Ajax Coaches

[SPL]

Grim is staying until winter break, which is no surprise as we will appoint a new TD first.Grim can only be an improvement over Heitinga although I was not happy with his sub use last game.

[Orange14]

This might be behind a paywall: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/693157 ... interview/ I follow Dortmund and the change in managers to Niko Kovac in the middle of last season was similar to what Ajax did when they signed Farioli and Kovac is pretty much following the same approach. He recognizes that the supporters want to have great attack football as when Jurgen Klopp managed the team but says they don't have the personnel for that. He emphasizes fitness training and rotates players so they stay fresh. He also reorganized the defense so they would be in every match.

[Orange14]

Xabi Alonso is now available and would make a good trainer for Ajax.

[SPL]

Grim sacked ,Garcia takes over. Should have been last week but now we have a real professional coach in charge and things can only get better.He will work them hard and get them fit and last 90 mins, hes already done that with the Jong team.

Feyenoord dropped points again and are still only 5 clear of us but I am now more positive about 3rd. Klaassen,Weghorst and Berghuis,hopefully wont be starting again. I think he will play with youth and Steur Mokio and Bounida will continue and hope Bouwman returns . Also see Ouazane get minutes at some point.

Paul Nuyten is Jong coach with Urby as assistant

[Ayman]

We can only pray that Oscar Garcia gets Ajax over the line. a third finish place would be fantastic! But it would be a bonus if Feyenoord finished outside the top three!

[Amol]

Garcia already appalled by the amount of training which the first team is undergoing.

[SPL]

Evidently there was a fans open day training session a couple of weeks ago and a few who went did not think much of the training. Under Grim the team is not fit enough to play 90 mins and all 2nd halfs have been dreadful .

Garcia will soon put this right ,he did so at Jong

[Tom_]

Dunno, I wouldn’t expect a new coach to come in and say “everything’s great, they don’t need me”! They have to make it sound like they’re doing something.

On the other hand we have been bad tactically, and looked out of shape physically, all season long so maybe a change will help.

It’s early days, but so far I don’t see any progress under Cruijff and co. A lot of talk but no difference on the pitch.

[Orange14]

It’s early days, but so far I don’t see any progress under Cruijff and co. A lot of talk but no difference on the pitch.

The deterioration of the club between last season and this has been absolutely stunning. Maybe Jordan Henderson along with Farioli was the glue that kept the club together last year. The fact that they have been so poor in 2nd half of games this year points to a poor training regimen which is on the manager. there was no change between Heitinga and Grim as to how to solve that problem. I don't think Cruyff can pull off a miracle in the short time he has been in charge. Whether it works out for the long term is uncertain. My only hope is that Ajax is competitive in the remaining matches. If they don't qualify for the Champions League which seems likely right now, the personnel decisions in light of the diminished funds will be interesting to see.

[Tom_]

Yep, I’d agree with all that! I only meant that I can’t see any reason **yet** to think Cruijff will be any better than what’s gone before.

[SPL]

Problem was Grim did not do too bad before the winter break and league games in January were 2 wins and a draw v GAE where we created a few chances in the 1st half and should have buried them .AZ in the cup was the big loss that month . Jordi only took over 1st Feb and clearly no new coach would be taking over and no obvious new interim .
He bought in Garcia and already he has made things in that team far better ,as I have already said.

Results in the last month have not been good but Excelsior and PEC should have been beaten easily . After PEC , probably the worst I have ever seen from an Ajax team , Jordi had to change Grim and it was Garcia or nobody.

I have faith in Jordi but it will be harder if we dont get to CL. He will bring in a Spanish coach and we will see our own youth getting more chances ,and hope he can bring in 1 or 2 experienced players ,who are not over the hill ,like Berghuis,Klaassen and Weghorst, and can guide the youngsters.

[Amol]

Ajax.nl has confirmed that we have signed Michel on a 2-year contract. I'll remain moderately excited with this signing.

Anything is better than us signing Heitinga last year. I tremble as I say that

[Orange14]

t's official, Ajax have signed a manager whose team went from playing in the Champions League to getting relegated the very next season. When you don't have enough money for Pep Guardiola yet want a Spanish trainer this is what you get. Good luck to the new gaffer and please start taking English lessons.

I wish I could share Amol's optimism. Maybe I will be surprised.

[SPL]

A case of wait and see but nothing could be worse than Heitinga or Grim. Agree about English lessons he needs to be able to communicate face to face and this point makes me doubt him.

[Tom_]

IMO the main factors are the squad, and whether the board panics and fires him in November like they do with most coaches.