Arnold Bruggink and Marciano Vink are scathing about the total failure of Ajax to visit FC Emmen (3-3). The analysts of ESPN saw the team from Amsterdam completely sink through the ice in the second half, after a comfortable 1-3 lead had been taken in the first half. “You think it couldn’t get any worse, but this second half was just embarrassing,” said Vink.
Calvin Bassey was injured at half time and was replaced by Daley Blind. At halftime, Vink said that Ajax’s game would probably improve. “I thought there would be a little more football with Daley Blind, but that was not the case. Emmen just deserved it. They played a good second half.”
Bruggink is scathing about Blind’s substitute. “Calvin Bassey is often the one who is blamed for the whole story, but Daley Blind…”, sighs the former attacker, who falls into a long silence. “He played in the center of the back today after the break, oh man… The opportunities that Ajax gave away after the break… Emmen came through one after the other. Jurriën Timber and Blind, what good players, are both looking a bit.. . Zero communication, zero orientation. Look at that!”, Bruggink comments on Richairo Zivkovic’s 2-3. The former Ajax player simply dived for Timber.
Vink believes that the players of Ajax have abandoned their trainer. “You can’t put this in Schreuder’s shoes. You could say a lot in advance about wrong choices, players in wrong positions, or players who stayed too long, but what we have now seen in the second half … say it but. The players have dropped Schreuder a lot. It is eleven islands that do not feel each other at all. There is irritation, dissatisfaction perhaps. They radiate that on the field. It is loose sand. Players only react when it is too late. Balls over ten meters to each other just go out.”
Schreuder comes under immense pressure and fears for his job. Bruggink states that Ajax also has other options than dismissing the coach. “They have to ask themselves very carefully: what do you want? But more importantly at Ajax: who makes the decisions? In the past transfer period, the RvC has of course blocked very large transfers. Who is in which seat? That also seeps down. Schreuder has a free hand from above, then he has to seize power and say: I’ll cut two or three big names out. Not on the couch, just away. And then we’ll see if we can get others in return in the winter .” Vink thinks that Ajax should seriously think about Bruggink’s idea. “That rarely happens, but the time has come that something has to be done. We all agree on that. Is it all Schreuder’s fault?”