Clairvoyance: Ajax Square Off Against Telstar
Johnny Heitinga, the new manager of Ajax, started his tenure with a 2-0 victory against Telstar in the opening match of the 2025/26 Eredivisie season. However, the win was met with criticism over the team's style of play under Heitinga.
Ajax entered the season under Heitinga, aiming to reclaim the title they narrowly missed last year under Francesco Farioli. The squad saw significant changes with departures like Jorrel Hato and acquisitions including Raul Moro and Oscar Gloukh to bolster attack and midfield. Despite these reinforcements, Ajax’s attacking output, particularly from strikers, remains a concern following last season’s shortcomings and an injury to Brian Brobbey.
In the match itself, Ajax won 2-0 at home (Johan Cruyff ArenA), but pundits criticized Heitinga’s tactical decisions and player positioning, especially regarding wingers Moro and Gloukh and right-back Youri Regeer. Former Ajax and media pundit Valentijn Driessen commented that Ajax's play under Heitinga shows little improvement compared to the previous coaches, describing it as “a complete mess.”
Telstar, returning to the Eredivisie after a 47-year absence, approached the match defensively, a strategy that was expected given their pre-season results, which included six wins, two draws, and one defeat. They secured promotion to the Eredivisie after a 3-0 aggregate win over Willem II in the playoff final. However, the loss of key players like Zakaria Eddahchouri and Youssef El Kachati, who scored 19 and 17 goals respectively last season, could prove challenging for the team.
The best odds for total home goals over 2.5 in the match between Ajax and Telstar are 4/6, according to 888sport. Ajax ended last season as runners-up, one point behind champions PSV. The first match of Telstar's return is against Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
As Ajax prepares for their next match, key players such as Josip Sutalo, Brian Brobbey, and Branco van den Boomen are likely to miss the game due to injuries. The team will need to find a way to improve their attacking output and tactical coherence to silence the critics and reclaim the Eredivisie title.
In the context of the Premier League and European-leagues, the criticism faced by new Ajax manager Johnny Heitinga over his team's style of play extends beyond the Eredivisie, as concerns about Ajax's attacking output and tactical decisions continue to persist. Despite Ajax's acquisition of Raul Moro and Oscar Gloukh, the team's strikers' performance remains a significant worry, especially with the injury to Brian Brobbey.
