Vurnon Anita

[Kowalczyk]

Disappointing. Very disappointing.

Last season was Anita's big year: his break-thru as a defensive midfielder. This season would have been his first full season as a truly important Ajax player... and now he's gone. I can't believe he wanted to leave Ajax that badly.

I have absolutely no problem with a guy like Vertonghen leaving, after so many years and a handful of years as a starter in Ajax-1. But Anita...? His Ajax career was just taking off...

Can't say I have warm feelings for Anita - and I'm not even gonna say "thank you" in this particular case.

K.

[Pablo.V]

It's frustrating specially because the coach made him vice captain - the management really wanted him to stay and offered him contract renewal, he would possibly become the highest earner.
This is really worrying situation, should Jansen also leave, who will be vice captain as there are no experience at all in this team.
Really hard situation for the technical staff.

[SPL]

Anita went for money no other reason so I wont wish him well. 8.5m euros seems a very good deal considering we have only sold Vertonghen for 9m euros.

Another season at Ajax and playing in the defensive midfield role and he may well have broken through with Oranje and get a bigger club than Newcastle.

[orange goblin]

You all are right, Anita has betrayed us. And Janssen too. But the first case is worse.

As for the vice-captain behind siem we have still toby.

Real problem is that now we have to buy someone good and ready and we don't seem to want spending that much. maybe we cannot, to say the truth.

- Left central back. moisander, nuytinck and viergever seem to be no more options for us. slobo rajkovic from hamburg the last name, a guy who is good but in name of god he has changed 4 teams in 4 years or so!!!!!!
- defensive midfielder (if we don't want to risk boccara or bonevacia): maher is the only name, and AZ already warned us that the 8.5mln we earn with anita are not enough for the guy. what about bringing back de zeeuw?????????
- Assaidi (if the deal does not collapse thanks to Raiola). Fuck Raiola!!!
And at this point goodbye to the backup striker, unless we are so criminal to buy another urzaiz on august the 31st.

Very tricky situation. But we can still survive to this if we don't panic.

[King Litti]

Damn, I thought we were going to have him as a solid back bone for the team this season. And of course we're not going to the market to replace him? Just bringin in more youngsters and Ehoh? I actually like Enoh with his going after every ball with 100% attitude, but his not much of a play maker. The youngsters are going to have to do really well if we are going to defend the title.

[Amol]

Extremely disappointed by this move. In the last 2 games it seemed like Anita's mind was elsewhere anyway. The only thing I'm hoping for is that FDB doesn't pick Jannsen to replace Anita at DM.

[kezme44]

i don't think anita betrayed anyone. it's ajax after all that let him go and didn't have a plan to extend his contract when he was more likely to stay.

let's face it, the dutch league doesn't pay well compared to the rest, is not very competetive internationally, and does not have the allure of england or spain. at least one of those have to be right for a player to stick around, otherwise very few will.

he wanted to do something new. can i foult him for that? no. it was a big fuck you to the club though, that developed him and probably expected something in return. there will be very few good players who stick around with us past 24-25 years old. although looks like siem will

[orange goblin]

i don't think anita betrayed anyone. it's ajax after all that let him go and didn't have a plan to extend his contract when he was more likely to stay.

I don't know, mate. Ajax offered him a renewal of 1.4 per year, which means he should have been one of the top earners or so.
leaving the club that developed you, and which made a firm point of the squad, just to join newcastle's money 2 weeks before the deadline of the market and with the season started to me is very similar to a betrayal. you call it a big fuck you to the club, and I'm fine with that

[Frans]

IIRC he was being courted by Chelsea 7 years ago (along with Sarpong and Goossens) but he stayed and now Ajax gets ~8million (and a couple of eredivisie titles). Another year would have been nice but I think 'betrayal' is far too strong a word. And he said he wanted to leave a month ago, so it's not like he just sprung this on the club this week. Ajax has had time to look for a replacement (if they want to buy one).

[rjf1]

Not a betrayal -- but does leave us in a bad situation. I could see it if he were going to a decent club with good playing opportunities. But Newcastle? Between going to a mediocre club and having to pick splinters out of his ass from sitting on the bench -- I just can't see why he would want to do it.

[Tom_]

It's natural to be disappointed, but it's no surprise. Put yourself in his place: he's an employee, and he's been offered a job elsewhere that he thinks is better...

[roelf]

It's natural to be disappointed, but it's no surprise. Put yourself in his place: he's an employee, and he's been offered a job elsewhere that he thinks is better...

Different if your employer trained you for 5 or 6 yrs and this was the first year after you completed this training.

[zeux]

It shows why this New Policy is very dangerous. They want to build a strong team by letting it grow over time with youth players. But as soon as they have one great year, they move along. So you will never build a strong competative team, because the young players just don't stick around long enough when they mature.

[Orange14]

It shows why this New Policy is very dangerous. They want to build a strong team by letting it grow over time with youth players. But as soon as they have one great year, they move along. So you will never build a strong competative team, because the young players just don't stick around long enough when they mature.

I guess I disagree, it's more a result of the management disruption over the past several years and not paying attention to contract extensions. By all rights, Anita's contract should have been extended last summer or January at the latest. They seem to be taking care of business now with a bunch of extensions in the past couple of months.

[Tom_]

Different if your employer trained you for 5 or 6 yrs and this was the first year after you completed this training.

Yeah, I don't mean to say I like it—just that we shouldn't be so surprised any more.

[zeux]

It shows why this New Policy is very dangerous. They want to build a strong team by letting it grow over time with youth players. But as soon as they have one great year, they move along. So you will never build a strong competative team, because the young players just don't stick around long enough when they mature.

I guess I disagree, it's more a result of the management disruption over the past several years and not paying attention to contract extensions. By all rights, Anita's contract should have been extended last summer or January at the latest. They seem to be taking care of business now with a bunch of extensions in the past couple of months.

Extensions in contemporary football only serve to get higher transfer money, I fear. It won't keep ambitious 23/24 year olds from venturing into the international soccor world.

[aveslacker]

Hedwiges Maduro part 2?

[SPL]

signing today for 8.5m euros. Raiola is to get 1.9m euros from this transfer .I assume Newcastle are to pay this amount and it wont come from our 8.5 m.

[Orange14]

Raiola is to get 1.9m euros from this transfer ..

What a great way to make a living!

[Tom_]

I would happily retire on that.

[rjf1]

Nah -- if you had that you would want more -- it's the human condition -- more, more, always more -- never satisfied.

[Amol]

As someone said earlier, this is going to turn out to be a 'Maduro' move. Plain stupid.

[Philippe]

Don't blame the guy, fight the system. Hope Enoh will be back soon.

[Amol]

Don't blame the guy, fight the system. Hope Enoh will be back soon.

I am not blaming him for screwing Ajax. Ajax will recover from this loss.

I think he just put his career into tailspin.

[rjf1]

They never seem to learn from the errors of those that went before.