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Martin Jol, cult hero in Amsterdam (219 days to the WC)
Comments(26)
The season is almost two months old and PSV and Twente are above Ajax in the tables. At the same time, Ajax hasn’t impressed in Europe yet.
That’s too bad. But nothing more than that. Ajax might not play sensational against clubs like RKC or NAC, but there is almost no criticism. That’s weird. That’s un-Ajax. Even Marco van Basten was made out to be a pancake with these performances.
Sure, the recent win over Feyenoord was great. But this Feyenoord is not the same Feyenoord Ajax played against in the 70s. Or 80s. Or even 90s. And that red card did help. A lot.
So why has the critical, snobbish Ajax fan changed?
It’s Martin Jol.
Most people don’t know what to make of him. It’s a guy that’s hard to pin down. He doesn’t want fans at the training. He uses the seriously criticized Kennedy and Rommedahl. He doesn’t wear the standard Oger suit on the bench, but prefers a trainings outfit with baseball cap. Un-Ajax, again. And Jol doesn’t give shit.
Ajax used to have vain macho men at the helm. Co Adriaanse. Louis van Gaal. Johan Cruyff. Morten Olsen. Marco van Basten.
Ajax is not longer arrogant. Marco van Basten had this untouchable aura and Henk ten Cate didn’t just come across as arrogant, he actually was extremely arrogant. Not Jol from The Hague. A new cult hero is born.
But Jol is a bit of a cuddly toy. The written-off Kennedy plays reasonably well, so does Rommedahl. The whole group plays better. Is that the impact of De Zeeuw? Maybe, but it seems it’s also the cuddly toy. Four youthful defenders have risen to the task. Emanuelson plays tremendous games for Ajax. The only one searching is Sulejmani.
Jol is also original. His international network was put to work last summer and Jol scored a number of interesting players for Ajax.
Of all new players, Demy de Zeeuw and Ze Eduardo seem to be fairly middle of the road. De Zeeuw is international and champion, while Ze Eduardo has been scouted by many big name club in Europe as one of Brazil’s finest. There are no weird YouTube clips on them.
But Pantelic, Kerlon and Atouba have been chased by their own pasts. Any compilation film of Pantelic on YouTube starts with his pathetic behavior after being subbed against Hamburg SV. He overacts his bows to referee, fans and coach. Only after that, we see his many goals. And what a goals… 83 goals in 194 games and all high quality, from every possible angle. Kerlon is famous because of his seal dribbles while Atouba is known to show his middle finger to the fans. His own fans, that is. Jol didn’t go out and sign ideal son in laws, in other words…
Confidence galore with Pantelic by the way. The Amsterdam news broadcaster AT5 asked him at the beginning of the season to introduce himself to the fans. The striker didn’t get that. “Everyone knows who I am! Not just here or in Germany, every football fan in Europe knows me.”
Kerlon might still be young, he’s definitely not shy. “I’m a dynamic player with a good dribble, I can take on opponents and score goals. I can play anywhere on midfield. And anywhere upfront too.” He also added that he’d easily perform his seal trick in Holland… “If the match requires it or allows it, I will do it.”
Interesting times in Amsterdam. The youth team recently beat ADO’s youth team, 10-0, and a new striker showed himself. Ebecilio, a 17 year old talent, scoring five times. Van Basten would have awarded the youngster with a go in the big Ajax, but Jol is opportunistic in another way. Last year, San Marco clashed with the players with personality, Jol simply adores those types. And with Kerlon, Pantelic and Atouba he has them…
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 26 comments.
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It’s so difficult.. Is it the coach when things ‘work’? Is it the coach (read Benitez) when things don’t work? I just think Ajax has done great with De Zeeuw. And the centre, with the two Belgians is solid. I even think Pantelic hasn’t been too bad so far. Meanwhile, with 5 minutes to go, I can’t believe Twente isn’t winning from Sheriff. Or the deputy.
Posted from 
Netherlands
btw Jan. If you want to do a piece about a Dutch coach.. How about Rutten? Okay, he hasn’t got great charisma or carreer like Jol. But you can actually see he made PSV a team again.
Posted from Netherlands
Twente just scored!…. Fingers crossed
Posted from Netherlands
PSV tied against Kopenhagen. Rather poor game.
Posted from Netherlands
Twente won!
Posted from Netherlands
Hey guys just read some news that could mean hope for the Eredivise, though I didn’t know how to interpret it.
From what I understood a lot players are drawn towards the La Liga and Premier League because of the low taxes on Foreign players, but coming 2010 this is going to increase significantly in both leagues, which will leave the Eredivisie with the lowest foreigner tax. Does this mean more players will be attracted towards the Eredivisie?
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=694261&sec=europe&root=europe&cc=5901
Posted from 
Canada
If Holland now already pays the lowest rate among most countries I dont think this will make a difference ? Players always negotiate on a NETT pay and dont want to even hear the word “tax” (I’ve been there). It’s just that when you have TV rights and commercial income like ManU/RM/AC etc then you can offer players a lot more. It wont change – playes will most likely favour England Italy if Spains taxes are high. But in the end its what the club can afford that dictates everything.
Posted from 
Singapore
i would love this, i could watch van nistelrooy
we never need to worry about van persie not starting
Good idea, the story on Rutten. I will follow this up. He deserves it…
kaiser on vanbommel
http://www.soccernews.com/beckenbauer-criticizes-van-bommel/26249/
another link
http://www.soccerway.com/news/2009/November/05/beckenbauer-criticizes-van-bommel/
Posted from 
India
I love her too much and thats why i am in dutch national team.BVM is very greatful man.kudos to BVM.
See the below link and use my caption for that.
http://soccer.msg.com/photo/0b0YeXB7UB0Qn?q=Bayern+Munich
Posted from India
Carlos is absolutely right. Even though economics and money will always take the shortest path just like electricity and water, it will not make a jack of difference for the very simple fact that tax is only an issue if you are making a lot in the first place.
And since the Eredivisie don’t pay shit compared to England/Spain/Italy, media income is nothing, ticket revenues are small, there isn’t going to be an influx of big foreign players. Maybe more middle of the road ones at best.
there is an another way to overcome this crisis.Concentrate on molding young talents and beat Manu,barca,chelski,Arsenal in champions league and let them earn popularity and this will open the amrket of dutch football.
But i have a shortcut for this problem..Get some good players from india and china(i dont think you will get it).The stupid indian media will hype them and ultimately dutch clubs will get attention,through that they can compete with big clubs in terms of money.So get some indian players and see the difference………….
Posted from India
Tiju seems pessismistic about Indian football… but you got fantastic talents here, if properly nurtured can emerge winners. They need proper training, enhanced playing standards and the atmosphere to blossom.
But I do really agree with his second point. Play some of Indian players in dutch league. The media hype will be of gigantic proportions which will benefit both the dutch league and Indian football. Indian football will get much needed publicity while the hype would open up a market, as huge as India, for the Eredivisie clubs… After all, the entire gamut of the footballing giants from Real Madrid to ManU, to Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal to Bayern Munich, everyone is making a beeline to India to involve itself in some way or the other.
In fact, I sincerely believe, playing for a club in Holland will work wonders for uplift of Indian football.
Posted from India
@Agragami i am not pessimistic about indian football,dont misunderstand me.Top flight football requires good footablling brain and vision,i couldnt see anyone with that capability in indian team.offcourse we could build up our physical appearence with good excercises and wait lifting but GOD almighty has to give the footballing brain like xavi and Ineasta has.we and the asians are nowhere near that of europe.
Offcourse we will get 1000 of talented football players from india,but i dont think they will make in to the top.I played football with different leavel of players.(I mean people with IQ and with out IQ).what i learned from that is majority of the excellent trickery players doesnt have footballing brain.
I am basically from kerala and my village has produced some excellant national players like,K.T Chacko etc but from 1992 onwards televison started the live telecasting of fart cricket and that diverted the people in india and it affected me also and i made it in to my college team by 2000.i played lots of local tournaments with my local cricket team.but i realised the stupidity of this idiotic game and i stoped watching and playing cricket from 2001 onwards.
So popularity of this idiotic game is the main enemy of football in india.So altimatly we need natinal icon in football.i hope we will see that very soon.
Posted from India
Some recent studies shows that.lampard’s IQ is 140..hmmmm.
@Agragami if you want to select palyers in india ..Do an aptitude test for them first then go for the selection.
Posted from India
@ Tiju: You are making my point. We need a national icon in football. Only one Baichung won’t do. We need to get more and for that we need to get players in foreign leagues.
Football is looking up in India, dear friend. The game is developing, though at a slow pace. The I-League format is making competitive club football stronger. AFC stipulations are compelling clubs to professionalise management, improve playgrounds and stadium infrastructure, players rosters, establishing academies, etc. to be eligible for playing in AFC Champions League.
India has qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup. Its clubs (Dempo, East Bengal) are going till finals of the AFC Cup. The positive movement is there, buddy. And you know, this is India. Change will take its own sweet time here. Keep the faith, man.
Posted from India
The thing I yearn to see is our players playing in the dutch league. They will learn the beauty of the game there. Indian football should be as beautiful as Dutch football.
And, as I said earlier, it would be win-win situation for both the nations.
Posted from India
De selectie van Oranje
Doel: Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax)
Verdediging: Edson Braafheid (Bayern München), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Atlético Madrid), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburger SV), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart).
Middenveld: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Stijn Schaars (AZ), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Mark van Bommel (Bayern München), Orlando Engelaar (PSV).
Aanval: Eljero Elia (Hamburger SV), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid).
Posted from 
United States
Cool! It’s good to see some new names and faces in there…
always there , the very rubbish huntelaar. pffffffffff
at least there is no mendes da silva.
jan sarcasm?
i saw jan’s post on the recent comment section and got my hopes up 
still looks very strong to me
@Jan, I assume that comment was meant as sarcasm? It’s annoying to see the same names being selected again while there are clearly a couple of prospects that can be tried in the 2 upcoming friendlies. Maduro and Emanuelson for example could really be given a chance ahead of Engelaar and Affelay who we’ve already seen can not bring something extra at Oranje or add anything of much value to the team (seeing that ahead of Affelay you already have vdV, Sneijder and de Zeeuw as options). Maybe BvM sees Affelay as a possible option for the right wing (Kuyt’s replacement) but that position can already be taken by 2 other players as well (Elia and Robben), even vPersie could ultimately be an option, allthough you wouldn’t want to waste him there at this point in time.
I just don’t see the added value Affelay brings to the team as valueble as Emanualson or Maduro could be (the latter for fixing our defensive issues).
Besides, that selection already has 8 midfielders compared to only 6 defenders while we’re playing in a system that has 4 defenders and 3 midfielders (not counting the wings which should be occupied with attackers like Robben and Elia).
Posted from Netherlands
Allthough, my suggestion about Maduro may be a little influenced by the fact that I just watched his goal for Valencia. Man, that one was even better than Babel’s. I have no idea how he’s doing defensively cause I haven’t seen the game, but I guess if he’s playing regularly at Valencia now and scoring as well, he must be doing well. Valencia isn’t doing that bad either in the international and national competitions.
At least on paper “Maduro (Valencia)” looks better than “Loovens (Celtic)”, “Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord)” or “Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax)”. 
That says very little of course, but it kinda looks more impressive/imposing. 
)
Posted from Netherlands
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I remember watching Ajax play a game last year and I was surprised to see only a couple of dutch players in the starting 11 (think they were Stekenburg and van der Wiel)
In todays Europa league match there were what, 6 or 7 dutch starters?
good to see…
Posted from
Australia