2005-2006: Ajax Formation & Starting Eleven

[Over Pasanens Head]

I also like Boukhari. I never thought he was as bad as some of you have pointed out before. That might be 'cause I haven't seen him as much as you regulars, but from what I've seen of him, I must say I'm kind of a fan.

Right... Now let's just wait for Over Pasanen's Head to drop by... :D

Sit tight, folks.

K.

HAHA, that is EXACTLY what I was thinkin' about....

Hello There Chaps - just wandering by after a great holiday in Turkey - fell in love with the place as one would when the number one in their language is pronounced beer. Great stuff.

Enough said about great stuff and lets move to the other extreme - good old rubber legs himself. In posts we talk about winning the Eredivisie, going to this round or whatever of the CL and then we talk about acheiving this with players of the class of Boukhari. I really just don't get this one and I just wish I could see what you guys see in him and the like. We have just got to cut out this type of dead wood or face another few years of frustration. No thoughts on formation as there are so many permutations of at the moment just above average players. What is required is a signing that will act as a catalyst to ignite our season in a way the likes of Boukahari never will.

However, I totally agree with the Purple Cow that we need a new left back - if we don't get one then bye-bye season 2005/06, which thinking about it will probably be the case whatever the formation. Play-off spot here we come, elimination from the CL in the third qualifying round because of our defence and a half decent run in the UEFA Cup.

I know it sounds depressing, but it needn't be if we are showing progression during the season to what I expect to be a very good 2006/07 season.

Hang in there guys for a rough ride in the 2005/06 season

[Kowalczyk]

Sounds like you need some time off work for a good vacation, OPH...

:D

K.

[Antwanvanderstap]

I know i mentioned Bhoukari as a good sub but that doesn't mean i think he's all that. Just saying that he has moves that can trhill and excite me.

A good left-winger is something we most certainly need and i do know that it is gonna be a rough ride and season but i refuse to surrender just because we don't have a great leftwinger. Especially in the Ere Divisie. You only need a fantastic leftwinger if tre opponent has a good right wing striker and i couldn't tell which team in Holland has that.

Where it comes to CL i partly agree with OPH but i think we can make it into the main tournament. Let's face it other teams in the qualifying tournament will be as good or as bad as my AJAX....in if that is the case i would like to think that my club is still the best in the whole wide world!
:ajax:

[Kowalczyk]

if that is the case i would like to think that my club is still the best in the whole wide world!
:ajax:

The club? Yes!

The team...? No...

K.

[Antwanvanderstap]

Maybe I am too positive and unrealistic ;)

[Kowalczyk]

I think we will be better than last season, for the simple reason that Koeman's gone. We do not know if Blind is a great coach or not (he hasn't proven himself yet), but at least he appears to be a man with a certain plan. He's building something, which is more than Koeman's ever done. Also, we have considerably more options now. This squad is more 'complete' and 'balanced' than last year's (I am not saying that it is perfect and 100% in balance, but more than last season anyway).

So, Ajax will be a little bit better in the league than they were last season. Meanwhile, PSV won't be a good as they were last season. They will carry on with Hiddink as a part-timer and have lost half of their starting line-up without landing fully-fledged replacements for everyone.

Conclusion: Ajax a little better, PSV a little poorer... We might seriously compete for the championship. Who knows? AZ can never be as good as they were last year and Feyenoord will be sh*t again (3rd, if they're lucky).

As for the international stage...

Don't expect any miracles. We will be a seeded team in the preliminary round and will therefore be paired with a non-seeded 'outsider'. But that 'outsider' might be a team of the caliber of Everton, Anderlecht or Celtic. Or Red Star Belgrade (PSV last season) or Grazer AK. It will absolutely not be easy and it is absolutely not unthinkable that we crash out.

But okay: let's be positive and assume we make it. If that happens we'll be in pot 4 for the draw. Which means we'll be the 'weak one' in our group. We might end up in a group with Chelsea, Inter and, for example, a French side such as Lille, with us - the mighty Ajax - being the equivalent of Maccabi Tel Aviv in our group. The shit one. Painful, but true. In that case there is absolutely no way in the world that we're going to make it through. Not ready for it yet. A third slot and a campaign in the UEFA Cup in the Spring would be a very good achievement already.

In other words: a rough season. That's for sure.

K.

[carcajou]

I think we will be better than last season, for the simple reason that Koeman's gone [...]
K.

Another possibility :

Maduro, De Jong, De Ridder, Babel, Sneijder and Rosales (at last) play up to their full potential, Escudé, Grygera, Trabelsi and Galasek keep on being rock solid and the team kicks ass like three years ago. They CAN do that. I HOPE they do that. We all do.

[jakobg]

In other words: a rough season. That's for sure.

Nevertheless we should aim high. Eredivisie champions and a decent run in the Champions League, and I'll be happy. Champions League gives us important millions, event though we don't perform that well.

It's not impossible to advance from the group in the CL, if we make it that far, but to be honest I think we should concentrate on not finishing last in the group. But first of all we must make it to the CL. That has to be the primary goal.

[Antwanvanderstap]

I has to be better than last season since that was the worst in over 15 years. All games (except AZ home) were dreadfull. It was bad, boring and emberrasing to see.

Against p$v (0-4 red) I even left before the final whistle, something I had never done before!

[Kowalczyk]

I has to be better than last season since that was the worst in over 15 years.

No, it wasn't. 1999-2000 was worse. Both the results and the football were worse than this year. But people have a short memory: recent pain always hurts more. In 1999-2000 we went 0-1 down in 11 out of 17 home games, if I remember it correctly. And we had the 'away game trauma' at the time: Ajax didn't win an away game for more than a year! It was always a struggle. Against every opponent, every weekend.

One thing I do have to admit, though: last season's games against Maccabi Tel Aviv (away) and ADO Den Haag and FC Twente (home) were probably three of the very worst Ajax games I've ever seen. So let's say the lows were the deepest ever. But over-all 1999-2000 was worse. At least last season had a few peaks: the AZ home game, Feyenoord away, a good CL win over Maccabi (at home)... There were a few happy moments. 1999-2000 was so grey... very depressing.

K.

[Antwanvanderstap]

:ajax: I remember the football being worse last year. 010-away was won but the football was too bad for words. Offcourse I remember 99-00 but in my memory it wasn't as bad as last season. :ajax:

[aveslacker]

In other words: a rough season. That's for sure.

Nevertheless we should aim high. Eredivisie champions and a decent run in the Champions League, and I'll be happy. Champions League gives us important millions, event though we don't perform that well.

It's not impossible to advance from the group in the CL, if we make it that far, but to be honest I think we should concentrate on not finishing last in the group. But first of all we must make it to the CL. That has to be the primary goal.

I tend to agree. And I don't see any reason why, with the talent Blind has available, that Ajax can't win the Eredivisie. It isn't the Spanish league, after all. Making it out of the group stage of the CL would make it a successful season in my book.

But really, I want them to play in the Ajax style. If they happen to finish second in the league, but do so with a bit of flair and panache, then it will already be an improvement over last season.

[carcajou]

Hey Ave, you're back in the States ? Happy to be back home ?

[Kowalczyk]

Yeah, what happaned? Said goodbye to Greece?

K.

[SE6Ajacied]

But that 'outsider' might be a team of the caliber of Everton,
K.

Oh I do hope so, if you think AZ had an overachieving season, look at the Toffees. The Premier is a very strong league and Everton did very well but I honestly can't see that lasting...

[aveslacker]

Yeah, what happaned? Said goodbye to Greece?

K.

Yeah, my job in Greece ended, and I've got a new one in the US. It's a mixed bag really, I liked Greece (and all the footy on tv), but I'm happy to be back in the US, although it makes it even less likely that I will be going to an Ajax-USA reunion in the next few years. :nooo:

All in all, it is about 50-50 (sad to leave vs happy to be back 'home')

[Antwanvanderstap]

Damn I allready miss the footie and the season has not even started yet. Maybe I will get a divorce and move back to Holland ;)

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Hey guy's just my two cents...

I would not be surprised to see the good old 3-4-3 after all lets all remember that Blind was the captain of a very famous 3-4-3 playing ajax( ahh sweet old 95). He knows that formation like the back of his hand.And looking at the fact that we dont have a true left back then it seems more likely to play with three at the back. So i think it would look something like this:

........................................Stekelenburg................................................

...Heitinga(not at centre back!!!)....Grygera.....................SQD...................

.......................................Maduro........Galasek......................................

..........................Pienaar.................................Snejder..........................

.....Rosales........................Rosenberg.................................Babel...........

Allright now some explaining, three in the back, i for one dont trust Heitinga at the centre and much less if its only with three defenders.
At midfield we have to defensive midfielders being Maduro the free one, the creator if you will, he has the ofensive and defensive traits to fill the position as he did in the U-20 championships. Galasek is the defensive work horse he´ll clean up the mess the young midfield leaves behind, Injury problems??? then Lindenbergh come on down.
On the ofensive side of midfield we have Pienaar and Wesley who can alternate the number 10 depending on their form. Pienaar can open up the field on the right( he has already played on the right wing) and Wesley is a free kick treat where ever he goes.Injury or bad form ????? Give me some De Jong,Lindgren or even a wide out Trabelsi.
At the wings my south american heritage gives away to Rosales but lets not forget Ridders on the other end there´s some hard decisions to make mainly Babel at centre or LW i think that since he´s been playing at LW with the dutch national team he should keep on playing there... at least until Mitea or Bouckari gain back form( they were horrible at the end of last season). #9 ????? hard to say... i pick Rosenberg but i dont know if he´s number 9 material i guess he´s better than Charisteas aniway.

Wow that was a long one...... man im crazy for some footy.

Peace people :xyxthumbs:

[ajaxshark]

Nice breakdown, i like it!!! I think Rosenberg will be better than expectations. He's a natural scorer and i hope he can progress quick enough to be a finisher at CL level. Babel I don't see yet....for me the jury is still out. DeRidder needs to play now and has been nothing but impressive. 3-4-3 and let's play for real!!! :eusa_dance: I'll buy the left back...just call me management...charity is a tax break! :bis:

[ajaxshark]

Another thing...everyone wants a LB but I haven't seen any realistic opinions on who? :pukey: Sorry, one too many Amstels.

[Per]

My god, I leave for a week and you guys flood the forum with threads and posts......

I'll settle for eleven, hard working, Boukharis in my lineup :D

Well that's that, now Iäm off for another ten days before Iäll start flooding the forum with my opinions.

Cheers mates :alc:

[Over Pasanens Head]

I'll settle for eleven, hard working, Boukharis in my lineup :D

If the criteria for a slot in the line-up is that you have to be hard working but have no skill, surely you must be talking about F-Word here and not Ajax.
A player must have a certain level of skill and not just be a hard worker to play for Ajax.
If the team was just to consist of hard-workers then why on earth have we moved Sikora on?

[carcajou]

I'll settle for eleven, hard working, Boukharis in my lineup :D

If the criteria for a slot in the line-up is that you have to be hard working but have no skill, surely you must be talking about F-Word here and not Ajax.
A player must have a certain level of skill and not just be a hard worker to play for Ajax.
If the team was just to consist of hard-workers then why on earth have we moved Sikora on?

Amen, Nouredine "Cari-bou" Boukhari is really a third choice player on my list.
He may be a hard worker but he lacks the remainder :D

[jakobg]

Am I this lost here? I've always thought of Boukhari as a skilful player with good technique.

I'm not saying he's the best winger ever, but to compare his skills with Sikora's ain't fair, in my opinion.

[Kowalczyk]

@ Jakob: OPH and Carcajou are being a bit harsh here...

Boukhari is definitely skillful and he actually has a very good cross/long pass. But tactically and mentally he's just not top drawer if you ask me. He's really a 'number 10' (never played at that position for Ajax, but he always was a '10' at Sparta). For a 'number 10' at Ajax, he's simply not dominant enough, not enough in control of a game.

Ironically, he is a great goalkeeper... After training he stays on the pitch quite frequently and some of the players will fire some free-kicks or penalty's at him. He's a tremendous goalkeeper. If Ajax ever get into the position that a player has to take place between the posts (due to injury or a red card) Boukhari would definitely be the man... But do we want to keep him just for that...?

K.