Viktor Fischer

Jesse1509 said:

Boilesen will miss the start of the season, probably. I wouldn't know when he's expected back exactly. All I know is that he has starting training again. My guess would be September or October.

Schöne is an excellent piece of business imo: he was free, and he's a great player to have depthwise. He's basically a more experienced but less talented Eriksen. Ajax played better with him on for Fischer yesterday. Ajax really needed another 'no.10' after Aissati's release. With Boerrigter's continued injuries, I can even see Schöne getting into the first 11, playing from the left. If Ajax uses Siem de Jong and Janssen in midfield, it would probably be better to use Schöne (or even better, Eriksen, of course, but he'll probably play in midfield when he plays) on the wing - preferably the left wing, so that Schöne can cut inside. If Eriksen and Siem de Jong/Janssen play in midfield, Fischer or Boerrigter would be better on the wing imo.

Ajax does need a central defender and a right winger, and maybe another striker as well. Daley Blind just isn't good enough defensively - he struggles against the top teams. He's a decent passer, and he's technically decent as well, but he's too slow, too weak, and too sweet, probably. He lacks experience - and therefore tactical awareness - as well. I would buy AZ's Moisander if I were them. If Muniesa wouldn't have been injured, he would have gone to Ajax, probably.

Curiously enough, Ajax are linked to Tello as well in the Dutch media. Maybe he could help sort their wing-troubles out. But Tello is better from the left, probably. Assaidi (Heerenveen) is also heavily linked to Ajax, but he's a left winger as well, and they need a right winger, so I'd find it strange if they'd really buy him.

Siem de Jong, the new captain, prefers to play in midfield, so Sigthórsson is their only real striker now. They probably need a back up, considering Sigthórsson's injury problems last season.

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Jesse1509 said:

Forgot about Sana. Lukoki and Ebecilio suck imo. Lukoki shows no indication of any football intelligence: he's all about pace. Sulejmani is decent though. But if Sana's quality, you're right, then you wouldn't need a right winger, even with Özbiliz leaving. Not that you'll miss Özbiliz, he was just another average youth prospect.

Call me negative, but I feel like most of Ajax's youth prospects in the De Boer era have been average, or at least the self-educated ones. They tend the be a bit overhyped imo. Only the scouted ones who aren't really from Ajax's youth system - Eriksen, and maybe Fischer - seem to be real assets. Only Van Rhijn seems to be a potentially good player. Van der Wiel's breakthrough was years ago, so I don't count him. But Blind, Koppers, Özbiliz, Ebecilio, Lukoki, Klaassen, etc. don't seem to be world beaters. I can't judge Dijks yet, although he did a decent job against Narsingh in the JCS. But then again, the youth system is still being reformed, so maybe that'll change in the years to come.

Apparently, Ajax and Heerenveen are now negotiating about Assaidi. Again, he's a class player, and AFCA is probably right about the fact that you'd need a left winger rather than a right winger. So it's strange that VI and other sources keep quoting Ajax insiders about their hunt for a right winger instead of a left winger. Then again, Assaidi is a left winger, so they probably realize it themselves now.

Ajax really need some more depth up front (wingers and strikers), so I'm amazed they waited so long to sign anyone. They should be able to buy quality players after their 2 consecutive championships, with the CL-money. And the sooner you sign a player, the more time he has to adapt to the team. Pre-season is the best time to sign your players, and they don't seem to realize that. But the media will without a doubt brand Ajax's transfer market apathy 'New Realism'. Amazing, how top teams only seem to be doing things wrong in hindsight, according to the media.

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Jesse1509 said:

^ I agree on most things here. Gotta give De Boer credit for the fact that he managed to make Ajax champions twice with some young players. Last season Blind even ended as their left back, and they had to use Ebecilio a lot, so it's a huge achievement when you consider that. Makes Rutten suck even more, because I think that, on paper, PSV should've been better last season. I have a lot more confidence in Advocaat.

Agree about Klaassen as well. He was used as a striker too at times, I believe, but he's not great there. Maybe it would be better to send him out on loan.

What's your take on Siem de Jong, AFCA? Do you think he's the right choice to captain Ajax, and how do you rate him in general? He's more experienced than most of his teammates, and he's reasonably consistent, but I feel like he won't be able to play at a much higher level than Ajax. Maybe mid-table Premier League, or top 7 Bundesliga or something like that. His brother seems to be better than him. Would you agree?

Still disagree about Lukoki. To me, he seems like a lesser Amrabat, and Amrabat was kinda blind as well. But Ajax has got some decent coaches there, so if he can improve anywhere, it should be there.

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Jesse1509 said:

^ Alderweireld would have been my captain as well.

Also, agree about Siem de Jong being better as a striker than as a CM. As an AM, he's even better though. So I'm a bit surprised he doesn't want to play as a striker anymore. I'd use Janssen over Siem de Jong in midfield in this 4-3-3, and probably De Jong as a striker instead of Sigthórsson. Janssen is Ajax's only deep-lying playmaker, so they should keep him imo. Or they should get some kind of a libero, a new Vertonghen to help creating from the back. Still can't see why they haven't bought another central defender yet.

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