This season so far has been just the antidote needed to wipe away the disappointment and embarrassment of the 2023/24 campaign. It seems there has been improvement in the team’s form at home and abroad.
A defeat on the night but progression in Europe
Francesco Farioli’s team suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Belgian team Union St. Gilloise on Thursday night in the Europa League play-off round second leg. However, the team’s 2-0 win from the first leg helped the Dutch giants progress 3-2 on aggregate after extra-time.
Farioli’s team didn’t make progression easy, though. They endured a disastrous first half that saw Kevin Mac Allister score before Davy Klaassen was dismissed for a deliberate handball, with Promise David dispatching the resulting penalty.
The second half was slightly fractious, with a brawl between both sets of players in the second period, which spilt over into the dugouts, with substitute Jordan Henderson even receiving a yellow card for his part in the scuffle.
Jordan Henderson getting booked from the bench in Ajax’s Europa League clash vs Union Saint-Gilloise 😤 pic.twitter.com/z43k4wZhYz
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 20, 2025
He received his seventh yellow card of the season before coming off the bench to help his team progress to the next round. However, the home team needed extra time to see off their Belgian opponents. The Amsterdammers eventually won it courtesy of a Kenneth Taylor penalty early in the extra-time period.
The Europa League campaign hasn’t all been plain sailing for the Dutch giants. The play-off tie wasn’t either. They made it more challenging than it needed to be, and it was arguably one of their poorer performances of the campaign so far.
Still, Ajax is safely through to the next round of the Europa League and will look forward to going deep in the competition. However, they will have to up their game if they are to be realistic contenders for the trophy this season.
What a turnaround this season
The turnaround in Ajax this season is incredible. They have gone from a disconnected team that looked like strangers on the pitch to a functioning outfit that looks capable of winning football matches and maybe even silverware this season.
Ajax are top of the Eredivisie table, two points clear of reigning champions PSV Eindhoven, with a game in hand on the champions. The team from the Dutch capital are now major favourites to win the Eredivisie title, which is incredible considering how last season went.
It would be a massive achievement for Francesco Farioli’s team to end the season as Dutch champions. All through the campaign the Amsterdammers have had question marks over whether they could mount a realistic title challenge in season 2024/25.
Their current position suggests that while they are in no way well clear at the top of the table, they are in a healthy position to be in at this point in the season.
This season’s results and performances have shown just how big an effect a fresh managerial approach can have on a team. Many club observers considered Farioli’s appointment a risk.
However, the outside-of-the-Ajax-box thinking has led to a winning formula. Previously, the Dutch giants seemed to be obsessed with appointing head coaches who had connections with the club.
When in truth, Ajax just needed a clever tactician who could come in with a fresh eye, even if they hadn’t represented the Dutch giants on the pitch.
Even if Ajax don’t end up winning silverware this season, the Italian has transformed the atmosphere at the Dutch giants. He has re-established the standards at the club, with which the team should perform, and has gone a long way to helping everybody connected with the Dutch club to forget the poor 2023/24 season.
He has brought calm to the team and laid the foundations from which the team can move forward in future seasons. For such a young coach, he has done exceptionally well in his most significant role yet. Hopefully, he can continue in his current vein and guide his team to silverware, if not in the current campaign in seasons to come.
It will take a lot of time to take Ajax back to their former glory days. However, this season’s performances and results so far have the team moving in the right direction, at least.