The smile is back in Amsterdam. It was a phrase often heard after Ajax’s stunning Eredivisie win over SC Cambuur (0-5). Tonight the team will visit FC Twente in the last 16 of the KNVB Cup (18:45).
Personification of the Amsterdam (mini) resurrection is captain Dusan Tadic, who is in charge of offense by new coach John Heitinga. But this applies to both Ajax and Tadic: it now has to be in the big games as well.
Heitinga quickly put the discontinued Ajax selection in his will. The coach demanded more intensity in practice sessions, insisted on the remaining defense, and sought safety in his starting eleven. For example, Mohammed Kudus, who was used predominantly as a forward under Alfred Schreuder, allowed him to play a free role on the right wing and removed Calvin Bassey and Jorge Sánchez from the team.
All resolutions that seem to be working fine. But perhaps the most important change: Tadic plays under Heitinga in the center of the offense. This seems to be where the Serbs should focus in the near future.
This is how the sacked Schreuder initially saw it. In the first game of the season against Fortuna Sittard, Tadic was the offensive leader, but Schreuder bounced back from that pick at halftime.
In subsequent matches, Schreuder was constantly angry with Tadic. Tried behind the striker, on the left wing, on the right wing. While many position changes did not benefit Tadic, he remained important to the team.
Tadic is again at the top of the statistical charts this season. Whether it’s about assists, chances created, successful crosses or an opponent’s passes into the penalty area: the Premier league is alone in that regard.
only for minors
Tadic is an indispensable link in Ajax’s offensive play, and given his clear leadership skills, it’s not surprising that coaches rarely pass or replace him. However, those lists have one big thing: Tadic has only shown against the ‘littles’ this season.
The drop in their numbers confirms the picture, with Tadic winning significantly less during the match against left-ranked clubs. Take, for example, his goals and assists in the Premier League.
Five goals, nine assists tally are excellent against lower league clubs, but zero goals and three assists against the Big Boys are very meager. He had three assists at home against Sc Heerenveen.
According to the Opta statistics agency, Tadic has created almost twice as many chances in the Eredivisie as the number two of this series (Cody Gakpo with 59) (92). However, analysis of these figures also shows that he did this mainly against the lower gods. He created 71 chances for his teammates against right-back clubs and 21 chances for left-back clubs.
Logical?
That makes sense, right? Because with more opponents, a player usually has fewer chances, goals and assists. Tadic, on the other hand, has shown in the past that he often stands up in important matches. He even managed to score more goals and assists against the top of the Eredivisie last season than against middle and lower tier clubs. In that sense, the difference this season is huge.
Add to that a lot of turnovers (438 turnovers, the highest in the Eredivisie) and the fact that he lacked medium speed to pass a man, the coach chose to put Heitinga’s captain back in the offensive zone, where he felt like a ‘devil’. Fish in the water during the 2018/19 Champions League season.
Their first game proved Heitinga right: Tadic had fewer turnovers, had very strong contact and was crucial with goals and assists. Where he often looked sullen on the wing, he was similar to Tadic in his better years as a forward.
The coming weeks will show whether Tadic can also be decisive in this position in the big duels and whether Ajax can win another high-level match under Heitinga. First serious test: tonight at his old club Twente in the last 16.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
