Ajax drew 3-3 against Olympique Marseille on Thursday evening after a spectacular match. The Amsterdam team created many chances, but also gave many away. Afterwards, trainer Maurice Steijn talks to Noa Vahle Veronica says he is satisfied with his team, but he also picks out a dissonance with Benjamin Tahirovic. “I thought he didn’t play well. He was very sloppy with the ball.”
“What have I learned? I thought the team showed resilience,” Steijn kicks off. “That we launched a number of very nice attacks, but also that it was sometimes completely open. You learn that from this match. But I am very proud of the men after this very turbulent week and the very mediocre match against FC Twente (3-1 defeat, ed.). That they put this on the mat.” Ajax took a quick 2-0 lead through Carlos Forbs and Steven Berghuis, which was canceled out before half time by Marseille. After the break, Ajax took the lead again through Kenneth Taylor, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set the final score at 3-3.
In the final phase, substitute Silvano Vos was sent off and Steijn decided to bring on Jakov Medic and Gaston Ávila. However, the coach was not afraid of defeat, he said. “We came to play with ten men. That was the reason. You see that they really keep pushing in the final phase. Then it would be a shame to lose it, so we have to cherish the point, I think.” When asked whether the many spaces given away have to do with quality or tactics, Steijn points to both aspects. “It’s always a bit of both. At times we kept the spaces small, but the spaces became large because we introduced them ourselves. If you are very sloppy and give a number of wide balls, it is open. There were also a few moments that both backs were gone. We talked about that at halftime.”
Tahirovic
Steijn says that he has ‘seen plenty of areas for improvement’. However, one of the players who did not make a good impression on the Hagenees was Tahirovic. “I thought he didn’t play well. He was very sloppy on the ball. He was often the free man and then you have to move the game, especially in depth and not in width. He was just sloppy in that. That’s possible. , but then we switch.” Not Branco van den Boomen or Sivert Mannsverk came in for him, but Vos. The youngster made an excellent impression despite his double yellow card. “Vos is also a different type of boy,” says Steijn. “He is someone who brings aggressiveness and flair. Someone who is solid in the duels. I’m not saying that the other guys aren’t, but I had the feeling that we needed such a young, open-minded player. He has a lot of talent. well done.”
Despite this, Vos could not count on minutes this season before Thursday evening. “We really had a plan with him,” says Steijn. “We said: play as many matches as possible in Jong Ajax. Train with the first team and try to take you where possible. And I really had the feeling that we needed his aggressiveness today. He did that well. The second yellow card was justified, but the first was not even a foul. It is a pity that we did not win the match, but I am satisfied with tonight,” the coach concluded. The next big test awaits on Sunday in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Then reigning national champion Feyenoord comes to visit.