Ajax Coaches

[raymon]

An article in the Manchester Evening news last night indicates that paul bosvelt is leaving Manchester City this summer. How about Kevin Keegan as TD and Paul Bosvelt as head coach? They have lots of experience and at least they have worked together.

Over my dead body and I think a few thousands with me. Paul 'Mr. Cochroach' Bosvelt in an Ajax suit? When hell freezes over. When Easter and Whitsun falls on the same day. When the lambkins are running over the ice at Easter. And more of these particular Dutch proverbs.

And besides Sir, I like you better being someone else.. ;)

[Sir Alex Ferguson]

I'll take that response as a maybe then?Glad to hear you are not ruling the notion out completely.

Martin Jol has tonight categorically ruled himself out of the running quoting that, " I am constantly being linked with a move back to Holland, this is the third time in recent times. I am very happy at Tottenham and am developing a great squad. With recent signings like Mido we have a very bright future here at White Hart lane."

So you may need to look to Spain afterall?

[Philippe]

due to unforeseen circumstances, and to terrible club management we lost in the same season : van Gaal, van Basten, and Koeman.
A record that can not be beaten.

[DanK]

Not really anything amazing but further info on the reaction from Jol.
http://skysports.planetfootball.com/lis ... el=Holland

[The Purple Cow]

Jol didn't categoricaly rule himself out of a move to Amsterdam, his quote seems to me to be more of an opening gambit in a negotiating game. Either he wants to come to ajax, or he wants an improved deal at spurs.

However Spurs supporting friends of mine tell me that Jol is not contract-free on June 1 as stated in de Telegraaf, they say he signed a 2.5 year extention to his contract last October.

Let's hope Spurs offer him more dosh, so Ajax can concentrate on changing Ten Cate's mind.

[Eric]

What about Ten Cate to coach the team, calling upon his sidekick Neeskens when certain 'neuzen' need some physical attention?

I am a lot cheaper

My attorney has the nerve to call himself 'cheap' ?!?

I said cheaper...

[Number9]

Presumably all you guys who now want Co back will also want Koeman back again in three years time?

An excellent observation... and for those of you who think the club's problems are solved by Koeman's departure... keep :eusa_pray:

As I often say to the ungrateful players in the casino... you may want me to leave now, but you are going to miss me when I'm gone.

I, for one am sorry to see Koeman go. I can understand though. Shoveling shit against the tide is tiring and fruitless.

[Blind3]

Quoth the Wizard of Oz, "Ding dong the witch is dead" . No post mortems and flowery speeches about Mr. Pretzel Logic. He's gone.Move on. If Co were to return, let it be as TD. Second, not seeing a list of candidates running to Ajax' door at present, put me down, one foot worth, in the Ten Cate camp.Third, Martin Jol abandoning his re-building project at Tottenham? I don't see it.The side is just starting to turn it around.I think Jol rides the wave as long as possible.

[Kowalczyk]

This is promising...

Ajax Netwerk has a link to an interview with Henk ten Cate in Spanish sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, in which Ten Cate admits that Ajax have contacted him. He says that he will absolutely not leave Barcelona during the season. He and his family are very happy there and he wants to win the Spanish title with the club first.

However, he said he was 'flattered' by Ajax's interest and that 'one never knows what will happen in the summer'.

I think we've found our man... (especially because an English friend of mine texted me yesterday that Martin Jol did not sound too enthusiastic in an interview on the BBC).

K.

[Manneken Pis]

On Studio Voetbal last night they discussed the Ajax situation....

Co said it was impossible unless the senior struture changes, i.e. the board leaves...which won't happen.

Jol was not discounted but unlikely given where he is with Spurs and the higher salary they can offer him than Ajax.

Huub Stevens unlikely because he's supposed to have already agreed terms with Roda (although this could this could obviously change).

Danny Blind was apparently promised the job after Koeman, but he's unproven at this level and most pundits said it wouldn't happen.

Rijkaard obvioulsy won't happen given how well he's doing at Barça.

Funnily enough Ten Cate wasn't really discussed.....

I must say personally that none of the list excites me greatly

[Kowalczyk]

Huub Stevens is not the right man. He was a fighter as a player and has a very working class no-nonsense approach to the game. Which worked well for Roda and Schalke, where he previously worked (both clubs from industrial areas with a deeply rooted working class culture). But he's not an Ajax man.

Co Adriaanse...? Van Eijden would have to leave - and he won't unless we murder him. A while ago he said in an interview that Ajax can't do without him and that he finds himself irreplaceable. He's one crazy fucker who thinks he's Napoleon, except that Napoleon admitted his defeat after the Waterloo battle. We've had at least two Waterloos this season, but Van Eijden does not think he's to blame and has democratically decided that he should stay, in Ajax's best interest. By the way: there was a banner at the Roda game which said something like 'Arie - you're next' or 'Arie - it's your turn'. He had it removed, the wanker.

Anyway - Co is not an option.

Martin Jol would be a very good choice if you ask me, but it seems like he wants to stay at Spurs (and why not?). I don't believe they can pay him biggr $$$ than Ajax, by the way. But he's building something over there, and he is respected for it. He can make a difference and make Spurs a big club again. Which is an interesting challenge, whereas Ajax is a risky thing to do at the moment.

Danny Blind? I am 100% against that. He failed miserably as a TD (flushed 80 million guilders down the toilet in 1999-2000) and, in my opinion, f#cked up exactly as badly as Jan Wouters, head-coach at the time. He has not proven himself as a coach and this is most definitely not the time for an experiment. We need a 'Big Man' now, preferably one who's not part of the 'Olde Ajax Boys' Network' and has the courage to change stuff.

Which leads us to Ten Cate: he's an Amsterdammer and a loudmouth and in almost every way a typical Ajax man who never worked for Ajax. Which, to me, is the perfect profile. The things he said in that Spanish newspaper are very promising. Of course he's a little bit cautious and reluctant: he's doing great with Barcelona and wants to win the Spanish title with them. But by saying that he's "flattered" and that "one never knows what will happen in the summer" he's kind of 'flirting' with Ajax. They've thrown him a little piece of bait - and he's taken it.

Other candidates are Gerard van der Lem (great assistant of Van Gaal, but I don't rate him as much as Ten Cate) and Michael Laudrup, who is very much the dark horse and the perfect outsider. I have no idea what kind of a coach he is, but he's apparently doing very well at Brøndby, playing some pretty damn' attractive football...

K.

[The Purple Cow]

"Van Eijden would have to leave - and he won't unless we murder him..."

Ko, I've given this some thought.

I reead recently that in Amsterdam you can hire a Serbian hit-man for as litttle as €10,000 plus out of pocket expences.

Now supposing..

a) Expenses are no more than €2,000 (we'll find him one of the cheaper hotels)
b) Eazy-jet flies to serbia
C) There are 500 active members on Ajaxtalk

That means for just €24 each we can solve the Van Eijden problem for ever!

C'mon guys, you know it makes sense!

[Ik ben ik]

Yesterday, Van Eijden told he thought it's unfair to judge him only because he's the one who signs everything. I guess he won't leave in the near future, the only way to get rid of him is the same way as done with Koeman: yell him away.

There was another banner about Van Eijden last match: Koeman set a good example, and good examples should be followed or something like that.

[Kowalczyk]

There was another banner about Van Eijden last match: Koeman set a good example, and good examples should be followed or something like that.

Yeah - they forgot that one. :D

K.

[Manneken Pis]

Err....don't we need to fill the TD role first anyway.

Just shows how screwed up things are under 'Napoleon' Van Eijden.

[Kowalczyk]

Okay, this is getting confusing...

A few of my English friends told me that Martin Jol said on English TV he's not interested in the job. I also read a couple of reports on the web that said the same thing.

There's an interview in today's issues of Het Parool and The Hague newspaper Haagsche Courant that Jol sure as hell is interested. His agent, our good friend Raiola, says that he would be interested in the job of TD and the job of head-coach. However, according to Raiola Ajax did not contact Jol or Spurs yet.

(Rumor has it that Martin Jol is the man recommended to Ajax by Johan Cruyff, by the way).

Meanwhile, it appears that there has been contact with Henk ten Cate. Frank Rijkaard himself confirmed this to Spanish press agency EFE. He added that "Ajax would be a great opportunity for Henk".

So, uhm, how about Ten Cate for head-coach and Jol for TD...? Man, that would be awesome!

K.

[manila]

I think that Ten Cate is the best option. We can carry on with Krol and Bruins Slot and Ten Cate moves in at end of season.

I do not agree on Adriaanse and Jol will not come to Ajax. Blind and Laudrup are not among my best options neither.

I want Krol to remain involved since I think he is respected very much by the players.

[vagegast]

I don't believe they can pay him biggr $$$ than Ajax, by the way.

They're pretty much loaded at White Heart Lane so I they can.

[carcajou]

I don't believe they can pay him biggr $$$ than Ajax, by the way.

They're pretty much loaded at White Heart Lane so I they can.

That is what I thought.... The chairman is a friggin billonaire, I guess money is not really the problem. And Ajax has a bad reputation of being kind of stingy when it comes to salaries (well "surprising" that the youngsters want to leave for big money as soon as they can....)

[Sir Alex Ferguson]

Martin Jol is your man.Well qualified and a good pedigree.

He was being lined up as a number two at Man Utd prior to the Spurs job becoming available

I think club politics may be an issue at Ajax as quite rightly will financial coniderations be coupled with the fact that he wants to be successful away from Holland.

It will come down to three things;

1-How big your initial financial move might be.

2-How much freedom he is offered to operate

3-How long term the contract actually is at Spurs.

As for Martin Jol sounding disinterested let me assure you all, this is his usual style. Even when Spurs were robbed of that goal that never was at Old Trafford he appeared completely unperturbed, when most coaches would be pulling there hair out.

I am not a big fan of the yids at White Hart Lane or their managers but I feel Martin Jol is a good sound bet.

[Apostata]

From 'World Soccer':

Ten Cate turns down Ajax

February 28, 2005


Barcelona assistant boss Henk Ten Cate has revealed that Ajax have spoken to him about succeding Ronald Koeman who quite last week, but insists he will be staying at Camp Nou.

Link: http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/ten_cat ... 61971.html

I don't know what to say about the choices out there now. We shouldn't be in a rush to end up with a(nother) mediocre coach. I wonder if Ajax should suck it up and look outside Holland for one? Is this sacrilege?

It just seems that all of the good Dutch contenders are either hired elsewhere or too inexperienced for the job. They've got to choose a 'proven' man - like Marinho for Chelsea (as an analogy - not because I want Ajax to be Chelsea).

[Kowalczyk]

Sky Sports and World Soccer are now running reports that Ten Cate has 'turned down' Ajax. But if you read those reports you will see that the only thing he's said is that he won't leave Barça during this season. But he's said that he's flattered and that 'you never know what will happen in the summer'.

It seems like the Jol rumours only come from his agent and the press. Ajax and Jol have not been in touch (even his agent admitted that, he's just trying to push things by claiming that Jol would be interested).

It's now clear to me that Ten Cate is Ajax's #1 choice - and that he's willing to talk.

I think we can forget about the Blind option (thank God). He's already at the club. If he'd been the #1 choice they would already have pushed him forward.

As for foreign options: the name of Michael Laudrup (currently at Brøndby) has also been mentioned, for example by Johan Derksen in yesterday's Voetbal Insite talkshow.

K.

[LucaS]

I think we can forget about the Blind option (thank God). He's already at the club. If he'd been the #1 choice they would already have pushed him forward.

Which of course is another rotten move from van Eijden. Whether or not you support Blind as the candidate, Blind did turn down good clubs (Willem II) because of the promise of van Eijden he would become the successor of Koeman. Van Eijden now states that this deal didn't speak about what to do when Koeman would leave before his contract expired. Another one deceived by van Eijden...

[Eric]

Is it a fact Arie said this, or inconclusive gossip?

[LucaS]

van Eijden stated this himself yesterday in 'Godenzonen' on the local televisionstation AT5