Pierre van Hooijdonk has been disturbed by the discussion about Sébastien Haller. The former striker is of the opinion that Haller can provide ‘fantastic figures’ in the service of Ajax for the time being and does not understand that there are still doubts about him. At the same time, Van Hooijdonk gives a sneer to Johan Derksen, who spoke of ticks after the match between Sporting Portugal and Ajax (1-5, four goals from Haller).
“Yes, I was very disturbed by that discussion”, Van Hooijdonk starts in the program Studio Football of the NOS. “Because I think you brought in a striker who hadn’t played a European game yet because of a tick. Who can put away fantastic figures in the Dutch competition in six months (22 goals and 8 assists in a total of 30 matches for Ajax, ed.). That will be a topic. What else should an Ajax striker do than score goals? Dolberg is a great striker, right? There were also doubts about that.”
“There are always doubts about Ajax’s number nine. That is only because every striker is placed at the bar of Marco van Basten or Patrick Kluivert. I also experience that in analyst land. There, a striker has to get a 9.9 on his football report for technique. But also a right back. And the central defender must also have all that”, Van Hooijdonk continues. Theo Janssen does have an explanation for the high expectations surrounding an Ajax striker.
“The point is: a striker has to score goals. The people around him have to make sure that he can score goals. Ajax beat Cambuur 9-0 this weekend and then it is all high, they want that from a striker too”, explains Janssen. “Getting into the ball, giving heels, ball behind the standing leg. Well, Haller scored with a heel. They expect so much, because the rest around it can also do so much.”
Arno Vermeulen then asks Van Hooijdonk whether ‘pointes that are not very refined’ are not always up for discussion. “That is something that has happened in recent years. Bas Dost, Wout Weghorst, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. We don’t think Olivier Giroud is good enough in the Netherlands,” Van Hooijdonk responds. “A striker should not make it more difficult in playing football than it is and know when he is going to be played with clever tricks. Haller is always in front of the goal.”
“I heard an oracle say to Sporting that those goals weren’t real, because they were just tricks. You don’t have to do more as an Ajax striker, that’s what you’re there for,” concludes Van Hooijdonk. Presenter Sjoerd van Ramshorst asks who Van Hooijdonk means by the ‘oracle’ and wants to hear ‘man and horse’. “Man with moustache. There is only one in the Netherlands these days, right?”