So, this is going to be a tense week. A season-deciding week, and I’m a little bit scared. On Thursday, we have to beat Legia to remain in the Europa League. The Polish side didn’t look like a very interesting squad, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ajax got kicked by a seemingly mediocre team, so there’s reason enough to be a little tense. The main challenge, however, will be on Sunday in Rotterdam, where Feyenoord take on PSV.
And, let’s come clean: Feyenoord are frighteningly good. Like, really, really, good. The fact that they are as far ahead in the league-table as they are is testament of that. Because Ajax really isn’t having a terrible season. Obviously, our start was a little sh*t, but other than that and one week in December, we have been pretty consistent and winning the vast majority of our games. This includes away games against proven sh*thouses like ADO, FC Utrecht and (last Sunday) Vitesse. It has not been all bad this year.
And still, Feyenoord are five points ahead, and the only reason to assume that they’re not going to win the league is because, well, they’re Feyenoord. It’s the same situation as Liverpool back in 2013/14, when they were five points ahead three games before the end of the season: somehow, you can’t shake off the feeling that they are, eventually, going to f*ck it all up. But do we really have any reason to assume they will?
Their squad has been all-around fantastic this season. They have the best attack, the best defense and are experienced enough not to choke during the season finale. That doesn’t mean they won’t drop points in the remainder of the season, but it’s pretty obvious we won’t win everything either. And you might say: well, Lukas, stop being a pessimistic little asshole, we have been five behind before, and we always seem to come back in it.
And my answer to that is: you’re right, but have we, in any of those seasons, faced an opponent as well-organized and structured as Feyenoord? I’m afraid not.
I will keep dreaming, though. In theory, everything is possible, but I honestly don’t think it will happen. But if we are dreaming of a title, I (as a Liverpool-fan) have a small hope about how it will happen. Let me paint you a word picture.
It’s Ajax-Feyenoord. Ajax have approached the club from Rotterdam to around two points on the table. A Feyenoord-corner gets headed away by Veltman, and Feyenoord-captain Dirk Kuyt picks up the ball, but he can’t seem to control it. He slips, and starts crawling towards the ball. Bertrand Traoré, who has been shit all game, picks it up and nets it past Brad Jones. We park the bus in the remainder of the game, and Peter Bosz gets slapped by Jörgensen because he won’t return the ball right before a throw-in.
That would be one f*cking way to recover from that trauma, honestly.
