New Players for Ajax

[ZoefdeHaas]

Target Marcus Berg is also being targeted by Fiorentina

[Per]

According to Swedish media, Berg has turned down AZ as potential new club and is only interested in Ajax or PSV in the Eredivisie. His prime target is Spain.

He was fantastic in the u21:s but I'd say that the fee we'd have to pay is not worth it. I'm also uncertain if he's a good no9.

[Van basten]

Jol denied that we are interested in Berg http://www.imscouting.com/global_news_item.aspx?id=2422

[SPL]

Looks like Elia wont join us as Hamburg have outbid us.

[Orange14]

We could do much worse than going after Jay Demerit of the US NT for our new central defender. He had a moster of a tournament in the Confed cup and even Fabiano's goal to day wasn't his fault.

[aveslacker]

We could do much worse than going after Jay Demerit of the US NT for our new central defender. He had a moster of a tournament in the Confed cup and even Fabiano's goal to day wasn't his fault.

Let's bring Gooch over while we're at it!

[Orange14]

We could do much worse than going after Jay Demerit of the US NT for our new central defender. He had a moster of a tournament in the Confed cup and even Fabiano's goal to day wasn't his fault.

Let's bring Gooch over while we're at it!

Wouldn't mind that at all. I think Gooch will get the big payday he deserves.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

I second that ...i would be happy with one of the two....i still find it amazing how we get the chance to buy players like charlie davies for next to nothing and then end up with players like Evander sno christ....

[bluedaddy19]

bild says jol wants to bring mathijsen over from HSV

[Kowalczyk]

bild says jol wants to bring mathijsen over from HSV

That would be a pretty okay move, I would say.

I would prefer Boulahrouz, personally, but that seems to be out of the question. Mathijsen would be a very good alternative, though.

K.

[bluedaddy19]

That would be a pretty okay move, I would say.

I would prefer Boulahrouz, personally, but that seems to be out of the question. Mathijsen would be a very good alternative, though.

K.

agreed, i do prefer boulha for his versatility

still, i think we should at least try an offer for onyewu and i would personally make marek suchy my #1 defense target

[Davo15]

I think a few of the Yank players would be worth a bid but of course I'm probably a little biased.. The current level of play in the Dutch league is if being honest a nice in between of MLS and the big three (England, Spain , Italy) in the current climate I'd think some of the USA's brighter talents could compete for starting jobs at the bigger clubs ( Ajax and those other two mobs I won't mention) whereas they can really only hope for playing time at mid level teams that don't compete for trophies in some of those other leagues.

[bluedaddy19]

I think a few of the Yank players would be worth a bid but of course I'm probably a little biased.. The current level of play in the Dutch league is if being honest a nice in between of MLS and the big three (England, Spain , Italy) in the current climate I'd think some of the USA's brighter talents could compete for starting jobs at the bigger clubs ( Ajax and those other two mobs I won't mention) whereas they can really only hope for playing time at mid level teams that don't compete for trophies in some of those other leagues.

from my view, the american guys not already *playing* in leagues beyond ours that would fit in at AJAX (or make for good de toekomst prospects), to vary positive degrees are (in no particular order): altidore (available for loan), adu (available cheap), onyewu (free agent), donovan (pricy), feilhaber, torres, renken (unsigned, arsenal want him), jerome (unsigned), szetela, zizzo (available practically for free), gyau (unsigned, bayern want him bad), maybe cooper and maybe pearce (available for free, but i think he'd need a dutch stepping stone club first, which he may well soon get)... obviously most of those are very young players - there is also a congolese-english former arsenal schoolboy striker/left winger playing his first pro season for seattle named steve zakuani that i think would be terrific to get under our tutelage and a grenada defensive midfielder with enough skill to fill in admirably at #9 for new england during a long injury crisis named shalrie joseph that celtic has twice failed to bid enough for who i think would be a solid contributor

naturally i wouldn't want all of them, but maybe one key guy and a talent or two to groom would be great

then there is an doubly long list of players who could do well for a second tier dutch club like utrecht or NAC and others good enough who maybe just don't quite fit our style

as a usmnt fan, i'd love to have americans in the eredivisie for the top shelf tactical and technical schooling

[Orange14]

I think John O'Brien is the only US player ever to play for Ajax. He had a good run until his knees gave out and clearly helped us at the 2002 WC. The history of other US players in the Eredivisie is checkered. Michael Bradley had two good years with Herenveen before moving to Germany. DeMarcus Beasley played a couple years with PSV and Lee Nguyen also had two years there, mostly on the reserve team. Last I heard Lee had moved to Denmark as he wasn't going to make it at PSV. There may have been a couple of others. With respect to current players on the US team, the only ones I can see getting first team action at Ajax are Donovan, DeMerit, and Onyewu. Dempsey and Howard are already well established in England and won't be coming over. Feilhaber and Clark will be caught in a numbers game as we already have too many midfielders. Clark is not as good as anyone of our holding mids and while Feilhaber is an interesting player, Aissatti is better. I was extremely disappointed in Altidore in the Confed cup. He can't hold the ball up, the prime requisite for a #9. Davies is interesting and could slot in playing time with experience but he might be better off going to one of the mid-table clubs where there would be less pressure. Adu is too slow and small to amount to anything. I've never been one of his fans and have watched him play since he signed with my home town club at the age of 14. He's a classic example of someone who was great for his age but never got better (or improved physically). Szetela is playing 2nd division football in Italy and I don't know what his prospects are. Zizzo is I think at Hanover in Germany and saw mostly reserve action last year.

[aveslacker]

Eddie Hamel was the first American to play for Ajax. Here's his story - it's a tragic must-read.

Lee Nguyen is currently playing in the Vietnamese league. Altidore has a way to go, particularly his first touch, but is full of potential. I think Adu can still make it - he's only 20 after all.

Ultimately I think Gooch, Donovan, Davies and Torres could all do quite well for Ajax. I would love to see any of those guys play for us, although I doubt it would happen.

[bluedaddy19]

a few quick notes beyond what ave added, and then i'll stop hijacking the thread...

- you forgot earnie stewart, gregg berhalter and cory gibbs as eredivisie impact players; in fact, almost every american that has come to the netherlands had some degree of impact

- i didn't mean all of those american players listed would start NOW; in fact, most of them are between 16-20 and would need seasoning below the first team

- don't forget altidore hadn't played a match in 6 months when the cup started due to minor foot surgery, and his hold up work improved up towards his normal standard as the tourney moved along

and btw, i talked to jozy yesterday, and he agrees with you: he wasn't satisfied with his tourney either

- we had our chance at davies... though i do agree with the technical staff's thought that, while a nice player, charlie doesn't really fit comfortably into a 4-3-3 (and besides, he is probably about to move to the bundesliga or ligue 1)

- the adu comment is pure silliness; he has definitely improved, he has definitely excelled at rising age levels (witness his star shows, including against brazil, at the U20WC last time), he scored 5 goals for benfica in extremely limited minutes as an 18 yo and he added about 12 pounds of muscle this season while the idiot ricardo tanked monaco's season

- szetela is on loan to brescia from racing santander, and was a regular until he had a few injury nags over the second half of the season

- zizzo was on the cusp of breaking into hannover's first team when they changed technical directors and you know how that goes sometimes... he did make several league sub appearances for the reds this season, and was also a standout in their friendly with ac milan

[bluedaddy19]

i should add i'd definitely take rasmus elm over adu! i'm not blind! :D

[Per]

Elm is quality and will become even better. An extremely mature player in terms of how he plays and thinks football. Good passer, good shot. And I'm not just saying so because he's Swedish.

I'm a bit concerned as to how he would work in a 4-3-3 though (I'm sounding like a broken record with that line but it's a major issue for us)

[Orange14]

a few quick notes beyond what ave added, and then i'll stop hijacking the thread...

- you forgot earnie stewart, gregg berhalter and cory gibbs as eredivisie impact players; in fact, almost every american that has come to the netherlands had some degree of impact

- don't forget altidore hadn't played a match in 6 months when the cup started due to minor foot surgery, and his hold up work improved up towards his normal standard as the tourney moved along

and btw, i talked to jozy yesterday, and he agrees with you: he wasn't satisfied with his tourney either

- the adu comment is pure silliness; he has definitely improved, he has definitely excelled at rising age levels (witness his star shows, including against brazil, at the U20WC last time), he scored 5 goals for benfica in extremely limited minutes as an 18 yo and he added about 12 pounds of muscle this season while the idiot ricardo tanked monaco's season

I don't think Stewart was born in the US but rather like Thomas Dooley and now Jermaine Jones had an American parent and qualified for the US NT that way. Forgot about Gibbs and Berhalter (too bad about Gibbs and his injuries as he would have been a nice addition to the US team; he's in MLS now but a shadow of his former self). I do hope Altidore acheives up to his potential. I was aware of his injury but I do think he made the wrong choice of clubs. He would have been better off to have done what Marcus Berg and Luis Suarez did and come to the Eredivisie. A better opportunity than languishing on a 2nd division La Liga team. Regarding Adu, we will have to agree to disagree. I hope he has a good Gold Cup tourney with the US "B" team that starts play this week so that Bradley can really judge him. I still think his only value right now is taking free kicks but that doesn't lead to first team football. Hope I am proven wrong but doubt it. Actually if you think about it the player he most resembles is Van Der Vaart but he is not as tall or good on the ball.

[gordonvandekamp]

I'm curious, why wouldn't Charlie Davies fit into a 4-3-3? It seems to me like he could play the center forward role, although hold-up and ball control might need some work. I've been impressed with him over the last few months, and while I don't see him coming here, think he could do much worse (see Jozy).

That being said, with the Confederations Cup showing, I think there is some excitement in terms of promise that a lot of the young U.S. players are showing. I'd really hope they follow Bradley's path as I think the Eredivisie is a good league for players in their terms of skill and age to develop.

[Davo15]

I'd think Davies might be a good fit in Holland....he's a speedster and Beasley did good there for awhile probably better than he has in the more physical British leagues both England and Scotland.

Saw Berg being linked with a few English teams this morning on sky sports...can't remember who but it might be tough to get him.

[Rooie]

What a coincidence, VI has stated that Ajax is interested in signing Onyewu.

[bluedaddy19]

What a coincidence, VI has stated that Ajax is interested in signing Onyewu.

good, we had to at least try... not to try would have been idiotic

[ozzerdibazio]

We should try with Keisuke Honda. Looks a talent.

[gordonvandekamp]

Yeah, I just read the VI story as well. Onyewu is just the type of player we need, I just wish we could have signed him over the last 2 years. The VI article states we're in competition with Portsmouth, Parma, Palermo and Fenerbahçe for him.