UEFA European League Qualifying Round Ajax - Jablonec

[Orange14]

European League draw was held earlier today and Ajax have drawn the Czech team FK Baumit Jablonec. Two way tie will be held on August 20 & 27. Don't know much about this team other than any central European team poses problems for Ajax. We'll see how this one turns out.

[Orange14]

FdB announced the same starting 11 for tomorrow's EL matchup as started this past weekend against Willem II. Fischer is fit but will be on the bench. Cerny is again in the squad!

[Orange14]

If anyone knows of some high quality streams, please post them. It looks like pretty slim pickings today at least what is up here: http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/333717_ajax_jablonec/

[SPL]

cricfree does streams,I watched the Rapid games on there and also the Jong games.

[SPL]

just checked crcifree has about 6 streams

[Tom_]

I've been having good luck with streams posted on Reddit, see here and after the game starts maybe here (think the latter is automatically generated, don't know how reliable).

Let's hope for a good match!

[Tom_]

Usual crap: can't break down a defensive team, so we chuck in 100s of early crosses which create zero danger and those ridiculous balls over the top that never make it through. Exactly the same as the AZ and Willem II games. I do not understand the logic when we don't have any good aerial players.

Hopefully we can get a goal off a set piece or something, otherwise we're just waiting for a goal or two on the counter from Jablonec.

[Orange14]

We were lucky not to concede about half way through when we didn't clear the ball and they got a solid shot that went just wide. el Ghazi made a couple of good runs and got the ball but the Czech team is doing a good job of dropping back quickly to deny any clear shots on goal. Of course they are playing the right strategy by dropping everyone behind the half way line and defending with purpose. I'm not sure we have the necessary smarts to break down this defense and get a goal.

[saddlerian]

This really ANNOYS me, the way that they try to play THE SAME way all of the time!!! If the coaches have ANY tactical nouse they would at least TRY and find another way to play!!! ALL foreign teams know how Ajax usually play so it's easy for them!!!

COME ON COACHES...SURPRISE US AND TRY SOMETHING NEW!!!!!!!!!!!

[Orange14]

COME ON COACHES...SURPRISE US AND TRY SOMETHING NEW!11111

Do others notice as I do that FdB NEVER talks with Bergkamp during matches? Hey, here's a guy who could manufacture goals out of nothing and he is never consulted during games. I've often wondered what his role with Ajax actually is.

[SPL]

More poor football by Ajax,no idea how to break down a defensive side.A laod of inexperienced kids could be out of Europe before the end of August .

[Tom_]

This is the thing I don't understand either! It's so obvious that every club in Europe knows they can beat us like this, yet we keep going out there and doing the same thing. It was revealing that FdB said this week "we prepare the same way for Jablonec as we do for Barcelona". Except if you're one of the top 5 sides in Europe I thought that attitude died out in football about 20 years ago.

Seriously wondering what the point of watching this is. It's so boring!!! I know we complained a lot in the 2000s under van Basten etc. but at least something happened in those games...

[Orange14]

finally some quick one touch passing and they break open the lock. Nice PK taken by Milik. Maybe this will open the game up.

[SPL]

penalty 1-0 what relief

[Van basten]

Maybe this will open the game up.

It won't. It's still good result for Jablonec and a dream result for FdB.

[SPL]

Sorry but that was boring rubbish. Too much back passing and sideways passing when we were only 1 up and should have been pressing for a 2nd goal would have put us in a great position .I think we will lose next week and frankly we are not fit to be in Europe at the moment.

Too late now but FDB should clear off and taken Overmars with him. 100m in the bank and nil experience and no creative players . At least Sanogo is injured.He was described by one fan as a basketball player given some football boots.

With Heits not good enough to play,Younes injury prone and Gudelj no better than Serero at least Dijks is an improvement on Boilesen.

[Orange14]

Well they did enough on defense to keep a clean sheet. The goal was well deserved as the passing was quick and the only play was to pull Klaassen down in the box. Milik kept his nerve and drilled the PK home. Play was much better in the 2nd half but there is still too much sluggish movement in the midfield and passing lanes are not created. Team seems not to have a clue other than going over the top to try to get someone in on goal. It worked a couple of times and failed about 10 fold more. We'll see if they can defend this slender lead next week.

Player Ratings:

Cillessen (6.5) - really had little to do and the only dangerous shot went wide of the goal
Dijks (6.5) - solid in all phases
Riedewald (7) - thought he did very well and tried to make things happen by going forward
Veltman (7) - good game and his play with Riedewald is getting better
Tete (6.5) - really lost his man bad at the opening of the 2nd half and was lucky the shot hit the side netting otherwise he played very well; I was wondering if FdB would sub him off after he got carded but it appears the manager has faith in him
Gudelj (6) - OK game but did concede a free kick in dangerous territory
Klaassen (6.5) - played hard all game long and was the most advanced of the midfielders, had a chance to double the score late in the game off a Dijks cross but couldn't head it down
Bazoer (6.5) - improving with every game, he was a little quicker with his passing tonight
Sinkgraven (5.5) - perhaps the poorest performance of all the starters
Milik (6.5) - tried to create space in the middle of the attacking third with mixed results, drilled the PK home with authority
el Ghazi (6) - did well on beating the off sides trap on long balls but not able to do much once he had an opening, tracked back well on defense to help out
Schöne (6) - one free kick opportunity and helped control things down the stretch
Cerny (5.5) - on late for el Ghazi and had one tantalizing move to break free at the goal line

Away at Nijmegen on Sunday to NEC

[Rooie]

Deeply depressing performance against a very poor opponent.

[Tom_]

With Heits not good enough to play,Younes injury prone and Gudelj no better than Serero at least Dijks is an improvement on Boilesen.

After three games I have *no* idea why Gudelj is playing for Ajax. I think he passed the ball to an opponent every time he had it in the first half tonight. I would prefer to see Schöne or Serero. Maybe he'll get better but I won't be surprised if his Ajax career follows the Duarte trajectory.

We are a poor team with boring, defensive tactics these days. Sigh.

[Orange14]

Cerny is out and Younes is in the selection for the return tie against Jablonec in the Czech Republic. Who will FdB start on the left wing in this match?

Selection:

Jasper Cillessen
Ricardo van Rhijn
Joël Veltman
John Heitinga
Riechedly Bazoer
Viktor Fischer
Daley Sinkgraven
Arek Milik
Davy Klaassen
Amin Younes
Yaya Sanogo
Lasse Schöne
Anwar El Ghazi
Jairo Riedewald
Kenny Tete
Nick Viergever
Nemanja Gudelj
Diederik Boer
Mitchell Dijks

[rjf1]

Scoring an away goal should be good enough to see us through to the next round -- they would need to score 3 unanswered goals to overcome us if we were to do that. Hoping for the best...

[Dave the mac]

Looks like I should be able to watch this one. Looking forward to it!
The line-up has no surprises.

[Orange14]

it looks like they are playing on a school yard pitch; very small stands.

[Dave the mac]

Close to HT, very defensive looking so far...about what was expected I think.
Jablonec will have to turn it up in the 2nd half, and that's when Ajax will get em!

[Tom_]

Hopefully in the second half we'll play MORE long balls and early crosses. Can't wait!