Amsterdam, Netherlands, Amsterdam Arena.
Although this game is only a warm-up match before the season, there are many fans who come to watch the game.
The pre-season warm-up match between Ajax and Leeds United did not use Ajax's training ground, but chose the Amsterdam Arena, the official match venue, which shows how much Ajax attaches importance to this warm-up match.
After all, the relationship between the two clubs is not generally good due to some special reasons.
For example, Van der Sar, Edgar Davis, and Grenjaer in Leeds United's lineup have all played for Ajax. Leeds United even spent 2 million pounds directly during last winter break. The team's midfielder Nigel De Jong was bought.
Even the head coach of Leeds United, Li Jinzi, played for Ajax for two seasons, and he was married to the daughter of an Ajax board member at the time. Their sons are still in the Ajax youth team. He plays football, so Ajax fans still have a favorable impression of this foreign team.
In fact, according to Bill Rose and Mike Lee's idea, some kind of club cooperation agreement was also going to be used.
But Li George rejected this proposal. After all, Leeds United's development trend is so good now. When the two teams meet in the Champions League and Europa League, no matter what the result is after the two teams play against each other, they will be gossiped about.
After signing with the Scottish Celtics, George Lee regretted it a little, fearing that someone would make something out of nothing.
The head coaches of both sides had a friendly chat on the sidelines of the court.
"Danny, are you confident that you can defeat PSV this year?"
Lee George first shook hands with Ajax head coach Danny Blind, and then started chatting.
"It's difficult, Van der Vaart is gone, and I'm short of a striker."
At the beginning of last season, Van der Vaart was appointed captain by the then head coach Ronald Koeman, but after switching to forward, Van der Vaart performed poorly. He played 32 times and only scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists. At the end of the season, he signed a transfer agreement with the German team Hamburg and was bought by Hamburg for 4.6 million pounds.
"Buy one. I think Kuyt from Feyenoord is good. Do you want to consider it?"
"Haha, you guys have made it so expensive, who can afford it?"
"Then let's see, Heerenveen has a forward that's pretty good. You can buy it."
"Huntelaar, we are investigating here, why do you Leeds United want to compete with us?"
"Forget it, I won't steal it from you, I'll give it to you, just for the sake of Daley often taking care of Winter in the youth team."
George Lee is talking about Blind's son, Daley Blind, who is just 15 years old this year and is also in the Ajax youth team. Because Danny Blind and Lee George were teammates in Ajax before, Lee George asked Blind to let his son take care of his son in the youth team.
"You also had the heart to keep Winter in the Netherlands."
"Please be more considerate, please."
On the court, players from both sides were warming up and chatting with each other.
Nigel De Jong even ran to the opposite side of Ajax and pressed his legs with Sneijder and Maduro.
"Raphael just left like this?" De Jong asked Sneijder.
"Didn't you go earlier?" Sneijder said to De Jong.
"Would you consider joining us at Leeds United? Our boss seems to like you very much."
"Go away and cool off." Maduro saw De Jong coming to poach him and quickly wanted to drive De Jong away.
"Hmph, I remember in 2001, when our leader was still at Ajax, when he came to teach us in the youth team, Wesley said you wanted to play for coach Li when you got to the first team."
At that time, Lee George had just turned from player to coach. He had been a youth team coach at Ajax for a period of time, so he knew many young players in Ajax very well.
Sneijder did not answer the call this time, but looked at George Lee who was chatting with Blind on the sidelines.
At this time, the two coaches were joined by Edwin van der Sar and Grenjaer.
During Lee George's two years at Ajax, these two and Blind were teammates at the time. Also playing for Ajax at that time were Mahras, Van Halst, Laudrup Jr., Litmanen and others.
^^^
The referee blew his whistle, signaling the start of this friendly match.
Leeds United paid great attention to this game today and tried the 3241 formation mentioned by George Lee before.
Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and the three defenders are Matteisson, Albchesson and Mills.
The two defensive midfielders are the newly arrived Scott Parker and Graveson, and the two central midfielders Edgar Davis and Smith are partnered. De Jong did not start.
On the left is Grenjaer, and on the right is Van Persie. Romedal was not used today.
The lone forward is Kevin Davis, who just joined this summer.
And Ajax here is a regular 451.
After the game started, Leeds United took the initiative to press in the frontcourt. This set of things is already used in the Premier League, but Ajax has obviously never seen it in the Eredivisie.
Although Ajax also plays in intercontinental competitions, this is the first time they have seen such fierce frontcourt press and pressure.
Ajax center back Johnny Heitinga had just received a pass from midfielder Maduro when he saw two men from Leeds United pressing forward. Kevin Davis ran towards Heitinga. came over, and Davis, as "the most defensive forward in England", was very smart in pressing. He first ran to Heitinga's path to the left back Emmanuelson, and then approached Heitinga. .
On the other side, Leeds United's Smith first blocked Heitinga's passing route to Vermaelen, and then slowly approached Heitinga.
Heitinga saw that both sides had no chance. He glanced forward and saw a black man wearing sunglasses standing next to his teammate Maduro. He recognized this as the veteran "Wild Boar" Davis of his team. .
Seeing the forward approaching from the opposite side of him, he had no choice but to pass the ball to the goalkeeper.
As soon as the ball came out, I saw Leeds United's No. 14 speeding up and rushing toward his team's goalkeeper.
Heitinga people are stupid!
Do all your Premier League teams play like this? We in the Netherlands are the birthplace of Total Attack and Total Defence. Why do you just learn it all? It just gives people the impression that one person on my side has the ball, and ten people opposite you all pounce to grab the ball. , the feeling of launching an attack directly after grabbing it.
Ajax head coach Blind saw it more clearly on the sidelines. Leeds United completely blocked Ajax's short passing routes in the backcourt, and could only pass back or take big shots.
Faced with Davis' pressing, Ajax goalkeeper Stekelenboch could only drive forward with a big kick. Because the pressing was too tight, the quality of this long pass was extremely poor, and he drove directly to the sidelines of Leeds United. Near the coaching bench.
Standing George Li removed the ball directly with the instep of his feet.
The fans in the stadium applauded when they saw this stoppage.
George Li waved to the fans and returned to his seat.
"Can't you see that you are quite popular here?" Casper said to him.
Lee George pointed to a fan in the first row behind the coaching bench who was wearing an Ajax jersey inside out, and asked Casper to take a look.
It was a middle-aged fan wearing an Ajax home jersey from previous years.
The number is No. 25, and the name printed on it is "Lee".
George Li proudly puffed up his chest and said to the coaches and substitutes on his bench.
"Back then, I was also a starter at this stadium. I was paired with Jari Litmanen and Brian Laudrup. If I hadn't been injured, I wouldn't have had anything to do with Grenjaer and Babangida. .”
