Theo Janssen finds it incomprehensible that some players have so much credit at Ajax. The analyst even believes that this is the reason that irritations have arisen within the selection of Alfred Schreuder. When Humberto Tan during the afterthought of Ajax – Napoli (1-6) on RTL7 asks for names and numbers, Janssen mentions Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic. Not a single chip is left of the latter in particular.
After the ear washing against Napoli, Tan asks his guests in the Johan Cruijff ArenA the question ‘who should be on top of Ajax’. “Tadic?” suggests the presenter. “Tadic just has to be quiet and sit down,” Janssen sneezes. Then follows the fat prince his tirade. “I feel like there’s a certain irritation within the group, but they don’t express it.” When Tan asks for a reason, Janssen is clear: “Well, that the same players are always replaced and others do not perform weekly and still remain standing!”
“Names and numbers?” Tan asks. “Blind”, answers Janssen immediately. “At this level you just see that he gets into trouble. With five men in the back it is still possible. With four, no chance.” Janssen continues with his next scapegoat. “But, Tadic, he won’t hit a gingerbread man anymore?!”, it sounds stunned. “Seriously! We’ll just leave him there, because he’s captain, but what I find annoying: he’s busy with players all the time. Pointing, yelling, please. Go do some logical things with the ball at your foot . I think he lost the ball the most of all the players today.” From research by opta by the way, it turned out that Tadic suffered the third-most loss of ball: Blind (twenty times) and Steven Berghuis (sixteen times) led the captain by fourteen times.
Rafael van der Vaart, who on behalf of Ziggo Sports was present in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, could agree with Janssen’s words. The former Ajax player found it ‘incomprehensible’ that Alfred Schreuder did not take Tadic off the field. “Then maybe something else will happen. You see: Tadic is not in shape at all. And they say that you have to have respect for him – and I have that too – but at a certain point the best thing is over. And then frustration comes, you get another red card…”