07 AUG 2016 Sparta-Ajax Match Day 1

[Orange14]

Get ready to rumble!!!! The Eredivisie kicks off this weekend ahead of a lot of the other leagues. Ajax travel to Rotterdam to take on newly promoted Sparta. How will the Bosz contingent do in the league this season? Let's hope for a livelier performance than the almost brain dead FdB team of the last campaign. In the US we still don't know if NGSN will resurrect themselves and provide high quality Internet feeds or whether we will have to scrounge around for streams.

FORZA AJAX

[SPL]

Just seen we are on the Sky red button ok so cannot wait to see the game. Watching all league games on sky last year did spoil me .

[Orange14]

Just seen we are on the Sky red button ok so cannot wait to see the game. Watching all league games on sky last year did spoil me .

You are indeed lucky. So far there are no commercial feeds available in the US. The Spanish language station will probably carry PSV games again because of Moreno and Guardado. We are still waiting to see if NGSN comes back from the dead to carry all the Eredivisie matches. That really spoiled me and others over here as all the matches were archived and you could watch them over again. There are some reports that the service will be back up at the end of August but I am not optimistic.

I wrote to Fox last year asking if they would carry the Dutch games over the Internet here but got no response. They are the parent company of Sky.

[Ayman]

Peter Bosz should use this game to experiment with the team further, perhaps, Bazoer can come into play, and Cerny on the left flank, Dollberg can get 45 minutes of playing time and so can Cassierra in the No. 9 position. of course would be nice to see Sanchez and/or de Ligt come on at some point (youngest player to come on at 16 would be cool)

[SPL]

Vital to start with a win. Riedewald back in CD with Veltman Tete Dijks. Gudelj Bazoer Klaassen MF with El Ghazi Cassiera and Sinkgraven on leftwing, upfront.

I am on sky but as usual cricfree has several streams.

[Amol]

Lineup -
Cillessen
Tete,
Veltman,
Riedewald,
Dijk,
Bazoer,
Klaassen,
Gudelj,
El Ghazi,
Cassierra,
Sinkgraven

I'm actually not sure if we are going to play a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 with Sinkgraven out wide. Will be interesting.

[rjf1]

Both PSV and Feyenoord have won, so it is essential that we come out with a win. I watched the Feyenoord game -- they look they are going to be real contenders this year.

[Tom_]

Bosz says 4-3-3 with Sinkgraven on the wing.

[Amol]

Bosz says 4-3-3 with Sinkgraven on the wing.

Just saw that as well. El Azzouzi starting #9 for them.

HUP AJAX!

[Orange14]

Wow, great cross from el Ghazi, Klassen nails the header.

[Amol]

Here we go!

0-1 Ajax.

I still don't understand the system being employed. Sinkgraven is playing much further inside and backwards than a normal winger would.

[SPL]

lovely goal from Klaassen. Riedewald's superb ball to El Ghazi whose cross was headed in.

[SPL]

Now a howler by Cillessen

[Tom_]

OG Gudelj...

[Amol]

Gudelj with a lovely tap in to beat Cillessen on the wrong side of the pitch.

1-1

[SPL]

Yes it was Gudelj's fault looking at it again

[Tom_]

Did Casierra just hit *both* posts?

[Amol]

Did Casierra just hit *both* posts?

Yup bar and post. How did that not go in?

[Ayman]

I don't know why Gudelj is playing. He is not good enough. van de Beek is more effective

[Tom_]

Agreed, still don't know what the point of Gudelj is.

It's nice that we're moving the ball quickly. But we are having the same problem as always, that we can't get the ball through the middle of the pitch where the spaces are small (Sparta are playing all their MFs about 30–40 m from their own goal). I think Sparta are pretty happy to let us move the ball to the wing and cross, it's not that dangerous. I'd like to see a fourth MF to see if we can break through the middle with some quick passing.

[Orange14]

Right after the goal Ajax concede yet another cheap one. Gudelj has to do better if he's going to try to clear the ball and I don't know if Cillessen slipped or not but he should have done a lot better as well. IMO, it's time to get rid of Sinkgraven. He's a one footed player and as he showed last season he cannot play on the wing. Dijks has been quite poor as well on the left side. Bazoer is looking a lot better so far but his midfield mates are lacking in ball handling speed. I hope Ajax can grab a goal in the 2nd half as it looks like Sparta are bunkering down and looking to counter when the opportunity is there.

[SPL]

Well the last 2 posts agree with me,ok Gudelj a bit unlucky with the goal but he does nothing and I too why he plays.Cassiera also unlucky with his header hitting the bar and then post.

[Orange14]

Did Casierra just hit *both* posts?

Yup bar and post. How did that not go in?

Because we are Ajax and manage to do things like this.

[saddlerian]

Agreed, still don't know what the point of Gudelj is. It's nice that we're moving the ball quickly.................... I think Sparta are pretty happy to let us move the ball to the wing and cross, it's not that dangerous. I'd like to see a fourth MF to see if we can break through the middle with some quick passing.

Tom....moving the ball quickly?? I saw the equalising goal....must have knocked myself out cos I've just woken up!!! The TV's on loud yet the crowd "noise" and "excitement" has not kept me awake!!!

Seems to be a LITTLE quicker than FdB....but it's still bloody slow...

Can only get better!!!

[Amol]

The main difference is that Riedewald has moved back one line, so no creativity in MF now.

Why is Bazoer never tried in the DM role? I would drop Gudelj then and put Van De Beek/Sinkgraven in the left AM role and Cerny at LW.