Ajax Coaches

[paladinby]

Cruiff is more dedicated to Barca than to Ajax. His advices are somewhat childish, cause he doesn't know the situation and thinks only of his ambitions and desires.

[Kowalczyk]

So... Martin Jol seems to have given us a pretty clear 'no' now...

What to do now?

K.

[Eric]

Trade in Ajax stock has been suspended this monday morning... so today we should hear the news... It is said that Danny Blind will be appointed as new head coach of Ajax...

We will see, but if so I am convinced the board is making yet another tragic mistake... X'C

[Kowalczyk]

NOS Teletekst already confirms it...

We just have to give him the benefit of the doubt (everyone deserves that), but I have a lot of doubt, to be honest...

K.

[Eric]

That's true, once he is appointed, he deserves support... just like with Koeman I honestly hope i am wrong... and Blind will prove us cynics all wrong with dazzling Ajax-play that makes us all proud :eusa_pray:

[GangstaRiB]

Well... It surely is not the big name everyone expected. And besides that, blind has no expierence at all. He made some stupid mistakes during his technical manager period. But no he's headcoach so we will support him.

Although I preferred a more experienced coach.

[LucaS]

Blind is a big name! A real and very experienced Ajacied who knows the club, the talents and the way the club and it's game works. Perfect choice!

[aveslacker]

NOS Teletekst already confirms it...

We just have to give him the benefit of the doubt (everyone deserves that), but I have a lot of doubt, to be honest...

K.

I tend to agree with Ko. The powers that be have made their decision and IMO it is our duty to support that, while keeping our eyes open and maintaining our critical capacities.

I may be deluding myself, but I like to think that perhaps they know something we don't. But in all likelihood I'm deluding myself. :eusa_dance:

Perhaps The Poster Formerly Known As AndyH will go into hiding, or be forced to change his login name. ;)

[Philippe]

DANNY BLIND PER DIRECT HOOFDTRAINER

there we go ! more risks from the Board ! at least Blind will not be satisfied with mediocre results

[Kowalczyk]

Trying to get over my doubts and to think something positive...

What do we know about Blind?

1. He was an absolutely brilliant captain and football player
2. He's a real Ajax 'thinker'
3. He's intelligent and a very good communicator
4. He pissed 80 million guilders up the wall as a TD, but...
5. He's done good work as director of the youth system and at the same time won two championships with Ajax A1

So - alright, maybe he'll be great, I don't know.

It's just that I would have preferred a man with no ties to Johan Cruyff or the 'old boys' of the Ajax board. A man with a lot of experience and some sort of Bigger Plan for the club. I know that Martin Jol is such a man (just like Co Adriaanse, for example) and I really have my doubts about Danny Blind. He's a young and inexperienced head-coach, just like Ronald Koeman (although I definitely rate Blind more as a tactician and as a 'thinker'). Young coaches tend to focus on coaching - and I was hoping to find a man who could bring a little bit more than that. A man with a plan to re-structure the club. That takes experience, a lot of power and a lot of courage. Co Adriaanse had that - and was stabbed in the back for it. My fear is that Danny Blind (like Ronald Koeman) will play it safe, whereas it really is time for Big Decisions.

I don't want to be unreasonable, and I will support Danny Blind (what else can I do?), but this is how I feel...

(Check the Official Kowalczuk Optiomit-O-Meter, by the way! Wow... Amazing. Apparently I have good hopes of a shock-effect... :yes: )

K.

[Manneken Pis]

It's just that I would have preferred a man with no ties to Johan Cruyff or the 'old boys' of the Ajax board. A man with a lot of experience and some sort of Bigger Plan for the club.K.

I would have liked this as well....but having said that, such an individual would certainly have caused an internal civil war with the board and their endless bad decisions. If such a war did erupt, the coach will always be the loser (and the team would suffer). Until the board is changed (which I can't see since they control the situation and don't consider themselves as having made any mistakes) you probably need an insider to keep things ticking...an outsider will always eventually be used as a scapegoat. So....given the impossibility of the right strategic decision (changing the board) I guess the Blind decision makes sense.

:eusa_pray: :eusa_pray: :eusa_pray:

[666]

Appointing Blind in April... Diabolical !!!

He's got a little over three months to prove he can make the team play better, win matches, score goals, and look like Ajax. We'll know if he can do that by summer.

If he succeeds, good luck for him, and for Ajax

If he fails, he gets the boot in June and we sign Ten Cate.

[Philippe]

Ajax put faith in Blind
Monday, 14 March 2005
The last AFC Ajax captain to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup, Danny Blind, was today named as the club's new coach, replacing Ronald Koeman who stood down following the UEFA Cup elimination by AJ Auxerre.

Knocked out
Koeman, 41, was appointed in December 2001 and led the Amsterdam side to the Dutch double in his first season and the championship in 2003/04. However, he saw Ajax knocked out of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup this term, as well as struggle to trouble Eredivisie pacesetters PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar.

Defensive cornerstone
Like Koeman, Blind is an esteemed former Dutch international, winning many of his 41 caps as right-back in a defence marshalled by Koeman in the centre. Born in August 1961, Blind became Ajax's defensive cornerstone after starting out with Sparta Rotterdam. With Ajax, he won 16 titles including five Dutch championships, three cups and three Super Cups.

European glory
He also claimed the UEFA Cup in 1992, the European Cup when he captained the team to victory against Milan in 1995, the European/South American Cup in 1995 and the UEFA Super Cup in 1996. He did not enjoy similar glory in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, however, missing Ajax's final triumph in 1987 through injury and being sent off in their defeat by KV Mechelen the following year.

Cup hope
Following his retirement, Blind joined the Ajax technical staff before becoming head of their highly successful youth department in February 2003. His one realistic chance of silverware this season comes in the Dutch Cup, with Ajax due to meet Willem II in the semi-finals.

[LucaS]

bull. You can't expect that anybody is capable of undoing the disasterous work of Koe in a few weeks. Finish the season as good as possible and begin with a (partly) new selection in the summer

[Over Pasanens Head]

Maybe Danny Blind was the only candidate who said yes and maybe he is a yes man. Perhaps these two added together made him the ideal candidate in the eyes of our wonderful board.

[Eric]

Gerard van der Lem and Ruud Krol as assistent-coaches, Fred Grim as keepers-coach.

[Michael_B]

Fred Grim will be the new goalie-coach. Gerard van der Lem and Ruud Krol will act as assistents to Blind and Bruins Slot is going to spy on future opponents for us.

[sonicdream]

Maybe Danny Blind was the only candidate who said yes and maybe he is a yes man. Perhaps these two added together made him the ideal candidate in the eyes of our wonderful board.

And if that's the case (and also quite believable, I might add...) we have a nightmare in our hands....

[GangstaRiB]

Mixed feelings about Blind. But the whole technical staff is solid.

Van der Lem: Great assistent under Van Gaal. He's a real Ajacied and Amsterdammer.

Krol: Same as van der Lem, an all-Ajax man.

Blind: Played 13 years for Ajax, turned down several lucrative offers from Italian clubs to stay at Ajax. You don't see that often these days...

Only the keeperstrainer: Fred Grim worries me. Lobont said a few years ago when Grim retired that he was relieved that Grim quit. He was never nice to the second and third keeper (Lobont and Didulica). It was no healthy competition.

I think that we can't blame Blind anythig this season. He must get time to build up his own tactics into the squad. the only thing for him to do is work his ass off and try to get Ajax second in the league. Maybe the Amstel Cup even, that would be great.

[343]

Lobont said a few years ago when Grim retired that he was relieved that Grim quit. He was never nice to the second and third keeper (Lobont and Didulica). It was no healthy competition.

Didulica said that, not Lobont.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Now the dust has settled, lets congratulate Danny Blind on succeeeding in probably reaching one of his life's ambitions. He must be a really proud and happy man at the moment - lets hope for all of our sakes that he stays that way.

[wimpey]

I think appointing Blind will prove to be an excellent decision. There's no one who knows this complicated football club better than Danny Blind. He represents - and is very much familiar with the Ajax-philiosophy and the unique Ajax-approach to the game of football. He has worked with the likes of Sneyder, de Jong, Stekelenburg, Maduro and Babel (the cornerstones of the Ajax of the near future) in the past and has a perfect overview of talented players within the youth academy. He's a good communicator and verbally strong. As a player, he was a tactician: hopefully he'll be equipped with the same skills as a coach. Furthermore, he'll be backed by both the Cruijff - and Van Gaal clans, which will enable him to focus on the game, rather than having to focus on politics.

His approach will be based on the Ajax-philosophy, he'll try - as much as possible - to play 3-4-3 or 4-3-3. The likes of Olsen, Wouters, Adriaanse and Koeman made a habit of continuously swapping tactics and individual players. I hope and think Blind will show more strength of character by sticking to his - and Ajax' philosophy. I also think that the endless queue of useless signings will be put on hold. Much rather a youngster from the academy than useless c*nts like Sikora, Pasanen or Soetaers. All in all, I think the Ajax' management have finally taken a wise decision by appointing Blind. He'll work on taking Ajax back to its roots, which we have been abandoning more and more since Van Gaal's departure in 1997. I'm positively sure that by 2007, when Blind's contract will expire, we'll again be having a team we can identify with and be proud of! Give Blind the benefit of the doubt, he won't disappoint us!!

[SPL]

Blind may have cocked up with buying players 5/6 years ago but we now have alot of young players coming through that he has coached. The team will know him and he is Ajax through and through. I hope the first job he does is to decide on the right position for Nigel De Jong . I only mention this as I saw some headline on one of the sites Ajaxonline that he wants to go! Probably made up but Nigel must be pissed off playing a different place in the team most weeks.

Blind does have a big rebuilding job on this summer as I think at least 7/8 first teamers will go ( I have mentioned this a few weeks ago on the players leaving) I hope he brings a few youngsters through as Ajax's record of signing players recently is not hot.

[Kowalczyk]

The news report on Ajax USA has been updated with quotes and additional information from this afternoon's press conference...

Check it out:
http://www.ajax-usa.com/news/2004-2005/ ... -2007.html

K.

[carcajou]

Blind may have cocked up with buying players 5/6 years ago but we now have alot of young players coming through that he has coached. The team will know him and he is Ajax through and through. I hope the first job he does is to decide on the right position for Nigel De Jong . I only mention this as I saw some headline on one of the sites Ajaxonline that he wants to go! Probably made up but Nigel must be pissed off playing a different place in the team most weeks.

Blind does have a big rebuilding job on this summer as I think at least 7/8 first teamers will go ( I have mentioned this a few weeks ago on the players leaving) I hope he brings a few youngsters through as Ajax's record of signing players recently is not hot.

I for one hope that Trabelsi will the right back till the end of the season. He's one of the better right backs in the world, and he shouldn't be left on the bench only to leave a spot for De Jong. Nigel will have plenty of time next year to prove what he's worth.