Jan van Halst believes that Ajax should have a hearty word with Nicolás Tagliafico. The left back received a direct red card in the match for the Johan Cruijff Scale with PSV, which put his team at a disadvantage. It is not the first time that the Argentinian has been criticized for actions that lead to cards. Van Halst recognizes himself in Tagliafico and suspects that the left back suffers from an ‘exaggerated urge to prove’.
Tuesday leaves Van Halst in conversation with the General Newspaper know that Ajax ‘must get to work’ with Tagliafico. And that is an understatement, according to the critical words of the analyst, who thinks it is ‘high time’ that the players of Ajax become more reliable. “Fierce and temperamental, okay, but those stupid tackles have to go. Certainly at the level that Ajax is now acting at”, says the former Ajax player, who can put himself in the position of the Argentinian.
“I think he suffers from an exaggerated urge to prove. I know that feeling. You want to lead the fight. All the way in top duels. I had that a lot at the beginning of my career. You’re already pissing each other off in the catacombs: ‘Come on, we’ll get them.’ Only then I literally translated that to the field. At one point I was ashamed. And I noticed when I stopped doing it, that I also remained upright without it. It is a big misconception to think that tackles are necessary to lead the fight.”
“He doesn’t need that either,” continues Van Halst. “He should try that during training sessions, also because he now has a name and stamp with referees and opponents gratefully use it by screaming bloody murder,” said the analyst, who does not rule out that the lack of the desired transfer is due. has to do with the large number of cards (42, as of January 2018) that Tagliafico took. “Clubs still look at data.”
The Argentinian received his red card shortly before half-time in the PSV game. He made a tackle on André Ramalho and was sent off by referee Björn Kuipers. Ajax has now accepted a settlement proposal from the KNVB for a suspension of Nicolás Tagliafico. The club agrees to a three-match suspension, one of which is conditional. As a result, Tagliafico misses the Eredivisie matches against NEC (home) and FC Twente (away). He can be back at home against Vitesse on August 29.