Originally posted by Rob-hin
Ajax missed some huge chances as wel. Less then Valencia in the first half but waaaay more then Valencia in the second half.
The second half was completely for Ajax, and Valencia tried hard anyway! Ajax out classed Valencia on all fronts IMO.
Sorry but I can only recall 2 huge chances of Ajax. The goal and the shot of Maxwell that went over. Besides that Ajax only had some minor opportunities.
Ajax showed that they have induividual qualities as well as working as a team.
I have to agree with you on this point. With Pienaar, Van Der Vaart and Chivu (and may be De Jong), Ajax has players of potential World Class.
Granted that they still need to learn to use that small change and scoor. But they do have the quality to create the chances, putting them in then net will follow.
Don't forget that scoring goals is a quality you have to possess. It is not something that will come with expierence. Why do you think clubs are (were) spending 85% of their transfer funds on good strikers? Because they don't have a good striker and it can not be learned to score goals.
Why is it that the (most) best goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders are about 26-32 and the good strikers are 18-33?. Because a young striker is already good at a young age, because he doesn't need expierence.
And with Zlatan, Ajax hasn't got a good striker....and Ajax will never be able to afford themselves a good striker, because they are expensive. Taking in account that Ajax has selled their only talented striker (Nando Rafael), makes it that Ajax will not be able to hold up with other European teams in the long run.
PSV may still be ahead in the cometition, but it's not over yet.
We'll see what happends...
You seriously don't believe Ajax can still catch up PSV, do you? That would be pretty naive. Even if Ajax wins in Eindhoven, they are still 4 or 5 points behind. Taking in account that PSV has won their last 11 games....PSV will be this year's champions
But you saying that Ajax is the team of luck is just wrong.
You know it, I know it.
Then why is it that since 30 or 40 years on of the most common nicknames of the club is "lucky Ajax"? You should have observed some of the situations in Ajax-Valencia where, due to sheer luck, Carew or Albelda or Baraja weren't one-on-one with Lobont.
Ajax is just hard to beat, and they prove it against Arsenal two times now. (This is probably bothering you
)
Ajax is hard to beat....that's true, and that is the only reason they are still in the Champions League. Not because they are powered enough to win a bunch of games (they win occasionally)
And about Arsenal....that's is about the only club in England that I don't support. May be if they were in the final against a German or Italian team...yeah I would support them. But against a Dutch team? No. I supported neither of them in those games. In fact I wacthed the matches on the Belgium channel...Man Utd! And Newcastle!!!
They are putting Dutch teams on the map again.
True.
Edit:
Forgot this
What I ment with "THE team" is this; keep your eye on them. They are not yet the best team out there YET, but they are fun to watch and I think they will surprise Europe soon.
Ajax, fun to watch? No sorry m8, it is about the most boring team to watch at the moment in the Champions League. The only reason they are fun to watch for you is that you support them and they are Dutch. Last Saturday I watched Celtic-Rangers on the BBC.....now THAT is fun to watch!
