February 1992
Ajax... Fifteen Years Ago
Knowing that PSV dropped one point against Roda in Kerkrade
on Friday evening (0-0), Ajax prepare for their Sunday
afternoon home game against FC Groningen (02 February), who are
no longer the unbeatable side they were last season, but still
6th in the league and an opponent to take very seriously. PSV
have 37 points out of 23 games. Ajax have 32 out of 22 and want
revenge for last week's rather clumsy 2-2 draw at RKC.
Stefan Pettersson is slightly injured, so that John van Loen
plays from the start for the first time since November. The
match is a frustrating one. Ajax try everything and Van Loen
works hard as always, but Pettersson's intelligence is missed
and Ajax can't find the opening: 0-0. The Amsterdammers fail to
close in on PSV. The gap remains four points, with eleven games
left to play.
Next up: the second clash with PSV at the Olympic Stadium in
three weeks' time. Last month Ajax won for the league (1-0).
What will happen on Sunday 09 February, in the fourth round of
the KNVB Cup? One thing's for sure: Ajax will have a 'Flying
Dutchman' between the posts. Goalkeeper Stanley Menzo obtains
his pilot's licence on 07 February. A footballer 'getting his
wings'... that's something special. It makes Menzo hot news in
Holland for a few days.
The old 'Olympic' is almost sold-out (but not completely)
for the cup confrontation, in which Stefan Pettersson returns
to the starting eleven. He scores almost immediately: the Swede
gives Ajax the lead after 18 minutes. PSV don't want to lose
again, replace the totally useless Romario after only 23
minutes (!) and pull their bajonets out, turning the match into
a particularly unfriendly one compared to the 19 January
edition. Three PSV players and three Ajacieden are booked by
referee Mario van der Ende. Just before the half-time break
PSV's opportunism is succesful: a dry header from Wim Kieft and
the score is level.
No goals are scored in the second half and the game pulls
into 30 minutes of extra time. It's been an exhausting fight
and Ajax coach Louis van Gaal acknowledges that it might be a
crucial advantage that he can still replace two players,
whereas PSV have already used up their substitutions. They are
now without Romario and Ronald Koeman, and Van Gaal decided to
take some risk. The Ajax boss brings on John van Loen and Ron
Willems, two 'battering rams'. Ajax now play with Pettersson
and Van Loen upfront - and Bergkamp and Willems directly behind
them. An ultra-offensive formation, but Van Gaal is rewarded
for his boldness. After 117 minutes of football John van Loen
slams the winner past Hans van Breukelen: 2-1 after extra time
- and Ajax are in the quarter final, to be played on 08 March
against... Feyenoord!
Match winner John
van Loen (second from the left) is the central figure in
the
celebrations after Ajax's cup triumph over PSV: 2-1 after
extra time.
On Monday evening, 10 February, the entire Ajax squad
attends the annual Player Of The Year gala. For the second
straight year the trophy goes to... Dennis Bergkamp, Ajax's
superstar, who promised his club and his fans that he will stay
at De Meer for at least another season.
Sunday 16 February. Ajax visit De Graafschap in Doetinchem
for the first time since March 1982 and there's a fair chance
that the next edition will not be next season: De
Graafschap are 17th and seem to be on their way back to the
First Division. Nevertheless, Ajax have a remarkably hard time
at Vijverberg Stadium. De Graafschap are physically strong,
play opportunistically and lose somewhat unfortunately, thanks
to a single goal by Stefan Pettersson in the 38th minute. Not
very impressive, to say the least. PSV did a better job on
Saturday evening: 4-0 against another relegation candidate, VVV
fom Venlo.
Most news paper reports on Monday are not about the
match, but about the half-time substitution of Bryan Roy
and, more than anything, Louis van Gaal's absolutely merciless
criticism of the left winger after the game. Ineffective.
Tactically not intelligent enough. Fickle. Inconsistent. In no
uncertain terms the Ajax boss makes clear that Roy is out of
favour. It is the week of the left winger's 22nd birthday. Van
Gaal's words hit him like a hammer.
The world of football is a commercial one these days.
Sometimes lucrative friendly matches will be added to the
agenda against the will of head-coaches and players. Ajax's
midweek trip to the Italian town of Catania is a perfect
example. Ajax play the local Serie B outfit at Cibali Stadium -
and lose 2-0, on two goals by striker Loriano Cipriani. And
back to The Netherlands they go. What a waste of time and
energy... The only upside: Van Gaal got to see some of his
reserves in action, such as Rob Alflen, Dan Petersen, Alfons
Groenendijk and youngsters Jeffrey van As and Edgar Davids, who
starts on the left wing... instead of Bryan Roy, who sees no
action.
Against FC Utrecht, who visit De Meer on Sunday 23 February,
Roy starts on the bench as Louis van Gaal comes up with an
unusual forward line: John van 't Schip plays as a right
midfielder (the position he demanded in vain earlier this
season), Dennis Bergkamp returns to his old position of right
winger as - of all people - John van Loen starts on the left
wing (!), an unlikely position for the tall striker, who is not
exactly known for his wonderful moves or crosses. Will he
really be a better left winger than Bryan Roy...?
Stefan Pettersson, match winner
against FC Utrecht in De Meer on
23 February 1992, attempts a spectacular 'bicycle
kick'.
The most remarkable thing about Ajax vs FC Utrecht is not
the fact that Ajax book a hard-fought win (1-0) or the
fact that the only goal is scored by Stefan
Pettersson (who is on fire these days), but the fact that
Dennis Bergkamp - known as a stylish artist and a gentleman in
football - picks up two yellow cards, including one for a
pretty violent tackle. Dennis Bergkamp... sent off?
Frustration? Fact is that Bergkamp's form in recent weeks has
not been great. 14,000 people at De Meer can feel the pain of
Bryan Roy when is brought on for Stefan Pettersson on the hour.
How humiliating. PSV, meanwhile, book a very, very hard-fought
and extremely fortunate road win at small-timers SVV (1-2).
Their four point lead (41 out of 25, versus Ajax's 37 out of
25) remains intact, but Ajax are following...
Ouch... Slagged off by Louis van
Gaal one week earlier, Bryan Roy does not look happy
as he prepares for an appearance as a substitute against FC
Utrecht.
On Wednesday evening, 26 February, Ajax find themselves in
Sittard, for the away game at Fortuna, a fixture was originally
planned for Sunday 08 March. Complicated story: the KNVB Cup
quarter final between Feyenoord and Ajax was originally
scheduled on a Wednesday evening, but the mayor of Rotterdam
and the Dutch Railways vetoed a midweek 'Classic' in the
evening hours. The cup cracker was therefore re-scheduled to
Sunday 08 March, and the league fixture scheduled for that date
made a couple of weeks earlier.
Ajax start with the same remarkable forward line as last
weekend, against Utrecht: Bergkamp (eligible as the
disciplinary committee of the KNVB will deal with his case on
Friday), Pettersson and 'left winger' John van Loen. It would
be a little simplistic to blame it all on that unusual forward
line, but fact is that Ajax are struggling - and have been for
a number of weeks now. Fortuna, the Eredivisie's modest #15,
remain upright with ease and actually have their chances. Ajax
leave the 'deep south' with two points after all, thanks to a
73rd minute goal from John van 't Schip, his first as a
midfielder. Ajax close in on PSV and now have 39 points out of
26 games. PSV have 41 and, obviously, a game in hand.
Two days later Dennis Bergkamp is suspended for one game. He
will miss the tough Sunday 01 March away fixture at FC
Groningen. February 1992 was a month in which he lifted the
Player Of The Year Award, but also a month in which he did not
score a goal and only drew attention by picking up a red card.
Ajax's last five league games were everything but convincing:
two draws and three wins by a single goal. Everybody can see
that Ajax's form is not great at the moment. This will have to
improve with the much anticipated return of European football
to the Olympic Stadium looming at the horizon... The UEFA Cup
quarter finals against AA Ghent are coming closer. (MP)
Next month:
- UEFA Cup football returns to Amsterdam: the AA Ghent
games!
- KNVB Cup: a quarter final 'Classic'
And once again... Many thanks to our good friend
Toby, a.k.a. 343, for sending us the pictures! His
help, and his great archive of Ajax clippings, are
invaluable.
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