Grim Trainer: Future at [Team Name]?

NOS Football•Sunday, 7:02 PM

Interim coach Fred Grim has recorded his fourth win in a row against Feyenoord in the Classic (2-0). In this way, the 60-year-old coach gives the Amsterdam club some color in a seemingly lost season full of pessimism and grumpiness.

It raises the question of whether the coach should stay until the end of the season. “I don’t know,” he said afterwards. “I have not been asked that yet and I am not concerned with that at all. I am now mainly happy for the team and the staff.”

The club management has placed Grim in charge of the group until at least the winter break and first wants to appoint a new technical director before focusing on a replacement for the dismissed John Heitinga. The search for a successor to the current technical director Alex Kroes is still not complete, although discussions have been held with candidates such as Jordi Cruijff and the Brazilian former Ajax player Maxwell.

Grim sees the smile again at Ajax: ‘Good for the club’

Thanks to realism, Grim has brought back the courage and self-confidence in the game of Ajax, now third in the Premier League, five points behind Feyenoord and fourteen from leader PSV.

The trainer revised his plans after the loss in November against Excelsior (1-2) in the Johan Cruijff Arena. “Then we tried to apply high pressure, with large spaces in the back. But that just didn’t go well at all. Then you have to make choices, back to basics and ensure that we no longer hold an open house.”

Extra defender

Now he often drops one of his midfielders back to an extra fifth defender. Ajax also often waited against Feyenoord, with only 43 percent ball possession. “Today we mainly played in a 5-4-1 formation, which we knew Feyenoord would have difficulty playing through.” According to Grim, Ajax was “life-threatening” in the counterattack.

Grim: “I’m not saying that this is my way of playing football, or Ajax’s way. But it is the way we score points together. And I think that’s what it’s all about.”

Own childhood

In addition, Grim is not afraid to bring in his own youth. For example, in the match won against Qarabag in the Champions League, two 17-year-old players were in the starting line-up for the first time in the club’s European history: Sean Steur and Jorthy Mokio. With 18-year-old Aaron Bouwman in the center back.

No fewer than five teenagers came on the field against Feyenoord, Mokio made the redeeming 2-0. “When you see how our talents have shown themselves, with brutality and flair, you can be very proud of that as an Ajax coach.” About Steur in particular: “Of course we have to be careful with him, but good enough is old enough.”

Klaassen enjoys victory over Feyenoord: ‘This almost looks like Ajax again, doesn’t it?’

To be fair, said Grim, Ajax also has to deal with quite a few injuries among its experienced players, such as Wout Weghorst, Steven Berghuis and Kenneth Taylor. “Then you look further and that gives us the opportunity to field these guys. Fortunately, we have young talents. That is what we also want at Ajax.”

The smile, the enthusiasm is back, Grim noted after winning the Classic. “There is certainly a bit more relaxation and cheerfulness. That also reflects on the audience and they really helped us through it.”

“This is very good for the club, for the rankings, for self-confidence. If we continue to gain points in this way and continue to achieve results, then you can automatically look upwards a little more. Yes, we are on our way, but we are far from there yet.”