Ajax - Man Utd | EL Final Build-up Thread

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Kant-ona

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They have some 17 years old defenders, right? It will be youth against routine. "Storm and stress" against defence. And I hope that experience and boredom win. ;)
 

Lentwood

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Manchester United schedule

14 May - Spurs (A)
17 May - Southampton (A)
21 May - Crystal Palace (H)
24 May - Ajax (N)

Ajax schedule

14 May - Willem II (A)
24 May - Manchester United (N)
Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
 

Womp

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Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
FA don't give a shit about English clubs in Europe. Making things easier for the club means less clashflow for themselves, which isn't in their best interest.
 

JeffBoomTetris

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If we play normally without nerves, we'll smash Ajax. We already defeated Celta who are more difficult to play against. Ajax's inexperience will be their weakness which we need to expose.
 

GM K

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Bollocks. We've got Herrera, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Rashford, Mata and Martial to take up our front six spots. We've got Carrick, who is still a canny hand. Lingard isn't a mug either, in spite of generally not being good enough. There's multi millions of pounds of talent littered all over this team and it's up to the manager to get the best out of them in an attacking sense. That we've scored less league goals than Bournemouth gives credence to this, unless you think Josh King and Marc Pugh are the "decent" footballers we don't get the luxury of having in our squad.

We've had clear outs. We just need our managers to start doing their jobs.

Like I said, score two goals and we win this tie.
Call it ballocks for as long as you like. The reality is that many of those names you listed have been flops and have simply not been good enough. Until the club wakes up to the reality, we can keep hiring managers until kingdom comes.

How a manager will teach a professional footballer how to trap a ball, pass, dribble, make on field decisions not to stupidly give away the ball or blast it to the opponent or cause free kicks around the box, beats me. These are things your so called talented players do every freaking game and you want to convince me that one of the best managers the game has seen, instructs them to do that or is happy they are doing that? Come on.

What did Mata and Martial do against Arsenal? What has Martial done the whole season? Is it his manager that will teach him not to be giving the ball away? Mikhi has moments of brilliance and then fades off and becomes a liability in the team. At 28, is it a manager that will teach him to have mental toughness and focus for 90 minutes? Is it the manager that asked Bailly to punch an opponent and get red carded?

Don't get me wrong, Jose deserves many sticks but I prefer to have a balanced approach to this problem. Some of our players are just plain average. They are good but not good enough - not world class. Period. I can count Dermian, Blind, Fellaini, Mikhi, Martial, Lingard, Smalling, Jones etc. Mikhi and Martial have shown signs they can become world class but that's all there is to it for now: signs. In reality, they have demonstrated inconsistency over and over again.

I refuse to hang the manager now but I promise you, I will be the first to do so, if he cannot fix these problems by next season.
 

AndyJ1985

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We're rubbish but we can win. It won't be comfortable but I'm hoping we can nick it 1-0
 

Inigo Montoya

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We're rubbish but we can win. It won't be comfortable but I'm hoping we can nick it 1-0
At home we are. Neutral ground, we can go for it.

Obviously the young Ajax team have nothing to lose but our overall experience should see us over the line
 

Quizierda

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Without Bailly, Rojo and Zlatan against this young and agile Ajax team..

It is going to be tough and I really hope we make it somehow, however, for me Ajax are favourites..
 

Inigo Montoya

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Without Bailly, Rojo and Zlatan against this young and agile Ajax team..

It is going to be tough and I really hope we make it somehow, however, for me Ajax are favourites..
He is far from agile to deal with fast players these days.

Of the others, Bailly will be a huge loss but Jones and Smalling are capable even though they haven't had the minutes, now's the time to take their chances.
 

Quizierda

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He is far from agile to deal with fast players these days.

Of the others, Bailly will be a huge loss but Jones and Smalling are capable even though they haven't had the minutes, now's the time to take their chances.
Yes, he is not , however, he is experienced enough at high level under high pressure to exploit there uncomfortable and inexperienced ( in such situations) defense. His permanent threat would have helped us a lot.
 

OLLY ORANGE

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Jose has got to give Jones and Smalling playing time together against spurs.
I'd be tempted to play blind left back against Ajax as our ability to get down the left flank has been holding the attacking ability of this side back.
I've got a feeling Jose will play Smalling and blind together for the final.
Didn't think I'd be saying this but I think we were going to be missing Young so much. Shows where our summer transfer need to be a priority.
 

Maradona10

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At home we are. Neutral ground, we can go for it.

Obviously the young Ajax team have nothing to lose but our overall experience should see us over the line
How? They have a europa league title to lose. I could understand celta having nothing to lose as they were already behind, but ajax do have lot to lose. They will be as nervous as us and the only thing they wont have to lose is a champions league place. The trophy they "have" to lose.
 

Bloedrood

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That Davinson Sanchez guy is quite the talent, having quite the year for a 20 year old. First winning the Copa Libertadores last summer, and now reaching the Europa League final. I think Sanchez, Dolberg and Onana have a very bright future ahead of them.

How? They have a europa league title to lose. I could understand celta having nothing to lose as they were already behind, but ajax do have lot to lose. They will be as nervous as us and the only thing they wont have to lose is a champions league place. The trophy they "have" to lose.
They have a certain CL place to lose too. Assuming they're not winning Dutch championship this weekend, they only qualify for CL qualification. That's how they ended up in Europa League this season, didn't qualify.
 

Inigo Montoya

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How? They have a europa league title to lose. I could understand celta having nothing to lose as they were already behind, but ajax do have lot to lose. They will be as nervous as us and the only thing they wont have to lose is a champions league place. The trophy they "have" to lose.
A figure of speech pal, don't get all menstrual. I did mean that they will throw caution to the winds as that's the only way they can play
 

Kevin

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You are talking out of your arse here, or you are living in 2015.
Who is the expert here? Need I remind yo of supertalent Fischer whom I also correctly deemed as an average talent for which you called me out in another discussion with you two years ago when you were raving. Did you even say we should sign him? Dodged a bullet eh? Where is he now?

Calm down and spot the deficiencies of your team.

Edit: his thread on The biggest ajax forum and a some of them matchgoers (we are a small country): http://ajax.netwerk.to/forums/HTML/forum11/3823-84.php

Alot of "Phew a blessing that he is not in the final" and "everytime he falls through the ice (a dutch saying that when the going gets tough you see he lacks quality)".
 
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SSSSnake

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Ok so what do we know about this young Ajax team? Obviously they look quite capable going forward. How is there back line and midfield?
 

finndt

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Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
No excuses. We should be able to tear them apart. Our average squad member should be miles above theirs.

Lots of games? It's always the same, big clubs do well and therefore have lots of games again. It's never gonna get easier unless we don't play in europe and get knock out of the cups right away.

Stop moaning about them fixtures and injuries. If we don't defeat Ajax, it's on us. Nobody or nothing else is to blame. Blind was their best player!

Huuuuuge dissapointment if we don't win.
 

GrandJury

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Without Bailly, Rojo and Zlatan against this young and agile Ajax team..

It is going to be tough and I really hope we make it somehow, however, for me Ajax are favourites..
You clearly haven't been watching this Ajax team if you think they're favourites.
 

ants7

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First of all to all the Ajax fans - you can't win anything with kids! let's make that clear.

Great to be in the final. Gutted to miss Eric though. Tuanzebe has been mentioned as a possible replacement but is he considered more as a right-back? feel free to educate me.

Anyway, can't wait to see this. No matter how boring it will be.
 

Ixion

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Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
FA don't give a shit about English clubs in Europe. Making things easier for the club means less clashflow for themselves, which isn't in their best interest.
The Dutch league has 18 teams so the season is shorter, can't blame the FA for that.
 

RedCoffee

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This is a cup final. It doesn't matter how shit the opposition are it will be tough. I think they're equivalent to an Everton, Leicester or Southampton which is no pushover.
 

parisite

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Need to watch out for that Dolberg, he looked half handy against Lyon.
Think Ajax took a fair few cards last night as well, defending was a bit rugged towards the end. Don't know if that will mean that they have suspensions though.
 

3KDré

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Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
FA care about the money in England and that alone. If they cared about us in Europe they'd have introduced the winter break ages ago.
 

Castia

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Ajax are good going forward but their defence is beyond awful, even in the first leg vs Lyon which they won 4-1 they should have conceded about 4 goals themselves.

We need to play an attacking side to get at them, really no point in trying to sit back we'll be playing right into their hands.
 

Heista

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You can guys can look at Ajax style a little bit alike of Barcelona, but just with their B-team.
Passing game, starting from the back. Fluid in attack, quick passes.

Leftback - Riedewald or Sinkgraven, Sinkgraven was out with injury and is a made leftback, as he is a LM. Riedewald is makeshift LB as he is a LCB. Both young. Sinkgraven has been our first option for LB.
LCB - De Ligt, 17 years of age, can be naive cause he is young, was a bit unlucky to concede penalty. Is not very fast on first meters. Will go into midfield like Vertonghen.
RCB - Sanchez, our Colombian rock at the back. Bit like Bailly. Agressive, athletic, aerial threat. Not the best of passer, but like Bailly.
RB - Veltman, who gets easy cards, was substituted today to net get a red card. Otherwise Tete will play, who is fast and is a very good tackler.

CDM - Schone, has a wonderful freekick, able to score from 30 meters. Not a standard CDM as he is more creative and thinks more forward. Can be a bit nonchalant.
LCM - Ziyech, has a great free kick. Is very good a tthrough passes. If he is in his element, than he is a joy to watch.
RCM - Klaassen, our captain, engine and leader of the squad. Work his ass off. Will arrive in the box alot. Has a good finishing shot and eye for where to be.

LW - Younes, tricky little fellow. Will cut inside alot. Tracking back not his strong points and can get stuck in dribbling. But a threat constantly nonetheless.
ST - Dolberg, a bit Zlatan junior and already known here on the caf. Has a menacing shot. Can hold up play and is tricky. Young lad.
RW - Traore, bit hit and miss on RW. Pacey, nonchalant. Weak shot. Good at aerial duels. Tricky, but in a bad game he makes wrong choices alot.
Ok so what do we know about this young Ajax team? Obviously they look quite capable going forward. How is there back line and midfield?
 

JohnnyKills

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Makes me angry just looking at that, even though I know Jose will rest players

Do the FA want our teams to be embarrassed in Europe?
Yeah the FA are a joke. Really hope United or one of the other top teams refuses to release their players for Ingerlund before too long - would be a brilliant way to get back at them.

Still, hope we see the start of a few great United careers over the next few weeks.
 

Dr. Funkenstein

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That's just how I see it anyway, people are going over the top with this doom and gloom shite. We haven't played good football in years, our football was pretty shit towards the end of SAF too, was down to individual brilliance by RVP etc. shit football isn't new to us, at least now we are winning trophies with it, unlike under LVG and Moyes. Things will
Hopefully improve.
LvG won a trophy, not the league cup but a real one, and he did meet his target in the first season. It's funny to see how a lot of people here are twisting facts to make it look like Mourinho has done a decent job. LvG was actually trying to learn the players to play football properly, Mourinho has given up on that. If you play proper football, you can even make it to the final with a <20 million bunch of teenagers. Imagine what United could do if a mature 400 million squad plays fluent, organized attacking football like that.
 

Sammyjunn

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Who is the expert here? Need I remind yo of supertalent Fischer whom I also correctly deemed as an average talent for which you called me out in another discussion with you two years ago when you were raving. Did you even say we should sign him? Dodged a bullet eh? Where is he now?

Calm down and spot the deficiencies of your team.

Edit: his thread on The biggest ajax forum and a some of them matchgoers (we are a small country): http://ajax.netwerk.to/forums/HTML/forum11/3823-84.php

Alot of "Phew a blessing that he is not in the final" and "everytime he falls through the ice (a dutch saying that when the going gets tough you see he lacks quality)".
He was our starman vs Schalke, what are you on about? Everytime he's fit, he plays, and has even bailed out Sanchez numerous times. He is no world beater or anything and Ajax is probably his top but he certainly is importsnt for Ajax and has been very decent this year.
 

foolsgold

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If we play normally without nerves, we'll smash Ajax. We already defeated Celta who are more difficult to play against. Ajax's inexperience will be their weakness which we need to expose.
Ajax beat Celta home and away in the group stages. Ajax fan at work viewed them as the weakest team in the semis.

We can beat Ajax, good young team, but this is a step up in class for them.

The remaining three league games should be used to rest the team for the final and gives youth some PL experience
 
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