A tale of nine points & the 99th minute – how Ajax blew title

Ajax’s record-extending 37th Eredivisie title appeared to be unavoidable six weeks ago.

Ajax haven’t won a trophy since 2021-22, but a 2-0 victory over second-placed PSV Eindhoven on March 30 gave them nine more points.

Any mention of a title race was deemed complete and unwarranted.

With only seven games left, PSV captain Luuk de Jong admitted that they needed to concentrate on securing second place.

Nine points is too much; there are so few games left, I don’t believe it’s ever been redeemed. After the game, De Jong told ESPN, “We’re focusing on that second Champions League spot.

In their own stadium, PSV fans were frenzied after a month and a half.

When reports emerged that Ajax had conceded a 99th-minute equalizer at 10-man Groningen, PSV had just finished a routine 4-1 victory over Heracles.

With those two outcomes, PSV climbed admirably to the top, one point above Ajax.

PSV’s title rivals appeared to have let complacency slip, losing 10 points across four games while losing six games in a row following the hammer blow of defeat at the hands of Ajax.

Former Ajax and PSV midfielder Wim Jonk started following the top-of-the-table battle more intensely as it became a competitive match in the later weeks, like many football fans in Europe.

“Ajax have come a long way, and then they were able to establish a significant lead,” Jonk said.

“But the outside world starts talking as soon as you drop points, and the question is what will happen psychologically within the team”?

You could see it with Ajax, where their game began to thaw out as the pressure increased. There are some excellent players in that squad, so it’s not a lack of quality.

Jonk could see it, particularly in the home games against Sparta Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen, where Ajax performed below-par.

What’s going on here? appeared to be the question that came to mind when something went wrong during the match. Jonk was added.

You need something solid to fall back on, and from that structure, confidence rises once more. “That’s where structure comes in.

However, Ajax’s capitulation only provides one side of the story.

The fact that PSV previously led Ajax by nine points in December makes their turnaround even more remarkable.

The unanticipated turns have somehow developed into recurring patterns. There were no indications that this season would turn out to be this rollercoaster until late October.

PSV won their first ten games convincingly, just as impressively as they did last year when they won the league.

Under manager Peter Bosz, they played some fantastic football, which was by far the league’s best at the time, Jonk claimed.

Very dominant, high pressing, and very entertaining to watch. I was interested to see if that would continue into the upcoming season.

In the following month, PSV unexpectedly fell two points short of the Eredivisie table after losing to Ajax at home with a score of 2-0.

Then, “Is there still a hunger to put egos aside and fully commit to a shared goal”? jacked .

You are aware that things can quickly start going the wrong way when you begin to lose even a small portion of that.

A little luck does, of course, but it does many things help you get that luck. The difference between winning your own games and what happens elsewhere is what matters most.

PSV started a winning run, but on one occasion, when they played at Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord on May 11, it almost slipped away.

By half-time, the hosts had a 2-0 lead, and they were on course to move into second place, putting in risk PSV’s already guaranteed Champions League spot.

The second half of the season gave a different direction, but the plot twist was symbolic of the first. In the 99th minute, former Ajax winger Noa Lang scored the winning goal to restore PSV’s tie to 2-2.

It was Ajax’s turn shortly after that game.

NEC Nijmegen, who had never previously won at Ajax in the league, was humiliated by Francesco Farioli’s side with a 3-0 defeat.

Three days later, Ajax arrived in Groningen with their plans in mind.

However, the 99th minute saw the home side’s collapse to become the league’s top scorers with a late equalizer as the game’s story came to a head.

What do you do when the leader only has a few minutes to go? Do you push up or do you drop deep? Jonk remarked.

Even while playing with an extra man, Ajax began to drop back rather than advance.

Jonk believes they still have plenty of positive things to take away from the season despite Ajax losing a respectable lead.

The likes of Jorrel Hato, Kenneth Taylor, Brian Brobbey, and Youri Baas have all been recalled to the national team in recent matches, according to Jonk, who is assistant coach for the Netherlands.

Jordan Henderson, a former Liverpool captain, has had a significant impact in his position as captain.

Jonk remarked, “Henderson is a leading player.”

He obviously had a difficult start at the club, but he’s improved significantly this season. He is improving as a result of the structure in his environment, particularly in terms of defense.

A number of Ajax players have cited Henderson’s commitment and professionalism in supporting a young Ajax team’s development as having an impact on their development.

They appeared to be on their way to the title this season after a challenging 2023-24 campaign.

Remarkable also was that they won all of their matches against PSV and Feyenoord before starting to lose in the final few games and take the lead in the final game.

In 1991, Jonk and Ajax lost a crucial final game 1-0 to SVV, who were battling relegation, in a very close title fight.

In the end, they lost to PSV on goal difference.

When everything is on the line, Jonk said, “a lot of pressure builds on a team in those final games of the season,” Jonk said.

It’s important to remain close-knit as a team, and you might also need some luck occasionally.

We created a lot of chances in the SVV-Ajax match, but we never scored. Then, one chance, which went in, was conceded. These are the typical football moments.

“You’ve seen enough of those in recent weeks,” he said, “whether it was Inter against Barcelona or other matches with potential.”

This is especially true for the Eredivisie 2024-2019 season.