In Amsterdam, where the season is beginning to settle into its early rhythms, Ajax are still searching for a cleaner stride under Míchel. Two successive draws have left the club fifth in the Eredivisie, five points behind Feyenoord, and the unevenness has been visible in both results and performances.
Marc-André ter Stegen, on loan from Barcelona, remains one of the manager’s trusted figures. The German goalkeeper appears to have moved beyond the injuries that disrupted his previous two campaigns, yet his displays have still drawn scrutiny. There have been no major mistakes, but a player of his standing is being measured against the highest standard.
Míchel backs his goalkeeper
A question at Míchel’s press conference compared ter Stegen to one of the wax figures at Amsterdam’s Madame Tussauds, suggesting he had been too static in goal. The Ajax coach rejected that judgement and instead pointed to the difficulty his goalkeeper faces when asked to begin attacks.
Míchel said that, when ter Stegen has the ball at his feet as the free player, it is not straightforward to create a numerical advantage. He also accepted responsibility for occasions when the goalkeeper has held possession for too long.
The solution, in the coach’s view, lies beyond the goalkeeper himself. Ajax should offer shorter options, use greater movement to draw opponents out and then find the room left behind them. It is an admission that the build-up needs collective improvement, rather than another accusation directed at a goalkeeper who remains central to Míchel’s plans.
