We all remember that great Champions League side of a few years ago that was agonisingly knocked out in the semi-finals by Tottenham don’t we? Well, keep remembering, because it’s unlikely Ajax will get close to this anytime soon.
Three defeats out of three has left the club bottom of the Champions League standings and has outlined major defensive frailties.
A 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the club’s opening game was more or less to be expected. However a 4-0 loss to an average Marseille side, before a 5-1 humbling at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, barring a miracle, has more or less sealed the club’s fate.
Much Improvement Needed To Make An Impact
If the club is going to make a dent in Europe this season, or even qualify for the Europa League (which would be saying something), they are going to need to pull something out of the bag.
Ultimately though, at the back, they just cannot cope. Exposed all too easily against an albeit, second string Chelsea side, with an inexperienced teenager playing as the lone striker, who even got on the scoresheet. Even his replacement, Tyrique George, (another teenager with even less experience) notched.
In Croatian centre-back, Josip Sutalo, the club does have a very capable defender, though, those around him just aren’t good enough. There is a considerable gulf in quality from the days of Thomas Vermaelen and Jan Verthongen – even throw in Matthijs de Ligt.
It also says a lot when veteran striker Wout Weghorst was the only scorer and merely courtesy of the penalty spot.
Simply put, the quality is not there and a club that has earned a glowing reputation developing some of the best players in Europe and which has modelled itself on ‘total football’ over the years is failing to live up to its brand
A Club Evidently In Transition
What does appear to be obvious to the trained eye is that this Ajax side is one that is lacking identity at the minute and has been almost haphazardly pieced together. For the time being.
Give it a couple of years. At youth level a lot of work is being done to bring through the next generation that can hopefully be moulded into a group with the talent to replicate the Champions League semi-finalists of the 2018/19 season.
Oscar Gloukh – a summer import from RB Salzburg showed glimpses of quality against Chelsea and is someone that the club will likely want to build a team around. The 21-year-old will only get better.
While there were a handful of youngsters who started and then appeared at Stamford Bridge, there are also quite a few out on loan who we may well see over the next 12 months. Yes, the club’s Champions League ambitions are more than likely over for this year, though there is certainly the talent coming through over the next couple of seasons to really make an impact in the not too distant future.