What exactly do you see when you watch the last fifteen minutes – plus 7 minutes of injury time – of Ajax?

He stands about ten meters in the field. On his own. Arms crossed. Tight, worried look. Maurice Steijn, coach of Ajax since June, observes. How are players thanking the traveling supporters in the cramped, full away section. Not just a few seconds, but almost half a minute. Then he walks away, inside.

It is around half past six, Saturday evening, after a difficult display by Ajax against Excelsior in Kralingen, Rotterdam. He is disappointed. Goals conceded too easily. Too slow pace. Missed too many opportunities. “We didn’t get it in half a meter from the goal,” Steijn will say later.

Ajax is under construction, still waiting for reinforcements. Before kick-off, the new right back Anton Gaaei and striker Chuba Akpom are walking around in the boardroom, but they are not yet eligible to play. Akpom, who switched from Middlesbrough, is worth more than Excelsior’s entire budget with his transfer amount of more than 12 million euros alone. Through VI calculated at 8.5 million (against 140 million for Ajax).

Potential visible

A dry, non-slip synthetic turf field and a slow-playing Ajax negate those differences. Although the potential of this team is visible. The peace, the overview and the fit with central defender Jorrel Hato, a 17-year-old talent from Rotterdam. He still comes to training every day by train. And attacker Carlos Forbs (19), bought from Manchester City for 14 million, is busy with his basic debut. He dribbles at high speed, but is still unlucky in the final phase. By applying fierce pressure, he introduces striker Brian Brobbey’s 0-1.

Steijn coaches fanatically, points and whistles where players have to walk. The question is who will lead this Ajax in the field, after the departure of the influential captain Dusan Tadic. The experienced Davy Klaassen starts on the bench, as does Kenneth Taylor, usually a basic force, but often criticized. Striker Steven Bergwijn, the new captain, seems to want too much in his zeal. On paper he is a left winger, but he often pops up in the ashes of the field, coming from midfield.

Midfielder Branco van den Boomen could fulfill that pioneering role. He coaches a lot, sees openings, can direct the game with his excellent passing. But not today. Steijn replaces him after an hour because he is dissatisfied with him.

It is still fragile, this Ajax. Holes can just fall in the back. Excelsior senses that. Led by left back Arthur Zagre, they combine in a nice attack, Siebe Horemans shoots in the 1-1. Bergwijn lets the defender run away from his back – “that is just not allowed,” he says later. After the break it is suddenly 2-1. Ajax defender Jakov Medic hesitates, loses the ball, which Nikolas Agrafiotis rams into the goal.

If you want to play for the championship you have to win these kind of games

Maurice Stein Coach Ajax

The thermometer in the stadium is ticking 27 degrees. The momentum is back for Ajax, after substitute Klaassen just made it 2-2. It has to happen now, if Ajax does not want to immediately suffer an expensive loss of points in the Eredivisie. Excelsior kicks off, the 75th minute is running.

What exactly do you see when you look at the last fifteen minutes – plus 7 minutes of injury time – of this Ajax?

Given their status, it is to be expected that they will stand up now. Captain Bergwijn, bought last summer for more than 31 million euros. The attacker Mohammed Kudus praised by Steijn, who is in the explicit interest of West Ham United. And striker Brobbey, boy of the club, brought back from Germany last year for just under 20 million.

What is particularly striking: too little is happening. Ajax will try, insists. Klaassen aims a great opportunity in minute 78 at the foot of keeper Stijn van Gassel. Excelsior gets an opportunity in the counterpunch. Soon after, Kudus slaloms through the defense but forgets to finish. A little later he takes the ball with a technical tour de force – frivolous, but the clock is ticking away.

That moment symbolizes the lack of urgency at Ajax. There is trudging here and there, heads down. Nobody takes things in tow, to actually force the 2-3. Steijn looks impotently to the side. Hands in pockets, then arms crossed again, a brief look at the ground.

Taylor takes two corners, both low, both easily cleared by Excelsior. Ditto with a corner kick from Bergwijn, not much later. Brobbey is offside several times, which is no longer a coincidence. In the first half, his 0-2 was disallowed because he was offside.

After Kudus’ chance, Ajax hardly forces anything anymore. Unlike Excelsior. The audience at Woudestein is on their feet for a moment when a shot from Derensili Sanches Fernandes goes just wide via Hato.

“If you want to play for the championship, you have to win these kinds of matches,” says Steijn. Bergwijn does not agree that Ajax lacked urgency in the final phase. “I think everyone wants to, you can see that in the boys and how we sit in the dressing room,” he explains. “Everyone is just disappointed.”