Ajax vs Celtic, Europa League Group A Match 1, 17/09/15

I'm trying hard not to get greedy and just be happy with a point tonight. If you'd have offered me 2-2 before the match started I would certainly have taken it. It's just a bit frustrating when you get 1-2 up though and you're looking comfortable with only 20mins to go. I really think if Izaguirre hadn't got sent off we would have held on and won that game. An opportunity missed but not a bad result at the same time. Mixed feelings.

 

Pretty much how I feel about tonight.

Big result. Could've been better. Izaguirre sending off was coming and he should've been hooked. All on him though not keeping his head.

I wasn't expecting anything from the game to be honest. Ronny set out the team well for once. Delighted with the point but it could've been more if Izaguirre didn't get sent off.

I thought it was a decent performance, which we were due considering our poor run of form lately.

I'm unsure if Molde has * us though. Great result for them tonight. I can only hope that fernebahce go all Greece on us and end up bottom of the pack.

 

The Molde double header with a settled back line should be interesting.

 

Decided not to go tenting so sat in the attic and watched the game.Apart from izzy's silly moment i thought the team looked fairly compact and they did'nt run through us at will.We also looked dangerous on the break although we need to be better in possession.

 

But for the sending off, we could have won that game. And this isn't us even up to full speed yet. Imagine the kind of performances ahead.
Funny to think that just earlier today a lot of folk had Ronnie getting sacked and us pumped out of the group...

I was always sure we'd get it together. So happy for the bhoys tonight, they proved a lot of folk wrong over there. Just a silly hotheaded moment away from a brilliant win. Izzy was having a great game up till that spell of a few mins before the red too.
Obviously still some tweaking to be done but this was brilliant. Happy with all of the players tonight overall. Well * done.

 

Agree with many on here. There was a significant feeling of disappointment at the final whistle that we didn't take all 3 points but overall a point before the game and the account we gave of ourselves is a massive step in the right direction from recent performances. Overall I'm very pleased with how we played.

Again, a set piece has been our undoing. Something which needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency on the training pitch. Thought apart from that though, defensively we were a lot better. Lustig was solid as usual, Boyata was vastly improved from his recent performances, big Sim did very well for his debut in a new defence for a new team and Izzy was foolish with his decision making and tackling however going forward he looked a real threat.

In terms of the group, it's looking like one of the most interesting in the entire competition, especially with that Molde result. Can see it going right up to the 6th round of games to decide who qualifies.

 

At least it was an exceptional ball in for the set piece, in general we done well at set pieces and faced a lot of them.

We still could have done better but * me what a ball, that * done us twice now.

 

Molde done us no favours tonight

 

The zonal marking reared it's ugly head though. I think it was Milik who was up to try and get something on it and it looked as if it was that attempt which put Gordon off slightly. No one was near him. We're not defensively savvy enough to do zonal marking. Yet.

 

happy enough

 

De Boer said we "parked two buses" tonight.

Ones called Ronald, ones called Frank. One missed a penalty,the other is a *!!!

 

All Ajax did was knock the ball about the back 4 and done absolutely fuckall until Izzy was sent off. * should be elated they got a point out of it.

 

Asked in another thread but never got anything...

I'm thinking this is going to be our first choice defence.

How would you compare it to our last "new defence" in Europe under Ronny?

 

Away from home in Europe, I don't care how many buses we park

 

I don't think that was down to zonal, it was down to slightly bad defending/goalkeeping and a great ball.

 

I wonder if Fenerbahce are just one of those teams with plenty of good players but not a great 'team'. Shocker of a result tonight.

We should be looking to beat them at home.

 

Possibly mate, no doubt it was a fizzing ball and some delivery. If you watch the replay but, Milik has yards of space either side of him, man to man marking he wouldn't have had that and possibly would have given Gordon a bit more assurance of whether to come out and clear out everything in front of him (not necessarily his style) or stay back and let the defender deal with it. Not saying he would have but it may have stopped Gordon coming out flapping like he did.