| Jari Litmanen |
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7th October 2003, 04:44 PM |
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Jari Litmanen |
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jakobg
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Umeå, Sweden
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Didn't know where to ask about this one so I thought I could start up a new thread.
Doesn't seem to be much new on on this subject at the moment. But my wonder is if Jari Litmanen will be able to make it back to the team anymore. How long is his contract? Will he ever play for Ajax again?
I heard he was doing ok now, but that he skipped last game due to a flu. True? I'm really getting the feeling that Jari's time in Ajax is over... 
Please somebody make this feeling go away!
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7th October 2003, 06:48 PM |
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Bertrand
Vak 425 !!!!!!
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: France
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Well he's quite old now and injuries keep torturing him....
Plus I can't find whom he could replace in the team....Let's hope he'll able to play some good matches maybe in Cup or in the Eredivisie for his last season....
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7th October 2003, 06:48 PM |
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per
philanthropist
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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The weird thing is that he played and scored in a friendly for Finland just one or two weeks ago. After I saw that I thought it was time for a comeback - just to read that he was "out" of the next Ajax game - no reason given.
I really hope he makes it back!
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8th October 2003, 03:38 AM |
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sunny20
L i t m a n e n%
Joined: Apr 2003
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Jari he is in the train field with the group , we can found the pic on Ajax.nl .
SO he seems will be fit to play soon ! one of Jari 's fan met him days ago, they talked briefly to him , Jari told them he's sure to join the team in a few day.
let's positive to him !!!
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8th October 2003, 05:16 AM |
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AFCA 1900
User Banned
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: AMSTERDAM
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Sunny20 is right!
Yesterday there were four injured players left. Two of them are not ready yet: Zdenek Grygera and Wamberto, who were just doing some running inside the ArenA.
John O'Brien and Jari Litmanen did heavier training outside on the training pitch (in the rain): sprinting, shooting, passing, some power training. Which means they're being prepared for a quick return to action.
But you know how it goes with Jari: he plays a few games (as a sub, probably), then gets a relapse - and will be out again for weeks. I suppose we will never again have a fit Jari to our availability for a stretch of ten weeks or longer. That's the reality.
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8th October 2003, 10:47 AM |
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Arthur
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
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That's why he should not play any more matches against 'simple' opponents in the Eredivisie. Save him for the big matches where he can make the difference and then rest him for at least a week. That way he can still be of a lot of value and it also doesn't stop the development of younger players.
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8th October 2003, 11:02 AM |
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per
philanthropist
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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If he doesn't play against any "normal" teams, how can we know he's up to standard? I think the guy needs a couple of minutes in a handful o games, as a sub preferably and in that way keep the injuries away and hopefully provide a creative and decisive spark to the team in the final 30-35 minutes of each game.
To me that's the best way for both Ajax and Jari.
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8th October 2003, 11:35 AM |
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AFCA 1900
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Location: AMSTERDAM
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Like Per, I also have my doubts about Arthur's point of view...
Jari Litmanen is great, but he isn't God. He can't be injured all the time and yet be expected to come on against AC Milan and win the game for Ajax in 20 minutes' time. He's not that great - and, moreover, I don't like the idea of a player in the Ajax squad having that position.
I mean: what if Wesley Sneijder or Steven Pienaar plays a string of great games in the Eredivisie, just before Ajax is up against - say - Real Madrid. Then what are you gonna do? Throw one of those guys out because Real Madrid is a 'Jari opponent'?
No way. He's a member of the squad and he will have to prove that he should play - just like any other member of the squad.
I do believe he can be of 'extra value', but you can't just 'save' him for the big ones. He should also be brought on in any other game, if Koeman thinks it will improve the team.
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8th October 2003, 11:53 AM |
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Arthur
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AFCA 1900
He can't be injured all the time and yet be expected to come on against AC Milan and win the game for Ajax in 20 minutes' time.
I see your point, but last year Jari came pretty close to doing this exact thing. He came in at half time after being injured for a while and singlehandedly lifted Ajax' level of play. If it wasn't for the goal in injury time (ouch - it still hurts), Jari would have been the deciding factor that day.
But of course you guys are right that it wouldn't be fair to sub Sneijder or Pienaar if they are in good shape. I was thinking more along the lines of dumping Soetaers, but even he could in theory deserve a place in the squad against big opponents.
Then my next suggestion would be to keep him on the bench and bring him in as a supersub whenever Ajax is having a difficult game. 9 times out of 10 he finds the key to winning the match after all. This could happen against any opponent, Volendam or Real Madrid.
The main point of this sugestion and the one before it is that it's a waste to play Litmanen against teams like Volendam and Groningen when we would win those games without him anyway and he only risks being injured again.
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8th October 2003, 01:18 PM |
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AFCA 1900
User Banned
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: AMSTERDAM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur
The main point of this sugestion and the one before it is that it's a waste to play Litmanen against teams like Volendam and Groningen when we would win those games without him anyway and he only risks being injured again.
A memory...
Remember last season's league game at RBC Roosendaal? Ajax couldn't score, Koeman brought Litmanen, Jari brilliantly found the opening for the 0-1 (Zlatan) and Koeman subbed him again... Literally. Amazing.
So - this story proves two things...
1. Jari actually does have the ability to turn a game around for Ajax in a few minutes' time.
2. Situations in which his 'touch of brilliance' is badly needed can also happen against 'small' opponents.
Conclusion: he should be on the bench during every game, so that he can be brought on when he's needed - no matter if it's RBC or AC Milan. So, Arthur, maybe we should just re-phrase your statement a little bit: we don't need him for 'big games', we need him for 'emergencies', whenever they occur.
That was my general point, really. It's not about Pienaar, or Sneijder or Soetaers, but about the team. If the team's playing well Koeman should stick to those eleven players for big games. I don't see the point of 'creating a spot' for Jari whenever we play a big European fixture.
He's our 'emergency sub' (which I'm afraid is the best he has to offer us anyway...)
Last edited by AFCA 1900 on 8th October 2003 at 01:27 PM.
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8th October 2003, 02:05 PM |
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jakobg
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Umeå, Sweden
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But what about his contract. For how long will he be an Ajacied (not talking about his heart...)?
Will Ajax be willing to pay him salary (relativly high I surpose) when he obviously can't play more than a few minutes once in a while?
And have any of you guys heard about his future? Will he finish his career in Ajax or hasn't he thought that far yet?
Lots of questions here...
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8th October 2003, 03:11 PM |
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AFCA 1900
User Banned
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: AMSTERDAM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jakobg
But what about his contract. For how long will he be an Ajacied (not talking about his heart...)?
Here you go...
http://www.ajax-usa.com/news/02-03/...ct-to-2004.html 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakobg
Will Ajax be willing to pay him salary (relativly high I surpose) when he obviously can't play more than a few minutes once in a while?
His salary was never revealed, but it's reportedly not higher than that of other players in the highest category (Van der Vaart, Zlatan, Pienaar and a few others).
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakobg
And have any of you guys heard about his future? Will he finish his career in Ajax or hasn't he thought that far yet?
I haven't heard him say anything about that yet, but I think Ajax will not offer him a new contract - and that Jari will then call it quits at season's end. That's what I think, anyway... for what it's worth.
But guess what: I think they'll offer him a job within the club instead. Possibly as a youth coach, possibly as some kind of 'ambassador'. But I think they'll try to save him for Ajax culture, one way or the other.
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8th October 2003, 03:25 PM |
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jakobg
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Umeå, Sweden
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AFCA 1900
I think they'll offer him a job within the club instead. Possibly as a youth coach, possibly as some kind of 'ambassador'. But I think they'll try to save him for Ajax culture, one way or the other.
Even though I'd love to see Jari staying to work with Ajax, it would also be nice have him playing on a lower level, say the Swedish league for example (not that that's any crap league either but...). And why not in Djurgården
Looking forward to the game next tuesday btw. Too bad I won't be able to make it. It's not every day your two favourite teams play against each other! 
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8th October 2003, 03:33 PM |
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AFCA 1900
User Banned
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: AMSTERDAM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jakobg
Looking forward to the game next tuesday btw. Too bad I won't be able to make it. It's not every day your two favourite teams play against each other!
Will the game be shown live on TV in Sweden? If so: on which channel?
I'm asking on behalf of some of our English friends. They are regular visitors to a pub where they have access to 632 million channels or so, so they might want to check whether that can get this game also... 
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8th October 2003, 03:36 PM |
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jakobg
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Umeå, Sweden
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Just adding some facts to my last post.
For you who don't know that much about Swedish football, Ajax' opponents and two year in a row (in a couple of weeks) Swedish champions, is kind of like the Swedish Ajax at the moment (not with any o the same history but anyway).
They have lots of young, talented and hungry players, they play with the 'Ajax-formation' (4-3-3) and they are mostly playing with short and quick passes. Add to that also that the coaches and the players have a very attacking style of play.
Sounds almost like an Ajax-copy
That's partly why I personally like these two teams so much. They play FOOTBALL, and that's what it's all about! 
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