Crisis at Ajax looms….

October 14th, 2011 | by: Jan | Comments(138)

A month ago, friend and foe agreed: Ajax would be dominating the Eredivisie this season. But a series of poor games threw the champs back. And right before the clash against rivals AZ, a crisis looms around the corner.

If AZ wins this weekend, they’ll be 9 points away from Ajax, which needs to play the arch-rivals Feyenoord next week. Pressure on the champs.

Only a month ago, a cocky Jan Vertonghen was interviewed, after winning three point in and against Heracles. “I would love to be ahead of the pack with 9 points for a change. Nice, to build up a headstart and never give it back and win the title in April.”

The Ajax skipper said this only a month ago. And the arrogance was in place. Ajax was Ajax again. The magic was back. They beat Heerenveen 5-1, Vitesse 4-1 and De Graafschap 1-5. There was the unexpected breakthrough of that left winger, a classic. Derk Boerrigter, the symbolical ressurection of Ajax style football. Last year RKC, now with one leg in Oranje!

And that new number 9, Sigthorsson, with 5 goals. At long last, a strong number 9. A viking. The debate about Theo Janssen hadn’t even started yet.

The oft praised Frank de Boer could be pleased. Van der Wiel and Vertonghen had decided to stay in Amsterdam and Ajax was planning to play more like Barcelona. Sexy football. And more and more ex-players returned to Amsterdam, to help out. Wim Jonk and Dennis Bergkamp joined Danny Blind and De boer. John Bosman returned ( from AZ), as did Marc Overmars and Jaap Stam. All fruits of the velvet revolution of Johan Cruyff. The Ajax renaissance became clearly visible.

But the chest out has changed in the head down. Vertonghen voiced his ambitions and the next thing is, Ajax couldn’t win a game. Of the last six games, Ajax drew or lost five. Only amateurs Noordwijk was beaten, for the national cup.

The optimist will point at the level of the opponents. A draw at PSV. That’s always a draw, isn’t it? Ajax dominated at Twente and should have won. And Ajax could have won the home game against Lyon. And who can beat Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, really? “We were able to play along with Madrid. That was quite different last year”, Toby Alderweireld said.

But the results vaporised. And the discussion around Theo Janssen started. It became a national debate. His tremendous kicking technique and his leadership are not be found in Amsterdam. Not yet.

De Boer had another disappointment to manage: Sigthorsson has a “fatigue fraction” in his ankle. The Icelander will be in the wings until the winter break. “A sledgehammer blow. We didn’t expect this…” De Boer said…

And another disappointment: the loss in Groningen. The first defeat, 1-0, was not that big a drama, but the way Ajax lost was.

“It was lacklustre. Unbelievable,” De Boer fumed. And he repeated the words Martin Jol and Marco van Basten uttered before him. Under these two coaches Ajax started fresh and ambitious, only to lose the plot.

De Boer is now facing his biggest challenge. A calm season warm up doesn’t give any warranties for success.

Kenneth Vermeer does well, but is no Stekelenburg. Yet. The defense conceded in every game. The balance is lost in midfield and both Sulejmani and Boerrigter only impress in moments. They never dominate. And the new playmaker and creative brain, Christian Eriksen, needs to be more dominant. And lead by example. And suffer.

“The players need to bring it themselves. Do I need to motivate them? They clearly lack the drive and ambition. I understand that the youngsters need to learn this, but the learning time is over. We have massive games ahead of us. AZ and Feyenoord domestically and Zagreb for the champions league. We’ll need to step up!”, De Boer mumbles.

AZ first. Gertjan Verbeek’s team is in top form. And if AZ wins and Feyenoord beats VVV, the Rotterdam club will leapfrog Ajax and will be placed higher than the Amsterdam club for the first time in years. Quite a titillating idea, with the Classic in Rotterdam programmed for next week.

Cruyff helped De Boer with some aggressive statements, last week. “Ajax needs to look at AZ and learn from their development. Everyone knows exactly what is needed at AZ.”

So, is it comeback time or crisis in the Arena? We’ll know soon enough….

With Sigthorsson injured, the question is: will De Boer play the static Bulykin, the headstrong Siem de Jong or…will Eriksen play in the Messi role?

De Boer: ” We have talked about that. I don’t mind playing like that, without a real center striker and using the space more than occupying it.”

This system was first introduced by Johan Cruyff, who swirved all around the pitch but playing officially as the striker. Patrick Kluivert did the same, pulling back to midfield, allowing players like Overmars or Ronald de Boer to occupy the space centrally.

De Boer doesn’t want to experiment though. “We need the points against AZ and I can’t be experimenting with a system we haven’t practiced.”

Moving Siem de Jong to the central striker position might be a solution for that other problem. Theo Janssen and Eriksen will take the creative roles in midfield while Enoh will most likely play on Janssen’s holding spot.