02 DEC 2018; Ajax - ADO den Haag; Match Day 14

[Orange14]

After securing passage into the knock out phase of the Champions League, Ajax host ADO this weekend as the winter break fast approaches. This weekend will be critical for Ajax league chances as top of table PSV visit Rotterdam for a match against Feyenoord. Ideally, PSV will drop all three points to our bitter rivals but PSV always seem to find a way to win.

ten Hag really needs to start rotating the squad (I think this is his one big fault). Mazraoui has looked only average the past couple of matches and Schöne really cannot keep playing at the pace he has been asked to. I would like to see Ajax give Bayern a tough match in the Arena but some players will need rest in order for that to happen.

[Amol]

ten Hag really needs to start rotating the squad (I think this is his one big fault). Mazraoui has looked only average the past couple of matches and Schöne really cannot keep playing at the pace he has been asked to. I would like to see Ajax give Bayern a tough match in the Arena but some players will need rest in order for that to happen.

I totally agree. He needs to be smart with this. Rotate 2 players every non-CL game otherwise he'll have to rotate them because of injuries anyway.

Cerny and Wober spring to mind for Tadic and Blind/Schone.

[SPL]

Good morning all ,very early in USA.

No Ziyech but KJH for Dolberg . Dolberg still out of sorts and KJH still sharper enough although he misses more these days.

Sinkgraven is a sub which is a big surprise ,been out for months and cannot play for Jong Ajax as he over age ie 23rd birthday and you cannot play at Jong.

Lets just get 3 points and hope that mob from Rotterdam do well today

[SPL]

1-0 Neres we are on our way ,creating chances

[SPL]

2-0 Tagliafico we are on fire so far

[rjf1]

In spite of being totally dominated, ADO gets one back on a free kick (what else is new for Ajax) given for a foul that was never a foul. Ref making some questionable calls against Ajax in this game.

[rjf1]

And de Ligt with a low screamer into the bottom right hand corner restores the proper order to this game.

[SPL]

Agree it was not a foul for their free kick but Schone would have been proud of that one ,not sure Onana could be blamed.

On the play and chances we should have easily scored 6 or 7 by now.

[Orange14]

Some of the best passing of the year today. ADO are making a mistake by dropping so many players back and not pressuring the ball. this lets Ajax really get into a groove. I thought Tadic had a good case to make on a penalty when Immers stuck out a foot and tripped him but it wasn't called. Hard to tell whether Onana was properly positioned on the goal. I thought de Ligt's first shot on goal was better than the one that went in. Barring any big mistakes this match should go Ajax's way.

[Amol]

I felt bad for ADO at times in this half. Possession was at 78% at one point. This is the best half I've seen in a long time from Ajax.

De Ligt tried first with a thunderous shot with his left and got a goal from his right. It's going to be impossible to keep him this summer.

[SPL]

Donny gets the 4th then has just gone off

[rjf1]

Tadic for MOM -- what a game he had!

[Amol]

Glad Sinkgraven got a run out. Hopefully Nico didn't pick up an injury over there.

[SPL]

A very easy win should really have got 10,only time ADO looked threatening was 2 free kicks that should not have been given with 1 a goal. Becker our old boy did get clear on 90 mins but Onana blocked it.That was the sum of their threats.

Dolberg's confidence will be better for scoring but he still had a very long time injured and hasn't yet returned to his best. Tadic was superb and we must thank Southampton for selling him to us on the cheap.

I still dont know why all the top clubs want to pay 80m for Frenkie, he is a talent and very comfortable on the ball but he is still not our best player is he really better than Tadic or Ziyech? ( Matthijs is of course our best player)

6 days break now and with some with knocks its a good week to have no midweek game.

[Orange14]

A dominant game by Ajax against an ADO team that seemed to be content to stay deep and let Ajax have possession. Ajax had a fine game passing the ball and peppered the ADO goal with 30 shots. Some good saves from the ADO keeper kept the score from really getting out of hand. Good to see Sinkgraven come back onto the pitch after a year and a half out because of a knee injury.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6.5) - not sure if he had the angle wrong on the ADO goal but he came up with a couple of fine saves
Tagliafico (7) - good game on both sides of the ball
Blind (7) - had a couple of moments where he seemed to be beaten with pace but managed to intervene each time before moving up into the MF for the last quarter of the match
de Ligt (7.5) - had a rocket shot well saved before getting a goal and was defensively sound as usual
Mazraoui (5.5) - didn't have much of impact on the match
de Jong (6.5) - played much of the game as the deep lying playmaker (Schöne was injured in warmups according to the match commentator) before moving up into a more free role
van de Beek (7) - quiet for the first part of the match before getting some good runs into the box and taking a good shot for a goal
Labyad (7) - very nice match
Tadic (7.5) - really good with the ball and creating dangerous chances in the box for others
Huntelaar (6) - had some good runs but both of his tries on goal were saved
Neres (7.5) - very nice goal and had a couple of other chances to score
Wöber (6) - good play coming on in the second half and pushing Blind into the MF; needs more playing time
Dolberg (6) - one nicely taken goal and one opportunity muffed
Sinkgraven (6) - on for the final 10 minutes in the MF and good to see him play

PEC Zwolle up next before the group decider against Bayern in the Arena

[Orange14]

Tadic for MOM -- what a game he had!

Quite agree; he was dominant

[SPL]

Blind was made MOM in the Arena ,I believe, but go along with you 2 Tadic was superb. Great to see Sinkgraven back ,hope he keeps fit this time.

[rjf1]

... Dolberg's confidence will be better for scoring but he still had a very long time injured and hasn't yet returned to his best...

Coming all the way back from a serious injury can take a really long time -- mentally, there is the lingering worry that the injury will reoccur and so, unconsciously, you are not committing 100% physically. It can take months and months before that gets overcome.

[Amol]

... Dolberg's confidence will be better for scoring but he still had a very long time injured and hasn't yet returned to his best...

Coming all the way back from a serious injury can take a really long time -- mentally, there is the lingering worry that the injury will reoccur and so, unconsciously, you are not committing 100% physically. It can take months and months before that gets overcome.

We have to remember that he's only just turned 21 and he's gone from not playing for a year to 3 games in 7 days, for the past couple months. This will do him good - taking a break once in a while.

[souras84]

A couple of comments from my own point of view.

I liked that Sinkgraven came back, and in a more familiar MF role. That sad experiment with him as a LB had to end. Once we get Bande back also, oh and Veltman. It could be almost 2 starting 11 teams...

Labyad was mostly good, but sometimes he made some bad choices (a couple of shots instead of passing etc.). Clearly he's trying to be useful and prove his worth. He is a good player, but needs playing time to start to gel with the rest of the team. And I think he is a Tadic type of player. Not an exact Ziyech successor.

The DM position. It's usually more of a deep lying playmaker than a defensive midfielder for Ajax. That's good, but Schone most of the times, is slow or misses his player. Now that he didn't play, Frenkie got his position which is OK cause we were playing against an inferior team. Against a better team don't we need some kind of "pitbull" guy? IMO Donny could fill this role, but I can't see any other type of player in our squad