Ajax players celebrate a positive result against AZ in the Eredivisie (IMAGO/Pro Shots)
Ajax has been facing a serious crisis since the departure of Marc Overmars at the end of 2023. The former player and then Ajax sporting director ended up involved in a case of harassment. He ended up suspended from football for a year after sending sexual photos and videos to club employees.
Overmars was responsible for signing the club’s players. With him the team became three-time Dutch champions. After his departure, mainly due to the reasons that led him to leave the team, they caused a crisis at the club.
After Overmars’ departure, Erik ten Hag and Edwin van der Sar also left the club. As a result, the board and team command ended up being reformulated, however, the results did not come. On the contrary, Ajax came to fight against relegation.
For sports journalist Mikos Gouka, Ajax will face a huge challenge in the next window to solve all their problems. According to the Dutch football expert, the club will need a deep cleaning of the squad.
For Gouka, Ajax needs to target PSV’s successes in specific signings
“This season is just about fulfilling the schedule for Ajax,” said Gouka on the Algemeen Dagblad football podcast.
“I’ve never seen Ajax so bad. I didn’t think things would go downhill so quickly at the club, especially after they had such a good period.”
According to Gouka, the next general director Alex Kroes will have one hell of a task ahead of him. “Ajax has the advantage of having financial resources, but they need to get rid of players who were recently signed. And that will cost money. In general, Ajax are good at selling players without suffering big losses, but they still need to bring in the right players and a coach.”
Ajax must open the vault for targeted reinforcements
Gouka states that a critical eye must be cast on the current cast, but recognizes that this will not be easy. “It’s difficult to point out and say ‘this one definitely doesn’t fit’. It could also happen that you are a key player in the current season and, next year, you become only the fourteenth or fifteenth player in the squad.” The sports journalist then points to PSV. “PSV weren’t as bad as Ajax are now, last year. Perhaps there was a base there that allowed them to move forward with just a few signings, which Ajax seems to be lacking at the moment. However, PSV has shown that if you invest correctly in specific players, you can make big strides quickly.”
Gouka emphasizes that the main objective for Ajax is to ensure that the final kit is well adjusted. “The most critical thing is that the players are clear about their roles, how to apply pressure and what to do when the opponent has a different stance than expected when leaving the game. This is where the role of the coach becomes essential. With a good coach leading the way and the right players in place, I believe the return to the top can be incredibly quick.”