Ajax vs. Manchester United

E U R O P A, Europa is the league for me
with a nick nack paddy whack give a dog a bone
why didnt united just beat basel :(
 
It's an odd feeling, this. Usually, my interest for midweek football ends on Wednesdays.
 
Ohhhh 6 o clock, what the feck.

Looks like I'll be relying on shitty 3 to give me 3G reception on the train home... Not holding my breath.
 
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As we've not got a game this weekend - I'm going with the strongest possible outcome. We'll try to put the team away to make it easier. See Hernandez playing a big role to try to get lots of goals and put the tie beyond doubt.

Then we're not worrying for the second leg when we DO have a PL match 2 days afterwards!
 
Look out, Sir Alex... Eriksen is back! Ajax's heir to Laudrup knows England

When you are 20 years old and the best hope your side have of beating the mighty Manchester United, it helps to have some experience of English football.
Luckily for Ajax's attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, he heads into their Europa League clash having endured a traditional English baptism of fire.
'I went to Chelsea twice when I was 14 and 15,' says the mild-mannered Dane when we meet at the club's training ground. 'I was at Danish club Odense at the time and came across with a friend to Cobham. We played against West Ham youth away and the year after we played Millwall away.

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'It was a bit of a shock playing against Millwall. I knew the reputation of English football was tough but my first thoughts when we started were, "Wow, this is different to Denmark". They kicked a little more and made crazy tackles but I wasn't injured when I returned to Denmark so I guess I did ok.'
Eriksen did 'ok' at the trials, too, but, despite interest from Jose Mourinho, the player decided England was not for him just yet and joined Ajax's brilliant youth academy.

There he has had the chance to play first-team football and develop into one of the most exciting midfielders in the world - he was the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup.
A dazzling performance in a friendly against England a year ago means Premier League scouts are circling, with Manchester United and Liverpool joining Chelsea, AC Milan and Bayern Munich battling to prise him away from Amsterdam.

'I always thought it would be better to go to Holland first, especially because of the position I play and the football I wanted to play,' says Eriksen, who looks so skinny it is hard to believe he is a footballer.
'Ajax have a tradition of good football and play 4-3-3, which suits me. They also spend lots of money on youth players with the aim of putting them in the first team.
'Top sides in England have to get into the Champions League every year so they are not going to buy a 17-year-old and put him straight in the first team. They buy players who can play now. You might not get a game until you are 21. So why should you go there?'

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It is a mature and practical attitude but then, even with the hype surrounding him, Eriksen has yet to develop a hint of arrogance. He is friendly from the off, has spiked up his hair especially for the pictures and laughs at suggestions he has had any say in the colour of his garish new lilac boots.
'I'm not Ronaldo, so my sponsors pick the colour,' he says laughing.
He was laughing for a while in Copenhagen a year ago, too, when he put in a superb performance against England, setting up a goal for Daniel Agger before Fabio Capello's side fought back to win 2-1.
'I liked playing against England because you had a 4-4-2 and there was space for me to go into between the defence and midfield. It was a big game for us, special. Maybe for England it wasn't. I had fun and decided to keep my own shirt as a memory of playing well rather than swapping.'

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Part of the reason Eriksen seems so grounded is probably that he did not grow up craving the life of a professional footballer. He barely watched football, instead spending hours outside in his home town of Middelfart practising the turns, close control and speed that make him so sought after.
'I played for the first time when I was three,' he says. 'My neighbour was six and I went to train with him. But I don't have many football memories from when I was young. I didn't really watch much on TV. I was outside playing all the time.
'I was still aware of Danish players who did well, like Peter Schmeichel for Manchester United in 1999, but I don't remember almost anything about the Treble because I was only seven.'

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That's enough to make anyone feel old. He turned 20 two days ago and is too young to appreciate some of the talents he has at his disposal at Ajax on the coaching staff and the endless list of legends who have graced the club over the years.
'I work a lot with Frank de Boer (the head coach) and Dennis Bergkamp (his assistant). I've seen a lot of clips of Bergkamp playing for Arsenal on YouTube. In the beginning it was a shock seeing these big names, even though most of them played before my time. My dad couldn't believe it. Everywhere he turned was an idol.'
Hovering between midfield and attack, his style could be compared to Bergkamp's though it is a famous Dane - Michael Laudrup - with whom the comparison is more often made.
Eriksen says he'll have to score more goals to be compared to the great Dane and knows he will eventually have to leave Ajax to move up a level.
'You can learn so much from training with the top guys,' he says, careful to pick the right words so he doesn't offend a club who have been so good to him.
'You don't learn from playing against them. When it's time to leave Ajax, I'll try to go to a bigger team who do well in the Champions League every year and win trophies. But I'd make sure it was somewhere where I wouldn't just sit on the bench. Right now, my mind is only focused on Ajax.'
That means upsetting the odds and beating United over two legs, the first on Thursday night at a packed Amsterdam ArenA.
'When we were sitting watching the draw, we thought, "Oh no, that's the team we wanted to avoid". But now we're excited.'

Daily Mail
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..
 
We are in it to win it.

DDG

Rafael
Evans
Smalling
Fabio

Young
Cleverly
Jones
Park/Welbeck

Nani

Chicharito

Subs: Amos , Rio, Rooney, Carrick , Pogba , Valencia, Welbeck/Park
 
--------------------------De Gea---------------------------


---P.Jones---------Smalling-------Evans-----------Z.Fryers-



--L.Nani-------------Cleverley------Park-----------A.Young-



--------------------Rooney-------Chicarito-----------------

Prediction:2-2 Chicarito 2
 
Just noticed that both United and City are playing away tonight meaning that we will both be playing in Manchester next Thursday. That doesn't happen too often. Don't the clubs, council and police try and schedule it so we're never playing in Manchester on the same day?

Anyway, am I right in assuming that because we kick off at 6 tonight, we'll be the 8pm kick off next week?

The coucil house will look even emptier than usual for a 6pm kick off
 
With 3-4 key-players out - Ajax are struggling. I just can't see us go out to Ajax in the form we are in. Add to that - Ajax are in really poor form and seem to have suffered a lot due to the powerstruggle at the club...nah...
 
RedMist99 said:
Just noticed that both United and City are playing away tonight meaning that we will both be playing in Manchester next Thursday. That doesn't happen too often. Don't the clubs, council and police try and schedule it so we're never playing in Manchester on the same day?

Anyway, am I right in assuming that because we kick off at 6 tonight, we'll be the 8pm kick off next week?

The coucil house will look even emptier than usual for a 6pm kick off
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8.05 PM kick off next Thursday...
 
8.05 :lol:

Only in the Europa...

Still, I'm excited about this game, I had a soft spot for Ajax when I was a kid, I used to collect their jerseys and I loved the Ajax v Milan European Cup final :drool:
 
Cutch said:
I'm strangely excited about this. Different competition, different day, different time, different challenge.
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Me too I have to say.

Also I'm happy that we kick off at 6pm, as I get home from work around 5.45pm, so it means not having to sit for a few hours waiting on the match to start :D

Start a strong side, and try to get this tie almost done with.
3-0 and Hernandez to score.
 
Colin129 said:
So you want Ajax to win then? :confused:
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As Kraftwerker pointed out, where did I say that I want Ajax to win you strange man?

I've also got a soft spot for Spurs but it doesn't mean I ever want them to get anything from their games against us.
 
I hope we play:

----------De Gea
Rafael---Smalling--Rio---Fabio
Nani--Cleverley-Carrick-Young
------Rooney--Chicarito

Bring on Pogba in the 2nd half if we're not losing.
 
It was probably taken on an iphone so getting a clearer version might be tough since it'd also have to be retaken -_-
 
Apparantly 88 arrests in Amsterdam already.

Police in Holland have made 88 arrests ahead of United's clash with Ajax tonight.

Officers in Amsterdam swooped on a number of groups in a bid to prevent outbreaks of trouble last night.

In one incident 70 Ajax fans were surrounded in a cafe before being arrested. They will be held for 24 hours, the M.E.N. understands.

A group of fans from Krakow, in Poland, were also intercepted and ordered to leave the area by the mayor of Amsterdam.

Supporters of Belgian club Anderlecht are also thought to have been among those held.

One British male was arrested on suspicion of assault.

United sold out their allocation of 2,700 tickets for the Europa League clash at the Amsterdam Arena. The Reds received over 5,000 applications and large numbers without tickets are thought to have travelled.

United are not in action this weekend and that fact has swelled the travelling support.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police are in Amsterdam to help with the security operation.

The return leg takes place at Old Trafford next Thursday.
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Police make 88 arrests in Amsterdam ahead of Manchester United Europa League match against Ajax | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk
 
I look forward to every game we play, which includes the pre season and the reserves fixtures. This is far more exciting... But there are no nerves that are there before a Champions league game. Feels like a bit of a freebie at the moment.. Dont really care about the result.
Surely that cant be right...
 
I'm looking forward to it, why wouldn't we be? It's pressure free European football.
 
Mickey said:
How can you lot be excited for this? I find it depressing!
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Because its United, I would support them in any league/cup/match. Also United v Ajax could be pretty epic despite that is the Europa league.
 
45 minute build up on channel 5?? what the feck? should be interesting to see what they try cram in there
 
iSparky said:
45 minute build up on channel 5?? what the feck? should be interesting to see what they try cram in there
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When was the last time Channel 5 broadcast a United game? Never I presume. They've hit the jackpot so of course they're going to milk it.

Pretty much a Champions League fixture for the price they paid for Europa League games. Bet they can't believe their luck, cos let's be honest, who really expected us to be in this competition?
 
"MOgdenTelegraph: #mufc fans seem very relaxed ahead of Ajax game. Lots of smiling faces... #amsterdam"

:lol:
 
RedMist99 said:
When was the last time Channel 5 broadcast a United game? Never I presume. They've hit the jackpot so of course they're going to milk it.

Pretty much a Champions League fixture for the price they paid for Europa League games. Bet they can't believe their luck, cos let's be honest, who really expected us to be in this competition?
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Is that really the reason? How long are the usual build ups on channel 5, anyone know?
 
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