Hans Kraay criticises Ajax’s slow response while trailing PSV
The Eredivisie analyst questioned Ajax’s lack of urgency and Marc-André ter Stegen’s game management during a key second-half spell.
Hans Kraay Jr has expressed disbelief at Ajax’s lack of urgency while they were 2-1 behind against PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. The analyst felt the home side had played well before the interval but became far too passive once PSV gained control of the contest.
Speaking on Goedemorgen Eredivisie, Kraay highlighted the period between the 70th and 80th minutes, when he said Ajax failed to progress beyond their own half in possession. Despite needing an equaliser, they continued circulating the ball patiently at the back rather than attempting to reach PSV’s penalty area quickly.
Kraay also singled out goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen for taking his time when restarting play. He suggested the goalkeeper appeared comfortable with the slow tempo even though Ajax were trailing, calling the sequence “really unbelievable” in comments carried by Voetbalzone. Kraay argued that Ajax could at least have tried more direct passes towards Leonardo, despite the forward’s lack of height.
The criticism did not extend to the entire performance. Kraay said Ajax had produced a good first half and described the match as a genuine top-level encounter for around an hour. His frustration centred on the later phase, when he believed Míchel’s team should have shown much greater haste in chasing the game.
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