Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 10:40 PM• Jeroen van Poppel
John van ‘t Schip gives Josip Sutalo a nice compliment. The Ajax coach believes that the center defender played excellently against SC Heerenveen (4-1 win). “I thought Sutalo played very solidly today, very well, with confidence,” Van ‘t Schip said in front of the camera ESPN.
Van ‘t Schip knows that Sutalo is having a very difficult time in his first months in Amsterdam, but has a lot of confidence in the Croat. “Seeing him play like that today is nice to see, he has lacked that a bit in recent weeks.”
“If you see Sutalo playing today together with Jorrel (Hato, ed.), it gives him a good boost. Individually he played well: in one-on-one, in football. That is nice to see and also important for the team.”
The 4-1 score was somewhat flattered by Chuba Akpom’s two very late goals. Still, Van ‘t Schip thinks that Ajax has done well. “I think we deserved to win, but it was certainly not easy. We also came away well at 2-1.” Heerenveen striker Osame Sahraoui missed two mega chances for the equalizer in quick succession.
At the press conference, Van ‘t Schip handed out even more compliments. “I have seen boys who have risen above themselves. Bergwijn was important with the first goal and Berghuis was involved in three goals. Those boys have to more or less carry the team and they have done that very well in the last two games.
The substitutes, in addition to Akpom also Silvano Vos, Devyne Rensch, Borna Sosa and Carlos Forbs, are also praised by Van ‘t Schip. “The boys who came on in the second half gave an extra boost to the team.”
“But there is clearly still a lot of room for improvement for the entire team,” Van ‘t Schip emphasizes. “It can of course be much better. Confidence and clarity must return. We are working on that. There is still a lot to improve.”
