Two seasons ago, a young Ajax side bowed to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in the finals of the Europa League. United’s record signing Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan wrote their names on the scoresheet to help them win their first European trophy since the turn of the decade.
Despite failing to pull off victory, the Dutch side turned heads with their bold style of play. In fact, United were on the back-foot for most parts of the game and were forced to adopt a defensive approach.
Two years later, the two teams faced opposing fortunes on the biggest stage of European football. United were humiliated by Barcelona and sent back to deal with their miseries in the Premier League, tasked to fight for an unlikely Champions League spot.
Today's front page ⚽️ #Ajax pic.twitter.com/OJfSBeHuXf
— Sport360° (@Sport360) April 17, 2019
Ajax, on the other hand, ended Real Madrid’s three-year reign as European champions and thus became the first team to defeat Los Blancos in a knockout tie in Europe since Juventus in 2015. Erik ten Hag’s men followed it up with an equally impressive feat of knocking out a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus in the quarter-finals.
The fact that they displayed some of the best football while doing so and won their games convincingly only makes it more commendable.
A look at their transfer activities laid in comparison to that of United’s precisely shows what they are getting right and what the English side aren’t.
The Ajax side that lost the final cost the club £18.59m and boasted of a market value of £65.93m. On the other side of the pitch stood a United squad worth £238.50m, which was assembled for £290.28m. The fact that the purchase value of the team exceeded their market value shows how United tend to overpay for players – a trend that has continued for a while now.
Since that evening, Ajax have bought players for a total of €79.30m and sold players for €98.75m. This means that the Dutch club have registered a net spend of -€19.45m. On the other hand, United have spent €281.10m at a net spend of €200.25m.
Ajax’s youth academy has also played a major role in propelling the club to a respectable position. Players like David Neres, Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek were either playing for the B team or were fringe players for the first team at that time. Now they are among the top prospects across Europe.
However, the fact that they found the perfect coach in Ten Hag is the biggest masterstroke. In ten Hag, Ajax found the cach whose philosophy is in line with that of the club’s and is compatible with its players.
The aesthetic possession-based football, fueled with purpose has earned Ajax a lot of fans this season. This has only been possible because the players have assimilated the coach’s philosophy and are heavily trained to adopt the Total Football route.
In comparison, United decided to go ahead with Mourinho – a top manager, but with a philosophy opposing that of the club’s tradition. Between then and now, the Portuguese was even handed an extension before being booted out.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho’s United never looked like title contenders in the Premier League and their transfer activities in the last two years did nothing to suggest otherwise. Romelu Lukaku was roped in for an exorbitant fee the following summer and the forward has been impressive only in parts so far.
Alexis Sanchez was the next big name to sign for United when he decided to jump ship from Arsenal the following winter. The Chilean has watched his career decline rapidly and is now unable to seal a spot in the starting line-up. The highest earning player in the United squad is now a fringe player. While he deserves part of the blame, improper planning and terrible squad management deserves a bigger chunk of the blame.
The Red Devils have been busy bolstering their attack and midfield, while turning a blind eye towards their real need – a strong defence. Not much can be expected from United when half their back-line was assembled by Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired nearly six years ago. The upgrade is long due and it’s baffling how the Red Devils have constantly ignored it.
Ashley Young – a player who should have been shown the door a couple of seasons ago – was their worst player over two legs against Barcelona. Chris Smalling has performed well of late but he, alongside Phil Jones, were supposed to be both England and United’s future. That hope has long since passed.
Daley Blind had a rather forgetful time at United and has been a crucial figure in the Ajax defence this season. On the other hand, Eric Bailly has failed to live up to the expectations and it’s unlikely that things will get better for the centre-back at the club.
Defensive stability is the foundation on which Mourinho’s philosophy is built and it remains the one area where United have never bothered bringing in reinforcements. There is clearly a huge mismatch between the identity of the club, the choice of manager and the attributes of the players that are being brought in.
To his credit, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done well to restore the identity of the club and restore some balance. But the Norwegian is far from sailing to safety and it’s not his fault.
The past few weeks – or maybe months – have shown that United’s problem originate right at the top of the organisation. Unless a proper structure is established at the club and a sporting director is appointed to take care of transfer activities, it’s unlikely that United will return to their former glory.
This is precisely why Ajax are gunning for a treble and United are fighting hard for a spot in the top four.
All figures from transfermarkt.com
