Former Ajax Players

[aveslacker]

I have to repeat SE6's last post . Maybe its becase I was 61 yesterday and getting old but I too agree with something Ferguson has said regards Suarez.He is a disgrace .He will leave Liverpool in the summer.

Yeah, he could have taken the high road and shaken Evra's hand, but instead he chose to throw fuel on the fire. Shameful.

[souras84]

well, that's who he is. like it or not. everybody knows his way of thinking and acting

[Orange14]

I have to repeat SE6's last post . Maybe its becase I was 61 yesterday and getting old but I too agree with something Ferguson has said regards Suarez.He is a disgrace .He will leave Liverpool in the summer.

Yeah, he could have taken the high road and shaken Evra's hand, but instead he chose to throw fuel on the fire. Shameful.

Though Evra didn't acquit himself with graciousness either.

[Van basten]

Though Evra didn't acquit himself with graciousness either.

Exactly. Wayne Bridge didn't take hand from Terry, but Terry didn't act like Evra. The same with Ferdinand and Terry. Suarez definetely won't be sold in the summer because of that. Kenny stood up for him after the game.

[paladinby]

Suarez has done nothing wrong. I see no reason for him to shake hands with that dude. Ferguson and Man Utd just can't forgive him that game where Suarez alone humiliated them. That whole thing with Suarez 8-game ban is complete bollocks.

[SE6Ajacied]

Suarez has done nothing wrong. I see no reason for him to shake hands with that dude. Ferguson and Man Utd just can't forgive him that game where Suarez alone humiliated them. That whole thing with Suarez 8-game ban is complete bollocks.

I suspect that you've not read much about the case. Either that or your values are very different to mine.

I'll say no more than that. Suarez claimed a cultural misunderstanding but that was found to be extremely dubious by the panel who released a judgement running to 115 pages.

Evra is surely no saint but that makes no difference if we talking about fighting discrimination and prejudice which is at the heart of this case.

I've posted a news link about the judgement here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... e-row.html. if you'd like to read it.

[Tom_]

He always was a git. Try to imagine if he'd been a Feyenoord player—would anyone here defend him?

[afcajax73]

Suarez has done nothing wrong. I see no reason for him to shake hands with that dude. Ferguson and Man Utd just can't forgive him that game where Suarez alone humiliated them. That whole thing with Suarez 8-game ban is complete bollocks.

I suspect that you've not read much about the case. Either that or your values are very different to mine.

I'll say no more than that. Suarez claimed a cultural misunderstanding but that was found to be extremely dubious by the panel who released a judgement running to 115 pages.

Evra is surely no saint but that makes no difference if we talking about fighting discrimination and prejudice which is at the heart of this case.

I've posted a news link about the judgement here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... e-row.html. if you'd like to read it.

my view of it is, take a look at Evra when they get close, he is VERY slow to raise his hand. i think he is just as much a problem in this as Suarez is. Yet he gets away with it because he is apparently the innocent party in all of this. They should have just drew a line under it a long time ago, whats the significance of a handshake anyway? does a hand shake mean its all forgot about and over? no. so whats the big deal. move on i say! :)

[Orange14]

SAY IT AIN'T SO MARCO!!! http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetb ... sn=voetbal

[Philippe]

I have to repeat SE6's last post . Maybe its becase I was 61 yesterday and getting old but I too agree with something Ferguson has said regards Suarez.He is a disgrace .He will leave Liverpool in the summer.

Let him return to Ajax.

[SE6Ajacied]

my view of it is, take a look at Evra when they get close, he is VERY slow to raise his hand.

lol, that's exactly whst I would have done too - he's hardly likely to be desperate to do it and if Suarez had done the same we wouldn't be talking about it.

Anyway, I agree on your last sentiment definately - time to put this to bed now, at least as far as Ajaxtalk is concerned. Suffice to say I wouldn't want him back at Ajax though.

[acab]

my view of it is, take a look at Evra when they get close, he is VERY slow to raise his hand.

lol, that's exactly whst I would have done too - he's hardly likely to be desperate to do it and if Suarez had done the same we wouldn't be talking about it.

Anyway, I agree on your last sentiment definately - time to put this to bed now, at least as far as Ajaxtalk is concerned. Suffice to say I wouldn't want him back at Ajax though.

You're jocking, right

[SE6Ajacied]

my view of it is, take a look at Evra when they get close, he is VERY slow to raise his hand.

lol, that's exactly whst I would have done too - he's hardly likely to be desperate to do it and if Suarez had done the same we wouldn't be talking about it.

Anyway, I agree on your last sentiment definately - time to put this to bed now, at least as far as Ajaxtalk is concerned. Suffice to say I wouldn't want him back at Ajax though.

You're jocking, right

Not at all. Players should also be an ambasador on and off the field. I'm not saying they should be saints and I'm really not interested in anyone's private life but I think Suarez has let himself and his employers down very badly in public, on the field of play, and more than once and I wouldn't want him back. Likewise in the summer, when Blackpool were talikng of signing el hadj Diouf I didn't want him either for similar reasons.

[Tom_]

Not at all. Players should also be an ambasador on and off the field. I'm not saying they should be saints and I'm really not interested in anyone's private life but I think Suarez has let himself and his employers down very badly in public, on the field of play, and more than once and I wouldn't want him back. Likewise in the summer, when Blackpool were talikng of signing el hadj Diouf I didn't want him either for similar reasons.

Completely agree. I guess Evra's probably a prick too, judging by that celebration thing, but I know next to nothing about him.

[afcajax73]

SAY IT AIN'T SO MARCO!!! http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetb ... sn=voetbal

ive not been able to open the link as im at work, but i assume its MvB to Heerenveen?

[acab]

Just exactly what stays in "Mirror". Well , i don't believe that. I don't think Suarez let anyone down, and Liverpool acted like bunch of .... you get my point. I personaly respect Syarez even more now. But like the romas said "o tempora, o mores"

[SE6Ajacied]

Just exactly what stays in "Mirror". Well , i don't believe that. I don't think Suarez let anyone down, and Liverpool acted like bunch of .... you get my point. I personaly respect Syarez even more now. But like the romas said "o tempora, o mores"

Well I did say I didn't want to go on about this so I won't. I will say I think that you're wrong though......

[Manneken Pis]

I will say I think that you're wrong though......

Me too.
Loyalty to ex-players can only go so far.
It's also interesting to note that many Liverpool fans are also deeply uneasy about what's going on.

[Manneken Pis]

Interview with Raphael vd Vaart from Netherlands World Cup Blog:

http://netherlands.worldcupblog.org/


The Big Rafael van der Vaart Blog Interview!!
March 8th, 2012

After our Bert van Marwijk interview, here’s the first player interview ever on this blog. I mean, interviewed by us, basically… .

Here goes:

Raf, you’re on of the most gifted players from Holland ever and you come across as an open, normal, happy go lucky bloke. Although you did suffer some setbacks. The Ajax exit, the Real Madrid humiliation, being sacrificed at Oranje for “balance”, injuries and most recently your wife Sylvie’s disease… How do you cope? Do you have some mental coach you follow or what?

“I do believe I had my fair share of setbacks, but the biggest one was obviously Sylvie’s. And the way she worked at it and managed it and dealt with it gave me tremendous strength too. I have a lot of admiration for her power and strength and my setbacks were not that big compared to that. I realise everyday I’m blessed with the fact I make my money doing what I love best: playing football. I’m outside, I’m having fun, I have a great and loving relationship, strong family ties, a fantastic family of myself and a good bond with my brother…. These are the things that matter and that keep me going.”


You probably were gifted all your talents from our creator and most likely some football genes from family? But who were the people who formed you when you were young, as a player?

“That was my dad, without any competition. From the day I could walk, he played football with me. And I learned a lot from him. And not just the fun and positive things and the tricks but he also taught me what not to do. You see, he was a good player himself but he also enjoyed going out and having a beer or two and he learned the hard way that you can not do both. If you want to succeed in topsport, you have to sacrifice certain things.”


In our eyes, you are one of the best players on the planet. At what age did you realise you could be one of the best of the world and how does this affect you?

“I guess my first game with Oranje. I was 18 years old. And was standing between Edgar David and Pat Kluivert and thought…oh my… I realised I could make a great career… And what has this done to me…? Not much really. I think it’s important to stay true to who you are and I think my life is pretty standard actually.”


Which clubs did you admire when you were young?

“I was always impressed with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Two Spanish clubs of course and it was quite amazing when I actually ended up with Real…”


How was it when you were at Real and you were supposed to leave. And how did the stars, like C Ronaldo, Kaka and Sergio Ramos treat you when you were banned…

“It was hard but you can feel it happening. It’s something you can sense in little things. And then the moment comes that you feel it’s best to leave. The players were actually really warm and supportive to me. They didn’t like it that I had to go and felt it wasn’t a good decision by the club and that really supported me.”


Which ex team mates would you actually call “a friend”?

“Joris Mathijssen and Wesley Sneyder.”


Being half Spanish, did the people at Real treat you as a foreigner or as a Spanish player? Was there a lot of fan support as a result or doesn’t it matter what nationality you are?

“All players are treated equal. At Real, they don’t care about nationality but more about your performance. In my last half season, I played everything and played well too and the fans really supported me and adored me. The first game after they let me go, the fans cheered and applauded me in the 23rd minute of that game ( my jersey number) as a form of protest towards management. That actually really touched me.”


You said “no” to Bayern Munich a number of times out of respect for the HSV fans. Did you ever regret that?

“I actually never said no to Bayern. That was fabricated by the media. Bayern never really contacted me. I never had the chance to say no….”


With your Spanish roots, did you ever consider playing for the Spanish team? Did your grandpa – who lives in Spain – never pressure you to wear the Spanish jersey?

“No, he never did that as he is a tremendous Oranje fan!”


Playing in England, it seems like you play more direct. With less tricks. Is that because the game in England is so quick?

“The pace in England is amazing. The quickest I’ve ever had to play. So there is not al of time for trickery. You need to adapt otherwise you won’t make it there. But, if there is some space for me I like to do something creative. That makes football fun.”


Cesc recently said that English football is more hectic and exciting than Spanish football but Spanish football is more intelligent and tactical?

“That is true, I guess. Both are fun. I enjoyed playing in all competitions actually, but they are all different.”



Would you consider playing in the Italian Serie A? You’ve played for big name clubs in Holland, Germany, Spain and England. What club would you want to play for in Italy?

“Yes, I would like to play in Italy actually. Sure. Clubs I like there are Juventus, AC Milan, Inter, Napoli or AS Roma.”


Who was the best player you ever played with?

“Patrick Kluivert.”


What is your favorite goal ever?

“My backheel against Feyenoord”


Which players did you adore when you were young?

“Romario and Marco van Basten”


Best player today?

“Lionel Messi”.


Best coaches you worked with?

“Marco van Basten and Co Adriaanse.”


Will you end your career at Spurs, or HSV or at Ajax.

“If they want me, I’d love to go back to Ajax and end my career there.”


It seems sometimes as if you are physically not fit enough to go full blast for 9 minutes? Is that true or is your hamstring giving you grieve?

“I am certainly able to play 90 minutes. I think I’ve demonstrated that. I’m basically fit but did have some hamstring issues. But I only missed 4 games this season so it’s not that bad.”


You played strong in the holding position for Oranje. What is your fave position in the Dutch team and what would be your fave line up for the team?

“Well, I’m going to answer that with the usual cliche, I’m sorry. The coach makes the decision. I play where the coach needs me. I do hope we’ll play the system we used against Sweden, at home. We played very strong and Sweden is not a bad opponent of course.”


Harry Redknapp has a reputation of being able to “reach” his players with his half time talks. What does he say, for instance? And what does it mean that you have an “honest” relationship with him?

“I can’t tell you what he says in the dressing room… That is not done. I’m sorry. And as for our relationship… Harry is extremely direct and honest and I like that. I’m that too and he accepts that from me. So we will be very blunt and direct. Not always fun, but we totally respect one another. You know where you stand. He’s tremendous like that.”


Do you think Spurs should buy more Dutch players? And if yes, who?

“Well, good players are always welcome, no matter where they are born. But we have a good squad now and I think we will actually go for the title.”


What is wrong with your hamstrings, exactly? And do you still follow that La Ling nutrition program?

“I do, yes, that nutrition program works well for me. As for my hamstrings… I don’t think it’s my weak spot. I simply have short muscles as many players have. And hamstrings are obvious injuries for players with short muscles, particularly when it’s cold and the pitch is hard. The media always exaggerate things, as if I’m injury prone. I happen to be out now for three games with a calf injury, but before that I was out maybe three games. I’m 29 years old and played 465 official football games. I have almost 100 international caps. You can’t be injury prone and realise that. I don’t see myself as sensitive like that. But I happen to always play in the thick of things. Opponents always try to mark me or pick me up and I think I have more physical battles than the average player. I get fit quick as a result of Dick van Toorn’s work. He is the best physio ever.”


Ajax doesn’t seem to be able to progress in the CL. Do you think Ajax or any other Dutch club will win it sometime soon?

“Well, everything is money related these days. Dutch clubs simply can’t build teams like they used to… It’s going to be sheer impossible to win the CL I think…”


You always said Real is your fave club. But your style would fit Barca too. If they would make you a deal, would you consider it?

“Oh…well, I don’t think the offer will be coming… but if it did, yes I’d entertain the idea.”


The Oranje squad was able to convince coach Van Basten to change the 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1. Do you think you can convince Van Marwijk to go from 4-2-3-1 to 4-1-4-1?

“I don’t know. But I surely hope we can…”


Barca and AS Roma play with false strikers. Would you be able to play the Messi role in Oranje, or Spurs? And who else would you play in Oranje if you were the coach?

“Well, I think I could play there but I don’t think it would be my best position, really. And I won’t go and sit on Van Marwijk’s chair, as we say in Holland. That is his role.”


What other passions do you have besides football? Reading? Collecting stamps?

“I love playing tennis and I like watching tv-series on DVD, like Entourage.”


You have quite a silky touch and tremendous technique. You obviously were born with a lot of talent, but what practices did you do to further develop it?

“This sounds weird, but I never specifically trained for that.”


When you played the Under 17 EC with Huntelaar, Van Persie, Robben…did you talk about playing for the big team? Was that something you discussed?

“Not really. In those days, you were so focused on the here and now. You didn’t plan ahead. You focused on the games and on where you were. It was big, when you are 16 years old to be part of that.”


Do you ever get tired being a famous football player? Always a smile, always needing to be friendly. Never being anonymous…

“I wake up with a smile every morning and a friendly word is not hard to bring up… As a football player, it’s part of the life. You can’t wish for this to happen to you and then you complain when you get there… No, it’s a small sacrifice for the blessed life we live.”


How well do the young lads ( Bruma, Wijnaldum, Strootman) integrate in Oranje? Is there some kind of integration process or is it natural? Which players do you expect to make it big?

“With players, it’s always natural. It’s mainly because these guys’ mindset is in the right place when they join and the coach will select on their attitude as well. They are all talented and respect amongst players is earned with how good you are. That is as simple as that. I do see that the mentality in general is different compared to my early days. When Davids looked at you, you thought you did something wrong. But that is how older players talk, haha… They are all very good, these youngsters but it’s hard to predict how far they will come.”


You played in many youth selections with Robin van Persie. You were the playmaker and he was your understudy. Was there tension between you? And now you both live in London and have arrived, do you hang out?

“I have a great relationship with Robin now. Back then, we were young and your environment sort of has that influence, me being Ajax, he was from Feyenoord… I guess as teenagers you tend to play tough. We have a lot of respect for one another and you do see each other off pitch, but not that much.”


You are also close with Wesley, but he’s also a rival, sort of. How do you deal with that? And is it hard to see him play while you are benched?

“This is absolutely no issue between us. We’re buddies. If he plays and I don’t, I hope he does well and the whole team does well. But we both want to play together as we demonstrated that we can. We know to find eachother blindfolded. We both believe we should always play, haha…”


Bert van Marwijk benched your for the World Cup finals after you had played very strong against Brazil and Uruguay. When Oranje lost, is there a thought like “Shit! If I had played, we would have won it!”.

“Of course not… Listen, I wish I could have started that game, but you win and lose in tournaments with 22 players. You want to support the team, whether you start or sit on the bench…”


Do you support goal line technology?

“Yes I do. I think it’s vital to be able to judge whether a ball was over the line or not, but I wouldn’t want to meddle too much… No video judging for off side and all that. I think football should stay as it is.”


What do you think of the fact that players make so much money while some of the fans are suffering, financially. Look at the Tottenham Riots?

“Pff…that is a hard one. The way this industry works is something the players haven’t created. The clubs operate on the best way they can, I think. To make sure they get good teams and please the fans. I think this is a question for club management. I hate it that people are suffering but what can I do? I try to live a good life and give people value for their money. If I could solve the problems in the world, believe me, I would…”


If all the big guns from Oranje would still play at Real, do you think Oranje would be even better, as you had more time playing together?

“Hard to say, but I don’t think so. We all play in big teams with good players and you play on instinct a lot. I do think that if all of us would be able to play more together, we’d improve. That is why tournaments are different to qualification games. But I don’t think played better with, say, Robben or Huntelaar when we were at Real compared to now…”


So what is the reason we lost the WC2010 finals?

“I don’t think there is a reason, so much. The team with the most luck won. We could have won it too. We had some chances. As did they. I don’t think it was tactics, or a line up thing…”


In our eyes you are one of the best 10 players on the planet. But Dutch players seem to be overlooked by the international media. Why was Sneijder ignored by the 2010 Ballon D’Or thing and was Van Persie ignored in 2011’s Team of the Year?

“I have no idea. It seems that we put the yard stick too high maybe. We got a lot of criticism for our “physical” game at the World Cup. Ridiculous. We have a lot of artists in the team. I don’t know….”


What is your fave Dutch team ever. You can pick players from any era and you have to play yourself.

“Van der Sar in goal. I think he was the greatest and I’ve seen him work up close of course. I always like Numan as left back. Frank de Boer and Frank Rijkaard as center halfs and in my team we need a very strong right back so Berry van Aerle. The best left foot in midfield is Willem van Hanegem. Wesley will play centrally and I will take the right side of midfield. Sjakie Swart is my right winger, Marco van Basten centrally upfront and Johan Cruyff can play wherever he wants.”

[souras84]

nice one by Rafael. Would like to see him back with us in 4 years time

[Orange14]

nice one by Rafael. Would like to see him back with us in 4 years time

Not me. It would be a waste of €s. He will be so beaten up by English football during those four years to be almost worthless as a player. Just look at what happened when we brought Davids and Stam into the squad after their best days were past. Certainly we should celebrate van der Vaarts career but don't bring him back as a player.

[souras84]

I thought we were talking about a free transfer

[kezme44]

why? stam was fine for the few games he played that season before his dad passed away and he called it quits. i still belive we would have won the title that year if he hadn't stopped playing soccer in the fall. great player even at that age

[Manneken Pis]

Here's another of those interviews from The Netherlands World Cup Blog...

This time Edwin van den Sar.....

Edwin van der Sar: top football is addictive
March 14th, 2012 | by: Jan | Comments(2)

Record international Edwin van der Sar relocated his family back to Holland. After a long period overseas ( Italy, England) the former Ajax man is back in his hometown of Noordwijk. And Sar is busy. He supporths the hockey club of his daughter, studies at the Cruyff University and actively manages his Foundation. “I’m busier now than I was when I played, haha.”

So, no black hole after your farewell?
“Sure, the black hole is there. But I filled it up immediately. We came back from our holiday and I had my Farewell Game straight after. Then we moved house, back to Holland, and I started my studies. The disadvantage for me is that I don’t spend so much time outside anymore. I loved that. The rhythm of being on the grass, in rain and wind…. Now I have to actually plan to go outside…”

Is “being outside” the essence of the black hole?
“In a way, yes. It’s what I miss most. Being amongst the lads, in the dressing room, giving everything in practice, then a nice massage. I loved it and it was quite clear too. I knew exactly what my week or month would be like. It has been a way of life since my 19th birthday… I still have to find my new rhythm.”

Straight after retiring you decided to run the New York marathon. How was that?
“That was killing. And big challenge for my body and I had a number of injuries since. I trained totally differently as a goalie. More explosive and focused on sprints. After 20 kilometers everything hurt! And I wasn’t even half way. Well, it was quite an experience. Pretty tough. I need to move more, really. I did train the keepers at Noordwijk and I practiced with Ajax 2. I also played my first ex-internationals game, but I need to do more.”


So, within a year from the Champions League finals to the ex-internationals. How is that?
“It was another confirmation that my career was over. But it was fun. Being with the lads, having a beer and a sandwich after. I didn’t know 1000s of people came to these games and our opponent was all pepped up. We really needed to work for it, haha. But it’s cool. I watched the ex-internationals in the past, with the Van de Kerkhoffs and Wijnstekers and now I’m part of it. And it’s fun to see Frank de Boer still displaying his gift.”


After your last game, you went from celebration to celebration. Did you expect all this reverence?
“No, not really. I believe I have had an ok career. I do believe I was always a positive and well-liked athlete but didn’t expect this. I actually worried about my farewell game. Would there be enough interest in it, you know? I’m really proud of that. And I am knighted as Federation Knight of the KNVB… I became the sportsman of the year and Man of the Year and what not. I didn’t have to buy flowers for my wife for months! I always wore a different jersey than my mates, but I always felt part of the team. And it’s always the eccentric and remarkable players that are isolated from the rest, but this time I got all the individual attention… Quite unique.”


Your wife suffered a stroke two years back. Did you ever consider stopping back then?
“We did discuss that but Annemarie was adamant. We needed to find solace in the all the certainties in our lives and my career was that. An anchor. I had already resigned from international duties for Holland so that opened up some space in my calendar. And Man United was so generous and supportive…”


You recently helped out with Ajax 2 training. Will you work on a trainings career?
“I would like to do more at Ajax, yes. But I’m not sure if I’m a coach. I think I’ll train with them, first and foremost. I don’t think I am ready to be a coach. i’m very happy to train along. I love that feeling still. It’s a bit egotistical, but I train with Ajax 2 purely for me…”


Some players retire and become a coach. Why would you choose that stressed life?
“Top football is addictive. The weekly adrenaline boost, the urge to perform… Players need that. Or some, at least.”


What should Ajax do to get out of this quagmire?
“No, I’m not going there, haha. I think the key thing is that Ajax makes a choice and sticks to it. Ajax needs clarity and stability.”


Your name is on a list, to become one of the new board members. How concrete is this?
“It’s not, no one approached me officially. Ajax asked my manager what my future would look like. That was all. It is quite a big job, being a board member at a club like Ajax. I have no idea what I want to do and when. I need some time for that. And in all honesty, I can’t get excited about a board room and tables and chairs. I really long for grass and mud and sweat.”


As a student in sports marketing, how do you view the difference between Man United and Manchester City ( or Chelsea)? Two clubs with a rich owner, who wants to buy trophies…
“IT’s funny because in sports marketing terms, Man U is still bigger than City and Chelsea. But the image of Man United is that of a sports club. I believe the people at the club work really hard to keep that as it is. Our youth complex for instance, the youth players get the same lunch as we do, from the same chefs and kitchen. There are many ex-players in the organisation, the togetherness is huge at ManU. At most clubs, people come and go, at Manchester United, that old club feeling is real.”


Good for your new career, all these insights.
“Yes, and at ManU I already was asked to talk about management stuff. I had several meetings with David Gill and people of the commercial department. Fascinating.”


How is your bond with Sir Alex?
“Pretty good. I spoke to him a lot too. He had a group with Giggs, Ferdinand, Vidic and myself and asked for our opinion a lot. Sir Alex is involved in everything at the club. He is so gifted and in his heart still young too.”


Did he talk to you about Maarten Stekelenburg?
“He never did. I don’t think Maarten was on Sir Alex’ list. The media in Holland made that up as I was the goalie and Maarten was my natural successor but Sir Alex was always clear: De Gea was his candidate. It’s typical Dutch, to think we have the best players in the world. Like, Jaap Stam was the best defender ever and Wes Sneijder the best midfielder… I don’t think people abroad see this like that. We will always see ourselves as favorites at big tournaments but most of the international media don’t. We are very nationalistic like that but I don’t think the rest of the world will mention players like Marc Overmars or Jaap Stam or even Ruud van Nistelrooy in their “best ever lists”. They were all great players, but every nation has a list like this. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England… We need to be a bit more modest.”


Did you expect that Vorm and Krul would do so well in England?
“Tim was able to get used to English football for a bit, so that helped him. He had to be patient and he had to take the long way. That will have served him. Michel has adjusted so fast. He’s a different goalie than me. Vorm is a natural, like a panther. So athletic and sensational reflexes. Not many goalies have a debut season like him.”


Ajax has two young goalies now: Jesper Cillesen and Ken Vermeer. Is that a good option for Ajax?
“Well, as a club there’s two options: either you have to equal goalies and you make them work it out, or you pick your first choice and you make sure there is an experienced number two. I worked with model 2 and that served me well. I liked that clarity. By the way, Danny Blind made Cillesen jump up. I was at Ajax on the day when he came and signed a contract. He was waiting in the office for Danny Blind and I was meeting with Dan as well. He came out and pointed at me when he saw Cillesen’s manager and said: “Sorry guys, but we decided to go for another option” haha… You should have seen those faces. But, I haven’t seen enough of Cillesen to make a judgement on him. Vermeer is still young and lacks consistency, but that’s logical. We all have that. As a goalie, you keep developing till the end. Vermeer is a very skilled goalie.”


Most players seem to remain loyal in Manchester. What is the secret?
“Well, seriously. If you play for Man United and you don’t have to leave, why would you? Players like Scholes and Giggs were ManU fans from childhood. I asked them, wouldn’t you want to play elsewhere and they say without hesitation “NO”. Their mates live there, their family… They get paid really well, why would you move elsewhere? Dutch players on the other hand, dream of playing for Liverpool or Barcelona or AC Milan. You can’t reach the ceiling in Holland, you need to move to a bigger competition. But what is bigger than England? I went on a holiday to Thailand some time back. I was met by dozens of reporters simply because I was a ManU player…”


And now, Man U plays Europa League….
“I know. That hurts. But it’s an incident. A one-off. But still, if Basel can beat Man U and if Ajax can make them sweat, it does mean something. But with Ajax and Basel, if can happen once in 5 to 10 years. Man U has the consistency. They don’t play CL now, but next season they will. This is for Ajax still a question mark. The clubs are similar and so different as well. At Ajax, a 19 year old that plays well, could have a whole season in the first team. At Man United, the road is longer. You get rented out to the Championship, then you come back. Then you go a PL club in relegation danger. And then you come back again. A talent gets three years to get used to the level, the physical demands, the mental demands… Man United’s physical coach has five full time coaches working for him! Even Ferguson hasn’t got that many. Sir Alex has Rene Meulensteen and Rene has two assistants and that is it. Speed and power are so important at Man U. Sir Alex can prepare youngster, while at Ajax the clubs are keen to pick out the cherries after 3 to 5 good games….”


Cruyff seems to think Ajax can return to the top…
“Only after a long process of hard work, I’m afraid. I suppose the introduction of financial fair play will help but the gap is really big. I don’t believe it’s possible. A club like Sunderland or Aston Villa can eat Ajax for lunch. Maybe an incidental success could work, even in the CL, but structurally… I’m not positive. To develop players and get them to top level, that takes time. And Ajax isn’t given that time…. but…we did it before…”

[ofey]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/15/germany/ ... burg-clash

Another that never fulfilled his potential.