‘Schreuder rot on’, Ajax fans sing after a blow to PSV

The tension is back in the Eredivisie. PSV not only took first place with a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the Johan Cruijff Arena, but also dealt a mental blow to the nearest competitor. Ajax did not win a top match in the Eredivisie nor in the Champions League this season. The PSV of coach Ruud van Nistelrooij is two points ahead of Alfred Schreuder’s team after thirteen matches. However, the differences are small: when Ajax wins the make-up match at home against Vitesse on Wednesday, the roles are reversed again. A large part of the Amsterdam public had already counted on a big gap with PSV and demanded Schreuder’s departure with chants. “We just weren’t good enough,” sighed Schreuder.

riots

The top match in the Eredivisie was marred by various disturbances between players of both teams during and after the match. Trainers and players looked at this in different ways. “Ah, that’s part of a match like that”, said Van Nistelrooij with a shrug. Schreuder: “That was not good. There was a certain frustration in the team. We could have put more energy into our football.”

PSV won a victory on Sunday in an unattractive game in which it coolly finished two chances from counter-attacks, while Ajax had the dominance of the field for large parts of the match, but could only score once. To the frustration of the audience in the sold-out stadium in which the PSV supporters were missing.

According to Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema, the Eindhoven supporters had misbehaved in word and gesture in the battle for Johan Cruijff Scale three months ago, so that they were not welcome now. In the run-up to the match, PSV supporters once again showed their worst side by hanging a banner with the text ‘Bullying supporters makes (sic) you happy, your son is a criminal, not us’ in front of Halsema’s house .

An action that was also rejected by PSV director Marcel Brands. Although Brands was annoyed that Halsema let the behavior of Ajax fans go unpunished. At the time, Ajax’s supporters were also not indifferent to PSV with chants (“all farmers are gay”). The same text was chanted again by the Ajax audience on Sunday. Although the most fanatical fans turned more against their own trainer in the final phase. “Schreuder rot on”, echoed through the Johan Cruijff Arena after the final whistle.

Schreuder remained calm: “Pressure is part of it. I also understand that the fans expect us to beat PSV.”

Surprised

Many connoisseurs had estimated the difference between Ajax and PSV to be greater before the season. They were already surprised when PSV won the match for the Johan Cruijff Scale on July 30 with 5-3. At the time, Ajax could still use the excuse that the team was much less advanced in the preparation for the new season. The won final gave PSV a boost in the difficult encounters with AS Monaco. The first bump on the road to the Champions League. But PSV then fell short in the play-offs against the weaker Rangers FC.

Now, more than three months later, Van Nistelrooij’s team has changed in several places. The new right back Ki-Jana Hoever was given a basic place in the battle for the Johan Cruijff Scale, midfielder Guus Til was PSV’s big man with three goals and the young Xavi Simons was no more than a substitute. Hoever lost his spot to Phillip Mwene, and Til gave way to the very fast developing Simons. He was indispensable on Sunday and even lays claim to the World Cup selection of Louis van Gaal.

After the sensational transfer summer, Ajax hoped to spend the winter again in the Champions League with 216 million euros in income and 111 million euros in expenses. While for PSV participation in the prestigious club tournament was the goal. Both Ajax and PSV failed to meet expectations at European level. Both have now been sentenced to play an intermediate round in the Europa League in February. While Feyenoord is now the only Dutch club to be assured of a place in the last sixteen in this tournament.

Ajax and PSV received a lesson in humility in ‘Europe’. Alfred Schreuder’s team fell short in all respects against English FC Liverpool and Italian SSC Napoli and had no chance on four occasions. Ajax was twice a size too big for the Scottish Rangers FC. With that, it secured itself for the Europa League. Rangers FC was exactly the club that PSV had eliminated in the preliminary round of the Champions League. PSV recovered somewhat in the Europa League, by finishing second in a group with Arsenal, FK Bodø/Glimt and FC Zurich.

waiting for error

The mutual duel between Ajax and PSV was a hard battle between two teams fighting for the lead. PSV started a bit more expectantly than Ajax, which had to make the game at home. PSV waited patiently for an error by Ajax to strike from a counter. That tactic worked. Star player Cody Gakpo outsmarted his Mexican opponent Jorge Sánchez in the 23rd minute and passed the ball to the experienced Luuk de Jong. He tapped him cleverly with the sole of his shoe. In the 50th minute it was the same De Jong who cleared the ball for the scoring Gutiérrez.

Substitute Lorenzo Lucca could only save the honor for Ajax with a goal in the 83rd minute. The supporters of Ajax were not satisfied with that. PSV celebrated its first league win in Amsterdam since 2015 with the supporters waiting from a distance for the team that returned to Eindhoven as the leader – although that may be short-lived.