21 JAN 2024; Ajax - RKC Waalwijk; Match Day 18

[Orange14]

We move into the 2nd half of the Eredivisie season with a home game against RKC. Ajax are in fifth place, five points behind AZ who lost to Twente over the weekend. 2nd place Feyenoord also dropped points. It's going to be a tough slog to move up the table, but I am always the optimist that Ajax can run the table and surprise us all.

[SPL]

Sutalo doubtful with calf injury Gaaei and Vos will likely play for Jong on Monday after injuries.

Avila has injured his knee and its feared it is a cruciate knee ligament.If it is he wont play this year . 12m for him was a dreadful waste and overpriced but sadly we wont get much back for him

[SPL]

Twente lost today so we win this game and we are 6 points behind 3rd place.Positive thinking.

[Orange14]

AZ also dropped points, just saving a tie with a 93rd minute goal off a corner. Chance to move up tomorrow!!!

[SPL]

AZ scrape a point so win tomorrow and its 6 behind 3rd place and 3 behind 4th Just have to win of course.if we do then that 3rd place CL spot is looking very obtainable.

[Orange14]

PSV finally drop points with a 1-1 draw at Utrecht.

[Tom_]

We could be within touching distance (21 points) if we win today!

[SPL]

Lets just win today and we are then 6 behind Twente(Next week they are away to Feyenoord so should drop more points)

Looks like Medic will replace injured Sutalo today but still a woeful MF.

[SPL]

Akpom and Sosa also injured so Gooijer and Martha FB's and Rensch CD

[Orange14]

Goojier instead of Medic in the starting lineup. Martha for Sosa

[Amol]

1-0!! Great ball by Berghuis into Bergwijn.

[Amol]

Awful cockup in our defense leads to an RKC equalizer.

1-1.

[Amol]

Great ball to Brobbey from Taylor, who in turn fends off his marker, turns into space and smashes it into the net past the keeper. 2-1!!

[Orange14]

Martha has just been horrible. It's like he falls asleep and loses position. Taylor has been alright with some nice passes. The second Brobbey goal is what we expect of a good striker. Of course this team needs a three goal lead to make things comfortable.

[Amol]

Is Kaplan fit enough to play 1 half? He could (in theory) slot into LCB with Hato replacing Martha. Martha indeed is prone to mistakes.

[Amol]

Hlynsson!! 3-1! RKC keeper didn't even move for some reason.

[Amol]

Ended up 4-1.

Would it be too crazy to start dreaming of us ending in the 3rd or 4th spot at the end of the season?

[Orange14]

Despite continued frailties on defense, Ajax get four nice goals for a 4-1 win. they pick up oints on both AZ and Twente who dropped points on Saturday (as well as PSV who only drew today but their 21 point advantage over Ajax is insurmountable barring an epic all-time collapse). Brobbey with two good goals but a very poor PK that denied him a hat trick.

Player Ratings:

Ramaj (6.5) - made a couple of good saves but was involved in the screwy scramble that conceded a goal in the end
Goojier (6) - decent enough first start but came off in the 2nd half with a knock on his knee (hope it is not serious)
Rensch (6.5) - solid defending as he moved to the center in Sutalo's absence, and he had a good deep penetration that almost led to a goal
Hato (7) - Cal Ripken streak continues and he had a couple of last ditch saves when those in front of him did not do their job
Martha (4) - very poor defending and just fell asleep letting his man get in clear on Ramaj
Tahirovic (5.5) - better game but the bar is so low for him and Henderson will slikely slot in this position
Taylor (6.5) - decent game with some nice passing on the day
Hlynsson (6.5) - very nice goal, curling it in as the keeper's view was obscured
Berghuis (7) - worked hard all game in possession and finally rewarded with the 4th goal
Brobbey (7) - have to take off a half point for a very pedestrian PK but otherwise really good performance
Bergwijn (7) - delivered that pass for Brobbey's first goal and tracked back well to help out Martha who really needed it
Gaaei (5.5) - didn't make any mistakes finishing up the game for Goojier
Forbs (5.5) - on late but had a real good run with the ball into the box
Banel (NR) - on late

Away to Heracles next Saturday

[SPL]

A comfortable win in the end but our defence still looks dodgy and will be far more tested against the top 4. Martha cannot defend and really is not good enough. MF too light still but I was expecting Taylor to give way in the last 10 mins or so for Fitz-Jim or Misehouy

4 well taken goals and we are now indeed 6 points behind 3rd place .I dont dream of 3rd place as a win in Almelo next week and Feyenoord beat Twente and we are only 3 points behind .I do expect Henderson to make a big difference to Mf and hopefully take pressure off defence a bit more. Would still like a quality experienced RCD in place of Sutalo.

8 wins and 2 draws since van't Schip took over but much harder games are coming up.

[SPL]

I should have added at 3-1 Bergwijn should have taken the penalty would have been 4-1 and game over .A weak pen by Brobbey and RKC could easily have made it 3-2 and it would be game on .

I say I would like a quality RCD ,Rensch ok and no worse than Sutalo.Gooijer was as good as Gaaei at RB but we need to buy a LB,Martha a joke at that position but Sosa cannot defend.

At least if Henderson is available next week we dont see Tahirovic ,we can then get rid of him

[Tom_]

I got a crappy stream so not much to say about the game, except that it’s good to see Brobbey keep scoring. I thought his penalty was OK, it was in the corner but the keeper guessed correctly.

[Amol]

Brobbey is indeed coming into his own. Until a few months ago, he would back into the defenders and forget to turn and move away from them. For the past couple months, he has figured out the best way to do that. Back into the defenders and then as you receive the ball, push away from them and run into space. His 2nd goal yesterday exemplifies this. Once, he improves his heading ability, I think he's the complete package.

[Tom_]

He shoots with both feet too. I love seeing that, it makes him so much harder to defend.

[Tom_]

I watched the highlights, Hato and Ramaj really made a mess on the RKC goal. But for me the scary thing is how easily RKC played the ball through the MF. Tahirovic and Taylor couldn’t stop a chicken from getting a law degree!

[SPL]

Agree Tahirovic likely to disappear now Henderson is here. Taylor is invisible most games and Fitz-Jim is not worse.