Like Frank de Boer and Frank Rijkaard, Koeman is the latest in a line of managers to stumble outside the Ajax and Barcelona models in which they were schooledLong before he was sacked, a criticism of Ronald Koeman at Everton was that he seemed to regard the club as a stepping stone. “He called us Everton, he never called us ‘us’,” as the former Everton captain Kevin Ratcliffe put it on Monday. Koeman’s ultimate ambition, as he has made clear since he took his first steps in management with Vitesse in 2000, is to manage Barcelona.That seems ridiculous as he slinks away from Goodison Park after an unprecedented summer spree with Everton in the relegation zone. Perhaps now there have...
New manager is expected to develop young talent and keep the club in the Premier League. The Dutchman’s time at Ajax shows he is capable of bothRewind to the 1998 World Cup and Dennis Bergkamp’s winning goal for Holland against Argentina at Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome. It is a moment of breathtaking skill that has been much replayed but often lost in the telling is the pass that made it happen. It came from the boot of Frank de Boer as he edged towards the halfway line and, as well as displaying great range, highlighted a quality Crystal Palace are banking on the Dutchman bringing to the club, having appointed him as their latest manager: vision.Confirmed as Sam Allardyce’s successor at Selhurst...
Peter Bosz’s Ajax had been drilled so relentlessly in a specific style they were helpless when they needed to get back into the game against Manchester UnitedIt is rare to see a final contested between teams using such utterly different approaches, and equally rare for the game to pan out so predictably. Ajax had plenty of the ball, Manchester United counterattacked and proved more ruthless in the penalty area.The stylistic contrast was remarkable. Ajax are a possession-based side rejuvenated under their attack-minded coach, Peter Bosz, a man who greatly admired Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, and in transferring that template on to his young charges, was also creating something of a throwback to Ajax’s Total Football days. If Bosz was playing...
Two days after the Manchester Arena attack, José Mourinho’s side showed grit to defeat Ajax and win their first European trophy in nine yearsAt the end, delirious scenes greeted this triumph. As the Manchester United substitutes and staff flooded on to the pitch to hug the players, José Mourinho wagged a finger and was hailed by the supporters sent into ecstasy by an emphatic victory over Ajax.The injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic was irrepressible as he took a selfie with the suspended Eric Bailly by the trophy. Next, Mourinho jigged with his squad and, finally, the late substitute Wayne Rooney lifted the Europa League cup to mark a fitting end to a match played against the harrowing backdrop of Monday’s bombing at...
Limited tickets and soaring travel costs have made the trip to Stockholm difficult for supporters who ought to be central to any European finalVisiting another country to watch your team contest a European final is not far off the zenith of existence – better even than finishing fourth in the league. And though it may not always seem that way, such occasions cannot be taken for granted.Real Madrid, easily Europe’s most successful club, were absent from them between 1986 and 1998, then again between 2002 and 2014. Accordingly, it is incumbent on every match-goer to enjoy every opportunity to the fullest extent, because who knows when the next one will come along? Related: Manchester United fans in sombre mood at...