7 FEB 2018; Roda - Ajax; Match Day 22

[Orange14]

The number of remaining matches are dwindling down and so are Ajax's chances to rebound after several poor seasons and win a league title. A trip to Roda is another must win match (where have you heard that one before?). PSV with an extra day of rest are home to Excelsior and it looks like Ajax won't get any help this week. de Ligt is suspended for the Roda match. I would like to see Veltman move to the middle and our new RB Kristensen given a start.

[SPL]

very bad news ,Wober has abadly bruised ankle and wont play. Orejuela and 17 year old Mitchel Bakker in the squad.

Veltman, deJong, Tagliafico will be 3 defenders but Orejuela or Kristensen the 4th.

[Ayman]

That looks like he will play Tagliafico - Veltman - de Jong - Kristensen. Although personally I, like everyone else on here want to see de Jong further up the field, if that was the case, then Bakker would play at left back, and Tagliafico would play as centre back, which he has in the past.

[Orange14]

Anyone know when Viergever is due back?

[Ayman]

Anyone know when Viergever is due back?

He still has a niggling injury, probably won't be back, as there are too many players in front of him, he has fallen down in the pecking order. He was supposed to go to PSV in January (not kidding), but the deal fell through due to his injury. He will probably go there in the summer.

[Orange14]

Just saw that both Viergever and Sinkgraven are back on the pitch but not training with the first team quite yet. Cerny is out for the season. Back up keeper van Leer is probably also lost for the season.

[Ayman]

With Tagliafico, Wober and now Bakker in front of them, there is no place for them in the team. I thought Sinkgraven was out for, literally, the season. As for the centre of defence, it's Frenkie de Jong and de Ligt, if Ziyech gets injured, then Veltman would move from right back to centre back, and Kristensen taking his place at right back.

[SPL]

Veltman to CD and Kristensen debuts at RB .

[Dave the mac]

A reshuffled line up with all the injuries. Ajax still looks pretty strong. Comon!

[Orange14]

An ugly goal from Roda that looked offsides.

[Orange14]

That's more like the way we want Ajax to play football. Clinical finish from van de Beek from Tagliafico

[SPL]

dreadful start but a lovely goal by us.Defence looks more shaky without de Ligt

[SPL]

Well no Ajax fan will boo Ziyech tonight ,what a goal

[SPL]

2 very good goals but our defensive looks weak and a better side would take advantage.Makes me realise how much better de LIgt is compared with anyone else on our books.

Ziyech playing better tonight and a great goal

[Orange14]

Don't know if I'll be able to watch the 2nd half. All the streams are now showing other sports rather than the Ajax match.

[SPL]

KJH cool calm done nothing for 73 mins then a goal and hopefully game over.

[SPL]

Frenkie slips and gives away a goal and then the Hunter strikes again.

[SPL]

A hard fought win in the end with the old man Huntelaar showing why he is so good in the box. Couldn't believe we let them back in at 3-2 but took a minute to really finish it with the 4th.

Defence moderate, only Ziyech really played ok in MF and Kluivert had a decent game ,Neres not in it today

[Orange14]

The football gods knew better than to screw with my stream for the second half!! A brace from Huntelaar and two really nice interplays on goals (1st and 3rd) and the match was pretty much under control. Onana seemed out of sorts in goal for his poorest outing of the season. No real standouts for me tonight.

Another weird match called by Nijhuis who seemed not particularly interested in officiating only to wake up every now and then and issue a Yellow card; he didn't care about some of the persistent fouling that was going on.

Player Ratings:

Onana (5) - really not convincing in coming out just before the first goal
Tagliafico (7) - solid match and really nice pass to find van de Beek on the first goal
F de Jong (6) - poor defending on the 2nd Roda goal when he should have put the ball out
Veltman (6.5) - decent enough though he picked up a Yellow card for a stupid foul
Kristensen (6) - good enough in his first team debut; liked him going forward and he seems to know how to cross the ball
Schöne (6) - shade above average
Ziyech (6.5) - excellent shot for the game winner but several times easily dispossessed
van de Beek (6) - right place to put the ball in the net but had little influence otherwise
Kluivert (5.5) - not an impact player tonight
Huntelaar (6.5) - superb play on the goals but rather average otherwise though he was fouled quite a bit without getting a whistle
S de Jong (5) - average coming on for Ziyech
Younes (5) - had only two touches by my count
Mazraoui (5) - had one chance to do something but flubbed his line

Margin is still -7 points as PSV with a first half goal from Lozano make it stand up against Excelsior. They have a short turn around playing Sparta on Saturday with Ajax home to Twente on Sunday.

[Tom_]

F de Jong (6) - poor defending on the 2nd Roda goal when he should have put the ball out

And this was moments after he almost gave a goal away trying to dribble through 5 players in midfield. He's a good player but seems an idiot sometimes. Why would you try a stepover in that situation when the keeper is in a much better position to move the ball forward? Maybe he's desperate to be taken out of defense.

Kristensen (6) - good enough in his first team debut; liked him going forward and he seems to know how to cross the ball

Yep, just an OK performance in my opinion. Decent on defense but had a crummy game on the ball, kept getting caught in possession.