Erik ten Hag wants to be prepared for the high pressure of Benfica with his choice for Ryan Gravenberch, the trainer indicates prior to the Champions League match. At Ajax, the middle line is completed by Edson Álvarez and Steven Berghuis, which means that Davy Klaassen has to start from the bench. For the cameras of RTL 7 and Ziggo Sports Ten Hag explains his tactical choices.
“Why I chose Gravenberch? There are a number of reasons”, Ten Hag starts. “It is possible that Benfica will put a lot of pressure on him. He is good at playing out under the pressure. But he is also good at folding back. He can sag or go to the left. he important.” In addition, the coach is of the opinion that Gravenberch in possession is also of added value.
??’We must want to annoy big adversaries!’ Ajax coach Erik ten Hag looks relaxed ‘The players have been looking forward to it’#ZiggoSport #UCL #BENAJA pic.twitter.com/NA7pav2QYr
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) February 23, 2022
“He can bring calm to the ball. He can play out under pressure. He can therefore also create a surplus. Whether I have mainly opted for safety with Gravenberch. “I don’t really know. Of course you could see Klaassen and Berghuis as very attacking. But Klaassen is also very good at the switch,” said the trainer.
Wesley Sneijder acknowledges that he understands the choice for Gravenberch, but he states that the midfielder is not currently in top form. Ten Hag does not understand why the analyst comes up with those statements. “I don’t know what he’s basing that on? But Ryan has played excellent games after the winter break. He dropped out for a while, but he’s in great shape.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Ten Hag had a conversation with RTL already know that the opponent somewhat influences the tactics of Ajax. “It depends on what you are tactically aiming for and what you can expect. We will make our choices based on this, also in the coming weeks. We look at the line-up from match to match, and of course form always plays a role. At the moment, all three are in excellent shape (Gravenberch, Klaassen and Berghuis, ed.), so we have to make choices there.”