The biggest loss at Ajax in the remainder of the season is, in Alfred Schreuder’s view, without a doubt Daley Blind. The defender has been sidelined for quite some time due to an ankle injury and that will be noticed, according to Erik ten Hag’s former right-hand man. Schreuder said he was ‘devastated’ when he saw Blind go to the artificial turf in Gibraltar. “Especially when it took him so long to get up, I thought it was his knee,” he explains The Telegraph.
According to Schreuder, Blind’s absence is quite a loss. “Certainly European, because his absence is easier to deal with nationally. Together with Dusan Tadic, he is the brains of the team ”, the assistant coach of Barcelona emphasizes in the newspaper on Wednesday. “A fantastic guy and a very special football player, a resting point on the ball. From the back, Daley knows exactly what a match requires at what time.
“He can read the game very well and if he thinks it is necessary, he will hold the ball a little longer, cut a ball back or play the ball the other way.” Schreuder knows better than anyone how important Blind is in coaching and with his experience could have played an important role in the Europa League duels with AS Roma. He has played these kinds of matches under high tension so often with Ajax, Manchester United and the Dutch. ”
Schreuder cannot do much with the criticism that Blind is not fast enough. No football player is perfect, he emphasizes. It’s ‘a problem’ that doesn’t have to be a problem at all. “It is typically Dutch to accentuate a downside, but you better look at what someone offers a team”, Ronald Koeman’s right-hand man at Barcelona continues. “And Daley really gives Ajax a lot. Pre-eminently in an attacking team, he is worth gold. He fully controls the situation around the ball. And although his speed costs one or two goals per season, he may well prepare fifteen. ”
“Without the general public seeing it.” Schreuder thinks that Ajax will qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa League, partly because AS Roma also misses a number of important players. “Marc Overmars and Erik have succeeded in putting together an excellent selection again. After we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019, this would be another top performance. ”