Daan Rots understands why Míchel is keeping Abdellah Ouazane on the bench at Ajax. The FC Twente forward believes the Spanish coach would rather use a more disciplined player on the left wing.
Across Ajax's last two matches, Míchel went with Oscar Gloukh and Oliver Edvardsen on the left. Edvardsen turned in an underwhelming display against Fortuna Sittard on Saturday, which opened the door for Ouazane to come on as a substitute. Ajax then ran out 1-5 winners.
Rots is a fan of Ouazane and watched the winger live in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie last season. ''I was in the stadium for De Graafschap v Jong Ajax. De Graafschap won, but even then it was a bit of a one-man show,'' the Twente player said on Goedemorgen Eredivisie.
''You could just see that he was ready for the next step, or for a higher level. He would go past two players and be stopped by the third. It did not really matter, he would just go past them. He was sixteen at the time. Ouazane really does have qualities.''
Former midfielder Mario Been cannot understand why Edvardsen is being preferred to Ouazane. Presenter Milan van Dongen quickly points to the Norwegian wide man's discipline. ''Tracking back, holding the width. That kind of thing.''
Still, Rots defended the Ajax coach's decision. ''Everyone thinks: the player who does three stepovers has to be picked. But if you really understand football, like that Ajax coach, then you understand this: if you have a very creative player in the number ten position, then it is better to have a disciplined player out wide,'' he said.
''The Ajax coach does see that, and a lot of Ajax fans do not. They would love to see Ouazane, of course, but you have to weigh up what is best for your team,'' the Twente winger concluded in his analysis of Ajax's left-wing position.