22 years and 254 days. The average age of Ajax’s starting 11 has never been lower this season. The lack of routine is often painfully evident in tonight’s crunch Europa League games against Marseille.
Therefore, the search for a new Dusan Tadic or Daley Blind continues at full speed, but the options are limited.
Steven Berghuis, 31, will sometimes feel like a grandfather among all the young players at Ajax. A year ago he had enough like-minded people around him like Tadic, Blind and Davy Klaassen, now he is the only one in his 30s playing every week.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement, especially when it comes to pressing each other and coaching each other,” he said after last weekend’s easy victory against Vitesse (5-0). “We have a very young team. If you see our rearguard… They are all guys in their 20s, so that’s normal.”
resignation
There was resignation in Berghuis’ voice. We have to make do with what Ajax has until the winter break. There is no younger team in the Premier League than the Amsterdam team. For comparison: According to statistics from the Opta statistics office, the average age of PSV, which is still the perfect leader, is more than four years.
In Europe’s top ten competitions, only RB Salzburg’s team is younger than John van ‘t Schip’s team. “You see that the desired balance is not achieved in a young team. There is no easy way to do this,” Van ‘t Schip had previously said.
“Branco van den Boomen has certain qualities and a certain age. So if he disappears, you’re playing with an average midfielder who’s 18, 19, 20 years old. Then it is difficult to master.”
key to success
Manager Sven Mislintat, who was sacked last summer in his quest for a diamond, appears to have overlooked the importance of striking the right balance between youth and experience. And this was exactly the key to Ajax’s years of success in the Netherlands and Europe.
The acquisition of Blind, and especially Tadic, laid the foundation for years of hegemony in the Premier League and success in the Champions League in the 2018/19 season. Ajax narrowly missed the final, but everyone agreed: with the right balance of talent and experience, the club can reach great heights.
While the average age has always been between 25 and 26 since the 2019/20 season, this trend will be broken with under-23s this season:
In this respect, the difference with this season could not be greater. While Ajax were bosses of superpowers Real Madrid and Juventus five years ago, they are now one step behind the group consisting of Brighton, AEK Athens and Marseille. Ajax can only hope to qualify for the next round of the Europa League if they win in France, but third place, which would qualify them for the Conference League, seems the maximum possible.
Therefore, Ajax are at the top of their wish list to bring in one or two experienced players who will add value to the base. But find someone like Tadic. Someone who has experience, is right there and ideally has a personality as well. There are options, but the market is quite niche.
A Dutch person has an advantage in the search, but it is not unreasonable for him to be a foreigner. For example, 28-year-old Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg is interested in Ajax. Tottenham Hotspur’s replacement comes at a premium price and the option of loaning him for six months is non-negotiable for the Premier League number five.
Marten de Roon (32) is also one of the options to come to Amsterdam this summer. The midfielder may not be the personality Ajax are looking for, but he can definitely help the younger boys with his experience.
His name also hides two important characteristics: he is Dutch and a defensive midfielder like Højbjerg. And the most important position where Ajax wants to strengthen is definitely the latter.
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.
