than usual. Vitesse Arnhem and Feyenoord Rotterdam were the busiest clubs in Summer, but there were just a handful of big deals and most of the clubs didn’t spend more than just a couple of millions.

The biggest transfer moves in this Summer were as following:

• Ilunga Gödeken from Vitesse Arnhem to Queens Park Rangers for £8,25m
• Hendro Kristianto from Feyenoord Rotterdam to Aston Villa for £3,6m
• Olimpio Lutonda from Feyenoord Rotterdam to Manchester United for £2,6m
• Muhammet Uzman from MVV Maastricht to Vitesse Arnhem for £2,6m
• Francesco Luzi from Bologna to MVV Maastricht for £2,6m
• Orlando Schuurman from Vitesse Arnhem to Avellino for £2,3m
• Arjen Drent from VVV Venlo to PSV Eindhoven for £2,1m

[Draakon]

Squad Update 2037

 

 

Goalkeepers

 

Ismet Gluhalic

Experienced Bosnian is still our number one choice for the goalkeeper.

 

Zeus Florentina

I’m pretty happy that we have a reliable back-up in this position.

 

Rob Pluim

 

 

Defenders

 

Clive Noordhoff

Massively talented player, but it starts to look like he has fulfilled his potential early on (just 20 years of age) and my coaches now say that he’s not likely to improve much further. I expected him to be a kind of wonderkid in my team, but perhaps it’s not going to happen. It’s still possible that he’ll move to a bigger league in the next couple of seasons.

 

Jelle Sandler

Our second choice in DR. Sandler has spent a couple of seasons on loan and although he didn’t get too much playing experience, he developed really well during this time. Let’s see how we will do in Ajax

 

Edward Schans

 

Rick Hendriks

 

Ifenildo Deyl

I expect him to be more of a contender for Rick Hendriks for playing time. 

 

Ronald Jansen

The youngster will mainly play for Jong Ajax and feature in the cup games.

Leslie Lichaba

 

Fred Koeman

[Draakon]

Squad Update 2037

 

 

Midfielders

 

Engin Ari

 

Mithat Arabaci

Just a year ago I considered Mithat Arabaci to be a surplus for our squad, but he’s shown that his skills and reliability could be valuable in most midfield positions. Can play as DMC (DLPs) and MC (B2Bs and APa).

 

Clyde Sastrodimedjo

Perhaps our best midfielder in the team. Certainly the best B2Bs midfielder. I have a difficult task to negotiate the next contract with him so that he’d remain in the club.

 

Sener Arslan

The first wonderkid in the team. I expected to receive a big offer for him in Summer, but most certainly it will happen in the next year.

 

Simon Janssen

Experienced playmaker is still a great choice in Eredivisie, but considering the future, I should start to limit his playing time a little.

 

Elroy Meulensteen

Meulensteen is one of the best young midfield prospects in our team and he will get more playing time in this season. I see him as possible long-term replacement for Simon Janssen

 

 

Wingers

 

Stef Veldman

Our most dangerous attacking player - towering presence on our right wing. Can score, cross and assist.

 

Peter Lemmens

Very talented young winger. Compared to Veldman he lacks pure physical presence and he needs to work with his off the ball movement.

 

Mark van der Plas

Wonderful young winger and just like Sener Arslan, I expected to see bids for him already. Most likely will leave in the next Summer.

Kwanele Nkoana

Second wonderkid in my team. So talented, so quick and just keeps developing almost in every month.

Johan van Dalen

With van der Plas and Nkoana emerging into the first team, Johan van Dalen has been pushed to backup role in this season.

 

Strikers

 

Tarik de Wit

Experienced striker plays as a complete forward and has a good eye for a goal.

 

Stan Knol

Young striker plays mostly as false-nine. It looks like he’s been around forever, but he still has a chance to take his skills further and establish himself as complete forward too. Doesn’t score as many goals, but against certain teams and formations can be very dangerous in attack.

[Draakon]

September 2037

 

September begins with international break, but then we resume to our regular season with games against mid-table Eredivisie sides (AZ Alkmaar and FC Twente ), cup game against Jupiler League team Fortuna Sittard and, of course Champions League will kick off with a trip to Basel.

 

11.09.2037 - AFC Ajax - AZ Alkmaar 3:1 (ED) - 52. Tarik de Wit, 88. Stef Veldman, 90.+2 Stan Knol - 81. pen. Jamel Amrani

We resumed our Eredivisie campaign with a home game against AZ Alkmaar. AZ are predicted to finish 10th, so they’re a solid mid-table side, even after offloading a lot of players during Summer. However, their best midfielder Robin Claeys was injured for this game and that made things a little easier for us. AZ used a pretty standard 4-2-3-1 formation and we knew how to play against it. Our own prospect Klaas Dekker was in the starting line-up for AZ in this game.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci (69. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Veldman, Nkoana (63. van der Plas), de Wit (69. Knol)

We looked good in the first half and held AZ under pressure for long periods, but couldn’t find a goal. Kwanele Nkoana had the best chance in 8’, but he wasted his easy goalscoring opportunity (or was it a brilliant save by AZ goalkeeper?). Tarik de Wit saw his header hit the post in 17’ and you could say that we were a little unlucky not to lead at half time.

The second half started better - Tarik de Wit’s volley did beat the keeper in 52’ (Clive Noordhoff delivered a cross to that goal) and in 56’ Nkoana wasted another clear cut chance. Substitute Mark van der Plas had an attempt on target that was parried and in 77’ Stef Veldman missed the chance he should have buried from close range. We snatched our chances and couldn’t find the second goal that was needed to clinch all three points, so in the end we were punished for it - one good attack and combination from the middle released AZ attacker in our box. Edward Schans was late to save the day and fouled him from behind - penalty and red card for Schans, as he was the last man in our line and things suddenly looked pretty sour for us. Jamel Amrani converted his chance from the spot, so AZ were level with 10 minutes to go and had an advantage in numbers. However, we raised our game after the equalizer. Perhaps AZ players were too eager to score the winner or got careless in the box, but Stef Veldman finished his chance after van der Plas delivered a cross to far post and in injury time Veldman’s clever ball released Stan Knol behind AZ defensive line. The striker finished his chance with a very good strike and so the final score turned out to be a great win for us. I was really happy that we could win this game with only 10 men, but in truth it was more of a relief than anything else - I know we should have been much more decisive in earlier periods in this game. Edward Schans’ mistake went unpunished, but he’ll be suspended for our next league game.

• our shooting was 26/12
• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• Stef Veldman had a great game for us and he was named the player of the game - a goal and assist to his name tonight, right when it mattered the most

 

15.09.2037 - FC Basel - AFC Ajax 1:1 (Champions League Group C) - 55. Roman Wehrli - 21. Tarik de Wit

Our Champions League campaign begins with a trip to Basel. I knew that those two matches against Dortmund will be the toughest and our hopes of success depend heavily on how we do against Basel and Galatasaray. We practiced defending set pieces before this game. FC Basel came against us with a little unusual 4-2-3-1 narrow formation - I don’t know any clubs in Eredivisie that play that.

We had to play without Stef Veldman - he was suspended for his red card in the last season’s game. Clyde Sastrodimedjo was available to play with protective equipment, but he wasn’t in the starting line-up, so our first eleven was a little bit weakened.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci (55. Sastrodimedjo), Sener Arslan, Lemmens, van der Plas (60. Nkoana), de Wit (75. Knol)

We struggled defensively against FC Basel’s formation and even though our defense didn’t crack completely, we gave FC Basel some half-chances here and there. Sven Wehrli had some shots on target and his attempt in 20’ landed against our post. However, in the very next attack we took the lead - Sener Arslan gave a good pass behind the defensive line, de Wit picked it up and finished his chance with a good shot. I knew that defensively we were a little fragile, but we were leading at half time and that was good enough.

FC Basel managed to equalize in the second half, though, and that goal came from the corner. Roman Wehrli was completely unmarked in our box and despite all our efforts in the practice hours, we conceded from set piece. Both teams looked nervous with 1:1 scoreline and couldn’t create too much until the very end - FC Basel’s Albert Schultz had a great chance to win this game in 88’, but his shot was saved brilliantly by Ismet Gluhalic, who rescued us a point from this game.

To be honest, I expected better from the team. I recognize that we probably didn’t deserve to win, but our game plan didn’t work against their formation and FC Basel had better chances in this game. We didn’t create anything dangerous in the second half and that was a big disappointment.

• Player of the game: Sener Arslan - 7 key passes from our midfielder and assist among them

 

22.09.2037 - Fortuna Sittard - AFC Ajax 0:2 (Dutch Cup 2nd round) - 39. and 56. Peter Lemmens

Our 2nd round cup game was more difficult than usual - instead of playing against some amateur team we were against decent Jupiler League side. I had a fully fit team in my disposal, but I wanted to give youngsters some playing time in the cup and didn’t change that approach because of Fortuna.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Deyl (65. Schans), Hendriks, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan, Meulensteen (60. Janssen), Lemmens, Nkoana, Knol

It was a drab first half and we couldn’t create virtually anything until 39’ when we finally found a way through - Fred Koeman delivered a cross and Peter Lemmens was just a half step ahead of his defender to tuck it in from close range. Stan Knol had a decent attempt on target two minutes later, but that was pretty much all the action from the first half.

Fortuna had a great chance to equalize right after second half kick-off - Sylvestre Bulgare skinned both Hendriks and Deyl with the ball and found himself eye-to-eye with Zeus Florentina, only to put his shot just wide of the goal. And when Lemmens doubled our lead after another good cross from our left (this time from Kwanele Nkoana), it looked all over. Stan Knol looked desperate to find a goal in the final ten minutes, but he just didn’t had enough luck - his clear cut chance in 86’ was saved by Fortuna goalkeeper and his shot two minutes later bounced back from upright. 

The final score 2:0 looks decent enough, but I wasn’t happy with our performance and I expected a lot more from this team. 

• Player of the game: Kwanele Nkoana - stood out in our attack and was a threat on our left flank
• we will play HBS in the 3rd round - that should be easier

 

26.09.2037 - AFC Ajax - FC Twente Enschede 4:1 (ED) - 8. and 56. Tarik de Wit, 49. and 73. Stef Veldman - 43. Michael Diemers

Don’t really know why we only play against strong teams in August and September, but it’s another tough fixture against FC Twente. Our opponents are predicted to finish 6th in this season, but they’ve done really well so far and find themselves in the top three. FC Twente play pretty regular 4-1-2-3 DM Wide, like we do. Edward Schans is suspended for this game, but the rest of the first team is ready and fit.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (71. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan (64. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas, de Wit (71. Knol)

We started the game well and had most of the possession in the first half. We also managed to take the lead fairly quickly - Tarik de Wit scored with an excellent volley from 6 yards out after Cluve Noordhoff found him with his cross from our right. Our attacking three were really tall and powerful and FC Twente defenders struggled to win any duels against them. Our good first half evaporated in 43’ when FC Twente equalized - right before the half-time whistle and after a good counter. The ball found its way to Michael Diemers who finished calmly - questions about Leslie Lichaba’s positioning in that situation.

I asked the players to do better in the second half and the team responded well - Mark van der Plas was the hero of the second half - his skills to beat defenders and excellent crosses from our left flank created all three opportunities. Stef Veldman and Tarik de Wit were there to put on finishing touches. Such a performance in the second half made it look easy and a 4:1 scoreline caused some frustration among FC Twente players, but I didn’t mind. I was really happy with the final score and especially with how we improved in the second half.

• our shooting was just 14/4 - all four shots on target resulted in a goal
• Clive Noordhoff and Mark van der Plas were outstanding in this game - Clive Noordhoff was named player of the game for his performance, although I’d say that van der Plas was the key factor in this win

 

30.09.2037 - AFC Ajax - Galatasaray 2:0 (ED) - 13. Stef Veldman, 45. Tarik de Wit

September finishes with a very important home game against Turkish side Galatasaray. Our opponents look our equal, at least on paper, and home advantage should make both teams favourites on their respective grounds, so to win the home game is crucial to ambitions to progress from this group.

We had all players fit and ready for this game - Edward Schans took his usual position in central defense and Ifenildo Deyl made way. I asked players to be more disciplined in this game. Galatasaray came against us with 4-4-1-1 formation - that has suited us in the past and I’ve started to think that opponents that use 4-4-1-1 setup are just too defensive-minded and will usually lose midfield and initiative because of that.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (64. Janssen), Veldman (74. Lemmens), van der Plas (71. Nkoana), de Wit

We did well in the first half, maintained our formation without the ball and got some half-chances in the first fourty five minutes. Stef Veldman had a crack and shot on target in 4’, but his good header gave us the lead in 16’ - Mark van der Plas again was the provider from our left flank and he continued his good performance from FC Twente game. The game didn’t offer too many good chances and it looked like a tight contest, but right in the end of the first half Tarik de Wit doubled our lead after the delivery from Leslie Lichaba - second cross from our left, second goal in the first half. I was very happy with our two-goal lead at half-time and it looked like our tactics worked well enough.

The second half was more quiet and offered less chances. The players looked motivated and committed. We made some fouls and collected four yellow cards in the second half - a little too many, but Galatasaray struggled to create anything as a result and I wasn’t too concerned about bookings. Substitute Simon Janssen had the best shot on target in 78’ - that was parried by Galatasaray goalkeeper. Nothing else noteworthy happened, so the final whistle marked our solid win after a good performance.

• Galatasaray couldn’t create any chances in this game and I was very happy with our well-organized defense
• Player of the game: Leslie Lichaba - assist from the left back capped his otherwise good game
• FC Basel stunned Borussia Dortmund in Signal Iduna park, winning their away game 3:1 and that mixed up the standings a lot

 

I was fairly happy with September. We could have done better against FC Basel (and in this game I was the least satisfied with our display, too), but results in Eredivisie were good, we moved forward with rotation players in the cup and the home win against Galatasaray was a great result to finish our September with. All players are fit and most of them have trained well - that too could be important in the long run.

 

Eredivisie

Feyenoord have had the best start - they have won their games in September and are two points ahead of us. FC Twente had a great August, but after that they’ve gone 4 games without a win and 1:4 defeat against us moved them down in the table. With Feyenoord, Ajax, PSV and FC Utrecht in the top, there’s no real surprises in the standings.

[Draakon]

October 2037

 

03.10.2037 - sc Heerenveen - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

September results were encouraging and our Eredivisie campaign resumed with a trip to Heerenveen. sc Heerenveen are predicted to finish 11th in this season and they came against us with a pretty standard 4-4-2. Our prospect Erik Jansen has done well in Heerenveen so far, but he was sidelined with injury for this game, so he didn’t have an opportunity to play against us.

Our squad looked a little tired, because the tough Champions League game was just three days ago. Clive Noordhoff was rested, Engin Ari and Rick Hendriks looked tired too, so I thought it better to leave them on the bench.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba (46. Koeman), Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (64. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas, de Wit (55. Knol)

sc Heerenveen players looked nervous from the start, but they got the first good chance of the game - Andrea Di Benedetto saw his header hit the crossbar from close range - it was so nearly a goal and the wake-up call for us. Stef Veldman had our best chance in the first half, but his attempt in 10’ was saved - that was a shame, because he had space around him and he could have used more time to prepare for his shot.

In conclusion it was a drab first half - a couple of good attacks, but it left me a feeling that we need more possession and more chances. I made some tactical changes at half-time: Mithat Arabaci changed his role to DMC and Fred Koeman replaced Leslie Lichaba.

Unfortunately, that didn’t change much. Our only good chance in the second half came in 59’ when Edward Schans had a good look after the corner, but his shot hit the post and went wide. He should have scored, but it was a typical centre-back shot.

The final whistle marked a goalless draw, but for me it was a disappointing performance. Just a few chances - we should have created more and finished those better.

• Player of the game: Clyde Sastrodimedjo - solid midfield performance from him

 

17.10.2037 - AFC Ajax - Helmond Sport 2:1 (ED) - 41. Ifenildo Deyl, 52. Stef Veldman - 74. Pascal Matthijsen

International break was behind us - a lot of players had games for their national teams (especially U-21 players) and some of those players returned a bit tired. Peter Lemmens even managed to pick up a knock while away on international duty. Our fixture list finally starts to offer us easier games in the league and hosting the newly-promoted Helmond Sport should be one of those games. Our opponents are predicted to finish 17th in this season and they field a pretty usual 4-2-3-1 formation. Either way, it was a must win game for us and a chance to rotate players.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Schans (71. Jansen), Deyl, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (71. Meulensteen), Veldman, Nkoana, de Wit (65. Knol)

The first half was a drab affair until Ifenildo Deyl managed to open scoring in 41’ - we had a corner (after wasting several set pieces before that) and he somehow managed to put his shot right next to the goal post so that Helmond goalkeeper had nothing to do against it. Our possession in the first half was good, but we clearly needed more chances and set piece goal was more of a relief than anything else.

We improved a little after half time and Stef Veldman extended our lead with a close range header. It looked like enough to secure our win, but Helmond managed to get one goal back in 74’ - their centre-back won aerial duel against Deyl and another defender Pascal Matthijsen was there to poke it in. That goal made things a little more nervous for the final 15 minutes than I would have liked, but we held onto our lead and secured all three points. Substitute Stan Knol wasted his clear cut chance in injury time, but fortunately that didn’t matter too much. I’m satisfied with three points, but we should have performed a lot better at home against the smaller side.

• we made 31 dribbles in this game
• Player of the game: Stef Veldman

 

21.10.2037 - Borussia Dortmund - AFC Ajax 3:0 (Champions League Group C) - 51. Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 65. Reza Kiani, 77. David Hernandez

We’ve drawn again into the same group with Dortmund. In fact we’ve been in the same group for the last three years in a row and from those six games we’ve got only one win and a bunch of narrow defeats, so clearly we had something to prove. But this was undoubtedly the toughest game in this group stage, so we practiced defensive positioning in training and I used our Champions League tactics with full-backs on support duty against Dortmund’s 4-4-2 formation.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari (65. Mithat Arabaci), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas (76. Nkoana), de Wit (65. Knol)

Dortmund were clear favourites for this game and it showed in the first half. Their striker Juan Carlos Gonzalez had a great chance in 6’ from the counter, but only managed to hit the post and I felt that we escaped there. Dortmund looked more in control, but we had our moment in 43’ when Tarik de Wit managed to hit the crossbar with his header and when the ball bounced back, Mark van der Plas had a great chance to bury it. The Dortmund keeper made himself big and managed to stop the shot, so that opportunity was left unused and the first half finished 0:0. I was fairly pleased with 0:0 at half time.

The second half, unfortunately, was less impressive. Dortmund took the lead in 51’ when Juan Carlos Gonzalez beated both our centre-back and when he was clear, it was an easy finish for the top quality striker. We can’t be happy with that kind of defense and I certainly wasn’t. In 65’ Reza Kiani doubled Dortmund’s lead and when David Hernandez added another goal with a fine strike, I gave up mentally. It was a disappointing second half from us and 0:3 final score was deserved, because the difference in class between two teams was evident.

• Player of the game: Omar Oltolina (Borussia Dortmund)
• FC Basel is heading the table, after they stunned both Dortmund and Galatasaray in away games, so the group is a real mess and all the teams have a shot, still

 

24.10.2037 - Roda JC Kerkrade - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 40. and 67. Tarik de Wit, 69. Stef Veldman, 72. Mithat Arabaci

Just three days forward and we need to put the Dortmund game behind us, because a trip to Kerkrade could be a tricky tie against Roda JC. The Champions League game was still in our legs and Sener Arslan clearly needed a rest, so I had to rotate some players to keep the squad fit. Roda JC are predicted to finish 13th in Eredivisie and they sent out their usual 4-2-3-1 formation against us. Our youngster Robert Visser started in Roda JC central defense.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (61. Sandler), Schans, Hendriks (72. Deyl), Koeman, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Janssen, Veldman, Nkoana, de Wit (72. Knol)

We controlled most of the first half, created a number of half-chances, but couldn’t break Roda JC defense. In 37’ Edward Schans made a rare mistake in midfield that gave Roda JC the best attack of the game so far - our defense was wide open and while Ismet Gluhalic made two good saves and the ball hit the post once before our goalkeeper finally got control of it. We were clearly very lucky not to concede a goal from that attack and three minutes later it was Tarik de Wit who gave us the lead. It remained 1:0 until half-time and although it looked like a deserved lead, we were really lucky in one situation in this first half.

The second half was a bit nervous, until we finally put in our next gear and managed to secure our lead. Fred Koeman crossed for the far post and de Wit was there to finish and double his tally. Two minutes later Stef Veldman wasted his chance to score, but made amends from the rebound and when Mithat Arabaci added another goal after de Wit initiated a counter-attack and found him with a good cross from our right wing, it was all over. We were cruising and Roda JC looked defeated.

The second half performance was much better and I was very happy with the final score.

• our shooting was 23/12
• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• our average rating was 8.18
• we allowed Roda JC to make 20 key passes in this game and that’s a little too many
• Mithat Arabaci scored his first career league goal for Ajax
• Tarik de Wit and Simon Janssen were outstanding for us in this game - Tarik de Wit was the player of the game. His two goals and an assist were key factors in this win.

 

27.10.2037 - HBS - AFC Ajax 1:7 (Dutch Cup 3rd round) - 17. Euclides van der Ree - 11., 24. and 35. Stan Knol, 13. and 83. Johan van Dalen, 44. Elroy Meulensteen, 85. Mark van der Plas

Cup game against the amateur side HBS was an easy training match for us and so we used our rotation players and youngsters against them. Because Stef Veldman looked tired and Peter Lemmens was injured, Mark van der Plas started in AMR.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Jansen, Deyl, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo (61. Sener Arslan), Meulensteen, van der Plas, van Dalen, Knol (46. Mulder)

The game itself was as easy as expected. Although Euclides van der Ree stunned us with a goal in 17’, we had a 5:1 lead at half time and Stan Knol completed his hat-trick in the first half. Wim Mulder replaced him at half-time and we eased our tempo in the second half, but still added another two goals in the final ten minutes. Good training game and happy to use some youngsters and share playing time.

• our shooting was 36/16
• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• our average rating was 8.72
• a lot of impressive performances in this game - Johan van Dalen was named as the player of the game, but no less than 7 players had 9.00 or higher rating
• we will play MVV Maastricht in the 4th round

 

31.10.2037 - AFC Ajax - Sparta Rotterdam 2:2 (ED) - 15. Stan Knol, 37. Stef Veldman - 57. and 61. Sjoerd de Jong

October ends with the home game against Sparta Rotterdam. I know that we need to rotate to be fresh against Dortmund in just three days. Sparta are predicted to finish 12th in Erdivisie - so, a solid mid-table side. Our opponents play 4-1-2-3 DM Wide. Their team looks a bit tired, but they have some interesting players, such as ex-Ajax winger Sjoerd de Jong who left to Serie A side Como a couple of seasons ago, but returned to Holland this Summer.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (70. Odang), Veldman, Nkoana (70. van der Plas), Knol (66. de Wit)

We started well and took the lead in 15’ - Stan Knol picked up from where he left off and fired in a cross from Leslie Lichaba. Stef Veldman added another goal with a simple tap-in and we went to half time with a comfortable 2:0 lead. Our attacking movement looked good so far and two goals is good enough.

However, things turned around in the second half - Sjoerd de Jong had a chance against us and scored. Leslie Lichaba was to blame, because he left the run of his man in this situation. Another missed interception by Jelle Sandler just four minutes later led to the next chance and this time de Jong scored his second goal with a simple tap-in. Our defense had crumbled in just four minutes and I was furious at the sidelines. I made substitutes, but our players looked rather nervous and it was not looking like we could take control of the game again, so in the end it remained 2:2 and I was completely outraged. We’ve rarely given away a two-goal lead and to do that at home, against a team like Sparta, was completely unacceptable. Two points cheaply given away. Sjoerd de Jong came back to haunt us and he was certainly pleased to show that he was perhaps good enough to play for Ajax.

• our shooting was 21/9
• we committed 21 fouls - 7 were made by Jelle Sandler
• midfielder Harvey Odang made his debut for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Sjoerd de Jong (Sparta Rotterdam)

 

Some good games and performances this October, but a couple of draws in Eredivisie were most disappointing. We didn’t look good against Dortmund, too - I hoped a better performance in this Champions League game. Up-and-down month for us.

 

Eredivisie

We’ve lost some points in the table - Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven are doing really good, FC Utrecht is also up there. Vitesse has been the biggest disappointment so far - they’ve struggled to pick up a win in this season.

[Draakon]

November 2037

 

Only five games in November, because of international break. Two important Champions League fixtures and rival game against FC Utrecht, but it looks our Eredivisie schedule will become a little easier - we’re against smaller teams in November and December schedule.

 

03.11.2037 - AFC Ajax - Borussia Dortmund 2:2 (Champions League Group C) - 16. Clive Noordhoff, 38. Stef Veldman - 30. Akeene Lavine, 90. David Hernandez

Tough game against Dortmund. This time in Amsterdam Arena and we’re hoping to get a good result, but to be honest if anyone asked me before the game I would have said that I’d be happy with a draw in this game.

We practiced defensive positioning before the game - no surprises there - and I sent out my best team.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (64. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Veldman (86. Lemmens), van der Plas (74. Nkoana), de Wit

Slow start in the first fifteen minutes and we didn’t look too bad on the pitch and then the thunder struck - Clive Noordhoff fired in a great strike from some angle and his shot was so powerful that Dortmund goalkeeper couldn’t get his hands behind the ball properly. I suppose that everybody expected a cross from our right-back, but he surprised Dortmund defense with his shot and it was a wonderful goal. Dortmund looked a bit surprised and we got another great goalscoring opportunity in 23’ - Mark van der Plas had a great chance to double our lead, but this time the goalkeeper made a good reflex save and parried it from close range. Dortmund composed themselves and they equalized - centre-back Akeene Lavine headed in from IFK, but we went to half-time with 2:1 lead, because Stef Veldman scored our second goal of the game. It was a long ball behind the defensive line that surprised Dortmund - Veldman did brilliantly to bring the ball down with a soft touch and finished calmly to score his 10th goal of the season. It was a very positive first half from us and our two goals put Dortmund under pressure.

We continued well in the second half and created another clear cut chance in 69’ - this time Stef Veldman sent it over the goal. Dortmund didn’t look too dangerous, but the attempt by Omar Oltolina in 82’ required a brilliant save from Gluhalic. I hoped that we could hold onto our lead, but it wasn’t to be - David Hernandez equalized late in the game with unstoppable shot for Gluhalic and it was another late disappointment for us in the Champions League. Final score was a draw and I should have been satisfied with it, but I wasn’t, because I felt that we deserved more from this game and once again we couldn’t close the deal and secure all three points.

• we won 89% tackles and 82% headers - very happy with commitment and aggression
• Player of the game: Omar Oltolina (Borussia Dortmund) - his two assists created both goals for our opponents

 

08.11.2037 - AFC Ajax - FC Utrecht 4:1 (ED) - 25. and 38. Tarik de Wit, 46. Clyde Sastrodimedjo, 80. Peter Lemmens - 34. Juan Varela

Conceding the late equalizer against Dortmund was a disappointment, but we had a lot of positives to take from this game and the mood was positive before our next game. It was a rival match with FC Utrecht - a very strong team on paper, using a standard 4-4-2. They have some interesting players - Tarik Oztürk who joined this Summer could become the top striker in Eredivisie and they also brought in ex-Ajax defender Kevin de Jonge (who didn’t make it in the Premier League, just as I expected). FC Utrecht are predicted to finish 4th in Eredivisie and we practiced attacking set pieces before the game. It was the last game before international break and so I could use our first team, knowing that at least some of them will get two weeks to rest and train properly before the next game.

It was also my 1100th game in football management, so another reason to celebrate the day.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans (76. Deyl), Hendriks, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (70. Lemmens), van der Plas (66. Nkoana), de Wit

We took the initiative and after the first 15 minutes chances started to come. Mark van der Plas found Tarik de Wit with a good ball behind the defensive line and de Wit’s shot demanded a brilliant save from FC Utrecht goalkeeper Daan dos Santos. Stef Veldman wasted his clear cut chance in 22’ with a poor shot. It took some time, but eventually we scored and it was de Wit who took down our IFK and fired it in with a great shot. Clive Noordhoff picked the right time to move into the box in 32’ - his attempt was good, but not good enough and another brilliant save by the goalkeeper denied his goal. FC Utrecht put together their first good attack in 34’ and it resulted in equalizer right away - Juan Varela found himself completely alone in our box and he could pass the ball into the net very easily. Poor defending in this situation, but at least we had a quick answer - de Wit doubled his tally four minutes later (his 10th goal of the season) and Stef Veldman wasted his clear cut chance in 40’. We went to half time with a 2:1 lead and it was a well deserved lead - we played well in the first half, created a lot of chances and even though I feel that our finishing should have been better, we looked really good. Daan dos Santos has been outstanding in FC Utrecht goal and it was because of him we didn’t lead by more goals.

We picked things right up after the second half kick-off and excellent combination through the middle released Clyde Sastrodimedjo in the box. Stef Veldman laid it on the plate for our midfielder and it was an easy finish. Substitute Kwanele Nkoana managed to hit the post in 67’ and another young winger Peter Lemmens missed his opportunity in 76’. Lemmens got to the score sheet eventually - his defensive work put FC Utrecht defender under pressure and resulted in interception and a goal as a result, so the final score was 4:1.

I was really happy with the result and our overall performance, although our finishing could be a lot better.

• our shooting was 31/15
• we created 7 clear cut chances
• Rick Hendriks made his 100th appearance for Ajax
• Tarik de Wit scored his 10th goal of the season
• Clyde Sastrodimedjo, Tarik de Wit and Simon Janssen were outstanding for us in this game and Sastrodimedjo was selected as the player of the game

 

I worked out some contracts after this game - youngsters Robert Visser, Marin van der Pol and Wim Mulder signed new deals and I’m happy to keep them in the team. I was also approached by some football associations who tried to lure me to international football. I declined job offers from Wales and Switzerland, for example.

 

21.11.2037 - FC Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 0:4 (ED) - 1. Edward Schans, 32., 45. and 60. Tarik de Wit

International break was behind us and fortunately all players returned without injuries, but some of the younger players looked tired after those games - Mark van der Plas for example looked tired and was rested for our next game. It was an away trip to Eindhoven, but not to meet with PSV, byt FC Eindhoven - a small team who are predicted to finish 15th in this season. Our opponents play 4-1-2-3 DM Wide, just like we do, but they have serious problems with injuries and all their first team strikers are out with some sort of problems.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen (63. Meulensteen), Lemmens (69. Veldman), Nkoana, de Wit (60. Knol)

We took the lead early on - Edward Schans headed in an IFK and that shook FC Eindhoven. Peter Lemmens’ shot rattled crossbar in 14’ and Kwanele Nkoana saw his attempt being brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper. But then Tarik de Wit took over and his two goals in the first half brought us to half-time with a comfortable 3:0 lead.

de Wit completed his hat-trick with a good volley in 60’ and then I could relax, start with substitutions and we eased off the pace. Final score 4:0 marked our convincing win in away game and I was happy with the performance.

• we had 62% possession
• FC Eindhoven had no real scoring opportunities
• our average rating was 8.16
• we made 31 dribbles in this game
• Tarik de Wit, Clive Noordhoff and Peter Lemmens had a great game for us, with de Wit being the best player of the night with his hat-trick
• Mithat Arabaci suffered a strained neck in this game and he needs to recover for around 10 days

 

25.11.2037 - AFC Ajax - FC Basel 2:0 (Champions League Group C) - 25. Edward Schans, 73. Stef Veldman

Here we are - an extremely important home game against FC Basel. I knew that we had to find a way to stop their unorthodox 4-2-3-1 narrow formation, but I hoped that we’ll do better in Amsterdam Arena than we did in the away game. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game (because my assistant manager had virtually no advice on this matter) and I chose to ask the players to be more disciplined on the pitch with our formation, but not to make it too wide.

We missed Mithat Arabaci due to injury, but the rest of the first team was ready to play.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (77. Lemmens), van der Plas (60. Nkoana), de Wit (28. Knol)

We looked good in the first half. Stef Veldman had the best chances - he wasted his clear cut chance in 13’ and sent his shot just wide ten minutes later, but it was Edward Schans who found the goal in 25’ - it came from our corner, with Ifenildo Deyl flicking the cross towards the far post where Schans was waiting and fired it in. Tarik de Wit had to come off in 28’ with a twisted ankle and Stan Knol took his place. This substitution took some fire out of our attacks and we went to half time with a 1:0 lead. I was satisfied with our first half and noted that our set piece practices had paid off.

We improved a lot in the second half and came out with all guns firing. Stef Veldman had a great chance in 47’, but he hit the upright. Mark van der Plas wasted his clear cut chance in 49’ and in 55’ he too saw his shot land against frameworks. Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a lot of time and space in FC Basel area, but he too wasted his chance (or it was a rather brilliant save from FC Basel goalkeeper to deny his shot). Eventually we got our second goal and it was Stef Veldman who finished after a cross by Kwanele Nkoana. FC Basel had no answers for us in the second half and even though we should have scored more goals, I was very happy with our win and the clean sheet. This could be a crucial result in this group.

• our shooting was 26/11
• we created 6 clear cut chances in this game - should have used those better
• FC Basel had no real goal scoring opportunities
• Tarik de Wit will be out for 3-4 weeks with his twisted ankle
• Player of the game: Ifenildo Deyl - good defensive performance topped with assist

 

28.11.2037 - ADO Den Haag - AFC Ajax 0:0 (ED)

After our great success in the Champions League game we finish our November with a game against ADO Den Haag. Our opponents are predicted to finish 14th in this season, but they’re actually doing even worse and clearly things are not right in this team, between the manager and players as well, so I expected us to win this one. I asked the players to retain possession and overlap. We miss Mithat Arabaci and Tarik de Wit because of injuries and I chose to rotate some players after the physically demanding continental game in midweek.

Squad: Gluhalic, Sandler, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Sastrodimedjo (72. Meulensteen), Janssen, Lemmens (57. Veldman), van der Plas (73. Nkoana), Knol

We were not concentrating enough at the beginning of the game and ADO Den Haag’s Alain Pirotte had a great chance to score already in 6’ - his first attempt was saved well by Ismet Gluhalic and his second shot from the rebound went just wide of our goal. We took a lot of time before creating anything dangerous in attack - Stan Knol got his first attempt on target in 33’ (brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper) and wasted his clear cut chance three minutes later. Disappointing first half was below par according to my standards and I expected things to improve after the break, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. We played in the same lacklustre manner and failed to create enough chances. Substitute Kwanele Nkoana saw his shot hit the post in 77’, but that was the closest we got to goal and had to settle with a goalless draw. I wasn’t happy with the team and made it clear in the dressing room. Even if we controlled the second half a little bit better in midfield, our overall level of performance wasn’t what I expected and clearly there’s a reason why some of those players don’t start too many games in this season.

• Player of the game: Robin Maayen (ADO Den Haag) - the goalkeeper made some key saves in this game and secured his team a point

 

November finished with a disappointing result, but actually we have no reason to be too upset with how our month has gone. We’ve clearly concentrated on the Champions League and we’ve done well in continental games. Some good wins in Eredivisie too and while we’re not leading the table we’re still in competition for the title.

 

Eredivisie

PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord are looking good and taking wins in a row. FC Utrecht lost their rhythm with their defeat against us and FC Twente are high in the table because they’ve played more games than other teams in the leading group.

[Draakon]

December 2037

 

Curious schedule in December - we play three times with MVV Maastricht in one calendar month. Twice in Eredivisie and once in the cup. So we better prepare well against them and learn their strengths and weaknesses so we could use those games well. But before those games arrive we have a crucial Champions League match against Galatasaray that will decide our continental season.

 

03.12.2037 - FC Volendam - AFC Ajax 0:1 (ED) - 1. Stan Knol

December begins with a trip to Volendam. FC Volendam are predicted to finish 16th in pre-season estimations and it should be an easy win for us, but so far they’re doing fairly well and it could be another tricky away tie if we’re not careful. FC  Volendam are struggling with injuries in the strikers department and their options in attack are therefore slim. Volendam set themselves up in a 4-2-2-2 DMs line-up, with two midfielders sitting very deep in front of defensive line and therefore making it more difficult to find space in attacking third for us.

We had selection problems of our own - Tarik de Wit was still injured, Jelle Sandler was dropped after he offered too little in attack against ADO Den Haag and Peter Lemmens too failed to deliver in our previous game, despite asking for more playing time.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans (75. Deyl), Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas (60. Nkoana), Knol (89. van der Pol)

We had a fantastic start to the game and it took us only 22 seconds to take the lead. Stan Knol scored with an excellent shot, assist went to Stef Veldman. Knol was on fire and his fierce shot just a minute later rattled the crossbar. FC Volendam found their first chance in 15’ - Erik Haukvik had too much space in our box, but fortunately for us his shot just clipped the bottom of the post and went wide. That was a wake up call for us, because we had to concentrate on defense. It looked like FC Volendam composed themselves after the early goal and we had to be prepared. Stan Knol worked well in attack and his interception in 34’ almost led to another goal and Stef Veldman had a great opportunity in 37’, but this time Volendam goalkeeper stepped up and made a brilliant save to deny him. We went to half time with a 1:0 lead and it was a deserved score line in my opinion - we created good chances, wasted too many of those, but were clearly the better team so far.

The second half was less exciting. Stan Knol had some half-chances and our attacking moves in counter-attacking moments were good, but we couldn’t add another goal. Because of our narrow lead it was a little nervous until the final whistle, but three points were ultimately that matters.

our shooting was 36/16 - impressive, but 15 shots came from out of the box

• Martin van der Pol made his league debut for Ajax
• Sener Arslan had a great game for us - his 16 key passes created moments in attack
• Player of the game: Louis van Duijvenbode - superb performance from FC Volendam goalkeeper, who made two brilliant saves and kept FC Volendam in the game

 

05.12.2037 - AFC Ajax - Go Ahead Eagles 1:1 (ED) - 33. Stan Knol - 53. Fred Dijks

Another game against a smaller team. This time in Amsterdam Arena and our opponents are Go Ahead Eagles - the club that is predicted to finish 18th, so on paper it’s the easiest game of the season. I felt confident enough to give rotation players a chance and expected them to be good enough against the Eagles.

Squad: Florentina, Sandler, Schans, Deyl, Koeman, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo (53. Meulensteen), Janssen, Lemmens, Nkoana (54. van der Plas), Knol (72. Mulder)

It was a slow start and we had the first great chance of the game in 14’ - Kwanele Nkoana should have scored, but instead he sent his shot wide. He had looked nervous from the kick-off and that was a direct result of that nervousness. Eagles had their best chance of the first half in 31’ - Nick Pierie found some space in our box, but his shot was soft and was easily held by Zeus Florentina. And two minutes later we took the lead - another great shot from Stan Knol surprised Eagles’ defense and went in off the post - sensational strike from our young striker. That shot was the difference when the teams went to half time.

It was a similar game in the second half, but we allowed Eagles to equalize in 53’ - in fact it was a glaring error from Zeus Florentina who dropped the ball when we were defending a corner and centre-back Fred Dijks could score into the empty goal. We couldn’t get our attack going and the Eagles defended well for the rest of the game - I tried different tactical approaches, but we just couldn’t find chances and so the final whistle marked a disappointing draw. I was furious with the result and let the team know about it - it was an easy game and we should have won it easily, but failed to perform at our usual level. I was especially mad at the players who had expressed their desire for more playing time - Peter Lemmens, Kwanele Nkoana. What are you asking when you can’t score or create chances against the smallest team in the league??!

• our shooting was just 18/6 and half of the shots came from distance
• Player of the game: Stan Knol - his outstanding strike in the first half stood out in otherwise below-par game

 

08.12.2037 - Galatasaray - AFC Ajax 1:1 (Champions League Group C) - 71. Luciano Papalia - 30. Stan Knol

There it is - the most important game of the month. To make it simple - we needed to win, or a draw. We could lose this game only if FC Basel failed to take points from Dortmund at the same time. Our job was more difficult because of the players we missed - Tarik de Wit was still out with injury and Engin Ari was suspended for this game. I used our regular Champions League tactics in this game - more disciplined, wider formation.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans (66. Deyl), Hendriks, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci (84. Meulensteen), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas (60. Nkoana), Knol

From the first minutes Galatasaray looked a little complacent to my eye and I was looking forward to seeing if that plays to our advantage in the first half. It was an even game in the first half, but we took the lead in 30’ - it was Stan Knol again who got himself to the score sheet, this time with an excellent header. His choice of position was very good and he had two meters of space around him, but that was enough to direct the ball into the net. I was very happy with our lead at half time and it looked like things were going our way in this game.

It wasn’t  so easy in the second half, because Galatasaray started to find chances - Emanuel Vergara had a great look in the 60’ and his shot was parried well by Ismet Gluhalic, but Luciano Papalia’s header from the corner equalized the score. It was more open in the last 20 minutes and both teams wanted to score the winner. Clyde Sastrodimedjo had a great chance in 81’ - his shot was saved and in the following counter-attack Galatasaray striker Valmir had a good attempt that was brilliantly saved by Gluhalic. Both goalkeepers were up to the challenge and the final score remained 1:1 - a fair result in my opinion and good enough for us to secure our place in the knockout stages. With that I’m really happy!

• we allowed 31 dribbles in this game - I know that our opponents are usually more technical in this level, but so many means we should have done better
• Player of the game: Adir Ganzetto (Galatasaray)

 

Champions League Group C

1. Borussia Dortmund 13
2. AFC Ajax 9
3. FC Basel 7
4. Galatasaray 4

 

12.12.2037 - MVV Maastricht - AFC Ajax 0:2 (ED) - 45.+1 Mark van der Plas, 68. Stef Veldman

And there it is, the first game of the three. I know that if we get that away game right, we have a huge mental advantage for the next two matches that are played in Amsterdam Arena. MVV were surprise of the previous season and they finished 3rd in the league, so they’re predicted 7th in this year, but have not been up for the challenge, at least not quite, despite spending over £7m on new players in the Summer. Their strikers are tall and powerful in the air, so we need our best headers in the defense. Otherwise MVV plays quite standard 4-4-2 formation, so no real surprises there.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (74. Sandler), Schans, Hendriks,Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (64. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas, Knol (74. Mulder)

The game started slowly, but in the 21’ we got a chance to open scoring from the spot - Mark van der Plas was fouled in the box and Clive Noordhoff stepped up to take the penalty, but his shot was poor and went straight to the middle where the goalkeeper was expecting it. It took us the whole first half to leave this disappointment behind and it looked like we couldn’t break MVV defense, but in injury time the ball fell to Mark van der Plas in the box and our left winger sent his shot right into the side netting near the far post. Excellent shot and the best time to score - right before half-time.

I made some tactical changes for the second half - asked Sener Arslan to play more direct passes and Stan Knol to shoot less often. 

MVV had their best scoring opportunity in 53’ - right-back Jaouad Bah chose the right moment to go forward and his half-chance was well saved by Ismet Gluhalic. And when Stef Veldman doubled our lead with a simple tap-in, it looked like we’ve done enough to win this game. I asked the team to retain possession and sent out substitutions. Good away win in the end and I was pleased with the result.

• our shooting was 17/5 - Stan Knol blasted his shots wide in the first half
• we were caught offside 11 times - MVV played with high defensive line and used it well to create offside traps
• we made 22 individual mistakes in this game - not good
• Mark van der Plas had an outstanding game - a goal and assist from our left winger

 

15.12.2037 - AFC Ajax - MVV Maastricht 2:0 (Dutch Cup 4th round) - 66. Peter Lemmens, 70. Stan Knol

The second game of the three, this time a cup game and at home. I wanted to rotate at least some players, because they only get opportunities in the cup series. Kwanele Nkoana was one of those players, but he injured himself in pre-match training and pulled hamstring will keep him sidelined for 3-4 weeks.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans (70. Jansen), Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Janssen (67. Meulensteen), Lemmens, van der Plas, Knol (70. Mulder)

The midfield was completely under our control in the first half, but the chances were rare and we only got one great scoring opportunity - Mark van der Plas was in the right position to score in 38’, but he was denied by the brilliant save of MVV goalkeeper.

I made tactical changes to the second half and asked Stan Knol to play as DLFs in the second half. Not sure if because of that, but we looked much more dangerous after the break. At first Rick Hendriks had a great opportunity from IFK, but his shot was saved - he really should have scored from there. Peter Lemmens broke the deadlock for us in 66’ with a great shot that was passed right to the far post - very well done from the youngster and if there’s something that could get you more playing time in the league, that’s the kind of goal that does right that. Stan Knol added another goal in 70’ and with that the job was done. Good second half secured our win and the place in the quarter finals.

• our shooting was 20/9 - good enough
• we will play FC Utrecht in the quarter final
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen - 12 key passes from the playmaker led our attacking moves

 

19.12.2037 - AFC Ajax - VVV Venlo 0:2 (ED) - 1. and 65. Joey de Haan

After two wins our morale was high and we were ready to host VVV Venlo before the next encounter with MVV. VVV are predicted to finish 9th in the league and our own player Erwin Vormer has done really well for them in the midfield.

We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and because VVV have one of the best work rates in the league, I asked players to retain possession and full-backs to overlap. Tarik de Wit is back in full training and will start from the bench and Stan Knol will play as DLFs in attack.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (46. Janssen), Veldman (75. Lemmens), van der Plas, Knol (67. de Wit)

We had a terrible start to the game - VVV delivered the ball into our six-yard box and Ifenildo Deyl lost his tackle to Joey de Haan and the ball was over the line. 0:1 in the first minute of the game and we were chasing the game. I reverted back to our more usual formation, but the first half was a poor game from us - we couldn’t create a single chance in front of the goal and even though we had plenty of set pieces and we practiced precisely for those moments, we failed to use them to our advantage too.

The second half wasn’t much better - Stef Veldman had a crack and hit the post in 57’, but that was the closest to the goal that we got. VVV created much more dangerous moments in our box and it looked like Engin Ari didn’t track back from midfield when he should have - that caused all sorts of problems in 60’ when Roberto Munter found himself in our box with the ball - his shot was well held by Ismet Gluhalic, but even Gluhalic couldn’t save us five minutes later when Joey de Haan received the ball in our box, behind the line and scored easily from one-on-one situation. Motivation to fight back was there in our team, but ability was not and the final whistle marked our rather embarrassing 0:2 defeat. To be fair it was probably our worst performance of the season - pretty much our best team was completely outclassed by hard-working VVV Venlo and to play so poorly in front of our home fans is really frustrating. We gave away points and allowed PSV Eindhoven to gain advantage in the table. More importantly, our performance was far from the standard I’ve been used to. I can only hope that we’ll bounce back quickly from this.

• our shooting was 14/4
• we had 6.76 average rating
• we made only 19 key passes
• Ifenildo Deyl made 7 individual mistakes - clearly one of the worst performances of the game
• Stef Veldman made his 100th appearance for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Joey de Haan (VVV Venlo)

 

We’ve now played 17 games in Eredivisie and have collected 35 points - some way behind our usual mid-season target of 40 points. We haven’t lost too many games, but some poor draws have cost us too many important points.

 

23.12.2037 - AFC Ajax - MVV Maastricht 2:1 (ED) - 15. and 68. pen. Tarik de Wit - 77. Nick Gillett

The third time we’ve met MVV in a month and there wasn’t anything that they could surprise me with.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (71. Meulensteen), Veldman (68. Lemmens), van der Plas, de Wit (71. Knol) 

We took the lead in 15’ and the goal happened because of our high pressure on the pitch. Mark van der Plas put the opposition defender under pressure near the byline - his rash clearance fell to Sener Arslan who fed it to Tarik de Wit in the box - confident finish and 1:0. van der Plas wasted his clear cut chance in 26’, but overall we looked good enough with our 1:0 half time lead.

Tarik de Wit doubled his tally from the penalty spot after he was fouled himself in the box and although MVV managed to score once after that, we held our lead until the end - good win without much fuss.

 

30.12.2037 - Vitesse Arnhem - AFC Ajax 1:1 (ED) - 48. Marco van Heusden - 23. Mark van der Plas

The last game of our year was away trip to Arnhem - Vitesse are a very strong team, somewhat underperforming at the moment, but predicted to finish 5th before the season - their squad is a well-balanced and have good rotation players too, so even as they have some first team players injured for this game, it doesn’t look they’re much weaker because of this.

We practiced defending set pieces before the game and I sent out our first team squad. Kwanele Nkoana was injured, but everyone else was fit and ready.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (64. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan (80. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas, de Wit (64. Knol)

Vitesse had the first great chance of the game in 4’ when Marco van Heusden skipped past Edward Schans way too easily, but his shot was met by a good save from Ismet Gluhalic. That was a bad sign and I asked the team to get concentrated. We took the lead in 23’ when Stef Veldman’s pass somehow found Mark van der Plas at the far post and our left winger had an easy finish into the empty goal. Vitesse’s Ryan Molenaar tested Gluhalic in 30’, but we went to half time with a narrow 1:0 lead, even though Vitesse had been dangerous a couple of times.

Vitesse did get their equalizer in the second half and it didn’t take them long before scoring - Marco van Heusden was the man who was left unchecked in our six yard box and when the xross came in from our left it was a simple tap-in for him. We struggled to create good chances in the second half and I brought in Stan Knol - deep-lying forward didn’t get too many opportunities either and his only half-chance in 75’ went wide of goal. I was disappointed with our second half, but had to admit that the final score was probably a fair result.

• our shooting was just 13/3
• we allowed Vitesse to make 22 dribbles in this game
• Player of the game: Lesli Lichaba - not sure why, stat sheet says he got 8 key passes, but in my opinion was rather poor in defensive end

 

December was again the month with mixed results - I’m very happy with our qualification to the Champions League knockout stages and we collectedˇthree good wins over MVV Maastricht, but dropping points against Go Ahead Eagles and being outclassed by VVV Venlo is definitely not good enough.

 

Eredivisie

We go to Winter break with an extremely interesting league table - top five teams are inside 4 points and bottom four teams fight for relegation and every game can make big chances there too.

[Draakon]

January 2038 

 

Only three games in January, but two big derbies in this short period and considering how the table looks like those points could be massive. 

We weren’t too active in the January transfer window - Juventus showed interest in Sener Arslan, but they weren’t ready to offer £15m+ what I asked and so the deal fell down.

We loaned out three players in January - right-back Jelle Sandler went to Bundesliga side Heidenheim. Chandra Purwanto and young playmaker Harvey Odang joined Go Ahead Eagles for the remaining of the season.

 

22.01.2038 - AFC Ajax - PSV Eindhoven 5:1 (ED) - 9. and 80. Mark van der Plas, 53. Stef Veldman, 57. Trik de Wit, 88. Kwanele Nkoana - 21. Michael Jans

PSV are a very strong team and it’s a tough game, even though PSV’s best striker Chijoke Obafemi was injured. We had our own problems too - we missed Rick Hendriks due to a knock, but Kwanele Nkoana was back in full fitness and started from the bench.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (71. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Veldman, van der Plas (80. Nkoana), de Wit (80. Knol)

We looked better in the first 15 minutes - Tarik de Wit had a crack and shot on target in 6’ and two minutes later Mark van der Plas scored with a good header. PSV slowly found their way into the game and equalized in 21’ - Dennis de Jong was allowed to cross too easily and Michael Jans finished from our six yard box. The rest of the first half was fairly even and teams went to half time with 1:1 scoreline. I was not happy with our first half - despite our goal we didn’t have any real chances in the first 45 minutes and it looked like PSV had more control over the game after their equalizer. I asked players to be more disciplined in the second half - the team looked very motivated and determined and that was a good thing, but it was important to make it show on the pitch.

The second half was much better - we took control of the game in 53’ when Stef Veldman scored and Tarik de Wit added another goal with an easy finish only four minutes later. After that it looked easy and comfortable for us - Michael Jans had the only good chance for PSV in 74’, but this shot was parried by Ismet Gluhalic and in the last ten minutes we added another two goals when PSV looked already surrendered. In the end it was a great result and excellent second half. Really outstanding performance.

• our shooting was 21/10
• we had 8.03 average rating
• Stef Veldman and Mark van der Plas were outstanding for us in this game
• Stan Knol made his 100th appearance for Ajax in this game

 

27.01.2038 - Feyenoord Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 2:2 (ED) - 54. Kaj Wassenaar, 71. Taha Metin - 65. Tarik de Wit, 72. Mark van der Plas

Another derby and another crucial game - top five teams are inside four points in the table. I knew that home game with PSV looked fairly easy, but the away trip to Rotterdam was completely another case. Feyenoord sold their winger Raymond de Vet to Celtic Glasgow in January and they used that money to bring FC Twente’s Michael Diemers to Rotterdam. 

I used the same squad and formation that worked well in this second half against PSV - more disciplined orders. Rick Hendriks was back in training and started on the bench.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (71. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan (61. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas, de Wit (83. Knol)

The first half was a drab affair - chances were rare and although Tarik de Wit got a fierce shot on target in 14’ - that attempt was brilliantly parried by Feyenoord goalkeeper, so both teams cancelled each other out.

Things started to happen in the second half. Feyenoord scored first - their midfielder Kaj Wassenaar won a header in our box and the ball found its way into the goal. Great header for a midfielder, I had to admit. We equalized in 65’ when Tarik de Wit answered with a header of his own. Clive Noordhoff’s missed interception in the IFK situation allowed Taha Metin to finish from our box. We weren’t downhearted and replied instantly and in the following attack Mark van der Plas equalized after a good pass from Simon Janssen. In the end it looked like a fair result after an action-packed second half.

• our shooting was just 8/4 - very few chances in this game
• we made only 12 key passes - Sener Arslan offered almost no creativity from midfield and he had a quiet game in the end
• Player of the game: Kaj Wassenaar (Feyenoord Rotterdam)

 

30.01.2038 - AZ Alkmaar - AFC Ajax 1:4 (ED) - 8. Clive Noordhoff (og) - 34. Clyde Sastrodimedjo, 54. and 65. Mark van der Plas, 71. Stan Knol

January ends with a trip to Alkmaar. AZ are 14th at the moment and they lost to PSV in their previous game, so I hope to take advantage of their somewhat lower morale. It’s nice to see our youngster Klaas Dekker in action - he has played 16 games for AZ in Eredivisie. Our opponents look tired from their previous game and that should play for our benefit too. I made some changes in our line-up: Rick Hendriks replaced Ifenildo Deyl, who looked tired. Peter Lemmens got to start because of my promise to him that I’ll grant him more first team football and Janssen replaced Sener Arslan after his poor performance against Feyenoord.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (71. Mithat Arabaci), Janssen, Lemmens, van der Plas (71. Nkoana), de Wit (63. Knol)

AZ were fortunate, because Clive Noordhoff’s own goal gave them an early lead. The first half was in fact completely under our control - we dominated midfield and created chances, but wasted most of them. Mark van der Plas had three clear cut chances in the first half, but couldn’t use any of them (and at times was stopped by brilliant saves from Azär Haciyev). We finally equalized in 34’ - great delivery from Peter Lemmens found Clyde Sastrodimedjo in front of goal and the midfielder’s clever run into the box was a surprise for AZ defense. We went to half time with a 1:1 scoreline, but I felt that we’ve played well and just our poor finishing hindered our game. We could have been 3:1 or 4:1 ahead easily. Our motivation was extremely high and we continued in that fashion in the second half. This time - it brought dividends. Mark  van der Plas finally found his goalscoring form and his two goals in ten minutes decided the game. Substitute Stan Knol added another goal after excellent delivery by Peter Lemmens and in the end it was a great win for us.

• our shooting was 28/13
• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• AZ had no real chances in this game
• Mark van der Plas and Peter Lemmens were outstanding in this game
• Mark van der Plas and Stan Knol scored their 10th goal of the season

 

Difficult games in January, but I feel that we did fairly well - PSV win was the highlight of the game and the fact that we avoided defeat against Feyenoord was good enough in this game. 

 

Eredivisie

The table looks as tight as it was a month ago - top five are still extremely close and the relegation battle is equally fierce.

[Draakon]

February 2038 

 

February is a pretty tough month - we play fairly strong teams in Eredivisie, including one crucial six-pointer against FC Twente. Champions League knockout stages give us two games against Arsenal and the month begins with the away game with FC Utrecht - a cup quarter final.

 

03.02.2038 - FC Utrecht - AFC Ajax 1:2 (Dutch Cup Quarter Final) - 61. George Okoro - 71. and 100. Stef Veldman

FC Utrecht are a really strong team, especially at home, so we had to be at our best against them. We practiced attacking set pieces before the game and, because it still was a cup game I remained true to our policy to rotate players and give first team options for those who usually start from the bench. But I asked the team to be more disciplined and follow orders.

Squad: Florendina, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Mithat Arabaci, Sener Arslan, Lemmens (70. Veldman), van der Plas (61. Nkoana), de Wit (61. Knol)

The first half was adrab affair - both teams had one half-chance in the first 45 minutes and that was it. The second half was a little more lively. We were unfortunate with frameworks - Mark van der Plas saw his header clip the crossbar and go over. Three minutes later Tarik de Wit smashed his fierce shot against the crossbar as well. So, in 61’ FC Utrecht took the lead - Goerge Okoro won his aerial duel against Rick Hendriks and found the net with a fine header. I made chances in the squad and it almost brought immediate results - Peter Lemmens’ attempt almost surprised FC Utrecht goalkeeper, but a brilliant save from him denied our equalizer. Stef Veldman came on in 70’ and he made an instant impact - his shot equalized the game and although Kwanele Nkoana sent his free header from close range against the crossbar (third time in this game), we couldn’t score the winner and the game went to extra time.

It’s good to say that we picked ourselves up for the last 30 minutes and the extra time was under our control from start to finish. Stef Veldman’s goal in 100’ proved to be a winner and the fact that Sener Arslan wasted his clear cut chance in 116’ didn’t matter. In the end I was very happy with our come-back and the final result.

• our shooting was 27/9 in this game
• Player of the game: Marc van Leeuwen (FC Utrecht)
• we will play PSV Eindhoven in the semi final

07.02.2038 - AFC Ajax - FC Groningen 4:0 (ED) - 16., 31. pen and 68. Tarik de Wit, 18. Stef Veldman

Extra time against FC Utrecht was tough on our legs and some of the players got three rest days to be fit against FC Groningen. Our opponents are 10th in the table at the moment, but they have their captain Klevis Dema injured and that should make our job a little easier.

We practiced defending set pieces before the game and it was mostly our usual first team with exception of Simon Janssen replacing Sener Arslan in midfield.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Janssen, Veldman (65. Lemmens), van der Plas (65. Nkoana), de Wit (68. Knol)

We took control of the game in the first half and after Tarik de Wit and Stef Veldman scored two goals in a short period of time we were confident that we’d win this game. We had a number of easy chances in this first half, but both Veldman and Mark van der Plas were rather wasteful with their opportunities. Tarik de Wit scored our third goal from the spot after Janssen was fouled in the box and things looked bright. FC Groningen had their best opportunity of the game in 43’ when Tarik Berrabeh was allowed to take the ball into our box, but his shot hit the crossbar and the ball was then cleared by Clive Noordhoff.

The second half was more quiet with exception of Tarik de Wit completing his hat-trick with an excellent header. It was a convincing win in the end and I was very happy with the result and performance.

• our shooting was 23/14
• Tarik de Wit and Simon Janssen were outstanding in this game - de Wit collected the match ball with his hat-trick
• Tarik de Wit scored his 20th goal of the season

 

ADO Den Haag manager Bruno Martins Indi was sacked after this match day - about time, because ADO are clearly too good a team to go down and they’ve been struggling to get away from that 18th place.

I sorted out some contract issues and offered Clive Noordhoff the new deal - he extended his contract until 2042 and earns no £24,000 per week.

 

12.02.2038 - FC Twente Enschede - AFC Ajax 3:3 (ED) - 14. Matthew Ramirez, 33. pen. Maxime Beck, 75. pen. Karim Doumbia - 12. Peter Lemmens, 29. Nick de Ruiter (og), 79. Tarik de Wit

Another six-pointer. FC Twente are (perhaps a little surprisingly) in the top five, but it looks like their form is on decline. They sold their best player Michael Diemers to Feyenoord in January and although they earned a lot of money with that deal, they didn’t bother too much to replace him, so they’re a somewhat weaker team as a result.

FC Twente use 4-1-2-3 DM Wide formation and so our tactical approach is similar. I used the opportunity to tweak our corner routines before the game - I’ve been following our corners more closely in recent games and found out that our corners from left are mostly wasted, so some changes there could be useful.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (75. Janssen), Lemmens (63. Veldman), van der Plas (70. Nkoana), de Wit

We did well to take the lead in 12’ - Tarik de Wit made a good interception and stole the ball. His wonderful pass released Peter Lemmens from our right wing who scored with a great strike and it was 1:0 with less than 15 minutes played. It took FC Twente only 2 minutes to reply - Matthey Ramirez won the header against Ifenildo Deyl in our box and Ismet Gluhalic had to pick the ball out of his net. Nick de Ruiter’s unfortunate own goal gave us the lead again, but the first half ended with 2:2 - Maxime Beck equalized with a penalty after Ifenildo Deyl carelessly fouled him in the box. It was a poor first half for Deyl and defensively we were not good enough. Midfield was mostly under our control, but defensive errors cost us two goals.

Second half offered a little less action at first. Sener Arslan got our best scoring opportunity in this game when his attempt in 66’ was well saved by FC Twente goalkeeper and then we gave away another penalty. This time it was Engin Ari who brought down Karim Doumbia in the box and Doumbia himself converted the penalty. Tarik de Wit found an equalizer with an excellent volley from 14 meters (a great strike from our best goalscorer). We tried hard to find a winner in the final 10 minutes - de Wit narrowly missed his two attempts and Stef Veldman wasted his clear cut chance in 90’, but we had to accept the draw and another two points missed. I was not happy with the result - conceding two penalties in one game is definitely rare for us and individual mistakes cost us the game.

• our shooting was 24/8 - our attack was good enough and three goals prove it
• Tarik de Wit had a great game - a goal and assist from him tonight

 

16.02.2038 - AFC Ajax - Arsenal London 0:1 (Champions League 1st knockout round 1st leg) - 44. Oscar Rodriguez

We didn’t have any expectations before this game. Reaching knockout stages was a small victory in itself and Arsenal were clear favourites in this tie. We practiced attacking set pieces before the first leg game and I used our regular Champions League tactics - more disciplined orders with wider formation. Edward Schans was suspended for this game, so Ifenildo Deyl and Rick Hendriks made up our central defense.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (46. Mithat Arabaci, 67. Janssen), Veldman, van der Plas (77. Nkoana), de Wit

We almost scored a flyer in 3’ - Clive Noordhoff took the ball into the Arsenal box and his attempt skimmed the crossbar before going over. The next ten minutes belonged to Arsenal, though - Kodjo Soleyman sent his shot into side-netting and Cristiano Lettieri’s clear cut chance was stopped by Ismet Gluhalic. We had our opportunities too - Sener Arslan and Stef Veldman had clear cut chances in the first half, but they couldn’t beat Arsenal goalkeeper Rogerio. We went to half-time with 0:1 score, though - Oscar Rodriguez found the target for Arsenal and the whole attack started with a poor throw-in by Leslie Lichaba. Passes were too quick and our defenders had barely time to react, before Rodriguez’s world class finish landed next to our post.

We had poor luck with injuries in the second half - substitute Mithat Arabaci had to come off in 67’ with a sprained ankle and Deyl also suffered a minor knock. Arsenal controlled the second half better and we didn’t find a way to break down their defense. Tarik de Wit saw his header hit the upright in 69’, but that was not enough to equalize and in the end we had to accept our defeat. It was a fairly good performance before our home fans, but the away win gives Arsenal a huge advantage before the second leg.

• Mithat Arabaci will be sidelined for at least 5-6 weeks and Ifenildo Deyl will miss action for a week with a bruised rib
• Player of the game: Oscar Rodriguez (Arsenal)

 

21.02.2038 - AFC Ajax - Vitesse Arnhem 5:2 (ED) - 14. Clyde Sastrodimedjo, 47. and 74. Tarik de Wit, 77. and 83. Kwanele Nkoana - 12. and 23. Screve N’Goma

We struggled against Vitesse in the away game and came back from Arnhem with a hard-fought draw. I hoped that we could do better in Amsterdam Arena, but I was aware of Vitesse’s strengths despite their 10th position in the table.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (77. Plat), Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Lemmens (58. Veldman), van der Plas (68. Nkoana), de Wit

Vitesse were the better team in the first half. The first omen was Marco van Heusden’s header in 6’ that scraped our crossbar and went over. In 12’ our defense was broken with an excellent diagonal cross and Screve N’Goma was the man who put on the finishing touches. We answered quickly - Tarik de Wit played a wonderful through ball to Clyde Sastrodimedjo and the box-to-box midfielder timed his run perfectly. His calm finish made it 1:1, but soon Vitesse resumed their lead - N’Goma won the header in our box and Gluhalic couldn’t stop it from going in. I wasn’t happy with our performance in the first half - we played too long periods without possession and (perhaps from frustration) committed too many fouls. It all favoured Vitesse who enjoyed their lead.

My criticism at half time worked and we equalized quickly after the second half kick-off. Mark  van der Plas delivered a cross and de Wit finished from close range. That goal helped us to settle a little and slowly gain control of the game. We finally managed to start fireworks in the final 20 minutes of the game. Stef Veldman hit the frameworks with his header in 71’ and three minutes later de Wit’s excellent strike from the edge of the area made it 3:2. Substitute Kwanele Nkoana added another goal in 77’ and that goal secured all three points for us. Nkoana doubled his tally in 83’ to make it 5:2 and although he denied a great chance to complete his hat-trick just a minute later, it was a great impact from him too. I was very happy with our second half performance. Vitesse were definitely hurt by that defeat - they probably feel that they did very well for 70 minutes and then completely fell apart.

• we created 5 clear cut chances in this game
• we made only 19 key passes - the first 70 minutes were rather poor creatively
• Tarik de Wit had a great game and he was named the player of the game - two goals and assist to his name tonight
• young defender Lamin Plat made his league debut for Ajax in this game

 

26.02.2038 - AFC Ajax - sc Heerenveen 3:0 (ED) - 12. and 46. Peter Lemmens, 49. Mark van der Plas

We finish our month hosting sc Heerenveen in Amsterdam Arena. Our opponents are 7th in the league at the moment and I expected them to play standard 4-4-2 formation. Our young prospect Erik Jansen has played a lot of games for Heerenveen and I hoped to see him in action against us, too. We had one player missing from this game - Clive Noordhoff was suspended and that was also the reason why I gave Lamin Plat his debut against Vitesse - I needed him to cover for Noordhoff in the DR position.

Squad: Gluhalic, Plat, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (62. Meulensteen), Lemmens, van der Plas (70. Nkoana), de Wit (61. Knol)

We had a fairly good game and we took the lead in 12’ - defense-splitting ball from Sener Arslan found Peter Lemmens in the box and the young winger scored with a calm finish. Tarik de Wit saw his shot hit the post in 19’. We were a slightly better team in the first half, but I felt that we could have been better, because we lacked good goal scoring opportunities after this moment in 12’. We also found ourselves in offside positions way too often and that broke up our attacking moves.

The second half was better and two quick goals inside the first five minutes did the damage - sc Heerenveen gave up after our third goal and in the end it looked like a comfortable win for us.

• Peter Lemmens and Sener Arslan were outstanding in this game

 

I feel that I can be fairly satisfied with our February - we battled through some tough games and fought well (for example against FC Utrecht and FC Twente). I didn’t hope to beat Arsenal, so 0:1 defeat from the first leg didn’t leave us downhearted. Wins in the league have improved our position, too, and we ready ourselves for the final push to win the title.

 

Eredivisie

Still very close competition, although FC Twente have dropped off. ADO Den Haag has more work to do if they want to avoid relegation.

[Draakon]

March 2038

 

Five games in March - cup semi final against PSV and second leg in London stand out as big games, but the Eredivisie schedule looks a lot easier, at least on paper. I also look forward to this year’s youth intake.

 

03.03.2038 - PSV Eindhoven - AFC Ajax 2:3 (Dutch Cup Semi Final) - 38. and 88. pen. Edu - 16. Tarik de Wit, 48. and 76. Stef Veldman

That’s a tough one - PSV are missing some key players due to injuries, but despite that they’re very difficult to beat at home. We miss Ifenildo Deyl because of suspension, but the rest of our first team is fit. However, I made some changes in our line-up to be consistent with the choice that some players who are not perhaps too often in the starting line-up in Eredivisie will play cup games. PSV are using 4-3-3 formation at home and I countered it with a more disciplined setup and asked full-backs to play with support orders so that our centre-backs don’t find themselves with two against three too often.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff (77. Plat), Schans, Hendriks, Koeman, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan (60. Meulensteen), Veldman, Nkoana, de Wit (55. Knol)

We were lucky to score our first goal in 16’ - the ball just fell to Tarik de Wit after a tackle and he could finish from close range into the empty goal. However, defensively were looked vulnerable in set piece situations - PSV’s Michael Jansen got his shot on target in 35’ and Edu was first to reach IFK cross in 38’. In the first case Zeus Florentina was able to make a good save, but in 38’ we conceded an equalizer and PSV could go to half-time with a 1:1 scoreline. We had one more great opportunity to take the lead - Edward Schans was allegedly fouled in the box when we had a corner and the penalty was awarded. It was a pretty harsh call and the referee probably misjudged that situation, however it didn’t matter, because de Wit couldn’t score from the spot (or was it just a good save from PSV keeper). Action-packed first half finished 1:1 and I’d say that it was a fairly even game so far.

We were much better in the second half - Kwanele Nkoana missed his great goalscoring opportunity, but Stef Veldman converted his chance soon after and we took the lead. We had plenty of chances in the second half - substitute Stan Knol could have decided the game in 67’, but his close range header was somehow saved off the line by the PSV goalkeeper. At the same time we had to keep our concentration in defense too - Menno Mulder skipped past both Koeman and Hendriks and reached our six-yard box with his run, only to be stopped by a good reaction save from Florentina. After Veldman scored his second (and our third) goal in 76’ it looked like we have won the game, but in the final 10 minutes we still almost gave it away - PSV’s came with a counter-attack in 85’ and Mark Richards had the whole goal in front of him when he received the ball, but Florentina got back to his line on time to make another impressive save in this game. PSV needed a penalty to score and they got that late in the game, after Elroy Meulensteen clattered Gregory Devolder in our box. Edu converted the penalty and doubled his tally, but it was too late for PSV and we held onto our win and the place in the final. I was happy with the result, knowing that it wasn’t perhaps our best starting eleven. We played a good game, but could have been more clinical in front of goal and made fewer individual mistakes. Edward Schans and Fred Koeman were below-par, and Kwanele Nkoana was caught offside 4 times - those numbers stand out on the stat sheet.

• we created 7 clear cut chances in this game - finishing was poor indeed
• we made 24 individual mistakes, Edward Schans alone made 7
• we will play Feyenoord in the final that’s held in the end of April

 

06.03.2038 - Helmond Sport - AFC Ajax 1:1 (ED) - Issa N’Diaye - 64. Stef Veldman

Three days later we traveled to Helmond to meet Helmond Sport. It should be an easier game because our opponents are just 16th in the table, they have 4 players injured + 1 suspended and even though they field a rather attacking 4-2-3-1 formation at home, I was confident that we could get the result from here. It wasn’t to be, however. Engin Ari and Rick Hendriks looked tired and were rested for this game, but we had plenty of options in our squad and some players didn’t play against PSV, so we looked good enough before the game. Elroy Meulensteen started in DMC as DLPs, Deyl was back in defensive line and Simon Janssen replaced Sener Arslan in midfield.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans, Deyl, Lichaba, Meulensteen, Sastrodimedjo (70. Sener Arslan), Janssen, Lemmens (55. Veldman), van der Plas, de Wit (70. Knol)

We had a poor start - in 12’ Ifenildo Deyl missed his interception and Issa N’Diaye used the presented opportunity well to score for Helmond, but more worryingly we couldn’t create any chances in the first 20 minutes, so I changed our approach. I asked players to retain possession and overlap more. Our motivation was high, but it didn’t show on the pitch and we had our first good chance of the game just in 42’ - Mark van der Plas saw his shot being saved and his second attempt went wide of the goal. Extremely poor first half and no wonder we were 0:1 behind at half time.

The second half didn’t show much improvement. Our equalizer in 64’ was a single bright moment of the game. It looked like Helmond had an excellent tactical approach for this game, they looked composed and managed to keep their formation in defense. We couldn’t find ways to make our attacks work and our game overall was a disappointment. A draw against such a small side is definitely good enough and by dropping two points we allowed Feyenoord, PSV and FC Utrecht to close the gap with us.

• our shooting was just 13/3 - hopeful attempts, not the real goal scoring opportunities
• Player of the game: Simon Janssen - decent midfield performance from experienced playmaker was enough to be named man of the match

 

10.03.2038 - Arsenal - AFC Ajax 3:1 (Champions League 1st knockout round 2nd leg) - 22. Marcos Roberto, 33. pen. Luis Fernando, 50. Cristiano Lettieri - 90.+2 Sener Arslan

We didn’t expect to win in London, but I just hoped for a decent performance in this second leg game. Clive Noordhoff was suspended, so Lamin Plat had a huge game in his third appearance for Ajax, playing against Premier League side in the Champions League game. That was also the reason why I used him as a substitute in the previous games - I knew that Noordhoff will be out for this match and Plat had at least some minutes that hopefully give him some confidence against much better opponents.

We practiced defensive positioning before the game, no surprises there.

Squad: Gluhalic, Plat, Schans, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Veldman (74. Lemmens), van der Plas (63. Nkoana), de Wit (57. Knol)

Arsenal tried to put us under pressure from the kick-off and they partly succeeded. We defended fairly well in open play, but conceded moments in set piece situations - Arsenal striker Oscar Rodriguez saw his header hit the crossbar from free-kick in 13’ and Marcos Roberto opened scoring from the corner. Ismet Gluhalic made a good save to neutralize Cristiano Lettieri’s chance in 28’, but the penalty five minutes later secured Arsenal’s position. It was Lamin Plat who was to blame partly for the goal, because his missed interception allowed Oscar Rodriguez to take the ball into our box and when Edward Schans went to rescue the situation he committed a foul. At least in some moments our attacking movement and counter-attacks looked fairly good to my eye, but those two goals made Arsenal players confident and to score three goals in the second half was obviously not realistic for us.

Cristiano Lettieri scored the third goal for Arsenal in 50’ and I hoped that we don’t suffer further battering. Our consolation goal in injury time was actually a really good strike from Sener Arslan, but it didn’t matter in terms of the result.

Pretty disappointing result over two legs - I can’t say we were so much worse team than Arsenal, but at least on the pitch it wasn’t much of a challenge for them. Our defensive errors were pretty clear and obvious, reminding us again that Edward Schans and Rick Hendriks are not the defensive partnership that could lead us to European success.

• Player of the game: Ilyas Alioui (Arsenal)

 

13.03.2038 - AFC Ajax - Roda JC Kerkrade 3:1 (ED) - 2. Peter Lemmens, 55. Stan Knol, 72. Kwanele Nkoana - 84. Artur Michalski

We needed to forget the Arsenal game quickly and as we were favourites for our home game against Roda JC, it was a good time to return to winning ways. Roda JC are 13th at the moment and somewhat disappointing in this season. I hoped to see our young defender Robert Visser in action for them. I also made some changes to our squad, because the Arsenal game was tough on legs and some players looked really tired. Zeus Florentina expected to start, but he suffered a gashed leg in training and is sidelined until the international window will  be over.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Schans (72. Plat), Deyl, Koeman, Meulensteen, Sener Arslan, Janssen, Lemmens, Nkoana, Knol

We started really well and scored the flyer in 2’ - Kwanele Nkoana’s cross found Lemmens in the far post and it was a fairly easy finish for our right winger. We had a really good 15 minutes and then Roda JC got the game somewhat under control, so the rest of the first half offered less action and teams went to half time with a 1:0 scoreline.

We continued well in the second half, too. Stan Knol finished his chance well and Kwanele Nkoana made it 3:0 with around 20 minutes to go. Artur Michalski scored for Roda JC with a nice strike after Rick Hendriks missed his tackle, but it was too little, too late for Roda. I was pleased with the win and good performance adds some confidence to the team - we need it if we want to close our season strong.

• Ismet Gluhalic made his 300th appearance for Ajax in this game
• Player of the game: Clive Noordhoff

 

International break was special for Clive Noordhoff, who earned his first cap for Holland in a game against Ukraine. Sener Arslan was also called to the international team, but he wasn’t selected in the game.

 

28.03.2038 - AFC Ajax - FC Eindhoven 2:0 (ED) - 12. Peter Lemmens, 37. Mark van der Plas

The last game of March is against small FC Eindhoven team. Our opponents are 15th at the moment (although 5 points above relegation zone) and that should be a fairly easy game for us. However, FC Eindhoven managed to stun PSV 1:0 in their previous game, so we have to be aware and avoid complacency.

Zeus Florentina was available for selection, but we had some other absentees - Rick Hendriks suffered a training injury and needs a couple of more days to recover. Leslie Lichaba and Kwanele Nkoana were not yet back from international duty, so that limited our options. Mithat Arabaci was also back to full training and was on the bench in this game.

Squad: Florentina, Noordhoff, Schans (70. Jansen), Deyl, Koeman, Engin Ari (63. Meulensteen), Sastrodimedjo, Sener Arslan, Lemmens, van der Plas, de Wit (63. Knol)

We started well and Lemmens had our first chance early in the game - his shot from point blank range hit the post and went wide. He did better in 12’ to open scoring after van der Plas’ delivery found him at the far post and van der Plas himself doubled our lead with a simple tap-in in 37’. We looked in control of the things and FC Eindhoven defense struggled to stop our crosses.

We continued well after the break - Stan Knol’s shot from a tight angle needed a brilliant save from FC Eindhoven goalkeeper. Clyde Sastrodimedjo saw his ambitious attempt from 30 meters cannon back from the crossbar. We didn’t find goals in the second half, but also didn’t allow FC Eindhoven to create anything dangerous and in the end I was pleased with our win and the clean sheet - it was an easy win for us, as it was supposed to be.

• our shooting was 23/10
• we made 32 dribbles in this game
• Player of the game: Peter Lemmens - a goal and assist from our right winger and it looks that his claims for more first team football are backed up by his performances
• Stan Knol picked up a knock in the second half and twisted ankle will leave him sidelined for 3-4 weeks

 

March results were fairly OK for us. Defeat by Arsenal could be expected, but we did very well against PSV in the cup semi final and the only real disappointment in this month was perhaps our poor draw with Helmond Sport. Despite those two points that we dropped, we claimed first place in the Eredivisie table and managed to create some gap between us and the rest of the pack. PSV and FC Twente have lost some points and find their title challenge more difficult, while bottom three are level at the moment.

 

Eredivisie

[Draakon]

Youth Intake 2038

 

We’ve been lucky to have several good years in the past, full of great youngsters and hot prospects coming into our U-19 team. Unfortunately, not this time. Our hopes to get new talent for problematic positions like DL were left unanswered. Instead, the following bunch emerged, from what only two players are noteworthy.

 

 

Brian Kuijpers

Extremely young midfielder who has almost the whole year to train before turning 17. Looks like a solid box-to-box midfielder in the future - very good work rate and teamwork and decent pace. Can and will be tutored to increase his professionalism.

 

Mico Pejcic

Decent striker, but clearly some way behind the likes of Erik Jansen and Wesley Graafland, so perhaps difficult to see him in the first team a few years from now. He’s not complete forward material and reminds me more of Stan Knol type of DLF. Poor in the air, but has decent first touch and off the ball movement. Tarik de Wit will tutor him to get his professionalism and ambition higher.

[Draakon]

April 2038

 

Only four games in April, but all three Eredivisie fixtures are away game and the month ends with the Dutch Cup final - it should be held on neutral ground, but this time it’s De Kuip and because we play with Feyenoord, it’s as good as away game, too. So, regardless of our opponents, no easy games this April and the key fixture in our title race could be the match with FC Utrecht.

 

03.04.2038 - Sparta Rotterdam - AFC Ajax 1:1 (ED) - 21. Mark van der Plas - 73. Hayrettin Senol

Sparta are currently 7th in the league - somewhat higher than anticipated - and I still remember our home game before Christmas when we gave up our two-goal lead and allowed Sparta to equalize. They’ve invested nearly £3m into new players in January, so it’s clear they’re going from strength to strength and are constantly improving their team.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (78. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Lemmens (59. Veldman), van der Plas (70. Nkoana), de Wit

Sparta acquired a striker Glenn Le Lay in January - a pretty good player for Eredivisie - and the new man showed his skills in 8’, skipping past Rick Hendriks and trying to finish from close range. Ismet Gluhalic was ready and parried his shot well. We took the lead in 21’ - Peter Lemmens did well to intercept a throw-in. His shot was saved, but van der Plas was there to send the rebound into the Sparta goal. That moment was the difference at half-time and we held a narrow lead in a game where chances were fairly rare.

Our defense wasn’t as good in the second half. At first we almost gifted Sparta the equalizer in 48’ when Sjoerd de Jong found himself completely alone in our box. Fortunately for us, his shot wasn’t the best and Gluhalic held it comfortably. I asked our players to be more disciplined in the second half, but we still conceded a goal and that came from the corner. Hayrettin Senol got to the ball first and finished it from close range - clumsy set piece defense from us. The second half as a whole was disappointing - we couldn’t create good chances and in the end dropped two valuable points, allowing Feyenoord to close the gap in the table.

• we made only 17 key passes in this game
• Player of the game: Sener Arslan - decent performance in a game, but in fact nobody impressed me 

 

09.04.2038 - FC Utrecht - AFC Ajax 1:1 (ED) - 7. Tarik Öztürk - 54. pen. Tarik de Wit

It’s a massive game, although not really a six-pointer. FC Utrecht are 5 points behind us and Feyenoord and although I believe that they still believe in their title chances, it’s difficult to see them coming from behind with only four games to go. However, they’re an extremely strong team and looking at their squad and our scout report, it’s honestly terrifying. They’ve managed to put together the team that looks equal to us, PSV and Feyenoord and although we did beat them 4:1 in Amsterdam Arena, I expect it to be a totally different game in Utrecht. We practiced defending set pieces before the game and I asked the players to be more disciplined, wary of the striker partnership of Tarik Öztürk and Juan Varela. Our situation was a little worse because Engin Ari was suspended (Mithat Arabaci took his place in DMC) and Stan Knol was still injured. Simon Janssen hurt himself badly in training and a torn hamstring finished his season early, but he wasn’t going to be in the first eleven anyway.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Mithat Arabaci, Sastrodimedjo (70. Meulensteen), Sener Arslan (78. Nkoana), Veldman (72. Lemmens), van der Plas, de Wit

As I feared, FC Utrecht started really well and our first 15 minutes were poor. Juan Varela had a great scoring opportunity already in the first minute and Ismet Gluhalic made a good save. Tarik Öztürk scored six minutes later, after FC Utrecht counter-attack played through our whole defensive line - it’s difficult to blame a single player when all four of them were late to situations one after another. After conceding we had a great chance to equalize in 17’ - de Wit played a through ball softly to van der Plas, but the left winger fired it blindly straight towards the goalkeeper. Öztürk had a great chance to add another goal to his name, but his shot from close range just hit the post and went wide. We went to half time with 0:1, but honestly I felt ragged - we were the second best team on the pitch, all our decisions looked wrong and we struggled to keep FC Utrecht strikers under control. It was a deserved lead for FC Utrecht. It was also clear that our tactics don’t work and if we can’t find a goal in this game, we can’t hope to save any points. So I asked the team to drop their disciplined formation a little and be more creative up front.

We almost conceded another goal right after the second half kick-off. Tarik Öztürk had a chance again, but Gluhalic did brilliantly to save from a one-on-one situation. Bart van der Meer pushed Mark van der Plas in the box when we had a free-kick, and perhaps against the run of play we were awarded a penalty and Tarik de Wit converted it calmly. It looked like after substitutions we got the game better under control and when FC Utrecht’s most dangerous striker Öztürk was taken off, the pressure on our defense eased too. Both teams had one more chance late in the game - George Okoro had a glorious opportunity to win it for FC Utrecht in 90’ but Gluhalic made another brilliant save - his third time in this game to stop a clear cut chance. We had a free-kick in injury time that found Leslie Lichaba free in front of FC Utrecht goal, but the left-back put his shot wide.

Very nervous game for us and in the end I have to be very pleased that we managed to come away with a point. FC Utrecht deserved to win more and our first half was so poor that in another game we could have been 0:2 or 0:3 behind at half-time. The penalty helped us a lot. It’s a new feeling for us, being completely outclassed in Eredivisie, but that shows the areas where we need to improve.

• our shooting was just 8/3
• we allowed FC Utrecht to create 5 clear cut chances - way too many
• our strikers were outsmarted by FC Utrecht defensive line and we were called offside on 10 occasions
• Player of the game: Marc van Leeuwen (FC Utrecht)

 

17.04.2038 - Go Ahead Eagles - AFC Ajax 1:4 (ED) - 49. Henny Martens - 37., 51. and 89. Tarik de Wit, 45.+1 Rick Hendriks

Eagles are a small team that have just climbed their way up from the relegation zone, but they did that by beating PSV 3:2 at home, so we have to be well-prepared for those games against smaller teams who are willing to give their everything and fight for every point. Our own youngsters Harvey Odang and Chandra Purwanto have featured in Eagles’ first team and it’s nice to see how they’re progressed lately.

We practiced defending set pieces before the game. Engin Ari is back in the team and I made a few changes in the line-up, too.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff (71. Plat), Deyl (71. Jansen), Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (63. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Lemmens, Nkoana, de Wit

It took some time for us to get our first clear cut chance of the game. Loose ball came to Clive Noordhoff in the box and he found surprisingly huge space for us, but the finish was characteristic for a typical defender and the shot was saved. Tarik de Wit opened scoring from the corner follow-up and after Peter Lemmens headed against the crossbar in 40’, we managed to score our second goal of the game, right before half-time. This one came from the corner too - Ifenildo Deyl flicked it on and Rick Hendriks finished from the far post. I was pleased with our first half - we were a little cautious about Eagles’ corners and rightfully so - they’ve scored 6 goals from corners in this season - but instead we were able to take advantage of our set pieces.

Eagles came back from their dressing room well motivated and it didn’t take long until their first goal. Their right winger Henny Martens was just so much taller than Leslie Lichaba and won the aerial duel in our six yard box. But de Wit soon extended our lead after an excellent counter and we regained control of the game. Kwanele Nkoana wasted his clear cut chance in 68’ and Lemmens headed again against the crossbar before de Wit completed his hat-trick before the end of the game. Our complacency with our lead allowed the Eagles to get one clear cut chance in injury time, but Gluhalic parried Joey Peperkamp’s shot with a great save.

It was a solid win for us and I was pleased with three points. Big improvement compared to the Sparta match, for example.

• our shooting was 21/13
• Tarik de Wit and Sener Arslan were outstanding for us in this game - de Wit took the match ball with his hat-trick

 

After the game I offered a new contract to Ifenildo Deyl - young centre-back extended his deal until 2042 and earns now £7k p/w

 

25.04.2038 - Feyenoord Rotterdam - AFC Ajax p0:0 (Dutch Cup Final)

It was a wet game in De Kuip and I expected a tough game in this final. Feyenoord had several key players injured (especially in attack and midfield) and I hoped that would make things a little easier for us. In our squad Stan Knol was fit again and back in full training, but generally the first team was the same as I had used earlier in big games.

Squad: Gluhalic, Noordhoff, Deyl, Hendriks, Lichaba, Engin Ari, Sastrodimedjo (103. Mithat Arabaci), Sener Arslan, Veldman (95. Lemmens), van der Plas (79. Nkoana), de Wit

It was a very closed game from start to finish. Both teams looked well organised and defended well, avoiding unnecessary risks. Michael Diemers and Giancarlo van Eijma tested Ismet Gluhalic during the first 90 minutes. We had our best chance in the 80’, but Kwanele Nkoana hesitated a little bit too long and defenders got back to block his shot. We put Feyenoord under pressure in the final 10 minutes of the game, but couldn’t break through and in the end penalties decided the cup winner.

It is evident that we’re poor in penalties - de Wit is a decent penalty taker and perhaps one or two attacking players as well, but we struggle to put out even five decent penalty takers in the shoot-out and that cost us the cup on this occasion. de Wit and Lemmens scored, but Clive Noordhoff and Ifenildo Deyl saw their attempts being saved. Feyenoord players at the same time looked very confident and convincing in their shoot-out and secured the win with their fourth penalty. Very disappointing to lose like this, but I knew that Feyenoord were tough to beat and they were better in the shoot-out this time around. It’s been a while since their last cup win and they’ll surely celebrate it for a while.

• our shooting was just 19/4 in this game
• Player of the game: Sener Arslan - good midfield performance from the playmaker
• Clive Noordhoff suffered bruised rib and well be out for a week, Kwanele Nkoana twisted his knee and he needs 2-3 weeks to recover, so it’s unlikely that he’ll return in this season

 

It’s been a tough month. A lot of tough games. I’m very happy that we survived against FC Utrecht and escaped with a point there. Our performance in the cup final was actually pretty good, but missed some luck in the shoot-out. The most important thing is that we’re leading the table in Eredivisie and have two points lead over Feyenoord, so essentially we’ll be fine with just four points from the last two games.

 

Eredivisie

Top five are still close, but realistically it’s just us or Feyenoord who compete for the title. It looks unlikely that ADO Den Haag could escape from relegation and it’s a bit sad to see a decent club fall down to Jupiler League.