Ajax is short of quality and John Heitinga is ‘a kind of dead man walking’. That conclusion is drawn at Studio Voetbal, where Rafael van der Vaart, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Ibrahim Afellay share their annoyance about the Amsterdammers.
“Ajax was not really impressive this season, but on Saturday it was really far due to the lower limit,” begins Van Hooijdonk, who was in the Johan Cruijff Arena. “Let’s not forget that NAC was doing well, but it was just dramatic from Ajax. I miss quality.”
Van Hooijdonk gives an example. “Ajax has a right back with Anton Gaaei and a left back with Owen Wijndal that everyone has not found good enough. These two players are now just in the base at Ajax. That says everything?”
“Look at Davy Klaassen. He plays as a controlling midfielder. He has to make the game, but he is not a playmaker. He can’t do that at all,” said Ibrahim Afellay, points to trainer John Heitinga. “Try to put the right players in the right position.”
Van Hooijdonk points to others. “Oliver Edvardsen is not good enough for Ajax 1. Don-Angelo Konadu only rose the field with the pupil of the week, otherwise he has done nothing at all. Forget the 50,000 people who are in the big stadium; this is just a very simple team.”
‘Heitinga Type Dead Man Walking’
Van der Vaart hurts the eyes. “If you put on that Ajax’s shirt, you just have to perform. Then you can’t be played away. That it happens is bad. What would I do if I was Heitinga? I wouldn’t be happy.” With a wink: “If I were him, I wouldn’t show up tomorrow.”
Van Hooijdonk fears ‘the worst’ for Heitinga. “You notice it in the whole atmosphere in the stadium. After the game, the players were knocked out during the honorary round. Heitinga looks like a kind dead man walking.”
Van der Vaart sees that too. “Johnny is a world goer, but it doesn’t work. Ajax should have losed 6-2 from NAC. I think: the players now have to get up. Where are those so-called Ajax players at such a moment,” he points to Kenneth Taylor and Davy Klaassen, among others. “It’s all loose sand.”
