Ajax opened the new VriendenLoterij Eredivisie season on Sunday with a 0-2 win over PEC Zwolle. It was far from straightforward, as Kenneth Perez pointed out.
"It wasn't bad, it wasn't good," Perez said on Voetbalpraat on ESPN. "What always surprises me, when you make so many signings and you have above-average players, is that there was no calm at all when they were playing with eleven against nine."
Perez was referring to the spell after Sherel Floranus had already been sent off with a red card. "When you have the ball then, you are playing eleven against nine."
In his view, that should create a situation where Ajax keep the ball moving and run the opposition ragged.
"I find it astonishing that, as Ajax, Feyenoord or PSV, you cannot basically just play one big rondo with Zwolle. If Zwolle very briefly add a striker and then use an early long ball, then it is all hands on deck. I really find that seriously strange."
"They only score because Zwolle lost the ball in midfield, and they ended up four against three or three against two. Then I think: what is that worth then? How good are you really?" he concludes.
Only in the closing stages did Ajax take control against PEC. Goals from Jorthy Mokio in the 76th minute and Julian Brandt in the 90+5th minute earned the Amsterdam side a 0-2 win.