How Erik ten Hag has turned Ajax into the Champions League’s surprise package this season. Explaining Ajax’s tactics, formation, starting XI and key players - Dusan Tadic, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Daley Blind.
Ajax appointed Erik ten Hag on the 21st December 2017 following the sacking of Marcel Keizer. Previously, ten Hag had managerial spells at Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich’s second team and then the most impressive spell of his career at FC Utrecht. Where he guided them to 4th position in the Eredivisie and thus the Europa League. At Utrecht, ten Hag mainly employed a 4-4-2 diamond that dropped into a narrow 4-3-3 in defence to with the false nine to drop into midfield to apply pressure and dictate the counter attack. We can see characteristics of ten Hag’s Utrecht in Amsterdam.
Ajax set up in a 4-2-1-3 under ten Hag and they play a high pressing vertical possession based game. In possession, Ajax are a fascinating team to watch. The trend with over-performing sides in European football is to play a vertical tiki-taka system. Examples would be Nagelsmann’s Hoffenheim, Sarri’s Napoli, Bielsa’s Leeds United and Pochettino’s Spurs.
In a standard possession phase Ajax use diamonds. They set up in a 3-3-1-3 allowing the creation of three diamonds. A diamond is the best shape for possession football because it gives a player three passing options thus better ball rotation. The diamond was championed by Ajax Legend Johan Cruyff in his tactics. His 1990s Barcelona team played in a 4-3-3 that became a 3-4-3 with a diamond as his left back inverted. Cruyff’s tactics saw him become the most successful Barcelona manager in history until Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi came along. As Barca manager Cruyff won 11 trophies, including 4 La Ligas, 1 Copa del Rey and the last ever European Cup in 1992.
Ajax look to build up with 3-1 shape at the back, but this has many variations. It can be a combination of either wingbacks or defensive midfielders with the two Ajax’s centre backs. Along with a fine sweeper keeper in André Onana, Ajax can dominate the ball at the base. That base usually contains Matthijs de Ligt, Daley Blind, Lasse Schone and Frenkie De Jong. Two ball playing centre backs, a deep-lying playmaker and Frenkie De Jong, a modern day libero. A player capable of stepping out of the back and waltzing around opponents to dictate the attack as he showed against Ballon D’Or winning midfielder, Luka Modric.
In attack, Ajax play a vertical tik-taka style in a 3-3-1-3. Ten Haag uses a combination of a false nine, inside forwards and the movement of box-to-box midfielder Donny van der Beek to open up his opponents. There is a lot of rotation of positions in attack with the front four players regularly switching positions. Tadic and Ziyech are the creators in the side, David Neres the dribbler and van der Beek’s movement from midfield adds a real unpredictability to Ajax’s attack.
Can Ajax win their 5th European Cup?
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