Míchel’s Ajax: A Team in Full Flow
Ajax are starting to look like Míchel’s team in every sense. In Spain, they’ve noticed.
Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo devoted space on Wednesday to the revival in Amsterdam and didn’t hold back in its assessment. Its headline was clear and punchy: “Míchel’s Ajax have reached their cruising speed.” For a coach only a few months into the job, that is no small compliment.
According to the paper, this Ajax side now plays with the cohesion of a group that has been together for years. The automatisms, the confidence on the ball, the collective aggression – all, it says, bear the mark of the new manager’s hand.
The timing of that praise is no coincidence. It comes straight after a ruthless 5-1 dismantling of Willem II. Ajax dominated the ball with around 70 per cent possession and unleashed 33 shots, numbers that underline the control and relentlessness of the display. They went into the break already 2-0 up, yet refused to ease off, continuing to press and attack as if the game were still in the balance.
That performance fits neatly into a broader pattern. Mundo Deportivo pointed to Ajax’s last four league outings as evidence of a team catching fire. They put four past Telstar, struck once against PSV, and hit five against both Fortuna Sittard and Willem II. Four games, 15 goals scored, only one defeat.
The only blemish in that run came against PSV, a 1-3 loss. Even there, the Spanish paper argued, Míchel’s side merited more than the final scoreline offered. Across those four matches, Ajax collected nine points and racked up 14 league goals in the three victories alone, figures that suggest an attack humming with confidence.
It isn’t just the forward play drawing attention. Mundo Deportivo also singled out defender Youri Baas, praising his strong performances at the heart of the back line. In a team lauded for its fluid attacking football, his emergence as a reliable pillar in defence adds another layer to this evolving project.
For now, the verdict from Barcelona is clear: with Míchel on the touchline and Ajax gathering momentum, a serious title challenge no longer feels like a distant ambition, but an expectation.
