Ajax is experiencing its worst start to the season ever due to the defeat against AZ (1-2). Valentijn Driessen is not only critical of the people of Amsterdam. The head footballer of The Telegraph believes that AZ ‘should be ashamed’, as coach Pascal Jansen’s team was able to win by a much larger margin in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
Driessen saw Ajax ‘play dramatically’ on Sunday afternoon. “I just can’t formulate it any other way,” he says in a video item The Telegraph. “AZ should actually be ashamed that they did not win 1-7 in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.”
“AZ really had the opportunities for that,” says Driessen. “AZ didn’t play it out and I don’t think they realized that Ajax is searching and that there is no organization at all. There is no quality. It was nothing, is nothing and will never be anything.”
While Ajax has only won once in the Eredivisie this season, AZ has started the new season energetically. Jansen’s team managed to get 22 points from the first 8 games and is therefore second behind leader PSV. Driessen expects that the Alkmaarders will remain at the top for a long time.
“But when I see that AZ is not actually aware of handing Ajax a major defeat, then I think: As the season progresses there will be matches where you have to finish things off. That’s what you should do. If you don’t do that at Ajax, you may not do it elsewhere either.”
AZ only suffered one loss of points in competition this season. Nevertheless, Driessen does not expect Alkmaarders to seriously compete for the national title. “I don’t believe AZ will keep this up for the rest of the season. I think PSV and Feyenoord will compete for the title and AZ will simply end up third.”
This month, after the international break, AZ still has matches against SC Heerenveen, Aston Villa (Conference League) and NEC, while Ajax has matches against FC Utrecht, Brighton & Hove Albion (Europa League) and PSV scheduled.