Page 2 - Ajax

By Karl Matchett.

Ajax might be top of the Eredivisie, but that doesn't stop them having to worry about the January transfer window when it rolls around. Unlike many of Europe's other famous names, though, Ajax aren't likely to be hugely active in buying; instead, keeping hold of their big talents is the challenge, with the Dutch top flight a notorious hot-spot for snapping up prodigiously exciting young players.

Naturally, inflated January prices means that if any, Ajax might only have to offload one player, but there will be several in this side who the bigger teams around the Continent have more than half an eye on-here we take a look at three of the most viable candidates.

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Joel Veltman

Younger central defender Jairo Riedewald might be the more attractive option right now after a stand-out last year or so, but Ajax's general modus operandi would be to keep hold of their teenage talent for a few more seasons and sell on the 20-something option-in this case,

From 1964 to 1983, Johan Cruyff played 369 matches with AFC Ajax and scored 271 goals. Players with the football club have notched more appearances (603, the remarkable tally attained by forward Sjaak Swart) and scored more goals (Piet van Reenen's record of 273), but arguably no footballer has had quite the impact on Ajax that Cruyff has. After retiring from professional soccer, Cruyff managed Ajax for a time, from 1985 to 1988. He returned as an advisor in 2011 and has been a part of the football club, in some capacity, ever since, but last week the news broke that Johan Cruyff leaves role as advisor at Ajax.

Cruyff Quits

It looks like the 68-year-old Dutchman's long and impressive journey with the Lancers has officially come to a close. On Monday, November 16^th, Cruyff announced that he was quitting his advisory role with AFC Ajax. The announcement came via his weekly column in the De Telegraaf newspaper, where Cruyff wrote, "For years and years now I see that the essential points

After having their chances of a historic fifth consecutive Eredivisie title dashed last season, AFC Ajax is back on top for the Dutch Eredivisie 2015/16 season. The Lancers had an opportunity last weekend to expand their lead in the league even further, in a high-profile match against top title competitors Feyenoord. Ajax managed to retain their lead drawing the match 1-1. However, the draw did open up the door for PSV Eindhoven-whose season started out slowly, following their 2014 2015 title win-to worm their way back into the title conversation.

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Ajax vs. Feyenoord

Ajax have played a strong season so far. They've won nine of their 12 matches and scored 31 goals while only conceding six. The football club's excellent offensive and defensive lines make the Lancers the natural frontrunners for the 2015/16 Eredivisie trophy, as evidenced by their impressive +25 goal difference.

Still, despite the solid play, the Lancers have choked in the moments where their wins would

This season has already been an interesting one in the Dutch Eredivisie. In the first eight matches of the 2015 2016 campaign, PSV Eindhoven-the reigning Netherlands football champs-have looked markedly weaker than they did at any point last season. AFC Ajax, meanwhile, who missed their chance at a fifth straight Eredivisie title in 2014 2015, have looked like a team headed back to the top of the podium. The two soccer clubs were expected to continue playing those disparate roles in their Sunday, October 4^th rivalry match. Ajax were favored as both the home team and the team with the better record while Eindhoven were coming off a tough loss in last week's Champions League game. Surprisingly, though, PSV beat Ajax in 2015 showdown and ended up looking stronger than anyone expected.

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The (No Longer) Undefeated Ajax

Coming into this match, Ajax were undefeated in the 2015 2016 Eredivisie. Indeed, aside from a draw with Twente on September 9^th, the Lancers had been

With the football season well underway AFC Ajax lead the 2015 - 2016 Eredivisie, but can they stay there? A year ago, AFC Ajax were in pursuit of something that is hitherto unprecedented in the Dutch Eredivisie. Specifically, the Lancers were gunning for a fifth consecutive league title. In the history of Dutch football, several football clubs have won four championship titles in a row. HVV tallied four around the turn of the 20th century, while PSV Eindhoven did it twice-first in the late 1980s, and then again in the mid-2000s. In all three cases, the winning streaks broke in the fifth season, and the same prove true for the Lancers as they aimed for their five-titles-in-a-row run.

The team that shattered the impressive soccer streak for AFC Ajax was PSV Eindhoven, and they did so decisively. Indeed, in the final league standings, the Lancers had 71 points, and PSV's Peasants had 88. Ajax, in other words, weren't even particularly close to securing a fifth straight title. In fact, other

It's always tricky to predict how the UEFA Europa League will play out, largely due to the fact that even after the group stage has been played, the tournament frontrunners could still be coming from elsewhere. Indeed, the tradition of incorporating the third-placed teams from each of the Champions League groups lends an air of unpredictability to the action in the annual Europa League tournament that you don't necessarily get in the UCL. Quite simply, with the Europa League, you never know who might emerge as a major contender. However, following the 2015 - 2016 Europa League group stage draw we take a look at the likely winners and losers.

In the UEL, it's particularly pivotal for football clubs to win their groups, instead of to advance to the knockout stages by finishing second. Second-placed teams are left unseeded for the knockouts, which can result in very difficult draws against either top UEL group stage finishers, or tough-to-beat UCL teams.

The Good Draws

So who got the good

Last season was something of a heartbreaker for fans of AFC Ajax, as the football club's chances of winning a fifth-straight Eredivisie title-something that no club in Dutch soccer history has ever accomplished-fell apart. Sure, the Lancers still played a solid season and finished in second. But they were beaten so handily by their rivals at PSV Eindhoven-PSV ended the season with 88 points in the league standings, while Ajax had 71-that even second place felt like a crushing disappointment. We take a look at their 2015 - 2016 Eredivisie week one performance, as well as rounding up the entire league's first week of play.

A Perfect Start

From the looks of it, though, this season could be a chance for the wearers of the Ajax home jersey 2015
2016 to get back to the top of the Eredivisie table. Indeed, after week one of the 2015 2016 Netherlands football league competition, the Lancers are in the lead, having won a big 3-0 win in an away match at AZ.

The game, which featured two goals from

Do runner-up finishes get any more disappointing than Ajax's second-place finish in the 2014-15 Eredivisie? It's tough to think of a scenario where coming in second could feel so much like losing, but fans in the Ajax football shirt are definitely feeling more than a little bit miffed now that the 2014 2015 Dutch football season is officially on the books. This Ajax 2014-15 review will look at the season in its entirety and assess how can they get back to the top spot in the 2015-16 campaign.

This year, the wearers of the Ajax away shirt 2014 2015 were shooting for a fifth consecutive title in the Eredivisie. No team has ever won five Netherlands national league championships in a row, so the Lancers were striving to make history this year. A couple of soccer squads have come close to the five-in-a-row milestone over the years. HVV won four in a row at the turn of the 20^th century, while PSV Eindhoven have gotten four back-to-back titles on two previous occasions: first in the 1980s, and

By all accounts, AFC Ajax has had a great soccer season. The club's record in the 2014 2015 Eredivisie includes 20 wins, six draws, and just four losses, with a goal difference rating of +38. They also participated in the 2014 2015 Champions League, and made it to the round of 16 in the Europa League. Needless to say, fans of the Lancers have had plenty to be proud of this year, and they can all mark the strong run with brand new team gear from Soccer Box's Ajax Amsterdam shop.

At Soccer Box, we still have plenty of current Amsterdam team gear in stock for the 2014 2015 campaign. Pick up a new red and white home jersey, or save 10% on the Ajax away jersey 2014 2015 with a great end-of-season discount. Both of these football shirts (and more) can be found at our AFC Ajax shop. Stop by today to see what other treasures you can unearth.

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The 2014 2015 Eredivisie

Even though AFC has, on the whole, had a very good 2014 2015 run, elements of the campaign have been disappointing for fans.

On March 1^st, AFC Ajax secured a key victory in the 2014 2015 Dutch Eredivisie, beating PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in an away fixture. The win was monumental for the Lancers, not just because it was retribution for a home loss against PSV back in the fall, but also because Eindhoven is currently in first place in the league. Another win this past weekend, against Excelsior, aided Ajax in their climb up the table, but will they be able to catch the PSV Peasants before the season runs out? Root for the club today, with a new football shirt or two from Soccer Box's Ajax shop!

The 2014 2015 Ajax jerseys are stunning, thanks in part to the consistently high quality work of kit manufacturer Adidas. From the red and white home shirt to the blue and neon yellow Ajax away shirt 2014 2015, these jerseys are must-owns for fans of the Lancers. Shop at Soccer Box today to get your hands to these shirt designs or other Eredivisie football merchandise!

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Second Place

Coming into the 2014 2015,