Ajax drew praise after their 1-4 win over FK Vojvodina in the second qualifying round of the Conference League. A day later, the Dutch newspapers agreed that coach Míchel's influence is becoming increasingly visible.
According to De Telegraaf, Ajax played for an hour exactly as the Spanish coach wanted. There are, however, still areas to improve. ''Attacking, at times flamboyant and technically polished. The fact that Ajax also missed a great many chances and faded badly in the final half-hour confirmed his words just before the match.'' Míchel had said it would take time before the players fully took on board his way of playing.
De Telegraaf felt Ajax should already have put the match to bed in the opening half-hour. ''And Nardin Mulahusejnovic could just as easily have made it 2-1, but the visitors were spared that blow'', the morning newspaper judged. The return leg now looks little more than a formality. ''After the convincing and deserved win in the north of Serbia, next Thursday's return in the Johan Cruyff ArenA appears to have become a formality.''
From the viewpoint of the Algemeen Dagblad, Míchel can look back on the night with satisfaction. ''Ajax produce a more than fine performance on this Thursday evening. Ajax dominate straight away. Chance after chance comes their way. And that is how Míchel likes to see it, the man who stands seemingly calm in front of Ajax's dugout this evening.''
His influence already seems clear at Ajax. ''That is evident, among other things, from the many positional interchanges. Far from everything went well, but the intentions were clear.''
De Volkskrant put the spotlight on a 16-year-old debutant at Ajax. ''Pleasant, therefore, was the 1-4 from none other than a player from the club's own academy, Mohamed Abdalla. The former product of PSV’s youth academy came on and celebrated his goal after 92 minutes with wild enthusiasm. At 16 years and seven months, he is among the youngest goalscorers in the Amsterdam club's history.''
Meanwhile, Het Parool notes that possession is sacred to Míchel. ''The Spanish coach wants to attack patiently and not take too many risks. First take up the right positions and only then move forward – that is the idea. In that way, possession is not only a way to attack, but also to defend.''