Fulham star Calvin Bassey believes he needed another year at Ajax to really establish himself and learn from his experiences with the Dutch side.
Ajax Showtime report on comments from the Fulham defender today. He’s been speaking on the Ziggo Sport programme Kick ‘t Met. During that he reflected on his unsuccessful time in Amsterdam.
Ajax difficulties
The defender joined the Dutch side from Rangers in a €23m deal in 2022, after impressing under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.
The plan was for him to be the replacement for Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine, a fan favourite, had established himself as a key player at the club before leaving that summer to join Manchester United.
Calvin Bassey was unable to replace him successfully, though. Instead, he endured a difficult year at Ajax during which he was regularly criticised, with even the most minute mistakes often leading to analysis and further criticism.
He left after one year to join Fulham, where he has since become a key player under Marco Silva. Now 26-years-old, he reflects on his time at Ajax well, believing that he just needed more time.
“It was the tactical aspect of understanding where you need to be and knowing where your next pass is going,” he said.
“At Ajax, a full-back plays more like a number six in possession, or he moves as soon as you get the ball. So, if you understand it tactically and you know where your next pass needs to go, it gets easier.
“If my first touch was to the outside – which was natural for me, because I expect the full-backs to be there, my passing lane was immediately blocked, because the full-back at Ajax can cut inside.”
Fulham confidence
The problems that plagued him at Ajax, haven’t been apparent at Fulham. But he puts that down to a different style and having time to adapt to how Fulham want him to play. That was time he was not afforded at Ajax.
“The English league is easier for me because I am used to English football,” he added.
“Many managers come from abroad; mine is Portuguese, but it is the system I am familiar with. What you do at Ajax takes time.
“Players who were new needed more time to adapt. When you are young, and at that time I was 21 or 22, I might have needed another season to settle in. Just like in England.
“I needed a year there to settle in as well. After that, I played the most matches and became Player of the Year at the club.”
The defender now feels comfortable in the Premier League, and in the game in general. That, he feels, comes from experience. That was something he wasn’t given time to pick up while at Ajax.
“I feel that I understand the game better. But that is clearly due to the experience you gain,” he concluded.
“The only way to know you are doing something wrong is to just do it wrong. But it is also about the mentality. You have to be willing to make mistakes so that you can improve.”
