Best odds: 14/25
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John van t Schip starts his tenure as Ajax s interim head coach with an Eredivisie match against FC Volendam at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday evening.
Ajax currently find themselves in an unusual position at the bottom of the league table, experiencing their worst-ever start to a top-flight season. On the other hand, FC Volendam is just two points and two places above them, sitting in 16th place in the Eredivisie.
Following their decision to part ways with Maurice Steijn a week ago, Ajax announced on Monday that John van t Schip will take over as the interim head coach of the senior team until the end of the season. He is also set to take on a role in technical management starting from July 1, 2024.
Van t Schip, who made over 300 appearances for Ajax as a player between 1981 and 1992, is returning to coaching almost two years after leaving his position as the Greece national team manager. His decision to return to coaching was influenced by his wife before her unfortunate passing earlier this month after battling cancer.
Van t Schip is returning to Ajax for the first time since taking charge of one match as an interim coach in 2009, where he led the team to a 1-0 victory over FC Twente. The Dutch-Canadian coach s primary task is to stabilize a team that has had a disastrous start to the 2023/24 season.
Assistant coach Hedwiges Maduro took charge of Ajax s last two matches, including their 5-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, which marked a new low for the club. This loss condemned Ajax to five consecutive league defeats for the first time in their 123-year history and extended their winless streak in all competitions to 10 matches.
Although Ajax has played two fewer league games than PSV, they currently sit a significant 25 points behind their rivals at the top of the table. Their primary focus at the moment is on climbing out of the relegation zone. While a victory over Volendam on Thursday would be welcome, it may not be sufficient to lift them out of the bottom three in the standings.
Team News
Goalkeeper Jay Gorter and defender Devyne Rensch are both expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks due to injuries. Additionally, Geronimo Rulli, Sivert Mannsverk, and Amourricho van Axel Dongen are also currently receiving treatment for their injuries.
Carlos Forbs and Borna Sosa missed the last weekend s match against PSV due to knocks, but they are expected to be available for the upcoming match. Forbs is pushing to start on the left flank, while Sosa is in contention to play at left-back.
Van t Schip is likely to make some changes for his first game in charge, and players like Jakov Medic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Silvano Vos, Georges Mikautadze, and Chuba Akpom are hoping to secure spots in the starting lineup after being on the substitutes bench in the previous match.
Volendam
Volendam have experienced a slightly better run of form in the Eredivisie compared to Ajax, and they come into Thursday s match on a positive note after winning two of their last three games.
After a 2-1 loss to RKC Waalwijk, Volendam secured their first three points of the season with a 1-0 home win over Utrecht at the start of October. They followed it up with a 3-1 victory against Excelsior last weekend, which helped them move off the bottom of the league table.
Despite trailing at halftime, they made a strong comeback in the second half, with goals from Benaissa Benamar and Robert Muhren. Teenager Milan de Haan added a third goal, marking his first senior goal and sealing the victory for Matthias Kohler s team.
Volendam narrowly avoided relegation in the previous season, and in their second season back in the top flight, they aim to avoid the dreaded second-season syndrome. However, their away form needs significant improvement if they are to stay clear of another relegation battle. They ve lost all four of their away matches this season and have gone winless in their last 13 away league games dating back to January.
Despite these challenges, Volendam managed to secure a draw in their last visit to Ajax with a 1-1 result, and they have scored in each of their last six meetings with the Amsterdam giants, providing hope for Kohler s side ahead of Thursday s match.
Team News
Volendam are dealing with several players nursing injuries too. Koen Blommestijn, Luke Le Roux, Brian Plat, Joey Antonioli, and Robin Maulun are all sidelined. Additionally, captain Xavier Mbuyamba missed the last weekend s match due to illness and is uncertain for Thursday s game.
If Mbuyamba is unable to play, Josh Flint may continue in the center-back position alongside Benaissa Benamar. Oskar Buur and George Cox are expected to retain their positions as full-backs.
Kohler is unlikely to make too many changes to the starting lineup. Newcastle United loanee Garang Kuol is set to continue in the front three alongside Robert Muhren, who has scored four goals in seven games this season, and Bilal Ould-Chikh. In midfield, Milan de Haan, Damon Mirani, and Calvin Twigt are expected to form the trio in the middle of the park.
Conclusion
John van t Schip will undoubtedly be eager to make a quick impact at Ajax, but a victory on Thursday is not guaranteed, especially considering Volendam s recent improvement in form.
Both teams have shown defensive vulnerabilities this season, and they have a history of scoring in their recent meetings. Therefore, it s likely that there will be goals in this fixture. And while an away victory appears unlikely, a draw could happen, hindering Ajax s plans to recover from their awful start to the season.
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best odds: 14/25
Bookmaker:
