Oscar Gloukh Struggles in Ajax vs PSV Clash
In Amsterdam, the scoreboard says one thing. The stands say something very different.
Ajax and PSV are trading blows in an even first half, but the tension inside the Johan Cruijff Arena keeps circling back to one player: Oscar Gloukh. Every misplaced touch, every lost duel, every defensive lapse is met with a rising wave of irritation from the home crowd.
Given another start on the left wing in this marquee clash, the Israeli has looked like a man trapped in his own frustration. His shots have been smothered, his dribbles shut down, and when Ajax lose the ball, he’s fighting just to stay in the picture. The fans can see it. They’re not forgiving it.
The flashpoint comes in the 27th minute. Gloukh tracks Sergiño Dest for a moment, then simply lets him go. Dest surges away down the flank, and suddenly Guus Til is free in front of goal. The chance is huge, the finish anything but, as Til lashes his effort high over the bar. Ajax escape. Gloukh doesn’t.
“Now Gloukh is basically just giving up and gesturing to his team-mates: ‘Yes, I’m not going to get there anymore. You have to sort it out,’” Schildkamp notes. “Gloukh simply does not have the lungs to keep up with Dest all evening either.”
It’s a brutal assessment, but it matches the mood. Ajax fans have little patience for a winger who can’t live with the physical demands of a game like this, especially against a PSV side that punishes every weakness.
On social media and in the stands, the verdict comes down fast. “Take Gloukh off now,” one fan demands. “This is truly disgraceful,” another snaps. Someone else goes even further: “Gloukh is one of the worst players I have seen at Ajax.”
The calls aren’t just negative; they’re specific. Supporters want change, and they know exactly who they want to see.
The name on their lips is Abdellah Ouazane.
The 17-year-old has impressed in recent weeks, injecting energy and daring whenever he’s been trusted with minutes. That contrast only sharpens the criticism of Gloukh. “Why isn’t Ouazane playing? He is five times the player Gloukh is, surely,” one supporter writes. Another adds: “Gloukh off for a quick shower and bring Ouazane on.”
On the pitch, the match remains tight. In the stands, the patience has already snapped. For Gloukh, and perhaps for Ajax’s coaching staff, the question is no longer about this first half. It’s about how long they can ignore the roar for change.
