Summing Up the Season

Almost every Ajax fan will agree: this season was a disaster. Much worse than any other season in recent history. Looking at the facts, it is simply not true. We don't have to look back very far to find a season which was even worse. Last season...

Why did that season 'feel' better? Probably because it ended with a nice party to forget about it all, after winning the Amstel Cup. A few weeks earlier, there was a 6-0 victory over Feyenoord to celebrate, which felt good, too. But let's not forget: last year, Ajax finished 6th in the KPN Telecompetition, one position lower than this year.

                PLAYED  WON  DRAWS  DEFEATS  POINTS  GOAL DIFF.
     1998-1999:   34    16     9       9       57      73-41
     1999-2000:   34    18     7       9       61      72-51

Only PSV scored more goals than Ajax (105) this year. 72 goals is definitely not impressive, but it's not that bad, either. In Louis van Gaal's last season as Ajax coach, for example, the team only scored 55 times. More remarkable is the number of goal conceded. It's been 19 seasons since Ajax' defense did worse: in 1980-1981 they conceded 54 goals. This year's goal difference (a poor +21) is even more historic. The last time it was more dramatic was in 1964-1965, a year which older Ajax fans would rather not talk about. The team ended 13th and almost relegated, with a goal difference of only +1.

Ajax used to have a reputation for starting games furiously, and usually scoring the first goal within 15 minutes. This year it was completely different. In the first 15 minutes after kick-off, Ajax was mostly playing in the lowest gear. 11 times they conceded a goal within 15 minutes. The results are striking: in the ArenA, the opponents made it 0-1 no less than 13 times. In only 7 home games Ajax was the first team to score. In total Ajax conceted the first goal in 25 games (including Amstel Cup and UEFA Cup). They took a 1-0 lead in only 16 matches.

Ajax' 1999-2000 home record is remarkably doubtful anyway. Against professional opponents, the team suffered a shocking number of eight defeats in the ArenA: Lazio Roma (Italy) and Santos (Brazil) humbled Ajax at the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament. Roda JC, RKC, PSV and FC Twente were not impressed in Amsterdam for the league and in the UEFA Cup Hapoel Haifa (Israël) and Real Mallorca (Spain) took Ajax by surprise. The last time Ajax suffered more than four home defeats in the league, was in the dismal 1964-1965 season (5 home defeats).

Another doubtful club record: the numbers of cards given to Ajax players. 41 Ajacieden received a yellow card, while Ajax had to finish seven games with ten players, after the referee had sent an Ajax player off with a red card.

The largest margin of victory of the season was against FC Den Bosch (6-1). The biggest defeat was the 4-0 disaster against PSV in Eindhoven, the largest defeat in over 25 years time. After the winter break, Ajax did not win one single away game anymore.

By scoring the very last league goal of the season, Richard Knopper became Ajax' topscorer of the year, with 15 goals. Nikos Machlas, heavily criticized throughout the season for missing too much chances, still managed to score 14 before he got injured. Brian Laudrup finished at 13 goals.

In the league, Ajax was in the race for Champions League qualification until the very last day. But the Amsterdam team definitely not proved itself a Cup Fighter this year, losing in the first round of the Dutch Amstel Cup (1-0 at Roda JC). The UEFA Cup adventure terminated in the third round against Real Mallorca (0-1 at home, 2-0 in Spain). In the first two rounds, modest opponents Dukla Banska Bystrica (6-1 at home, 1-3 in Slovakia) and Hapoel Haifa (0-3 in Israël, 0-1 at home) were put aside.

Finally, the average number of spectators attending home games, was high again: 40,873.

- Menno Pot