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NOS Football•
National coach Louis van Gaal will have looked with some concern at the top of the Eredivisie between Ajax and PSV (1-2) on Sunday afternoon. Nine players from the pre-selection started the kick-off, six at Ajax and three at PSV. The level of the Ajax players in particular was worrying, two weeks before the World Cup. Van Gaal will announce his final World Cup squad next Friday.
With Kenneth Taylor, Davy Klaassen and Daley Blind, there were three internationals on the bench at Ajax, of which Blind did not even play at all. At PSV, Guus Til had to make do with a role as a substitute.
‘Simons removes all doubts’
PSV player Xavi Simons played a strong game and that may have given him that push towards the World Cup. “If Ajax-PSV was still about who does and does not go to the World Cup, then he has removed all doubts,” said Ibrahim Afellay. “It cannot be that Simons does not go to the World Cup”, Arno Vermeulen also thinks.
‘Can’t be that Xavi Simons doesn’t go to World Cup’
“He’s a great kid,” says Rafael van der Vaart. “He keeps working, working, working and is fantastic on the ball too.” Pierre van Hooijdonk agrees: “Such a type, so technically gifted. There are few who do so much work.”
‘He wasn’t Brobbey’
Where Simons may be considered one of the winners of the match, Ajax striker Brian Brobbey was perhaps one of the losers with a view to the World Cup. The striker of Ajax is one of the doubtful cases. Maybe it’s between him and Vincent Janssen.
Arno Vermeulen is firm: “If you are invisible in such a match… Brobbey will not go to the World Cup, I think.”
‘Brobbey was not Brobbey against PSV’
“He was not Brobbey,” says Van Hooijdonk. “Of course he was dealt with a lot, but was also involved in those disturbances. Perhaps the tension became too much for him. I think he is a really good player, but it is not a good signal to the national coach. He wants to see a player who is in control .”
Afellay disagrees: “You shouldn’t write him off based on one match, but judge him over a longer period. I think Brobbey is better than Janssen and would rather take Brobbey to the World Cup.”
Look below at the other fragments about Memphis Depay, Justin Bijlow, the riot at Ajax-PSV and the regular sections End Signal (about Henrik Larsson) and Korte Corner, this time provided by Jan Mulder.
