Míchel Sánchez identifies Ajax flaws after Shelbourne draw

Ajax coach Míchel Sánchez highlighted problems in wide areas and individual duels after his team drew 2-2 away to Shelbourne in Conference League qualifying. He acknowledged that Ajax should be beating opponents such as the Irish side, although he felt his team had started the match positively.

Sánchez said Ajax had anticipated Shelbourne defending in a low block, leaving little room for runs in behind. However, the visitors did not stretch the pitch sufficiently and struggled to create danger against that compact shape. The coach also pointed to the absence of Mika Godts as a factor in Ajax’s difficulty creating one-against-one situations on the flanks.

The Spaniard was particularly dissatisfied with his players’ work in direct contests. He said Ajax lost half of their duels and identified that area as one of several requiring improvement following the draw.

Voetbalzone also reported that Sánchez is still finding it difficult to express himself in English. During his post-match interview with Ziggo Sport, reporter Sam van Royen asked questions in Spanish while the Ajax coach attempted to answer in English. Ziggo initially made the interview available only on its own website, although footage of defender Daley Blind’s interview was distributed across its channels and a recorded fragment featuring Sánchez circulated on X.