It was always going to be tough to replace Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman headed west to take over at fallen giants Manchester United.
Ten Hag bowed out as a three-time Eredivisie champion, leaving his successor with massive shoes to fill at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
CEO Edwin van der Sar opted to offer an old assistant of ten Hag the opportunity to take the reins.
Having won the Belgian Pro League with Club Brugge in spectacular fashion the previous season, Alfred Schreuder was appointed manager of the Dutch giants.
It was always going to be a challenging task for the 50-year-old.
Ajax had not only lost their manager and his number two, but had also sold more than 13 squad players.
Schreuder’s tenure started reasonably well but petered out like a candle in the rain.
By his dismissal at the end of January, Schreuder’s win percentage stood at 46.15 percent, with no victories in his last seven.
Ajax looked inward for a replacement.
After working with Jong Ajax for 18 months, former Netherlands and Everton defender John Heitinga was tasked with the job, which he graciously accepted.
And Heitinga has already steadied the ship, winning seven of his nine games in charge, while placing Ajax back in an unlikely race to defend their league crown.
This tactical analysis piece will be a team scout report on Ajax’s tactics under John Heitinga, examining how the former defender has steadied the ship.
Statistically, Ajax are alright
It’s always important to use both the eye test and stats in correlation with one another, but when looking through Ajax’s numbers this season compared to the rest of the league, they’re pretty impressive.
The Sons of the Gods are performing better than the entire league in almost every single metric, barring a few.
The only statistic Ajax are falling behind in is recoveries per 90, but this is a direct result of the champions dominating possession in every game.
