19 APR 2015 Ajax-NAC Breda Match Day 31

[Orange14]

Still clinging by a thread for the fifth league championship in a row Ajax take on NAC with only four matches to go in this season's Eredivisie. Ajax need four points to secure second place from Feyenoord and entry in the CL qualification rounds this coming summer. After another plodding performance by Sigthorrsson I want to see Zivkovic at striker in this match!!

[souras84]

We have to sell Siggy, so let him play and (hopefully) score again.

[Amol]

Fischer is in the squad for this game. Finally!!

Hopefully he gets a few minutes.

[SPL]

Good news Fischer in the squad ,bad news Zivkovic is not . Given we are almost certain to finish 2nd and Siggy is hopefully leaving Zivkovic should be in the squad.

I am going to watch live cricket tomorrow so will tape the game and watch it another day. Hopefully a win which will just about make 2nd certain.

[Orange14]

Feyenoord drop all three points to Go Ahead Eagles. By my figuring a draw is enough to lock in 2nd place. I agree with SPL that Zivkovic should be in the match day squad. I really wonder if this is another example of FdB's petty disagreements with a player.

[Tom_]

What about a nice 6–0 for something different?

[rjf1]

Yaaawwwnnn.

[Orange14]

Another half played at the speed of an alpine glacier. Other than Sinkgraven and occasionally Andersen everyone is just too slow on the ball. No desire to push forward which of course is typical of this team. Is there a goal to be found in this match?

[Tom_]

Andersen our best player in the first half, which tells you what you need to know I guess

[Orange14]

Yaaawwwnnn.

Absolutely, time to take a nap!

[Tom_]

Great to see FdB change his tactics for this one—normally, by this stage we'd be pinging long balls at van der Hoorn...

Maybe he thinks it's not worth the risk though, pretty important that we hang on to this precious point at home to the #16.

[Tom_]

We did it! What a performance!

[Amol]

We did it! What a performance!

Agreed 100%.

We had our best performance for the year and were able to sneak away with a 0-0 draw at home against the #16 in the league.

[Orange14]

A lifeless draw played at the speed of flowing molasses. With an opponent that was not especially quick or good on the ball why wasn't a high pressing game employed? This team is not deserving of second place but I guess with every other team below them in the table equally bad it is what it is. The only players above average in this match were Cillessen, Moisander and Veltman. el Ghazi did push things but still continues to believe he can beat two defenders every time - message alert: he cannot. Each team had an excellent chance in the run of play but failed to convert and in the end a draw is the only fair result. With second place all but assured, it's time for FdB to bring some player into the starting 11 who will show some passion.

Player ratings:

Cillessen (7.5) - not a bad play all match but was extremely lucky that the NAC striker made a hash of an open goal chance
Riedewald (5.5) - slightly above average with no glaring mistakes
Moisander (6.5) - good defending and tried to move forward when there was an opportunity
Veltman (6.5) - good defending
van Rhijn (4) - dismal match in all categories, when a cross was needed he failed to deliver
Klaassen (4.5) - half point for getting his head on the ball off a corner but otherwise poor match, very poor passing
Bazoer (4) - very slow on the ball and full of wild shots on goal, corners were awful
Sinkgraven (4.5) - half point for a very good free kick but didn't accelerate the pace of the game
Andersen (4.5) - had to finish his chance and didn't; too many poor passes
Sigthorrsson (4) - why oh why wasn't Zivkovic in the lineup? Our Icelandic plow horse doesn't deserve to be on a football pitch
el Ghazi (4.5) - half point for pushing forward but usually the result was dismal
Fischer (5) - good to see him back on the pitch
Serero (5) - average and nothing more
Kishna (5.5) - did show some passion that has been lacking in recent games.

Still need one more point to convincingly win second place and I'm sure it will come in one of the remaining games but all of us supporters really have to question whether it's worth watching any of them.

[Orange14]

Maybe I'll join SPL and start watching cricket matches, they must be more exciting than Ajax football matches!!!

[Tom_]

Orange, you just became the first person to use 'flowing' to describe our football this season! ;)

[Orange14]

Orange, you just became the first person to use 'flowing' to describe our football this season! ;)

Do you know what molasses are? It's a very thick syrup that is derived from sugar production and commonly used in baking here in the US (don't know about whether it's used much in Europe or not). It flows a little faster than an alpine glacier!!

[rjf1]

... With second place all but assured, it's time for FdB to bring some player into the starting 11 who will show some passion.

From where I sit, the lack of passion starts and ends with the FdB philosophy of football strategy and tactics.

[ajaxusa]

I did not watch this game. I got up early and looked briefly for a SOPcast, didn't find one, and thought "Eh, why bother?" I watched a rather boring Premier League game instead, and judging by what I see here, I didn't miss much. The transition from champion to boring also ran is having a negative impact on me. I'm less willing to make the extra effort required to watch a game that's not on regular TV. And at the beginning of the season, I thought this would be a good year to come back to Amsterdam for a game. It's been about four years! Now, I'm not so keen. We are going to Hawaii instead. Good choice, I think.

[SPL]

Well I enjoyed my cricket ,sitting in the sun. Kept up to date with the game but clearly I made the right decision to miss it. The game was on live and I taped it but wont bother.Thats the first time this season I have not watched a game.I will see out the remaining 3 games but just cannot wait for the season to end.

We need 1 point but we should put out more kids for the rest of the season. v d Beek ,Tete and Zivkovic should all play. I just hope that Siggy is dropped and does not even sit on the bench.

[Tom_]

Sorry about the sarcasm earlier but it is frustrating to watch us play so defensively at home against #16 when there is as close to nothing at stake as possible.

Do you know what molasses are?

Haha, yes, I was trying to join in on your joke about "flowing like molasses"... at least they're FLOWING!

[Amol]

A lifeless draw played at the speed of flowing molasses.

We use the term 'molasses in winter' up here in the North East. That will describe the current Ajax game better in my opinion.

[Dave the mac]

Wow...that was really bad. Ajax at the moment cannot even beat, or score against, NAC at home.... I feel bad for the fans at the Arena. The team plays with no sense of urgency, until the final 10 min. It's seems to have been that way for some time. No change of tactics or players, so predictable, so boring.

Was a beautiful day here in Seattle and went for a hike this morning. Thanks to ngsn.com, here in the States, we can watch every Eredivisie match every week, whenever we want. I watched PSV play late Sunday afternoon, then Ajax.
PSV is very much a deserved Champion, and fun to watch, unlike the brand of Football Ajax now plays. I will of course watch the remaining matches, but as others have said, am looking forward to the end of the season.
Wow 0-0 vs NAC...wtf?

[aveslacker]

Maybe I'll join SPL and start watching cricket matches, they must be more exciting than Ajax football matches!!!

Cricket is actually pretty cool, even though the state of governance in the international game is every bit as depressing as soccer.

[Orange14]

A lifeless draw played at the speed of flowing molasses.

We use the term 'molasses in winter' up here in the North East. That will describe the current Ajax game better in my opinion.

I do a lot of baking these days and keep my bottle of molasses in the fridge. Pouring a couple of tablespoons is like watching our Icelandic striker run up the pitch!