After Ajax’s flawless group stage in the Champions League, Valentijn Driessen is full of praise for Sébastien Haller and trainer Erik ten Hag. The chief of football of The Telegraph finds it understandable that everyone in the polonaise follows the Amsterdammers, but at the same time wants to ‘disturbed that somewhat’. Driessen warns in his column in The Telegraph that Ajax was not exactly in the group of death.
Driessen notes that Ajax garnered ‘European applause’ with ‘attacking, dominant football’. “Ten Hag deserves all the credit for this. On the way he even dared to pass Davy Klaassen for more offensive football in the person of Steven Berghuis. The home game against Borussia Dortmund was one of the best European duels this century,” said Driessen. Haller – good for ten goals in the group stage of the Champions League – can also count on positive words.
The journalist admits that he previously criticized Haller because he would have “too little speed, too little technical baggage, too little co-playing and combination ability” for the level of the billion-dollar ball and “despite his height, he is also not a great in the air.” “It is no coincidence that Haller is often in the right place for the outsiders, Driessen emphasizes. Still, he wants to ‘disrupt the polonaise somewhat’.
“Ajax was not exactly in the group of death”, Driessen places a critical note. “Were lucky that Sporting Portugal missed its two best players in the meeting in Lisbon. Besiktas started in Amsterdam with a glorified youth or B-team. In Dortmund Ajax had nothing to fear from the injured Haaland and referee Michael Oliver gave an unjustified red card to Mats Hummels in the 29th minute. Ajax took full advantage of weaknesses and unforeseen circumstances at the opponents and that is also a quality.”
That is why this Champions League for Ajax will only really start in February 2022, according to Driessen, when the eighth finals of the tournament are taken on. “Then it becomes clear what this successful group stage has been worth as well as Haller’s unexpected goal production. And whether Ajax and Ten Hag can meet the high expectations with placing in the last eight or even in the last four as in 2019. At that height, no, Ajax must set the bar.”