New Players for Ajax

[Henk de Gier]

Wilhelmson is shit, so Nantes suits him well :yes:

[AsgAarD_xxx]

Wilhelmson is shit, so Nantes suits him well :yes:

Henk, you must have great eyes if you see anyone (except Rosales) better in Ajax for this position now. Wilhelmson impressed me on World Cup, he was one of the best swedish players. If it is a chance to get him, I will try to do that. Ok, you can say that he seems to be some kind of a blind horse, but he is *good* blind horse! I'd like to have him in Ajax...

[Henk de Gier]

Wilhelmson is a f*cking diver who spends most of his time on the pitch acting trying to get a yellow card for his opponent. I don't want that kinds of unsportif m*thaf*cka's at Ajax.

Besides that, I've seen him at Anderlecht several times, and he was crap in every game I saw.

[Alaindebanaan]

So you're happy with the current wingers, Henk?

Or you're just not a big fan of Wilhelmsson? :D
And do you know any other available winger for Ajax instead (reachable target?)

[bluedaddy19]

So you're happy with the current wingers, Henk?

Or you're just not a big fan of Wilhelmsson? :D
And do you know any other available winger for Ajax instead (reachable target?)

they should have snagged julian jenner

[ZoefdeHaas]

I dont think wingers are the biggest priority atm, i think Mascherano should be bought as a fulcrum

[AjaxPDX]

I dont think wingers are the biggest priority atm, i think Mascherano should be bought as a fulcrum

I've been thinking the same thing for about a year. He would be perfect for the central holding midfield Galasek role. And he's, what, only about 21 years old?

[orange goblin]

great, but out of price for ajax unfortunately

[Van der Vaart]

Ze Roberto from Brazil is without club...his contract with Muchen Bayer expired last 1st july ...
Would be a good sign for us

[Alaindebanaan]

Which position then. We also have Perez, Mitea, Manucharyan, Babel and Rosenberg who can play on the left wing. And as a midfielder we've just signed Roger, shouldn't he get a proper chance??

[Blind3]

I still think our midfield is the soft point. I agree with giving Roger and Gabri time to settle; but I don't know if they are good defenders or not. Sneijder is soft defensively and Perez was brought in for his offensive scheming, be it from mf or wing.I don't thing defense is Maduro's strong suit . Defensive TEETH. Vieira ,the pipe dream, would've been ideal. Now we need someone like him who can aid our backline.Unless Gabri or Roger win the rmf slot and show defensive prowess .

[Van der Vaart]

I think Maduro is a good defender and can help in attack .
I still think Ze Roberto is a good defender too ...he showed that in the WC, helping the lineback ,and he won twice the Man of The Match .
He is free now ,Why not him ??

[SE6Ajacied]

I still think Ze Roberto is a good defender too ...he showed that in the WC, helping the lineback ,and he won twice the Man of The Match .
He is free now ,Why not him ??

Anyone know what this guys wage demands are like?

I suspect that he is on mega money and would demand more of the same to play for us - that as much as anything is why the big "name" players do not end up in the Eredivisie and the other smaller leagues. Often I think they would want more money to play in NL as well.

I know we have signed Stam who fits in the same category but he is Dutch so coming home to finish in his home country.

[aveslacker]

Wilhelmson is a f*cking diver who spends most of his time on the pitch acting trying to get a yellow card for his opponent. I don't want that kinds of unsportif m*thaf*cka's at Ajax.

Besides that, I've seen him at Anderlecht several times, and he was crap in every game I saw.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this.

And what's with that rattail? Did he grow up in Alabama?

[carcajou]

Wilhelmson is a f*cking diver who spends most of his time on the pitch acting trying to get a yellow card for his opponent. I don't want that kinds of unsportif m*thaf*cka's at Ajax.

Besides that, I've seen him at Anderlecht several times, and he was crap in every game I saw.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this.

And what's with that rattail? Did he grow up in Alabama?

Oh yeah.... The rednecks they want their branded mullet back...

[Kowalczyk]

I think we can ignore this thread for a while boys...

Ajax presented their figures the other day and it appears that the club will end the 2005-2006 with a loss (mainly due to the fact that no players were sold for big fees). It's not a terrible loss, and the operational result was actually quite good, but financial director Jeroen Slop did state that - in principle - there is no more money for purchases this summer. He said that Ajax will only buy another players if it really is a unique opportunity that Ajax can't ignore. But in principle, the squad for 2006-2007 is complete and there will be no more newcomers.

And it ain't necessary, either. We have a fantastic little squad here, in my opinion.

K.

[orange goblin]

ko, in your opinion maybe the sell of grygera and (but I dont'hope so) charistaes could change the situation?
anyway I agree that the squad seems good, I only have this voice in my mind that tells me we don't have a galasek type of player.
a risk, in my opinion

[Kowalczyk]

I think the sale of Grygera wouldn't change much. He's got an expiring contract and every club in the world knows that they shouldn't offer Ajax too much cash for him. Whatever we get for him, it won't be a fee that will make miracles possible. As for Charisteas: he has said that he wants to stay. If he goes, we'll probably get 3 million for him, or something.

In other words: the fees we might get for Grygera and Charisteas combined won't even buy us a player like Wilhelmsson (how much would he cost: 6 or 7 million, at least?).

As for the Galásek position: we've got Maduro, we've got Lindenbergh and three newcomers who have (sometimes) played as a defensive midfielder for their previous clubs: Gabri, Roger and Ogararu. Ogararu was of course purchased as a right fullback, but I think Gabri was primarily bought for the 'Galásek position'.

Should be okay, is my feeling. Also (let's get tactical now...) I think Henk ten Cate will revert to the Ajax formation as we once knew it (in 1995, for example). Under Danny Blind the central midfielder was mostly a defensive player (the 'Galásek position'). Ajax played without a classic 'number 10' (or 'shadow striker', like Bergkamp or Litmanen in the past) in recent years. When Ajax lost possession, the central midfielder (Galásek) had to do almost all of the defensive work.

I think the offensive 'number 10' will return under HTC (Sneijder, Perez), so that the defensive work in midfield will become the responsibility of three players: the two outer midfielders (who will have to 'squeeze' to the middle when Ajax lose the ball) and one of the central defenders, who will have to step a few yards out of the defense and become a 'Galásek' (the last Ajax defender who played like that was Chivu).

That is pretty much the 'classic' Ajax approach: the number 10 is an offensive player and the 'Galásek' is not a real midfielder but one of the defenders. The outer midfielders (Gabri, Maduro, Roger, etc.) will have to have defensive discipline, like Davids and Ronald de Boer in 1995.

Another thing... Under Koeman and Blind the two man markers to stay behind at all times were normally the two central defenders (Grygera, Heitinga, Escudé Vermaelen, whoever they were). The defenders to move forward were mostly the fullbacks (Trabelsi, Maxwell and later Urby). This was different back in 1995, when the two man markers to stay behind were the fullbacks (Reiziger and Frank de Boer), while one of the central defenders (Rijkaard or Blind) always played in front of the defense, as - more or less - a 'Galásek'.

I think HTC wants to revert to that system, with Ogararu and Urby being the duo the squeeze to the middle and form a three-man defense with Jaap Stam. In that case, Vermaelen will have to be the defender to move forward and 'forecheck' in midfield. He used to play like that for Young Ajax and I think that's the type of defender we all want him to be. He's got the qualities for it.

Ajax will be a different team, tactically.

Hope this made sense... :X

K.

[orange goblin]

it made a GREAT sense to me, ko.

I hope that the tactics change just like u said, a return to the '95 approach is my dream of years...if it goes like that, you are right: we have the players to do it and the team is probably complete.
thank you for your opinion :headbang:

[Henk de Gier]

So you're happy with the current wingers, Henk?

Or you're just not a big fan of Wilhelmsson? :D
And do you know any other available winger for Ajax instead (reachable target?)

they should have snagged julian jenner

no way, Rosales and De Mul are way better then Jenner.

[Henk de Gier]

So you're happy with the current wingers, Henk?

Or you're just not a big fan of Wilhelmsson? :D
And do you know any other available winger for Ajax instead (reachable target?)

No, i'm not happy with Rosales, but Wilhelmson won't be an improvement either. And no, I don't know any other available winger, otherwise I would have contacted Martin van Geel.

[Kowalczyk]

I think we're okay as far as wingers are concerned: Rosales and a matured De Mul for the right flank, Perez and Mitea for the left flank. Should be alright.

I like Rosales (still do). He was great in his first months, had a stinker last season (wasn't the only one, though...) but will resurrect this year. I am convinced of that.

Most important thing: we need quality crosses from the flanks. De Mul has a beautiful classic cross and Perez is a good passer as well. Rosales and Mitea much less so (but they have other qualities: Rosales is good at short passes and sneaking through the lines, Mitea is fast and can score a goal).

K.

[LucaS]

But isn't it a fact Ko that ten Cate is known to play his central midfielder as a defensive one?

[Henk de Gier]

I don't like Rosales, crap cross. He's a running midget, slightly better then Sikora.

[Kowalczyk]

But isn't it a fact Ko that ten Cate is known to play his central midfielder as a defensive one?

It all depends on the available players, I think.

Look at Louis van Gaal: in 1992 (the UEFA Cup year) he had a #4 with a fantastic thru-pass (Wim Jonk) and a rocket-fast 'number 10' (Dennis Bergkamp). He also had a striker who was at his best when holding up the ball with his back towards the goal (Stefan Pettersson) and two wingers who had a fine cross, but couldn't score a goal to save the planet (John van 't Schip and Bryan Roy).

In 1995 he had very different players: Litmanen wasn't as fast as Bergkamp but had the quality to 'distribute' in midfield rather than only being the 'last station' of an attack. The striker (Patrick Kluivert), on the other hand, was much more 'explosive' than Pettersson. And, finally, there were wingers with a tendency to cut to the middle and fire on goal (Finidi and Overmars).

That made Ajax a totally different team with the same coach: in 1992 Ajax's main weapon was the central 'spine' of Wim Jonk (thru-pass!) and Dennis Bergkamp (speed!). When those two left, Van Gaal shifted the focus, although the formation (3-4-3) remained essentially the same.

Henk ten Cate will do the same thing: he will study his players and come up with a strategy. He has a few players who can play at the classic 'number 10' position (Perez, Sneijder) and he has outer midfielders with experience and tactical intelligence. That's why I expect him to re-introduce the 'number 10'. Simply based on the players he's got.

K.