From Ajax Achievements to New Horizons: Suzanne Bakker explored – tactical analysis

Suzanne Bakker’s Ajax Vrouwen were successful in securing their qualification ticket to the knockout phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League very recently after beating Roma Women at Johan Cruijff Arena to qualify at the second spot while sharing the same number of points as PSG with 10 points each.

This was one of the most complicated groups in this season’s UWCL group stage, if not the most complicated since it witnessed some rollercoaster fixtures and results, with PSG, Roma, Bayern Munich and Ajax all creating surprises against each other throughout the group stage. But in the end, only Ajax and PSG qualified for the knockout phase, as Bayern Munich and Roma got behind in terms of points.

At the same time, Bakker’s Ajax are actually doing well in the Eredivisie even though they are second in the standings behind Twente with 12 points of difference, which can be considered a lot given the potential of Ajax and their ability to battle in a more determined way for the title.

This being said, the league is still long, and Ajax are still capable of turning the table on Twente in the end if they keep on believing in their abilities to win the league title, knowing that Ajax have lost only once, drew three times and won eight games so far. Being able to make minimal losses in the remaining games would surely help Ajax battle more seriously for the title, especially if they succeed in winning their direct encounter against Twente.

However, Suzanne Bakker is getting closer to the end of her contract with Ajax, and the club has decided not to extend her contract, which means that Bakker will leave Ajax at the end of this season and will be open to new offers.

Bakker was a football player who started her career at FC Utrecht and then moved to ASV Wartburgia from 2008 to 2014. She then put an end to her career as a football player and started her coaching journey at ASV Wartburgia from 2014 to 2017 and having an experience as an assistant at Excelsior/Barendrecht for one season before getting the opportunity to move to Ajax and coach the Talent women team and then the senior team starting from 2022.

Bakker expressed her surprise at Ajax’s decision to not extend her contract as the team’s performances were not bad at all under her “command”, knowing that Ajax won the 2022/23 Eredivisie title and were able to consolidate this title and confirm their performances in the UWCL where they succeeded to qualify at the top of a group having PSG, Bayern Munich and Roma. Moreover, it should be said that Bakker led Ajax to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time ever in the clubs history.

In this tactical analysis article, we will be focusing on Bakker’s ideas and tactics at Ajax and discover her used footballing plans and formations and how she achieved excellent results with the team especially in the UWCL this season. At the same time, the analysis will shed some light on the teams that might suit or/and need a head coach like Bakker starting from next season, given that she will be free after June.

Preferred formations and tactical preferences and key players

Bakker is characterised by her tactical fluidity and diversity since she does not rely on one or two formations only throughout the season but rather on numerous formations that change based on her match plans and on the type of the opponent, their strengths and weaknesses.

This makes Bakker different and sometimes more powerful than other head coaches who prefer stability and consistency in terms of formations. This season’s UWCL journey so far highlights the impact of Bakker’s impactful change of formations according to games, knowing that she used the 4-2-3-1 against Roma, the 3-5-2 against PSG, the 4–1-4-1 and the 4-3-3 against Bayern Munich. And despite playing against more formidable teams than Ajax, they still managed to win three games, make one draw and lose twice.

Bakker’s playing style focuses mainly on having more possession than the opponent and trying to exploit spaces at the back of defences, thanks to pacy wingers like Tiny Hoekstra and Chasity Grant. The fact that Bakker have been relying on relatively young players formed at Ajax helped attain a high level of chemistry between the players and an awareness of what should be done and when exactly.

Moreover, exploiting counter-attacks in the best possible way represents one of Bakker’s constant objectives during games as this allows Ajax to launch quick attacks and exploit the lack of organisation of opposing defences thanks to Hoekstra, Romée Leuchter and Grant’s ability to be clinical whether in final passes or in terms of finishing.

Grant, Hoekstra and Lily Yohannes are often instructed to rely on penetrations from the wings and the middle before serving Leuchter inside the box or aiming for the shot. These penetrations are often executed successfully as Ajax’s players are strong physically and in terms of dribbling and offensive duels.

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