OK fellas, I finally got round to watching the Ajax/AZ game this afternoon. First thing to say is it was a very enjoyable game from a tactical/technical point of view. As far as players go, there were several that were easy like and a couple that are very loveable. Stengs excited me. That combination of athleticism, pace, beautiful technique, vision and movement. The obvious comparison is Sane, both in appearance and style somewhat.
In all honesty there's a bunch of players from this game I think would easily be upgrades on some of the fucking dimwitted bumblers we we've been watching - but likewise, I think both of these coaches I would happily see in our dugout rather that Mourinho (or Poch). I think both of you -
RESPECT THE COCK
reachingforthestars
- are harsh on Ten Haag, I think the fella has to virtually reinvent his side every 12 months after losing their best players, especially last summer when they lost a very talented spine. It's incredibly hard to combine a very proactive brand of football and also be impregnable at the back when you can't go and spend money on top quality experience to help and you are depending largely on very young players - I don't think Ten Haag is a fraud like people like Roberto Martinez or Marco Silva - and despite the challenges - he might not be the messiah either - but I'd happily give him a crack at Spurs (in the right set up geared toward his football). I think he's a good coach, who can clearly communicate with players what he wants. And he has won that Eredivise two years running now, playing a good brand of football.
Right now, after one proper watch, I would take AZ's front three over Ziyech, VDBeek, Promis. In fact, I actually think that AZ team is a better balanced team generally than the one Ten Hag has at Ajax right now.
It's almost heartbreaking, because it's a pleasure to watch a young side like this (and Ajax recently too) play clever football, well coached, nicely balanced, and you just know it's going to get gutted soon.
Slot intrigues me - I've watched fuck all of AZ but had heard he was doing a good job from a couple of dutch journo's on a couple of pods. I read some stuff about his methods (same stuff
RESPECT THE COCK
was referring to) I also looked up their possession stats just to get a flavour - he's clearly also a proactive/progressive type of coach, so it impressed me how tactically well drilled defensively they were away at Ajax. but then they do have the perfect set up - I liked all of that front group - Stengs, Boadu, Idrissi - For a bunch of young guns, there's a really nice blend there, Idrissi also technically very good and seems to have brain, and Boadu's movement is good, technically seems OK. Need to see more of them but liked all three, really liked Stengs.
Really liked what I saw of Wijndal, gets forward well and gets his head up when he gets there, played a couple of beautiful balls into the box - passes not crosses - both into the stride of the oncoming players runs - should have been buried but for good saves from Onana. But I think every full back in this game would be an upgrade on our bunch. I'd probably take both keepers too.
I also still quite like the look of Lisandro Martinez - seems like a decent iteration of the slight but tenacious footballing busy cunt.
reachingforthestars
- I've yet to watch Koopmeiners in midfield, but I quite liked him as a LCB in this game, you can see he's a game reader (lazy comparison but he reminded me a bit of Vertonghen) and organiser of those around him. Possibly not the most comfortable under press, but his technique and passing out were reasonably composed.
I even quite liked Midtsjo.
PSV/AZ tomorrow.