Last managing in 2010 with a brief spell at Sparta Rotterdam, former Ajax manager Aad de Mos now spends a chunk of his time as a regular pundit for Ziggo Sport.
Ahead of a Ajax’s clash against Tottenham in the Champions League, the 72-year-old discussed the potential weaknesses in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, highlighting one player in particular as the perfect man to target should he start in midweek.
That defender is Danny Rose, who has started the last two games in the Premier League, and whom de Mos feels will be perfect for Hakim Ziyech to face.
He said, relayed by Voetbalzone: “That will be incredibly tasty for him. Ziyech is going to catch him so badly on the inside, because he is very weak defensively.
“But I also saw Ben Davies play again this week, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Pochettino played with five defenders again. He did that in the second game against Manchester City. He might be applying the José Mourinho tactic, with long balls to Fernando Llorente. That is not Ajax.”
De Mos was likely alluding to Manchester United’s performance against the Dutch side in the Europa League final a couple of years ago, where, after the Red Devils lifted the trophy, a number of players and their then manager complained about how their victorious opponents handled the game.
While Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham are known for their attacking football, we wouldn’t put it past the Argentine to do whatever it takes to get to that Champions League final, even if it means going against some of his principles.
After all, going toe to toe with Ajax didn’t exactly work out for either Real Madrid or Juventus.
