Let’s Talk Marco

Now that we have seen Marco excel in the two matches so far, let’s daydream about what we can expect when he touches down in Amsterdam after the tournament. Here are the topics:

The Formation
I am very interested in what formation we are going to see Ajax playing next fall. Any departure from the 433 will certainly be met with opposition, but with the capital MvB has gained by destroying both France and Italy by three-goal margins, I think he can get away with it. And he does not seem tied to the traditional Dutch formation. I don’t believe I have seen a 433 yet. Instead, the trendy 4231 seems to be the standard.

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.

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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