Final Match Preview

I am making this preview a day early because tomorrow is going to be a wash, like most of this week. Right now, I am hoping I will get to sit down and enjoy the final match of the season, but it is not looking too good. You, undoubtedly, will enjoy our comeback at the Arena Sunday. And I will tell you why.

But first, perhaps, I should start with the “why-not.” I once thought none of our guys were to be suspended, but I cannot cout yellow cards with great efficiency. Jan Vertonghen is maxed out and can shut it down early. This week in training, Urby Emmanuelson took a page from the Tom Vermaelen school of self-care and jacked an ankle up. (The picture posted above is Urby and Tom receiving their “worst-timed injury” award) Ajax says Emmanuelson will probably be joining Vermaelen in the stands. So there goes three defenders (maybe two-and-a-half, Urby does not tackle really). We are looking at a backline of Silva, Heitinga, you and me. Rumor has it Silva can play a decent center-back. Maybe we can coax Stam into one more match…? We may see Ogararu, or perhaps even Gabri back there. I am not even sure if Ogararu is healthy, to tell you the truth. He recently lost his place in the Romanian national team after sitting since January behind Silva, so he cannot be in the best of spirits or form. All this and Blaise Kufo to defend after a brace last weekend. If we concede, this thing starts to get messy.

KJH has continued to talk up the idea of staying at Ajax next season, but subtle hints about CL football have been included. Basically, I see this: If Ajax makes the CL, and ManU and Madrid do not offer mad money to him, he will be in Amsterdam next year. If Ajax fails to make the CL, he will leave. To that I say, if we do not qualify for the CL, KJH will deserve a large portion of the blame. He has been absolutely invisible the last few matches of the year and during these playoffs. If he is going to tie his future to the CL and then not deliver when he can get his squad there, I will be terrible disappointed. A guy who sometimes wears the captain’s armband and wants to train with MvB and Bergkamp to be the next Ruud needs to show up this weekend. That is all.

I really do not know about this one. I have been confident every match since the PSV draw, including the ties with Heerenveen last round. The team has looked strong, but looking at highligts from last week, Twente had our number. Will they recover? Will they claim their place in the CL for next season? Or will this season end in bitter disappointment? I do not even need to mention the home-leg debacles that have plagued us over the past few years (oops, I just did), but a win here could be the first step toward putting those fears away.

For predictions, I am expecting us to come at them like this
Gabri, Silva, Heitinga, Lindgren(?)
Davids
De Jong, Perez
Rommedahl, Suarez
KJH

Ajax 2 - 0 Twente (If you wanted me to predict failure, you don’t understand how a fansite works)
KJH 12′
Suarez 72′

And now for some news and rumors:
> Robert Huth of Middlesborough has been linked to Ajax, but his agent is not buying it. We need a replacement for Heitinga (and Stam) and everyone knows it. So we get linked with all the slightly-out-favor-yet-marginally-talented defenders in creation. And of course his agent would deny it. Admitting his client needed to leave the Premiership for the Eredivisie would be a slap. But he only appeared in 13 matches, and I think most of them came after Southgate left. He might benefit from being a solid first-choice guy. But who thinks like that these days? Just me. This one is not happening. Unless Middlesborough goes out and buys a quality replacement for Southgate. So, it’s not happening.

> Miralem Sulejmani continues to be reffered to as an “almost” Ajacied. News this week reported he would not need surgery for his knee problems after all, just rest. I wonder if this came from Heerenveen’s doctors or ours?

> Vurnon Anita is talking up a loan move for next season. This might be good, because the one place we are deep right now is the midfield. Perez, Gabri, Davids, Lindgren, De Jong, Vertonghen… of course, two of those guys are pretty stinking old. I also expect Davids to retire rather than play for MvB. So, I have already talked myself out of this move. Keep Anita as long as he gets worked in next season. Kid can play a bit. Here is a youtube of him working mad skills against stiff competition.

Admit it. You loved it.

Category: Team News

Tags: FC Twente, match preview, Team News

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