Assessing the first half of Ajax’s 2024/25 season

After a disastrous 2023/24 campaign, the 2024/25 season always felt massive for Ajax. With the Eredivisie preparing to return this weekend after the short winter break, we assess how the season is shaping up for the Dutch giants so far, with half of the league campaign already completed.

A solid fresh start under Francesco Farioli

francesco farioli
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Some saw the summer appointment of Italian coach Francesco Farioli as Ajax’s head coach as a gamble. However, the situation was so bad last season that they needed a fresh approach.

The likes of Johnny Heitinga, Maurice Steijn and John van’t Schip all failed to get the required results with the club from the Dutch capital in recent seasons. The choice of Farioli as the team’s new boss was outside of the box, but it was necessary for the team to progress and get out of the rut of last season.

Although he didn’t have the extensive experience of some of the team’s recent head coaches, he had made a promising start to his coaching career at Alanyaspor and Nice before arriving in Amsterdam.

The 35-year-old’s performances in his former roles were enough to earn him the chance to manage one of Europe’s most historic clubs. It seems he has taken that chance with both hands and has undoubtedly made an impact at the Dutch giants.

A far brighter start to the new campaign

This season, Ajax have made a far brighter start to the campaign than last season. The whole mood around the team seems to be completely different, as last season, for much of the season, the atmosphere surrounding the club was toxic.

The atmosphere is now far more positive, and the team’s results and performances on the pitch have dictated this. In fact, Ajax have won 21 of their 30 games this season in all competitions, suffering just four defeats and five draws.

Ajax currently sits in second place in the Eredivisie table, six points behind league leaders and reigning Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. One of the key factors to the team’s improvement has been strong defensive displays. Only PSV have conceded fewer than Ajax’s tally of 16 this season in the Dutch top-flight.

The performances of young defenders Devyne Rensch, Jorrel Hato, and Youri Baas have been a major contribution to the team’s improving backline record. The team’s oldest regular starting defender is Croatian international Josip Sutalo, who is just 24. With that in mind, Ajax’s defensive record is even more impressive.

Not only has Hato been effective at the back, but the 18-year-old has also scored two goals and produced four assists this season.

The youngster often played as a centre-back last season, but during the current campaign, he has been the team’s regular left-back and has shown that he can do the job of a modern full-back, as well as doing his defensive duties. He is reportedly attracting interest from Premier League, Liverpool.

One player who has benefitted from Hato playing in his current position has been Baas, who has been one of the team’s players of the season so far. Rensch is out of contract in the summer and can sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.

The youngster’s displays this season will have certainly made a big move likely in the summer, as it seems the highly-rated youngster has no interest in signing a new deal in Amsterdam. At least he hasn’t allowed his performance levels to drop despite the fact that he will likely move on in the summer transfer window.

It could be argued that Farioli’s management has brought out the best in many of the club’s players, even if Hato, in particular, was producing strong displays last season despite his team’s struggles in the Eredivisie.

What are the realistic expectations for the rest of the season?

As much as those connected with Ajax want to believe that their team should be top dogs in the Eredivisie, after last season’s debacle, their current position in second place in the table after 17 league games is certainly encouraging for the rest of the season.

Finishing second in the Eredivisie would see Ajax return to the lucrative Champions League next season. Many will still see Ajax as title challengers, as a six-point gap to the league leaders is not massive. However, it could be overturned in the remainder of the Eredivisie campaign.

For now, though, Francesco Farioli should be praised for the start he has made as Ajax’s head coach. His job is far from over, but he has done a solid job in steadying what looked like a sinking ship for much of last season.

If he can continue in a similar vein for the rest of the season, then no doubt the team will be in a far better position to challenge for the Eredivisie title next season. That’s if, of course, Ajax don’t overthrow league leaders PSV Eindhoven and claim the Dutch title this season.

Their current situation compared to last season at the same stage of the season is chalk and cheese. There are signs of the old Ajax teams that used to win games and entertain while doing so, not the husk of a team that struggled to finish fifth place in the Eredivisie table.