Ajax Embraces Míchel's Style with Impressive Transformation

Ajax start to look like Míchel’s team. And people in Spain have noticed.

In Wednesday’s edition, Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo praised the transformation in Amsterdam, arguing that the Dutch giants are now moving with “cruising speed” under their new coach. For a side only a few months into a fresh project, the verdict is striking: this Ajax play as if they have been together for years.

The timing of that assessment is no coincidence. It comes straight after a ruthless 5-1 dismantling of Willem II, a match that showcased both control and relentlessness. Ajax hogged 70 per cent of the ball, fired off 33 shots and never really eased off. Two goals up by half-time, they refused to settle, kept the pressure on and stretched the scoreline after the break.

That performance fits a broader pattern. Mundo Deportivo underlined Ajax’s attacking surge across their last four league games: four goals past Telstar, one against PSV, then five each versus Fortuna Sittard and Willem II. Four matches, 14 goals. Only PSV managed to halt them, winning 3-1, and even then the Spanish paper insisted Míchel’s side merited more from that encounter.

The numbers back up the sense of momentum. Nine points from those four fixtures, only one defeat, and a forward line that has started to cut loose. It is the sort of run that turns cautious optimism into talk of a genuine title push.

There is praise at the other end of the pitch too. Defender Youri Baas earns a specific mention for his form at the heart of the Ajax back line, his performances reinforcing the idea that this is no longer just a team in transition, but one beginning to harden into a serious contender.

For Míchel and Ajax, the question now is simple: with the engine finally humming, how far can this “cruising speed” take them in the title race?