Following yet another Eredivisie win, John Heitinga continues to stake his claim to become the Ajax head coach on a full-time basis.
The reigning Dutch champions, prior to Alfred Schreuder’s well-deserved and probably-overdue dismissal, were in the midst of their worst run of form in two decades; seven games without a win a far cry from the seemingly never-ending brilliance of the Erik ten Hag era.
Since Heitinga was promoted from the reserve side – handed the reigns on an interim basis – Ajax have flipped the form book on it’s head. Five straight Eredivisie wins by an aggregate score of 18-3. The swagger is back. The goals are too. Ajax, to put it simply, look like Ajax again.
“Heitinga has come in and instilled some discipline, which I think they needed,” Dutch football expert Mike Bell tells the Football Oranje podcast; highlighting the resurgent form of Dusan Tadic and Mohammed Kudus
“He’s changed a few things tactically. Mohammed Kudus, Ajax fans were crying out for him to be the focal point. And I think Heitinga has realised he is the player they need in that attack to make it work. He’s been great for them.
“And moving Tadic from the wing – where he’s been a disaster – to the middle has worked perfectly. He’s scoring goals again. You would think that Ajax are back on the right path.”
John Heitinga has Ajax performing again
It’s not all rosy in the Amsterdam Arena garden, of course. Ajax were comfortably dispatched by continental novices Union Berlin in the UEFA Europa League last-32 last week. And, furthermore, it is not yet certain how much of Ajax’s revival is truly down to Heitinga. Is it merely the result of ‘new manager bounce’.
We have seen countless times over the years that, when a new coach replaces a highly unpopular manager and gives his players freedom and a new lease of life, results tend to follow in the short-term. The true test of Heitinga’s credentials may come over the next few weeks, when the Eredivisie title race heats up.
For the time being, however, it is impossible not to have been impressed by the way the 39-year-old has galvanised a team who hit rock bottom under Schreuder, showcasing his burgeoning man-management skills and the tactical intelligence required to get Kudus and Tadic performing again. Ten Hag learned so much from Pep Guardiola during his time at Bayern Munich’s reserves. And, the student becoming the mentor, you can see shades of Ten Hag in Heitinga’s Ajax side.
A future Everton manager, perhaps?
Heitinga, as a player, spent five years at Goodison Park between 2009 and 2014. And, while Sean Dyche only signed a two-and-a-half year deal a few weeks ago, Everton would be sensible to keep a close eye on Heitinga’s potential emergence as one of Europe’s most exciting head coaches.
At a time in which so many former players are starting to make a name for themselves in the dugout, Heitinga has made a very promising start as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Xavi, Mikel Arteta, Vincent Kompany and co.
“We are very happy with Heitinga. He is doing a fantastic job,” says Ajax goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
“The way he talks and addresses us is what he has adapted the most. He is a former player who knows Ajax very well, and knows very well how it works as a footballer.
“Heitinga may be a beginner coach but he knows very well what he wants. He has very clear ideas, and we needed that.”
Last week, former Goodison Park chief Danny Donachie labelled the Toffees’ U18 coach Leighton Baines a ‘future Everton manager’ in conversation with The Athletic. But Baines is not the only member of David Moyes’ Everton side who appears to have a bright future in the dugout.
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