26 Apr 2006: Ajax - FC Groningen

[Kowalczyk]

Yep. :yes:

K.

[DanK]

Frightening to think that the team that has been playing like crap pretty much all season is now only 2 games away from a CL playoff spot (and no - I don't mean Groningen).

Hey I'll take it though :D

[Kowalczyk]

I would have preferred to play in the UEFA Cup and it would be the ultimate 'anti play-offs' statement if Groningen made it to the Champions League (mark my words: if that happens the KNVB will abandon this system immediately), BUT... now that we're here we have to do the business and go all the way. We must win it.

However, having said that, I wouldn't really mind if we lost to Groningen. Losing four games to Feyenoord would have been unacceptable and a complete disaster. We won those, which is good, and from now on I'm quite relaxed about the whole thing.

K.

[Philippe]

we need to play the CL, for the money and for the reputation, and we have to beat Groningen
we are playing much better than at the beginning of the season
and we have quite a good team now

[GangstaRiB]

Well, I'm not confident at all about Groningen. They have nothing to lose. The atmosphere in their squad must be orgasmic ;) Add to that: buijs and van der linden (Groningen-players) are former feyenoorders. And buijs showed his aggression in the competition-match Groningen - Ajax, where he chopped-up Boukhari.

Groningen is on fire and as I said, mentally they are unbreakable.

We have to win in the Arena, conceed no goal against us. And in the Euroborg we have to stay cool.

[DanK]

And in the Euroborg we have to stay cool.

Thats the important part. Groningen will be 100% attacking (I would think) at home. They are hard to beat there.

If we can get a decent result at home (and dont conceed) - we are in with a real shot.

Bring on Stam. Bring on Perez and bring on CL football next season. :D (even if it does mean playing the same broing teams again).

[Ayman]

My prediction will be Ajax 4 Groningen 1 as for the return leg, I think they will put up a brave fight, and wont give in so easily........ so it might be Groningen 2 Ajax 1, and I am being pessimistic :yes:

[carcajou]

Oh man.... We're so gonna kick their ass. I bet it'll be like 6-0 aggregate or something.

[SPL]

Will Sneijder or Trabelsi be available?? Rosales is out for 5 weeks and Maduro for 2to 4 weeks and there is no way we can risk Grygera for this week at least.

Even without the above 5 we will still have a far more experienced team out than played at Groningen the other week.


In that game Timisela,Boayke, Vermaelen( sent off) and Lindenbergh was the
defence and Anita played 90 mins and Sarpong 70 mins as sub for Pienaar.
That was the most inexperienced team we have fielded.

If we cannot beat Groningen over 2 legs every player needs shooting.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Groningen is a double edged knife, this is probably the closest they will ever be to playing in the Champions League, and those two games against us are going to be the most important in club history. I dont think their players know what it is to play in this sort of pressure, because of that i think it's going to be a blowout in our favor. But it could turn out the other way around, this team might be so motivated that they might sneak past us, think of Greece in Euro 2004 and you'll see what i mean.

Still i think Groningen will just rest on their laurels and fall to the canvas after we trow a couple of punches. :eusa_dance: ;)

[SE6Ajacied]

it would be the ultimate 'anti play-offs' statement if Groningen made it to the Champions League (mark my words: if that happens the KNVB will abandon this system immediately

Yep, that's pretty much what I said in another posting. Most of the football world outside Holland probably doesn't know about the CL play-off's but if Groningen get through, everyone will notice (and the KNVB will look very silly.

UEFA make enough fuss about their top tournement being 'devalued' when teams from so called lesser leagues make it through (and have changed the rules to make that much, much harder) so I doubt they would be pleased.....still, would be fun, and only AZ truly deserve it this season.....

[aveslacker]

THE CLASSIC 2005-2006 - The Play-Off Edition
Now available on double DVD!

K.

So nice to see that your tagline says something happy. Hopefully it'll stay that way for all of next season. :headbang:

[Philippe]

Now that the people who seemingly run the club found smart to announce in the press that Blind would be sacked at the end of this season, I very much doubt that the mood will be good.

[Neefkens]

It's NOT like that :nooo:

The Telegraaf invented the news, they have no real source, they just bring "the news". MvGeel keeps his mouth shut.

[jamcocteau]

Now that the people who seemingly run the club found smart to announce in the press that Blind would be sacked at the end of this season, I very much doubt that the mood will be good.

Once again Philippe you pick up the wrong end of the stick - if you are going to write stories like this please make sure that you write the truth. Blind came out in the press, yes Blind not the board, and stated that he felt he did not have the full backing of the board. So whose timing is bad then

[Kowalczyk]

I'm sure De Telegraaf had their 'anonymous sources' within the club, but the board definitely didn´t talk. The only man willing to react was Blind himself, who pretty much said the things that Jamcocteau posted above. He also said: "I do not know anything officially, but I have a feeling that it's over for me."

De Telegraaf are adding some fuel to the flames just before the Groningen game... I'm sure they are quite proud of themselves.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

According to the latest reports Wesley Sneijder is match fit.

Trabelsi, Grygera, Maduro, Rosales, Pienaar and Manucharyan won't play, obviously.

K.

[DrDuncan]

Great start. Rosenberg scores after 9 mins.

[Dubbel]

Yeah! Good start. Now keep it up. Sounds like Groningen is getting better though. Chance for Groningen, lucky save by Stekelenburg after a shot by Buijs. Also another chance for Markus. Ain't over yet.

[bluedaddy19]

anybody got a stream working on this one? i can't get tvants or sopcast to pick it up

[Dubbel]

No, GoalTV is black and Sopcast test Tele2 just keeps on buffering. :sad:

Listen to the radio. How is your Dutch? :D

[bluedaddy19]

GoalTV is black and Sopcast test Tele2 just keeps on buffering. :sad:

Listen to the radio. How is your Dutch? :D

quite good, but its nto the same!

[Dubbel]

Tele2 on Sopcast just started coming in. :cheer:

They seem to be switching from game 2 game. :sad:

[bluedaddy19]

Tele2 on Sopcast just started coming in. :cheer:

They seem to be switching from game 2 game. :sad:

:eusa_dance:

[Dubbel]

Tele2 is switching from Heerenveen to Heerenveen and back again. X'C

Ajax - Groningen is slowly dying out. Typically what Groningen wants so that they can score an equalizer just before the end of the match. Two new forwards substituted in for them. Babel in for Rosenberg for us. Come on Ajax, score another one!

EDIT: 2-0 Charisteas!!