It was quite a week for Ajax. First there was that big away game against little-but-by-now-big brother Barcelona. Then there was the passing of Gerrie Muhren, erstwhile midfield maestro and to top it all of, there was/is all that criticism on Ajax’ playing style by none other than a number of Ajax icons…
Let’s start with Gerrie. The Muhrens are a famous family from Volendam. If you want to experience Holland in all it’s glory, you don’t want to go to Amsterdam or Delft or the Keukenhof. You go to Volendam. What you’ll get there is wonderful fish (eal), great music (paling-rock) and tremendous football talent.
Wim Jonk and the Muhren Bros are probably the most famous ones. The Muhren bros (Gerrie and Arnold) played football for Ajax. Their Muhren cousins played paling rock for the Cats. With Golden Earring, the most successful Dutch rock/pop band. See below….
Gerrie was quite a big talent when he was young and Ajax wanted him so much that they also signed his young brother Arnold to please the family. Arnold didn’t make it big as a youngster in Amsterdam and left to play for Twente. Via Ipswich and Manchester United, Arnold did make it big for Ajax later, when he was in his 30s. He was the man with the assist on Van Basten in the 1988 Euro finals of course.
But Gerrie was the real deal. A natural lefty, but two-footed. And extremely skilled with the ball.
Gerrie Muhren doing his trickery with the ball in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid is probably one of the most iconic images of Dutch football (along with Coen Moulijn being tackled by a Real Madrid player and all of Feyenoord’s players chasing this one particular Spanish defender, hahahaha).
Muhren was special. He didn’t look the part. He was small (think Modric, Xavi, Iniesta), thin and uncool. Johan Cruyff, Ruud Krol, John Rep….they all looked as if they were part of The Beatles or acted in a Fellini movie. Muhren looked like he worked for the Volendam fish markets. And he most likely did.
But boy could he play. Once he wore his football shoes and his kit, he wouldn’t walk or run on the pitch, he’d glide. He wouldn’t kick the ball, he caressed it. He famously broke all keepitup records and hit the ball in the top corner of the goal at will from any angle. A true talent.
He didn’t make it to be 68 years of age. The older Muhren brother died last week. He suffered from MDS, a bone marrow disease. Gerrie played for Ajax from 1968 to 1976. He played almost 300 official games and scored 72 goals. He won the European Cup thrice and won the World Cup with Ajax. He played for Betis Sevilla in Spain, his own Volendam, MVV in Maastricht and for Seiko in Japan. About his trickery against Real Madrid, with which he silenced 100,000 socios, he said: “This was our signal to Real Madrid: we are better than you.” Ajax won that game 1-0.
His ball skills and technique were hailed by many. His biggest rival for Oranje, Willem van Hanegem, was a fan. “Gerrie can kick the laces out of your boots with a ball.” Muhren only played 10 international games for Oranje. When he moved to Sevilla, he won the “Best Player of the Spanish competition” award. Muhren cherised that award more than anything. “In those days, there were many great players in Spain, just like today. In my day, it was Cruyff and Nees at Barca and Kempes was a big star there too.”
By the way, Muhren scored the goal against Madrid too. People tend to forget this.
Murhen organised football clinics after his active career and was scout for Ajax.
It was highly ironic that in the week of the death of the Madrid slayer, Ajax was slaughtered by Barcelona in the first CL game.
Although, in all fairness, Ajax didn’t do that badly initially.
From what I’ve seen, Barca was the more dominant team, but if Van Rhijn and Duarte would have been a bit more clinical, Ajax could have taken charge of the game. With 1-2 for Ajax, I doubt it if Barca would have overrun the Sons of Gods like they ended up doing….
It’s not strange that Barca beats Ajax. I don’t think the Ajax players need to blame themselves. Ajax without Eriksen is simply a fairly average team. Frank de Boer gets a top performance out of them due to his man management and tactics, but with Eriksen (and Alderweireld) gone, the real class has left. I believe Schone, Fischer, Sigthursson and Blind have what it takes, I believe Duarte can grow a lot and Denswil is a true talent but players like Sana, Poulsen and Krkic would never have made it in Ajax 1 under Michels/Cruyff/Van Gaal….
This year, reaching 3rd place in the CL is doable and should be the objective. A freak 2nd spot is always a possibility but a big future in the CL will only be feasible (for Ajax, PSV and/or Feyenoord) if the clubs can hold on to their top players for a longer period… Which probably is wishful thinking…
This weekend, it’s Ajax – PSV. The two coaches of these teams (Frank de Boer and Cocu) are good mates off the pitch and as per normal, they agree on many things. Cocu: “Ajax is the favorite. They are one step in front of us, as we had to create a new team this season. Frank has been going with his squad for a bit and he won the title three times in a row.”
Although Ajax lost 4-0 in Spain, PSV’s loss against Ludogorets in the EL at home was a bigger shock. Cocu: “We have a young team, and we have had some changes too… These things happen. We need to work hard to prevent this from happening.” Cocu might not be able to use Willems against Ajax, while Rekik and Wijnaldum are definitely out.
De Boer will most likely use Krkic as central striker and have Icelandic goal scorer Sigthursson on the right wing. Fischer will most likely start on the left.
Soon, a post on Ajax playing style and the criticism.
Douglas got a red card with Dinamo
RIP Gerrie Muhren
RIP Ajax
RIP Dutch football
hehehehe RIP Dutch Soccer Site?
Jan, isn’t it a sign of your web-page getting popular, that it’s attracking all kinds of readers (including trolls). Hope the quality doesn’t suffer.
Love your posts. Keep the good thing going!
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
Fer has done a really good game with Norwich, but they really have crap players, starting with Van Wolfswinkel.
Unbelievable that they couldn’t score a goal today with all the chances they got.
I think Fer can become a woeldclass player. His move to Norwich was just disappointing to me.
I hope he moves next season to a good team in EPL. Not sure if he can join the squad in Brazil.
its sad but true Fer is in pathetic team
Do you really have nothing better to do? You must be one pathetic child to think you are being clever and funny. Grow up.
Jan..these comments need to be deleted a.s.a.p..I’m pretty sure all these have been made by a single person..This troll should immediately be kicked out..Lets keep the blog clean.
What the hell is going on ??????
I remember that well…. Juggling in front of partisan madridsta’s – We were so very proud of our football heroes then…. It is also a shame about his little boy and the 74 WK…..
Why you let this one Jan ? lol
Mvg not in Chelsea lineup v. Chelsea.
Can’t believe what a poor move van ginkel made. Awful.
He is strirng up the pot and i can hear his laughs behind a computer.unfortunatly i also replied to this troll..lets ignore this this troll.this guy must be lover of the movie “hostel or saw””.that is th psychology he is showing here
Robben with an assist against Schalke
Can’t get used to seeing him in that lederhosen kit. 😉
yeah!! They could only dream to have him!!
Leroy Fer
Another player who had a quiet game for Norwich. Did his defensive duties well but was unable to get up and support his side in attack as they struggled to find a goal.
(Disagree with such shitty goal ratings…was man of the match..brilliant in tthe tackle..high handling speed and great turns and dribbles in short spaces under pressure…beautiful through passes…his form gives me hope in Oranje again)
Ricky van Wolfswinkel Flop of the Match
Missed chance after chance for Norwich. Only he will know why he tried to chest Nathan Redmond’s pull-back into an unguarded net and how it conspired to clear the bar from point-blank range. Another poor performance from the forward when his side were needing a goal.
(Agreed pretty horrible misses including one unbelievable sitter miss where instead of heading it over the goal line he awkwards chests it over the bar!!??)
Ron Vlaar
Solid at the back and saw a volley fly just wide in the first half.
(Captains performance…must be reinstilled into Oranje’s defensive heart if the young CBs keep underperforming at club level)
Leandro Bacuna
Did well to keep Redmond quiet and performed well considering that right-back is not his natural position.
(Decent performance against a mediocre attack and a subdued nathan redmond but still looks obese, awk and mediocre to even be considered for a squad place)
Nicklas Helenius
Saw a free kick deflect over shortly after coming on. Wasted a good opportunity to double Villa’s lead late on.
(looks nothing special..yet another tall old fashioned CF)
Tim Krul
The Dutchman’s razor-sharp reflexes were in evidence as he kept out Graham’s point-blank header, but may have been disappointed just moments later as Brady’s low effort fizzed underneath his body and into the net. Powerless to stop Elmohamady or Aluko’s efforts which went in off the same post.
(krul will take over Oranje no 1 spot again from the next match on..normality restored)
Vurnon Anita
Sat deeper than his midfield colleagues, sweeping up loose balls and starting the majority of Newcastle’s attacks. Boyd’s second-half introduction saw him given a more direct opponent to handle, but he dealt well with the Scot’s threat.
(looks composed..shud manage atleast a squad place if the clasie keeps getting injured and van ginkel rots away on the bench)
Daniel Agger
Led his defence well in the opening period, ensuring that they kept a tight line against the Saints’ counterattacking play. Was sacrificed on the hour, however, after his side fell behind.
(classy player..unlucky to have been so injury prone)
Agree with you.Fer was DM and OM with Norwich today, he was everywhere on the field, great tackles, and some good trough passes as you mentionned.
Van Wolfswinkel is a crap seriously, besides being unable to controll correctly a ball, having no athletic quality, he isn’t even a good finisher. PL is too big for him in every aspect.
Looks like Twente can be title contenders this season, match report from their win tonight http://www.football-oranje.com/heracles-0-twente-match-report/
Fer’s quality is courage,he doesnt give a shit about anyoe in the field,nice lad with great champion heart.hope he leaves that shit club in jauvary itself.
Quincy promes doing very well with twente so is kyle Ebicilio.Both looks better than Vilhana and other same age guys in any position.
Promes is already 21 years old. Born in 1992. He reveals himself quite late, but that was also the case for Elia.
Pirlo’s debut with Italian NT was at the age of 24. So is stam , not sure about van bommel but probably at the same age. They all are/were worldclass players.
Ebicilio is a great talent , but I think both de vilhena and Clasie are also great. I know Feyenoord is not doing well , but I believe Koeman is the biggest reason. Almost all teams he coached ended with the same miserable state.
Btw Bakkal completed his move to Feyenoord , so it means Immers will hopefully warm the bench. Great news for feyenoord fans imo.
Bert van Marwijk is the new Hamburg coach http://www.football-oranje.com/van-marwijk-is-new-hamburg-coach/
Interesting. I remember BvM saying he wouldn’t bring back VdV if he were to continue coaching for the NT. If they’re able to perform well I wouldn’t mind seeing Ibi Afellay going there, too.