02 SEP 2019; Vitesse - Ajax; Match Day 4

[Orange14]

Off to Arnhem on Sunday for a match against Vitesse. If my memory is correct, Ajax dropped both matches against them last season. PSV have a short turn around with a Saturday match against Willem II.

[rjf1]

PSV beat Vitesse 6-1. This is really starting to get old. Matchday 4 of the season and already we are chasing PSV just like we did all last year, and no matter what we do they are always one step ahead. It's like a recurring nightmare.

[Ayman]

Oh Gawd! van de Beek is on the bench, yet again!

[Orange14]

PSV beat Vitesse 6-1. This is really starting to get old. Matchday 4 of the season and already we are chasing PSV just like we did all last year, and no matter what we do they are always one step ahead. It's like a recurring nightmare.

They beat Willem II; Ajax play Vitesse

[SPL]

2-0 great start, I am working through cricfree's 7 links got one which is about 1 min behind so saw the 1st goal and now KJH

[rjf1]

PSV beat Vitesse 6-1. This is really starting to get old. Matchday 4 of the season and already we are chasing PSV just like we did all last year, and no matter what we do they are always one step ahead. It's like a recurring nightmare.

They beat Willem II; Ajax play Vitesse

Ooops -- too busy venting to realize my mistake, I guess.

[Amol]

I just turned on in the 12th minute and we're up 2-0.

[rjf1]

What a nicely made goal for the 3-0!

[SPL]

3-0 another lovely goal game really over now ,we are on fire

[Amol]

3-0!!

[Orange14]

No complaints about this half of football. Good offensive thrusts and more than adequate on defense. A little sloppy at times with the ball and I worry that Onana will pull and Allison (see the Liverpool highlights from yesterday) and concede the ball when he should kick it away sooner.

I too wish van de Beek would play but not sure who would sit down.

[SPL]

Great 1st half 3 well taken goals and we can relax. Vitesse always a team we struggle against so lets go and win 5 or 6 nil

[Ayman]

I too wish van de Beek would play but not sure who would sit down.

Schone obviously! He can't last a full 90 minutes week in week out, he should be on the bench.

[WP_Legend]

Not that obvious... I think Vd Beek is the ideal sub, good all-rounder.

[rjf1]

I really liked the way the boys played for the first 30 minutes where every play was like a fast break in basketball and the Willems couldn't keep up. We were moving the ball from A to B to C to D while Willem's players were still reacting to B. At about the 30 min mark, or so, we started slowing down -- which is only natural considering you can't go all out like that for an entire game -- but it did allow the Willems to build a little momentum of their own. I think for the first 15 mins of the second half we should play like we did for the first 30 of the first half -- after that we should be able to coast over the line. Had to chuckle about the Onana comments -- it was exactly what I was thinking.

[rjf1]

Beautiful combination play for the 4-0!!

[Amol]

Wow - that was an amazingly quick counter for the 4-0. The boys are looking really hungry.

[SPL]

A very comfortable win and the game was over after 20 mins when we were 3 up. Ten Hag has got a lot of critics but he has got us through 6 CL qualifiers and we are playing good fast moving football . Shame we did not beat Heracles but we are finding goals easier now in the league.

2 week break now for Internationals. I am off to watch 4 days of cricket this week as our summer winds down.

[Orange14]

It looks like this team is being built to be dangerous on the counter rather than quick passing in the midfield. I'm not sure that this is a recipe for long term success as it's not the way the youth program at Ajax is structured. A 4-0 win is always welcome but it could have and should have been more commanding than that. I want to see quicker decision making in the MF rather than players dwelling on the ball. Some very sloppy play in the second half and a fusillade number of shots from Vitesse came in only to be parried away by Onana. With the exception of those called up for international duty the club has two weeks off before hosting Groningen.

Player Ratings:

Onana (8.5) - wanted the clean sheet and got it with some saves worthy of the best keepers
Tagliafico (6) - sloppy defending at times and was not the outlet he had been in past games
Blind (7) - fine match and some very nice passing out of the back
de Ligt (8) - immovable force on the back line
Mazraoui (7) - good match defensively but didn't have much chance at all to go up the pitch
Schöne (7) - good in the holding position
de Jong (7) - smooth game in his usual manner
Ziyech (7) - nicely taken first goal but some of his passes were way too strong
Neres (6) - very quiet and came off early as a precaution
Huntelaar (7.5) - two well taken goals and some very nice runs that were narrowly off side
Tadic (7.5) - strong match
van de Beek (6) - unfortunate in the box with the ball
Eiting (6) - decent enough
Wöber (6.5) - on to play center back and did well

Still two points behind PSV but an early season match with the league leaders in Eindhoven is on the schedule. We'll see what this club is made of at that point.