Surprising news: The Ajax trade their most talented player to another weak football team.

Surprising news: The Ajax trade their most talented player to another weak football team.

Unexpected development: The Ajax trade their best player to another underperforming team.
Regretfully, though, Ajax will not be playing in the Champions League. What an utter catastrophe! Saying what I will, Ajax is, I believe, the fifth Dutch team in a row to make the CL through preseason qualifying. It is just not possible for us. Stronger clubs are those of Austria, Portugal, and the Czech republic. Pffff… This time, I think Frank de Boer has to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

Though he chose not to play them, he had defensive tenacity with former international John Heitinga and experience (and class) with Lasse Schone. Ajax rendered their first leg against Wien laughable. They were up 0-2 at the break and might have been up 0-4. But Ajax let the home team re-enter the game. And the youthful players of De Boer committed defensive error after defensive error in the Amsterdam Arena. Inexperienced, careless, and unimpressive… These, then, were the positive aspects. While goalie Gudelj “forgot” to act one minute after equalizing to prevent Rapid from scoring their winner, poor Sinkgraven was the target of Cillesen’s wrath. How dramatic!

 

Accepting his responsibilities, De Boer said, “I made that call and I can’t start complaining about that now…” to sidestep the question, “Why not play some experienced players in these European games????” Not moaning, that is for sure! But the justification is due to the country. In what universe were you thinking?

Ajax now needs to play for Europa League qualifying, and Wijnaldum and a PSV without Depay will have to protect our honor.

This photo spread on Facebook hours after the game. Rotterdam cafes provide whole Ajax game replays Deeply evil humor.

Here’s the blackboard inviting Rotterdam fans to attend “celebrate” Ajax – Rapid Wien on the big screen.

Vitesse played Southampton to a close game at home on Friday. Clasie ruled midfield and Stekelenburg was the shot stopper, while Pelle and Tadic, who are both Dutch, played well. Koeman is now vying for Virgil van Dijk (Celtic, ex-Groningen) and his team will perform well in the EPL this season.

Feyenoord had a quiet preseason, with far too many losing games, but Gio van Bronckhorst is aware that games—wins and losses—do not matter in preparation. Expect pyrotechnics in De Kuip with Dirk Kuyt, former Ajax defender Jan-Arie van Heijden, and (former?) international Eljero Elia.

In any case, with new PSV signing Lestienne in place of Depay, we may anticipate some lightning in the Eredivisie. The Belgian forward looks amazing with his gold football earrings and well-groomed eyebrows, all a la Neymar. This youngster will fit in nicely with a string of players who, like Kazim Richards, Ole Toivonen, and Marko Pantelic before him, will keep the analysts busy. You love to despise these players.

Michiel Kramer, another obstinate Dutch talent, has chosen to play in his native country and will join Feyenoord. There were still a lot of expectations even if we lost Depay, Wijnaldum, and Clasie but added Kuyt, Heitinga, and Elia. With the previously mentioned Lestienne, Davy Propper from Vitesse, and Uruguayan prodigy Gaston Pereiro, PSV had success in the transfer market.