Erik ten Hag appeared visibly agitated in front of the camera at Hans Kraay junior after Ajax’s surprising defeat at Go Ahead Eagles (2-1). The coach of the team from Amsterdam is very disappointed with the performance of his team and points in particular to ‘the right defensive block’. “We certainly did not perform the tasks properly there,” said Ten Hag ESPN†
The team from Amsterdam had to do without right center defender Jurriën Timber and right back Noussair Mazraoui. Their direct replacements, Perr Schuurs and Devyne Rensch, were unable to prevent Go Ahead from scoring 2-0 before halftime. “These are two goals that should not fall,” said Ten Hag. We had discussed very carefully how the composition should be there, but they did not follow through. That’s about the entire right block.”
At halftime, the slightly battered Mazraoui came on for Rensch. Ten Hag would have preferred to ‘just’ start with the former. “It is of course clear that you can use him well. I would have always started with him if he had been fit. He indicated yesterday that he had complaints, otherwise we would not have switched at all.”
Ten Hag knows what was wrong with Ajax. “I just told the players in the dressing room, I will not share that here. A failure? Yes. The opponent wants very much, then you have to bring at least the same. You have to bring that to the mat anyway. put energy into the game.” And it didn’t go well offensively, Ten Hag thought. “Also wanting to score… We played way too far away from Sébastien Haller in the connection, then you end up in the opponent’s box with far too few people. It was only Davy Klaassen, but other players also have to come, “Do you want to put the organization of Go Ahead in trouble. And you have to let the ball switch sides, but we did that far too little. We stayed with the ball too much on the side where we started.”
Ten Hag is licking the wounds. “We have to gather ourselves together and move on. These things happen in the season. You have to deal with disappointments and learn from them, because it is not possible with this attitude. What prevails? Well, those are all open doors, Hans”, sounds the slightly irritated from Ten Hag’s mouth. “A breach of contract? I don’t have to confirm what you think, but I have told the players what I think.”