Tell me what you think about it. My initial reaction was a bit of disappointment. The old logo just looked like it belonged there (after all these years), running down the side of our traditional stripe. This one is just front-and-center. I hoped for better, but it could be much worse. And if you can find a better picture, link to it. There are from here.

Maybe there is some question as to whether he is worth it? I was pretty critical of his performance in the playoffs, and he failed to deliver in the clutch. His lone appearance for the Oranje led to a goal, but it was no electric performance.

There are only going to be a few strikers move this summer for that amount. Elmander already moved for far less, Adebayor still appears to be on the market for around that price, and Eto’o appears to be in talks to remain in Barca. There are still plenty of clubs in need of a good goal-scorer, and plenty of those with money. And if Adebayor or Eto’o move, that makes the number of eligible clubs with healthy balance sheets at least one in number.

At any rate, I expect KJH to move as a replacement for another big-name striker from a big-name club. I expect a move for KJH will come after Eto’o or Adebayor (probably the latter) set the market. KJH would move for less than either of those two. He is no doubt a prized target, but I really think he is a second-tier of that category. Kinda like a 1(a) to Adebayor’s 1. If that is the case, and KJH wants to move for certain, he is probably smart to turn down such a release clause.

On the other hand, however, if KJH is smart, he would not want to move for less than 25 million euros. When you move for that much money, the buying club has a vested interest in your success. Not only is it a major investment, but it would make them look awful if a 25 million man became a squad player. Move for less money, and you could be easily cast aside should your form dip. Consider the examples of Wes Sneijder and Thierry Henry. Sneijder moved for 25 million, struggled a but to find his place in Spain, but remained on the pitch and soon found his way. Henry moved for peanuts, and not even his reputation was enough to save him from the scorn and fury of both fans and media when he did not set the world on fire. Despite a strong finish, he is widely considered to have already failed in Spain.

I think KJH would be wise to reconsider and sign the deal, both as an Ajax fan and a supporter of Dutch goal-scoring phenoms in general. I don’t want him to go, but I want it to work out for him if it does. The contract proposal from Ajax would go a long way to make sure everybody gets what they want.

The move for Enrique makes sense, assuming he really ends up being worth the price we pay. But Ajax is also throwing curveballs, or maybe even a knuckleball. Yossi Benayoun has been linked with Ajax as well. I have a theory, but first a few details. The deal involves a pay raise for Yossi, as his Liverpool handlers are a bit miserly for a guy who made over thirty appearances last year. At Liverpool under Rafa, Yossi is probably a squad player of sorts. Should Rafa be fired, Yossi would be one of the guys on the phone with his agent coming up with an exit strategy. But I don’t think Rafa is going anywhere, and I doubt Yossi could be that unhappy in Liverpool. He is a fixture in his national side, and CL bonuses should enhance his wages.

My theory is that the Yossi story is a cudgel to drive the price down on Sulejmani, a deal that has certainly stalled out recently. My guess is that Ajax wants Sulejmani and his agent or Hereenveen to know that they are exploring other options. If so, I hope they get the message and sit down with Danny Blind like old friends. Making a gesture toward a squad player at a cash-starved club should grease the wheel.

Of course, I also believe this because I do not know what I would do in a world where Ajax can both land the best young talent in Holland and lure a decent player away from Anfield. Actually I would probably buy a house, register to vote, and have a few kids in such a world. What would you do?

1) Find at least two quality center backs.
2) Steal KJH’s cell phone, block all incoming calls from Ruud, Sneijder, Robben and anyone else in Spain. Change your number and Bergkamp’s to read as “Daddy” and/or “Dutch Grandmaster of Important Goals”.
3) Deliver all messages from clubs interested in buying KJH to Albert Luque’s agent.
4) Seal the deal for Sulejmani.
5) Re-hire Cruijjf. Then either make nice or fire him. That way, he is either on board completely or just a cranky old former employee with an axe to grind. Bring him back or discredit him. Your call.
6) Figure out what you are going to do with Urby. (My post is a good place to start…)
7) Ask the scouts why they have not found the next Zlatan or Chivu. And why Heerenveen and Groningen beat them to KJH and Suarez.
8 ) Keep those relationships with Boulah, Orlando and De Jong positive. You never know…
9) Hire Guus Hiddink to be your tactical advisor.
10) Promise the fans that you yourself will not be next summer’s big transfer saga.

Keep ‘em coming. The man needs something to do.

Ditching Urby from the Oranje is one thing, casting him out of Ajax would be quite another. Look; Urby has his flaws, namely his defending, but what attack-minded fullback does not get caught out of position or overmatched in the air by a striker? He supports the attack with flair and precise passion, and I do not ever see his defensive miscues stemming from a lack of effort.

But, without a defensive-oriented midfielder to help clean up the messes, what does one do with Urby? He was manageable in a 433 with Davids doing some dirty-work, leaning a bit to his left when necessary. (You know he did this because they are twins, right? Separated at birth? Yeah.) But a two-man midfield like we have seen from Marco in SwissAustria requires something different, right? There is less room for error, less cover for a marauding fullback. Maybe Urby would be better suited to a position further up the pitch, as a winger or a midfielder himself?

While there is certainly some reason in this, I expect Urby to remain at left back. First, we can’t forget that MvB is currently watching an older, more experienced version of Urby play his position with dramatic and inspiring results in a 4231: Gio has been great. Urby brings a similar skill set, and I think he would work hard enough to overcome whatever defensive deficiencies remain in his game.

The problem with an Ajax 4231 is not at left back but in the midfield. It works for the Oranje because De Jong and Engelaar boss midfield and work the ball out quickly. Does Ajax have this type of midfielder? (Gabri? Lindgren?) I dunno. That is a topic for another crystal ball, assuming Marco even wants to keep playing this formation in Amsterdam.

One bit of Ajax news to report:
> Left-back Donovan Slijngard has re-upped his contract for another year. He was set to be unemployed at the end of June but now looks set to stay until next summer at least. His debut at the end of the season with Emmanuelson unavailable was solid if unspectacular. I just hope MvB and Blind know that they have more work to do on that backline.

Can he run this at Ajax? The personnel will need to be amended a bit more, I think. The center attacking midfielder he would need is missing perhaps. Could Perez do He is a good it? I don’t think he is dynamic enough. Perez seems to be more of a deep-lying playmaker rather than a guy who can key the attack from the top of the box. Is this the role Sulejmani will be brought in to play? Perhaps, especially since MvB is trying to convince KJH to stay. Maybe Suarez could fill this role. I like his distribution skills. The next few transfer rumors will reveal more.

The Subs
In the match against France, MvB looked like a genius when both his early second half subs scored a goal. Ajax has not had a manager with a good feel for his own players for awhile. I was always wondering when Ten Cate’s famed player management skills would kick-in, and Koster was usually pretty standard in his subs. Managing the Dutch national side, with all the personality clashes and divas competing for attention this entails, is no small task. If MvB can keep two volatile guys like van Persie and Robben happy enough to come off the bench and play like that, the future looks bright in Amsterdam.

Then again, MvB will not be able to bring in world-class talents like Robben and van Persie off the bench. He is going to have to manage with Rommedahl and Kennedy instead. I am sold so far on MvB’s ability to manage top-class talent. What will he do with squad players? Can he learn the strengths and use them efficiently? We will not learn this at Euros, unfortunately.

The Hype

The next match will also reveal a lot about the mentality MvB can instill in his side. So far the Dutch have been the darlings of the tournament, scoring 7 goals in brilliant fashion. Tuesday they face their group stage nemesis, Romania. The Romanians will play a different style and will be far more interested (and experienced) in destroying the Dutch attack than the previous opponents. What will MvB do with a frustrated, slightly deflated, suddenly over-hyped squad? Will he know which buttons to press? Will he inspire confidence or encourage dissent? I wonder because he will face a media-driven circus in Amsterdam that will be similar in form if not in scope. I hope he knows what he is doing.

> Should the Dutchmen fly into the later rounds, perhaps even a final, or a trophy to raise, the possibility of KJH staying has to go up, right? Marco would instantly become the hottest manager in Europe before he has even managed his first club match. And with his two assistants accompanying him, the buzz would be deafening. The question is, how far must they go? For my money, surviving this ridiculous group and winning a knockout match would be outstanding. But let’s hope MvB is more ambitious than that.
> Now for Heitinga’s benching. Let’s daydream a bit. Honestly, I would love to see Khalid come in as a replacement. He has to be for sale, although the price may go up with a few more appearances in lop-sided matches. And if he builds a good relationship with MvB, why not come to Amsterdam? England was not kind, Spain was awful; maybe it is time to come home, Khalid? I am going to start a rumor…
> There was not a single current Ajacied on the pitch during the match. Steks is a backup, Urby got cut, KJH did not budge from his seat. Let’s hope MvB can ready a strong Amsterdam contingent for his replacement. I think the young Dutch talent is there, and the resources are as well.

Enough about strikers, because KJH has no real backup. Ismael Urzaiz was supposed to be Ten Cate’s “battering ram” but instead looked more like a fence post, making only 6 appearances and no starts while scoring as many goals as I managed to score. Nothing against him, though. He has had a decent career, and it is a shame it ended with him a permanent fixture on the bench or in the stands. KJH is too good to be subbed often, and Urzaiz was too immobile to be terribly helpful.

There was someone to take the scoring pressure off KJH, however. And I have not said enough about Luis Suarez on this blog. Despite a protracted transfer saga (and the beginning of our bad blood with Groningen), Suarez has proven his worth at least a few times over. I still have concerns (his fight with Luque, his tendency to flop, some inconsistency, wasteful shooting). But I will take 19 Eredivisie goals from a young left winger. And his creativity was often wildly entertaining. I loved his pace, his stylish touch, and his work with Urby all season. I really look forward to seeing this guy grow up a bit more and maybe become the next Ajax superstar. He has shown all the tools. He just needed to find a killer instinct and more accurate shooting. I love this guy. I am stopping now.

And it was a good thing Suarez could do so much, because the right wing struggled. Kennedy Bakircioglu got some looks, bringing some good skill on the ball but a lack of pace. Dennis Rommedahl was like his evil twin: mad pace but feet of stone. Rommedahl became the standard call, and he produced some good moments. I absolutely love his pace, but I really think he would be best as a sub. His best moments were often in the second half, when tired defenders allowed him to compensate for his deficiencies by being darn fast. I would like to see more of Rommedahl in this capacity, but I don’t know what to do with Kennedy. He was not so bad he should be moved for certain, but I know he is replaceable.

And now for the chaff. The name of Albert Luque will not be mentioned again on this blog except for one last item involving the words “transfer” and “sucker” or “fool.” Embarrassing. That is all. Edgar Manucharyan and Leonardo scarcely had time to make an impact. They will be leaving along with Nicolae Mitea. A commenter pointed out that Mitea is leaving not as a complete failure. He was actually quite good a few years back until injury shut him down. The same goes for Leonardo, who showed promise but blew an ACL. I agree, but it still does not change the fact that we are poor in depth up front. Cvitanich will help, Sulejmani will be tremendous, and there is still hope that the youth program has something special in Jan-Arie Van der Heijden.

So the verdict:
KJH-Suarez: engrave their names in next year’s team sheet (or make a pile of cash)
Rommedahl-Kennedy: Potential squad rotation candidates (in that order)
Everybody else: call your agent and pack your bags.

Next time, we will be entering full Euro mode!

But for the long-term, Perez will be 34 next August. It is a good thing a few other, much younger midfielders got a chance to earn some experience. Some gained good experiences, others were exposed. Robbert Schilder was an example of the latter while Jan Vertonghen was the former. Schilder had been out on loan for a season or two, and his return to the club did not last. Vertonghen, however, displayed some talent and some versatility. While his freekicks do not quite resemble Sneijder’s, dangerous left-footed options seem plentiful in Amsterdam right now.

Gabri also continued to provide valuable services and solid play. I remember rumors that he might move last summer, and if he were a bit younger I expect it might have been more serious. As is, I think Gabri filled a terrific niche at Ajax and can continue to do so next year, too. He can relieve a playmaker of some defensive responsibility as well as pass with accuracy. I hope he wasn’t tied too tightly to Ten Cate. Siem de Jong stepped up early to fill a void. While he seemed to fade a bit later from Koster’s plans, I think we saw enough early to justify some optimism about his future. At least it is probable that he will grow into a squad player, but we will know more after next season.

I have already given my feelings about Edgar Davids, who won’t be returning next season. I do not think he had anything to be ashamed of this season, as his performance was good enough to warrant his selection most of the time. I am not sad to see him go, however, except that he is a true Ajacied. The introduction of Rasmus Lindgren in January helped give Davids more rest. Lindgren seemed to be a wise recall from Heerenveen. I do wish he, or any incoming transfer this summer, could provide the attitude and the aggression that Davids did from his position protecting the back four. If we need any midfielders this window, which is questionable perhaps, it needs to be a replacement for Davids’ bite.

The reason I think we may not need to spend heavily on midfielders right now is the strength of a few key youth players. I want to see more of Jeffrey Sarpong, who came on very late in the season and had a few great appearances. If we can’t use him, we need to send him out so that we can see what he can do with regular time on the pitch. The same goes for Vurnon Anita and Mitchell Donald, who did not quite get the opportunities to shine. I know the youth system is not as strong as it used to be, or as strong as we think it is (which will be clear when I cover the young wingers later), but out of those few prospects, we should have at least one quality mid. If he can begin easing Perez out next term, I think we will be productive with Gabri, Lindgren, de Jong and Vertonghen rotating.

And now for some other news:
> KJH’s agent is annoyed that L’Equipe said he was poised to join Madrid. He only denies rumors when someone else is named as the agent. Any other time, you know he is encouraging this stuff.
> Various sources are reporting that Leonardo, Edgar Manucharyan, Albert Luque and Nicolae Mitea will soon be moving on. I take this as pretty obvious. None are real contributors. Luque is embarrassing. Leonardo is inconsistent. Edgar and Mitea have never earned a real chance. Too bad, but it is time. I think we can hope that they all move soon.