After taking the lead early on through Santiago Gimenez, Ajax hit back in the first half through another Mexican in Edson Alvarez and then Dusan Tadic.
Feyenoord fought back in the second half though with Sebastian Szymanski levelling the tie with Geertruida then getting the winner in the 84th minute.
This victory will come as no surprise to fans of the Dutch game though as Feyenoord have been rising steadily across the last couple of seasons through revered coach Arne Slot.
Slot inspired his side to third place last season as well as an impressive run to the inaugural final of the UEFA Conference League where they were unlucky not to beat a stern Roma side led by Jose Mourinho.
They had numerous chances in the final to get a result but just could not find the back of the net in what was a superb display.
The spine to that impressive team was dismantled in the summer with the likes of Luis Sinisterra, Marcos Senesi, Bryan Linssen, Tyrell Malacia, Frederick Aursnes and Cyries Dessers all moving onto pastures new.
Feyenoord decided to invest the money they recuperated for these outgoings in a range of unearthed talent with the likes of Danilo, David Hancko, Quinten Timber, Javairo Dilrosun and Oussama Idrissi all joining. Smart business indeed.
This makes it all the more impressive that Slot has taken his side to new heights this season. The tactician puts an emphasis on keeping the pitch as wide as possible in attacking situations while making sure every player is ready to work for the team out of possession.
Slot also likes his midfield players to push as high as possible when attacking and suffocate the opponents backline. This has led to Szymanski and influential captain Orkun Kokcu’s goal outputs drastically increasing.
Although they play a pleasing brand of football, Slot demands his players work for each other and don’t give up in tough situations which is why they have been so difficult to beat this term.
Slot is also a man manager expert as he has brought in out of form players in Idrissi, Dilrosun and Jahanbakhsh and has given them confidence which has led to brilliant on field results.
This emphasis on quick transitions was evident to see in Feyenoord’s recent dismantling of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League. The midfield and front line wreaked havoc as they put seven past the Ukrainian side.
Now in the quarter finals, Slot has his chance to take revenge on last season’s Conference League winners Roma. This could be a cagey affair but Slot will aim to get a positive result at home where the hostile environment at De Kuip could give his side that extra push.
Domestically Feyenoord sit top of the pile, six points clear of Ajax. With a relatively easy run in, slot may just bring that elusive Eredivisie title back to the club since a Dirk Kuyt inspired side won it in 2016/17.
The success Slot has achieved both domestically and continentally has led to rumours that he is being courted by a number of top European clubs. Don’t be surprised to see Slot in the dugout of a Champions League side next season if he successfully brings the title to Feyenoord.
Although it will be difficult to achieve, Slot and Feyenoord are still on for a treble this season with league, cup and the Europa league all up for grabs. If he manages to bring home even one or two of these trophies, Slot will live long in the memories of the Feyenoord faithful. Only time will tell.
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]]>The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.
Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Ajax are close to securing their 36th Eredivisie title as they are four points ahead of PSV with just three games left in the campaign.
Manager Erik ten Hag has already been announced as the next man in charge at Manchester United, and it seems many players could follow him out of the club this summer. Here are a few of the Ajax players who could leave in the next window.
Ryan Gravenberch
Gravenberch has attracted interest after impressive displays for both club and country over the past two years. The 19-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 season, and it is likely that the club will sell him this summer after he revealed that he will not sign a new contract.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Liverpool both showing interest. Still, reports have stated that Gravenberch favours a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Bayern have reportedly already placed a bid worth £12.6 million, but Ajax rejected it as they want a minimum of £21 million.
The Dutch international has made 30 league appearances, scoring twice and assisting his teammates five times. He has won the league title twice with Ajax and won two Dutch league cups. He was also part of the Dutch under-17 side that won the U17 European Championship in 2018.
Noussair Mazraoui
With the 24-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer, Mazraoui has been on the radar of many teams across Europe.
Bayern are once again favourites to sign to right-back on a free transfer, but he has also been linked with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona, who signed their current full-back Sergino Dest from the same club.
Bayern have either played Benjamin Pavard at right-back or opted to play with three central defenders to accommodate their right-hand side. Julian Nagelsmann wants the deal to be secured sooner rather than later as Mazraoui is yet to choose his preferred suitor.
The Morrocan international has played in 23 league games this season and played in all of Ajax’s Champions League fixtures. He has nine combined goals and assists this season and has also shown he can play in central midfield.
It seems like Antony could be Ajax’s big cash cow for the summer as the Brazilian winger continues to excite fans with his silky performances on the pitch.
Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern, and Manchester United have been battling for Antony’s signature, with Juventus rumoured to have joined the potential bidding war in recent days.
The 22-year-old has scored 12 times and racked up eight assists in all competitions this season. His impressive performances in the Champions League helped Ajax win all their six group games, with big wins over Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund.
He has been integrated into the Brazil squad after manager Tite admired his club performances. Antony played in nine of Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers, starting in the final two, and scoring twice. He was also part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo last summer.
Despite openly wanting a move away from the club in January, Tagliafico has played an important role in Ajax’s domestic campaign this season.
The Argentine had his heart set on a move to Barcelona to join Xavi’s revival at the club, but the move could not be completed before the deadline. He expressed his disappointment in his current side for not doing more to get the transfer completed, and he will likely once more seek a move away in the summer.
It is unclear whether Barcelona are still interested in the left-back, but Chelsea and Atletico Madrid have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old.
Tagliafico played five times in Argentina’s recent Copa America success but only made nine appearances in the World Cup qualifiers due to various injuries.
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]]>Manchester United last won the Premier League title back in 2013, and their progression since then has been way below-par by their standards.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure from the Red Devils after 26 years in charge would prove to be a big wake-up call for the Red Devils, with the Scotsman winning 38 trophies during his tenure. His fellow countryman David Moyes was the man appointed to take the reins, but he left after just nine months.
The managerial appointments that followed would have some form of success, with both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho winning silverware during their time, but they will now go their fifth season in a row without a trophy. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as boss ended just under three years after his return to the club, with Ralf Rangnick filling in as interim until the end of the season.
However the German has been unable to change their fortunes before the end of the campaign and United are now searching for their next permanent manager, with Ajax’s Erik ten Hag being the highly speculated name to be the next in line to take charge of the second most successful team in English football.
Ten Hag is a former centre-back who spent most of his playing career at FC Twente. He took charge of Dutch giants Ajax towards the end of 2017, with de Godenzonen reaping the rewards ever since.
In his first full season in charge of the club he led them to their first Eredivisie title in five seasons, having previously fallen short of PSV and Feyenoord. They also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League thanks to wins against the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, but they failed to reach the final as a result of Lucas Moura’s dramatic 96th minute winner for Tottenham Hotspur at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
The following season was ended early due to the Covid-19 pandemic and despite Ajax finishing first before play was halted, they were not awarded with their 35th title. However they were able to reach such an achievement last season when they stormed the league once again, and they are on course to win it once more this year.
It has been heavily reported in recent days that ten Hag is soon set to be announced as the new permanent United manager, thus ending his four and a half year spell at the Dutch side. A huge job lies ahead of him, with the squad seemingly showing a lack of spirit and desire throughout much of their campaign.
It remains to be seen just how successful an appointment it could be for the Red Devils, but Prost International’s Alex Jones has followed his and Ajax’s progress for many years and has a good idea of how his tenure in Manchester could pan out.
“Erik ten Hag is one of the most intense managers you’ll find. He’s only focused on performances and results. He can’t have one without the other. Even if Ajax win a game 8-0, he’ll point out what his side did wrong before highlighting what they did well.
“He’s not at all emotional. He’s very much focused about the here and now. From Go Ahead Eagles to Bayern Munich II, then back to Holland with Utrecht and then to Ajax. It’s been a form of continuous progression. He’s done that with Ajax too, taking them from a side that have always competed at the top end domestically but fallen short in Europe, to a side that have totally dominated domestically and been a regular threat in the latter stages of the Champions League.
“When thinking about his progression, moving to Manchester United makes a lot of sense. But in a lot of other ways, it doesn’t.
“There are a lot of similarities between Ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick. They’re both pretty dry personalities with very intense ideas about style of football, pressing, tactical shapes, etc. Rangnick has flopped at Manchester United. Will Ten Hag be different?
“Possibly, but it involves a total overhaul of the squad. The board, advised by Rangnick, have to do what Ten Hag wants. This involves sensible spending, rather than marquee, “PR signings”. The squad needs to be full of hard workers, rather than personalities. That’s crucial to any success he’s going to have.
“Tactically, it makes sense. Ten Hag prefers an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation, which is a system that suits the players at Manchester United. But they’ll have to become a possession heavy side, and their running stats will need to be through the roof.
“To summarise: yes, this appointment could be a masterstroke. But the same could’ve been said with José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. They’re now trying a totally different formula of football to those two, one that they’ve tried in the last few months under Rangnick and hasn’t worked. So the board have to adapt to Ten Hag rather than vice versa, or it’ll just be a repeat of previous appointments.”
A huge summer transfer window awaits United, but then again you could have said the same about previous campaigns. The signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane last year brought optimism to the fans, but they have failed to have had as big of an impact as many would have expected.
There is no doubt that ten Hag has the ability to help turn United back into a force to be reckoned with but his first season in English football will be a big step to overcome. League success may also be more of a long-term target for the 52-year-old, with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool dominating the Premier League in recent years and showing no signs of slowing down.
The Ferguson years brought constant success, so fans are far from used to a lack of trophies and therefore frustrations have been showing for some time now. It may be a slow process should he arrive, but such patience may prove to be incredibly worthwhile if he is able to deliver a league title or cup triumphs.
Only time will tell if he is the man to lead their resurgence but should the appointment fail to work, then United may soon run out of options, and their wait to compete at the top of English football once again could be extended even further.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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]]>Ajax put Sporting CP to the sword in their opening game of the Champions League group stages, coming out as 5-1 winners at the Estádio José Alvalade.
The hosts qualified for Europe’s top competition after winning their first league title in 19 years, ending the duopoly of FC Porto and SL Benfica in Portugal’s top flight. As a result, Rúben Amorim’s side returned to the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2017/18.
The Lisbon-based side were placed in Group C alongside Borussia Dortmund, Beşiktaş and Ajax, the latter of whom were the first team to make the trip to the Portuguese capital in this year’s competition. De Godenzonen were placed in pot three despite winning the Eredivisie title in convincing fashion last season, setting up a mouthwatering champion versus champion tie.
After an underwhelming performance in their 2-0 win at PEC Zwolle over the weekend, Erik ten Hag was desperate to see his side improve ahead of their first European game of the season. This was evident right from the off, with Ajax looking to assert their dominance as soon as the referee blew his whistle.
It took just 64 seconds for the visitors to take the lead, with Antony’s deflected shot bouncing off the post, allowing Sébastien Haller to head the rebound into an empty net. This was just the start of a historic night for the 27-year-old, who was finally given the chance to make his Champions League debut.
Goalkeeper Remko Pasveer was keen to keep his side playing on the front foot, launching a pinpoint long-ball to Antony on the right flank. The Brazilian winger sped in behind Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Rúben Vinagre, squaring the ball to Haller for a simple tap-in to double Ajax’s lead.
The goalkeeper position at Ajax has come under scrutiny in recent months. The club opted against signing a replacement for André Onana, who continues to serve a suspension for his doping violation. As a result, Maarten Stekelenburg and Jay Gorter stepped into the first-team picture in his absence.
However, both were injured and unavailable to be named in the squad, forcing 37-year-old Pasveer to make only his second-ever Champions League appearance.
It was his error that allowed Sporting back into the game, as a mix up with Lisandro Martinez allowed Paulinho in to place his effort underneath the shot-stopper from a narrow-angle. This was the hosts’ first shot on target of the game and seemingly presented them the chance to mount a comeback in front of their expectant fans.
While an Ajax side of old may have crumbled under the subsequent pressure, ten Hag’s current squad went up another gear instead. Antony breezed past his man to set up Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park, with the youngster threading new arrival Steven Berghuis through on goal to restore Ajax’s two-goal advantage five minutes before half-time.
Haller went on to complete his hat-trick just six minutes after the break, once again dispatching a low cross from Antony to make it 4-1. He wasn’t satisfied with just three goals, however, picking up Noussair Mazraoui’s pass into the box to fire Ajax’s fifth goal of the night past a helpless Antonio Adán in the Sporting net.
This was exactly the performance that Haller needed, joining Marco van Basten as the only other player to score four goals on his Champions League debut.
The Ivory Coast international has struggled for form since moving from Frankfurt to West Ham in 2019. His subsequent return to the Eredivisie with Ajax hasn’t seen him produce the attacking returns that were expected of him, and the club’s fans have called for him to be dropped from the starting line-up.
This isn’t necessarily his fault. De Godenzonen aren’t used to playing with a target-man striker, and he doesn’t fit the club’s mantra in regards to their transfer business. Haller is in the prime of his career, and should theoretically be playing at the top of his game but this hasn’t been the case in the last three years.
Ajax fans don’t expect that level of performance on a weekly basis, especially in a division where their side can comfortably win league games without moving out of first gear. However, his increased presence up front could see the Dutch champions become a real threat on the continental stage.
Of course, Haller will take the plaudits for his astonishing Champions League debut but he was far from the only standout in the visitors’ team.
Antony was heavily criticised for his showing against Zwolle, with Ten Hag telling the press that “maybe he forgot how to play for Ajax on the plane back from Brazil”. His pace and dribbling proved impossible for Vinagre to handle, and his two assists were the least he deserved for his incredible performance on the right flank.
Davy Klaassen’s injury has been a colossal blow given his form for club and country, but it has presented Berghuis with a chance to play in a new central position. His controversial move from arch-rivals Feyenoord was a huge risk, but his link-up play with Gravenberch, Dusan Tadic and Antony is further evidence that it will pay off.
Ajax’s league and domestic cup performances are a formality at this stage, despite the increased pressure from PSV Eindhoven. Their results on the international scale are what the fans are focused on. The club has only progressed from the group stages once since 2006, and there is a genuine belief that they can replicate their run to the semi-finals from 2018/19.
While they might not get quite as deep into the tournament as they did that season, the expectation is for them to improve their status on the international stage. The four-time Champions League winners want to be a regular in the knockout stages of Europe’s top competition, and performances like that will go a long way to making that a reality.
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While their last Champions League title came all the way back in 1995, Ajax are undoubtedly European royalty.
In a side headlined by Johan Cruyff, De Godenzonen won the European Cup three times between 1971 and 1973. Despite their success in the mid-90s, Ajax have since struggled to establish themselves as a top team on the continental stage.
They now find themselves in the Europa League, having been eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages. Erik ten Hag’s side were put up against Liverpool, Atalanta and FC Midtjylland, but a defeat to La Dea in the final game saw them exit Europe’s top competition before the knockout stages.
This means that Ajax have only qualified for the round of 16 once since 2005/06.
But the Europa League provides a much better chance for De Godenzonen to win their first European title of the 21st century. While they went on an incredibly run to the semi-finals in 2019, Ajax’s team is considerably weaker after losing many of their star players.
Academy graduates Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong left for Juventus and FC Barcelona respectively after their performances in the Champions League, while Donny van de Beek left the following season to join Manchester United.
But now there’s a new generation of youngsters coming through at De Toekomst, most notably 18-year-old Ryan Gravenberch. The midfielder has drawn comparisons to Paul Pogba and looks incredibly likely to make the Netherlands squad for the European Championships this summer.
Perr Schuurs has also stepped up the fill the void left by Mathijs de Ligt in the heart of defence. The 21-year-old joined Jong Ajax from Fortuna Sittard in 2018, but has since made the step up to become a permanent fixture in De Godenzonen‘s senior side. However, he won’t feature on Thursday due to a knee injury.
Ajax’s form has been superb. They’re unbeaten in 2021, with their last defeat in any competition coming against Atalanta in the Champions League in the start of December. They comfortably saw off Lille and Young Boys in their last two Europa League ties, an impressive feat given that both are top of their respective leagues.
They now face Serie A side AS Roma, who’ve struggled for form in recent weeks after dropping down to seventh in the league. I Giallorossi have drawn one and lost two of their last three league games, including a humiliating 2-0 defeat away at struggling Parma in mid-March.
Their European exploits, however, have been much more successful. Paulo Foncesca’s men comfortably dispatched of Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 32 and round of 16 respectively, beating both sides by a 5-1 aggregate.
Roma will be without Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Chris Smalling, Max Kumbulla and Stephan El Shaarawy due to injury, while Rick Karsdorp also misses out after accumulating too many yellow cards. Foncesca has confirmed that both Jordan Veretout and Edin Džeko will start in Amsterdam, while Gonzalo Villar and Roger Ibañez will be available again after missing the draw against Sassuolo through suspension.
Ajax’s absences are perhaps more concerning. De Godenzonen incredibly failed to register January signing Sébastian Haller for their Europa League campaign, while star goalkeeper André Onana is serving a one year suspension after a doping violation.
Alongside Schuurs, Ten Hag will also be without Noussair Mazraoui and Daley Blind due to injury, while Sean Klaiber may also miss out after becoming a father in midweek. While they look light defensively, Ajax have depth up front to replace Haller, with Brian Brobbey or Dušan Tadić likely to step in instead.
A semi-final clash against Manchester United or Granada awaits the winner of this tie, but both sides will be fully focused on Thursday’s clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Ajax heavy favourites to qualify for the final four, but Roma’s impressive European form proves that they’re a huge threat at this level and cannot be underestimated.
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Are there any comparisons between the current Aston Villa side and Martin O’Neill’s impressive squad from 2007-10?
Luke Young played for Aston Villa between 2008 and 2011, making 89 appearances in total as O’Neill’s team finished as high as sixth in the Premier League. Pat Rowe had the opportunity to speak to the 41-year-old about how the side he played in compares to the current crop.
Dean Smith’s current Aston Villa side have been a joy to watch, which in recent years, isn’t something Villa fans have associated with the club and Premier League football. With optimism going into every game, free-flowing football and some genuinely quality players, watching Villa is arguably the highlight of every fan’s week in these dark times.
With this success, comes obvious comparisons to the most successful Villa squad in the modern Premier League era. Martin O’Neill’s Villa squad from 2007-2010 qualified for European football three times, as well as reaching a League Cup final.
Are there any similarities between the current Villa team and the successful team of the late 2000s? There is no better way to find out than to speak to former England and Aston Villa right-back Luke Young who was a vital part of the success.
Young played 75 games for Villa, including 34 appearances in the 2008/09 season which saw Villa enjoy competitive campaigns in Europe, with specific reference to a historic 2-1 win at home against an Ajax team which featured future star Luis Suarez. Young outlined the mentality of that squad during that time.
“Looking back on the 2008/09 season I think we were pretty confident going into games, knowing the squad had finished 6th the season before we knew we would win more games than we would lose.
“One thing the manager demanded was that we had a go to win every game, which meant generally it was great viewing for the fans and with so many great attacking players, we played to our strengths.”
Immediately, this draws similarities to the current Villa squad, with heavy wins over Liverpool and Arsenal already this season. It doesn’t matter who Villa play; both the fans and players go into each game believing they can come away with all three points.
This current Villa side are competing with the likes of Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Chelsea in order to finally bring European football back to Villa Park. Young outlined his experience of European football at Villa.
“The European nights at Villa Park were fantastic that season, especially the Ajax game. The atmosphere that night was electric. Ajax had a team full of stars in the making and we played well for the 2-1 win… Villa are a good squad that can maybe push for Europe this season, but I do worry about the inconsistency in results.”
If Villa wish to push on and qualify for Europe, they must eradicate performances like West Ham, Brighton and Burnley.
In the 2008/09 season the squad was riddled from head to toe in quality, but a specific standout performer was Young’s namesake, Ashley Young, who won the PFA Young Player of the Year. The 41-year-old sees similarities in the effect on the team Jack Grealish currently has for Villa to what Ashley Young produced over a decade ago.
“Ashley Young won PFA Young Player of the Year that year, he was tremendous, assisting and scoring some really important goals. Although different players, Jack Grealish this season is the same.
“He is the talisman of the side, a special player that would probably get into every team in the league. Villa will have to fend off some massive bids in the summer for him and if he continues his current form he will be close to the individual accolades at the end of the season.”
This is high praise from the former Villa right back, and he shares this opinion with many. Grealish will certainly be in the conversation come the end of the season, and that alone is an honour in itself.
Young made seven appearances for the England national team. Making his debut on the 28th May 2005 as a sub in a 2-1 win against the USA. Being an England international himself, does Young deem any of the other members of this Villa squad worthy of an England call up?
“Villa have a good nucleus of English players in the side, I’m sure my old Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate will be watching closely. Already in the squad there’s Grealish and Mings and I’ve been impressed with how quickly Watkins has settled into Premier League football, if he continues to score goals he won’t be far away from a call up.
“Matty Cash has been excellent, he’s probably unlucky positionally as right back is England’s strongest strength in depth position. Add to this list Barkley, Konza, and Targett. Villa Park would be a great place to take a game in for the England manager.”
The all English backline have certainly impressed many this season and it will be interesting to see whether or not England manager Southgate has taken notice.
Finally, there are many comparisons of these teams and similarities we can make, but the obvious question to ask is head to head, which team would win?
“I think the 2008 side would come out on top in my eyes. The squad from 07/08 through to 09/10 came sixth three years in a row, so proved we were one of the better teams in the league. Back then the top three or four were real power houses in the league making it almost impossible to break into.
“I’m excited for the next couple of years to see this Villa side grow together and hopefully challenge for European positions and cup silverware.”
Young quickly became a fan favourite due to his performances in a Villa shirt. His contributions and insight into that Villa squad are invaluable.
The entertaining performances have given Villa fans a welcome distraction during lockdown, and with the current Premier League season seemingly never failing to surprise, a strong second half to the season could have fans dreaming of European football returning to Villa Park.
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]]>It compares the club’s young players to stones, labelling them as “rough” and “uncut”, but explains that they’re “polished under the highest pressure” until they become diamonds. They then move on, and the next generation arrives to follow the same process.
It’s a symbol of Ajax’s identity, the way that they’re run and have built their success over the years. Their academy, De Toekomst (which translates to ‘the future’), is at the heart of everything they do. 18-year-old Ryan Gravenberch is one of the best examples of that.
He features in the video alongside two of the club’s other young stars, Mohammed Kudus and Antony, but there’s a key difference between Gravenberch and his featured teammates.
Kudus started his career at the Ghanaian football academy ‘Right to Dream’, before moving to Danish club Nordsjælland in 2018, and then to Ajax two years later. Antony built his way up through São Paulo’s academy in his native Brazil, playing 42 games for the senior side before joining Kudus in Amsterdam in the same year.
Gravenberch, on the other hand, is a graduate of Ajax’s esteemed academy, having joined at just eight years old. Ten years later and he’s playing a crucial part in the club’s Eredivisie and Champions League campaigns.
A 6’3” midfielder, Gravenberch was singled out as the brightest star in the club’s academy when he won the inaugural “Abdelhak Nouri Trofee” in 2018. He signed his first contract with de Godenzonen in June that year, making his professional debut two months later in Jong Ajax’s 5-2 win against FC Dordrecht in the Eerste Divisie, the Dutch second tier.
Almost exactly a month on from his first professional appearance, he was brought into the first team for their clash against PSV. Ajax went on to lose 3-0, but Gravenberch really hasn’t looked back since.
His meteoric rise highlights him as a poster boy for what Ajax stands for. The club’s CEO, Edwin Van Der Sar, once said that “Ajax aren’t afraid to give people an opportunity to start playing. If you’re good enough, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, you’re in the team”. Gravenberch fits that mould to a tee.
His Eredivisie debut against PSV saw him become the youngest player to feature for Ajax in the Dutch top-flight. He was 112 days younger than Clarence Seedorf was when he made his debut against Groningen in November 1992 at just 16 years and 242 days old.
Seedorf went on to take the number eight shirt a year after his Ajax debut. The same number worn by the likes of Frank Rijkaard, Edgar Davids, Christian Eriksen and the legendary Johan Cruyff. It now belongs to 18-year-old Gravenberch.
He has remained almost omnipresent on the left side of the midfield trio in Erik Ten Hag’s 4-3-3 system this season. His role is incredibly important but unimaginably difficult. When playing alongside two attack-minded midfielders in Davy Klaassen and Zakaria Labyad, he often has to sit deep when Ajax push forward in case they get hit on the counter.
One of the things that impressed me the most when watching the 18-year-old was how calm he is on the ball. Ajax play an incredibly progressive and attacking style of football, which focuses on quick passes and sharp transitions that slice through the opposition. As a result, they often find themselves being pressed hard into making mistakes and being exploited defensively. This can really be seen in their recent 2-1 defeat at home to FC Twente.
As one of the youngest first-team regulars in the lineup, opposition players can often be seen targeting Gravenberch when he’s on the ball. They try to force him into giving away possession and setting up a counterattack of their own. However, his quick and composed decision making has become a feature of why he’s such a crucial part of this Ajax side.
Some of the more senior players in the team often try to pick him out when they’re under pressure themselves because they know that he has the passing range to get the ball out of trouble and further up the pitch. That’s an incredible weight to bear for such a young player.
On top of his defensive importance, Gravenberch has shown that he can contribute going forward as well. In his nine Eredivisie appearances last season, he scored two goals and got one assist. He’s yet to score in the league this season but has three assists to his name, as well as a goal of the season contender in Ajax’s 3-1 Champions League win against FC Midtjylland.
That confidence at both ends of the pitch is incredibly rare for such a young player. He embraces the significance of his role with immense maturity and composure. His standout features have even drawn comparisons to Paul Pogba, but having come through at De Toekomst, it feels like Gravenberch has a much higher ceiling than the Frenchman.
At age 18, Pogba was scrapping and clawing for any opportunity in Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side. At the same age, Gravenberch is a first-team regular for Ajax in the Eredivisie and the Champions League, receiving a call up to the Netherlands senior squad for the first time in November 2020 as a result.
That depth of experience at such a young age is invaluable. The fact that Ajax give their youth players such a huge platform to play at the highest level is why so many of them reach such incredible heights throughout their respective careers.
The club will be under no illusion that Gravenberch will leave the Johan Cruyff Arena at some point over the coming years, but the colossal transfer fee that they’ll inevitably receive will help to bring through the next cycle of young players. The next set of stones to be turned into diamonds. The next ‘Amstergems’.
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]]>To be fair, it just a little bit over a month, so no wonder we’re still reeling from it. And yet, here we are today, getting ready for yet another Champions League season bound to have twists and turns and dramatic outcomes.
Full group stage draw
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moscow
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Group C: Porto, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, Midtjylland
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, Rennes
Group F: Zenit, Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv, Ferencváros
Group H: PSG, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, İstanbul Başakşehir
Group C seems like a breeze for Manchester City.
Porto has been having an uneven Champions League run in the last couple of years, mostly either making the round of 16 or the quarterfinals.
Last year, they were unable to even reach the Champions League group stage, after being quarterfinalists the year before.
However, if their Primeira Liga start is of any indication (scoring 8 goals in 2 matches), they mean business this year.
Olympiakos’s most notable result in recent years had been knocking Arsenal out of the Europa League, but you’d have to go all the way to the 1998-99 season to find a better result than making the round of 16 in the Champions League.
Olympique de Marseille are happy to still be able to brag that they are the only French team to have ever won the Champions League, but other than the win in League 1 against PSG, in a match where red and yellow cards flew, just like the multiple accusations of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and discrimination, their results aren’t particularly notable.
The 2017-18 Europa League final against Atlético Madrid showed some promise, but then the next year, they couldn’t even make it past the Europa League group stage.
Predicted placements: 1) Manchester City 2) Porto 3) Olympiakos 4) Marseille
Group D is pretty much the miracle group.
Liverpool won the Champions League in the 2018-19 season, 14 years after the Miracle of Istanbul. Ajax had a formidable Champions League run in the same season, eliminating both Real Madrid and Juventus, while Atalanta reached last season’s quarterfinals, after it seemed almost a given that they wouldn’t even advance from the group stage.
Their rebirth was also backed by a Serie A performance which saw them finishing third, with 98 goals scored. Midtjylland is also making their Champions League group stage debut, after an impressive play-off win against Slavia Praha. Ajax, however, didn’t really live up to the expectations, only finishing third in their group in the past season and losing against Getafe in the Europa League.
It has to be said though that within the last two years, they’ve lost players like Dest, van de Beek, Ziyech, de Ligt, and de Jong, so it’s understandable that they need more time to rebuild that team of youngsters we all loved to see.
Traore, Antony, Martinez, and Kudus will fight to fill that void though scouts will be watching them. Between Atalanta and Ajax, the second place is pretty much a matter of flipping the coin, but I’m giving the edge to Atalanta because their offensive threat can make the best defenses crack.
Predicted placements: 1) Liverpool 2) Atalanta 3) Ajax 4) Midtjylland
Article and pictures courtesy of Alexandra Fechete
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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]]>The score was already 3-0 when Suarez came on for Diego Costa in the 70th minute of the game and it was a debut to remember. He provided an assist for Marcos Llorente and score two of his own to set the score at 6-1 in Atletico’s favour.
The Uruguayan set two records that evening. He became the first player to score and assist on their La Liga debut for Atletico Madrid in the 21st century, but also the first debutant to score a brace on their debut for the Red and Whites.
1 – Luis Suárez has become the first player to score and assist on his LaLiga debut for Atlético de Madrid in the 21st century and also the first debutant to score a brace for the Red-And-Whites. Spectacular. pic.twitter.com/UnDpb3CZoz
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 27, 2020
This record begs to see what El Pistolero has done on his previous debuts for the number of clubs he had played for in what has been a fantastic career.
Groningen
His debut game for Groningen was in the Eredivisie against Feyenoord which only resulted in the then 19-year-old having two minutes on the pitch so we’ll move onto a game which saw Suarez have a bit more time on the pitch.
Sparta Rotterdam was his next game in which he played after missing games against NEC Nijmegen and Heracles Almelo.
And his first start in the Eredivisie went well, Groningen won 1-0 with Suarez assisting Stefano Seedorf for the winning goal in the 87th minute.
That season saw the Uruguayan score ten goals in the league and assisting six times, before making a permanent move to Dutch giants Ajax.
Ajax
Ajax paid €7.5 Million for Groningen’s talisman which saw the Uruguayan move over to Amsterdam in the Summer of 2007, and what a decision it was by the Ajax board.
De Graafschap was Suarez’s first game in the Eredivise for his new team and what a debut it was for the striker. Suarez played the full 90 minutes, scored a goal and assisted three in the 8-1 demolition of De Graafschap.
This debut started a meteoric rise for Suarez. 17 goals and 14 assists in his first season for the goal-hungry striker which helped Ajax pick up an average of two points per game. The Amsterdam side finished second however, three points behind that season’s Eredivise Champions, PSV Eindhoven.
Liverpool
January 2011 saw the arrival of Luis Suarez to Liverpool for £22.8 million, but he wasn’t the main attraction at Anfield that day, it was Andy Carroll who also moved to the Merseyside club £35 million.
27 minutes into his debut and the Reds striker had already claimed his first goal. He came on in the 63rd minute for Fabio Aurelio and scored in the 79th after a Dirk Kuyt assist. A perfect debut for Liverpool, a win and a goal for El Pistolero.
Suarez finished on four goals and five assists in the 13 games he played in the Premier League that season. Liverpool only finished sixth that season, 22 points behind Champions Manchester United and four points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Barcelona
More or less forced out of the club as he wanted to move away from Anfield, Barcelona called the striker and he took his chance. Suarez joined that Catalan Giants for £65 million in July 2014, but would have to wait until October to make his debut, after a four-month ban following his bite on Giorgio Chellini in the World Cup.
Suarez’s debut came away at Real Madrid in El Clasico. He played 69 minutes that evening and assisted Neymar’s goal which came in the second minute of the game, but from that point onwards it went downhill.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema saw off the threat from Barca and Los Blancos went onto win 3-1, the only defeat Suarez has ever suffered on his debut.
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