Míchel’s Ajax: A Dutch Revival in Full Swing
Ajax are beginning to look like Míchel’s team in every sense. Not just in the scorelines, but in the way they suffocate opponents, recycle the ball, and keep attacking long after the game is effectively done.
In Spain, they’ve noticed.
Spanish praise for a Dutch revival
“Míchel’s Ajax have reached their cruising speed,” declared Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday, a headline that would have felt unthinkable only a few months ago. The Catalan sports daily describes a side playing with the cohesion of a group that has been together for years, even though Míchel has only had a short window to reshape the club.
The trigger for this wave of admiration was the 5-1 demolition of Willem II. Ajax didn’t just win; they dominated the match from first whistle to last. They hogged 70 per cent of the ball and fired off 33 shots, a barrage that underlined the attacking intent running through this new version of the Amsterdam giants.
By half-time, they were already 2-0 up. The game looked safe. The mentality said otherwise. Ajax kept pushing, kept pressing, kept hunting for more goals after the interval. The scoreline became a statement.
A goal machine in the league
Mundo Deportivo didn’t stop at one match. The paper zoomed out and studied Ajax’s last four league outings, and the numbers paint a clear picture of a team accelerating.
- Four goals against Telstar.
- One against PSV.
- Five past Fortuna Sittard.
- Another five against Willem II.
Across those four fixtures, the only blemish came in Eindhoven: a 1-3 defeat to PSV. Even there, the Spanish analysis argued that Míchel’s side merited more from the contest, suggesting the performance outstripped the result.
Strip that loss away and the form looks ruthless. In the other three matches, Ajax took nine points from nine and rattled in 14 goals. That kind of output is why the Spanish daily now believes Ajax can launch a serious title challenge.
A defence finding its anchor
The praise is not reserved solely for the attacking fireworks. Mundo Deportivo also singled out defender Youri Baas for his recent performances at the heart of the Ajax back line. In a team often judged on its flair and goals, Baas’s composure and consistency stand out as the quiet backbone of Míchel’s project.
Put it all together – the heavy wins, the control of possession, the volume of chances, the emerging defensive leaders – and a clear picture forms: Míchel’s ideas are landing. The question now is not whether Ajax look different, but how far this transformation can carry them in the title race.
