Despite losing key players in the summer, Andre Onana believes Ajax are a stronger side than last season.
- Follow Football-Oranje on Twitter
Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Lasse Schone, who were all key in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, all departed in the summer. However, speaking to Voetbal International, Onana stated his belief that Ajax are now stronger.
Onana said, “Of course, Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Lasse Schöne left, but the majority of the team remained intact. The heart remained. Listen, if a good goalkeeper or a high-scoring striker leaves, the team has a bigger problem. Matthijs and Frenkie are becoming very big football players, I am very happy for them to be with Juventus and Barcelona, but in a team they are a bit easier to replace.
‘Joël Veltman is doing fantastic and Lisandro Martínez in midfield too. I think we are even better now than last season. With this team I dare to go everywhere, we are not afraid of any team. We always want to attack, but if we only have to defend, then we will.
“If we didn’t have the ball last season, that would be a problem. Not anymore. We are literally stronger and we all have more experience. It is as if we have added something new. Power. We are more powerful. When we went to Chelsea, after sixty minutes it was 1-4 for us … Do you understand how good we were? We fought with them in their house, went at high speed and felt the pressure. I stood in the goal and thought: Wow, wow, wow, what’s happening here? That is the level that we can achieve with this team. And with nine people we showed character, we showed the world what Ajax stands for. We attacked and almost scored the winning goal. ”
Follow
Follow @Footballoranje_ on Twitter
I like the way he subtly suggests that if he himself were to leave, that would be a far bigger loss than Frenkie or de Ligt leaving. 🙂
Not sure I agree with him though. In the final third, yes I’d say Ajax have improved there. Maybe in midfield too. But defensively, they are not as strong as last year.