Louis van Gaal presents an interesting choice to take over the calamitous situation at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ajax-tv-schedule/">Ajax</a>. The club’s head coach, Maurice Steijn, is under serious pressure after Ajax suffered an embarrassing moment both on and off the pitch. Eredivisie officials abandoned Ajax’s game against Feyenoord after 56 minutes. Home Ajax supporters launched flares onto the pitch when the team was trailing 3-0. The drubbing at the hands of the club’s biggest rival sent fans over the edge as the Dutch giants sit 14th in the 18-team table.



Former Ajax midfielder Rafael van der Vaart called on Louis van Gaal to return to Ajax as manager. The Dutch boss was the manager when Ajax had its most recent European successes. Ajax won the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League with van Gaal at the helm. Now, van der Vaart said van Gaal can at least provide some advice to turn this dismal Ajax side around.



“In my opinion, he is the ideal man at the moment to help save Ajax,” van der Vaart told Dutch outlet <a href="https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/sport/voetbal/artikel/5409495/van-der-vaart-van-gaal-ideale-man-om-ajax-te-redden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RTL Nieuws</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">AJAX VS FEYENOORD GAME ABANDONED 🇳🇱 Ajax, losing 0-3 to Feyenoord, sees their game abandoned after ultras throw fireworks on the pitch. Outside the stadium, riot police charge at fans. <a href="https://t.co/vBlN3xrPES">pic.twitter.com/vBlN3xrPES</a>— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1705973679329292737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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However, van der Vaart conceded that van Gaal’s current health does not allow him to take a full-time job. At the age of 72, van Gaal has been fighting prostate cancer. The iconic Dutch manager picked up that diagnosis in 2022. It forced the manager to step away from the Dutch squad <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/dutch-captain-van-dijk-defends-messi-after-van-gaal-controversy-20230906-WST-454446.html">following the 2022 World Cup</a>. Fortunately, van Gaal said his treatment to fight prostate cancer was successful. However, he is yet to return to management.



<h2>Louis van Gaal has history of success with Ajax</h2>



Therefore, if van Gaal is unable to serve as a full-time manager, van der Vaart at least hopes the boss can work in a technical role. 



His heart is crying, as he said this afternoon,” Van der Vaart said. “But his health does not allow him to have a full-time job. So, in principle, that is a no. But he can certainly give advice. He understands football.”



Ajax <a href="https://twitter.com/AFCAjax/status/1706039795565162642" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sacked Sven Mislintat</a>, the director of football at the club, following the suspension of the Feyenoord contest. That leaves an opening for van Gaal.



Louis van Gaal has more experience than almost any manager in the modern game. With Ajax, he not only won the Champions League Final in 1995. He won the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/eredivisie-tv-schedule/">Eredivisie</a> three times. Moreover, he reached the Champions League Final in 1996, only losing to Borussia Dortmund. He helped the Netherlands to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup, and he also picked up trophies with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/bayern-munich-tv-schedule/">Bayern Munich</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a> as a manager. 



Ajax is a mess, and it looks likely to miss out on the Champions League for the second season in a row given its current form. 



PHOTO: IMAGO / ANP

Louis van Gaal would be ideal man to coach Ajax: Van der Vaart

Louis van Gaal presents an interesting choice to take over the calamitous situation at Ajax having already spent time with the club.

<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100831_WST_23860_sky-sports-transfer-window-600x448.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=448" alt="sky-sports-transfer-window" width="600" height="448" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-48861" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window-600x448.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2012/12/sky-sports-transfer-window.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure></div>
Here in the U.K, Sky Sports News have been trailing Transfer Deadline day for two weeks. For many viewers, the strained excitement of the presenters trying to display uncontrollable excitement over minor transfer dealings is something of a running joke. The memory of a half frozen reporter standing outside the Brittania Stadium trying to summon some energy as the club announced they had signed Micheal Tonge lives on.
If anything, along with the number of made up texts that litter a variety of websites, transfer deadline day has become something of a swollen, bloated joke of a day. Now of course, the Internet is littered with tales that nearly 40 transfers are awaiting confirmation due to the amount of faxes sent in to the Premier League’s offices before the 6pm GMT deadline. So much for the finality of a timed lock down.
Whilst most Spurs fans are apoplectic with expectation that the club has pulled off the coup of signing Rafael Van der Vaart, most fans have seen little to excite them in the way the media tell us to. Of course, the Spurs fans expectations are heightened by the hope it’s true, so they can see Sylvie Van der Vaart on a regular basis.
What surprises me, with the amount of money floating around the Premiership, is that we have a situation where a fax machine can delay deals being completed. Yet, thinking about it, how else is the paperwork going to be fired around Europe like intercontinental ballistic missiles? Of course they could scan things in and then email the PDF files over the Internet but surely that’s even more time consuming? The fax machine returns to the forefront of technology on deadline day.
What surprises me is the other side of transfer deadline day. For every Robinho moving to A.C. Milan or Asamoah Gyan joining Sunderland, there are ten professionals trying to desperately find a club. <a href="http:\/\/www.givemefootball.com/pfa-transfer-list" target="_blank">The Professional Footballers Association is currently hosting a list of over 300 players </a>currently without a club. Whilst there are plenty of junior or trainee players, there are several familiar names.
For instance, would you be surprised to see that Jay De Merit is on the list or Wilfred Bouma? Perhaps French striker Jeremie Aliadere could do a job for your club and as I type this, the P.F.A. website is stuck on its front page due to the amount of traffic on the site. It seems plenty of managers are trying to fill up some squad places now.
Former Tottenham player Rohan Ricketts wrote an article about <a href="http:\/\/www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/the-secret-diary-of-a-footballer/" target="_blank">how transfer deadline day effects players</a> when it comes around and gave an insight in to just how it makes certain players feel. On reading it, it was interesting how he felt the situation at Tottenham had developed in to a no win situation. Ricketts is building himself a reputation as more than just a footballer and when you read articles like this, it gives you a more honest reflection to what really goes on behind the facade football clubs like to show us.
All in all, the transfer deadline simply fails to deliver because even in this day and age, things can get delayed. Ramping up the hype for a cut off points only works when you actually know who has applied for what. With spurious text messages constantly relayed as fact, such as Ronaldo being seen at Gatwick earlier this afternoon, the hype simply fails due the lack of real evidence until the club actually confirms the deal.

Transfer Deadline Day Still Gives Us No Clues - World Soccer Talk

Transfer Deadline Day Still Gives Us No Clues

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Arsenal beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, all but assuring their qualification for the Champions League group stages, with two away goals.&nbsp; It was not the presiding effort of their 6-1 away win at Everton, but the two deflected goals – <a href="http:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/3226424/">from Gallas</a> and <a href="http:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/3226581">Gary Caldwell’s foot</a> – fulfilled the requirement in what was arguably the most important match of the season.
Celtic obviously came into match with an inferior squad.&nbsp; The Scottish Premier League nowhere near equates the English one.&nbsp; Celtic’s biggest signing was £4m Scott Brown.&nbsp; As was mentioned in the telecast, new Celtic manager Tony Mowbray did have experience against Arsene Wenger from his time at West Brom.&nbsp; Unfortunately, said experience was losing to Arsenal with an inferior squad. 

The tactics came as no shock.&nbsp; Celtic pressed early to disrupt Arsenal’s passing, with moderate success.&nbsp; When the club tired, they kicked Cesc Fabregas constantly, resulting in two yellow cards and accomplishing nothing but placing him at risk for injury.&nbsp; Fabregas is too savvy to be addled by wanton lunges.&nbsp; Even if the tactic had hampered his effectiveness, Arsenal have four or five players who can create adequately with the increased space from diminished attention.
Wenger again opted for the 4-3-3, using the exact lineup that played against Everton.&nbsp; This time, however, players shifted positions more frequently and both Gallas and Vermaelen attempted runs from the back.&nbsp; This suggests we may be seeing some true total football at the Emirates this year.
Arsenal’s back four, fronted by Song were solid again.&nbsp; Though, they benefitted from Arsenal breaking up plays high up the pitch in both matches.&nbsp; The trio of Alumnia, Vermaelen and Gallas appear confident now.&nbsp; Will this change when they face a team that can down the wings and challenge aerially with crosses?
The weak point for Arsenal was Nicklas Bendtner.&nbsp; He shone with the ball at times against Everton, but against Celtic he was woeful.&nbsp; Whether playing down the right or in the middle, his poor off the ball positioning placed him consistently two steps behind his proper place.&nbsp; He has the technical ability, but does he have the football intelligence?
Theo Walcott should take Bendtner’s place when he returns from injury.&nbsp; Though, if Bendtner remains the fall back plan for the slender shouldered one, that should influence Wenger’s to buy.&nbsp; Could Wenger <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/08/16/1443028/arsenal-eye-7-million-move-for-rafael-van-der-vaart-report">take Rafael Van Der Vaart off their hands for £6m</a>?
For those tracking other transfers as we approach the deadline, Emmanuel Eboue was not in Arsenal’s squad, leaving that <a href="http:\/\/www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/07/29/1411205/fiorentina-target-emmanuel-eboue-appears-to-bid-arsenal-fans">reported £9m move to Fiorentina</a> an option.

Arsenal Beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, All But Assure Champions League Qualification - World Soccer Talk

Arsenal Beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, All But Assure Champions League Qualification

<a href="http:\/\/www.bundesligatalk.com/hamburg-captain-van-der-vaart-transfers-to-real-madrid/49/rafael-van-der-vaart/" rel="attachment wp-att-50" title="Rafael van der Vaart"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.bundesligatalk.com/hamburg-captain-van-der-vaart-transfers-to-real-madrid/49/rafael-van-der-vaart/" rel="attachment wp-att-50" title="Rafael van der Vaart"></a></figure></div>It’s finally official, Rafael van der Vaart the Netherlands midfielder and Hamburg’s captain is on his way to Real Madrid pending the results of a medical. The Bundesliga’s own version of the Ronaldo affair has come an end. Although the clubs themselves have not released the details regarding the transfer fee, reports in the German media estimate it at an initial 13 million Euros. This fee would increase to 15 million depending on how successful the Spanish champions are over the next several seasons.
Hamburg’s website has a <a href="http:\/\/www3.hsv.de/index.php?id=24046" title="Rafael van der Vaart Interview in German" target="_blank">farewell interview</a> available. Unfortunately it’s only in German. Just in case the club does not provide an English version of its own the interview has been (quickly) translated* below:
Hsv.de: Rafael, last night Hamburg and Real Madrid agreed to your transfer. You will sign a five-year contract with the Spanish record champions. How are you feeling right now and how happy are you that things have finally cleared up?
Van der Vaart: I’m doing well. The transfer was agreed upon late in the night. It took a long time and was uncertain for quite a while, but now everything’s cleared up. I’m happy about that, but also a bit sad. It was a nice time. As I come back here, see everything once more and have to say my goodbyes, well, that’s a strange feeling.
Hsv.de: You always stressed that your dream was to play for a club like Real Madrid. What kind of expectations do you have of Spain?
Van der Vaart: I hope that everything works out like it did with the transfer to Hamburg. You have to realize that it’s a completely different team. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and the fulfillment of a dream of mine. I would like to play many games and be important to the team in Madrid. That naturally depends on both my own performance and the success of the club. I’m looking forward to it.
Hsv.de: You were quite stressed the past few days. Has that now changed?
Van der Vaart: I’m still stressed. So many new things are hitting me. I’m flying to Madrid this same day, tomorrow is the medical and official unveiling. These are all nice things, but naturally I’m anxious.
Hsv.de: Over the weekend at the Emirates Cup you were able to observe your new teammates up close. Had you already had contact with them, specifically with your Dutch colleagues and have they already begun clowning around with you in London?
Van der Vaart: Naturally I spoke often about [transferring] with Wesley Sneijder, for example, but it’s something else when you meet up in the stadium. They already had some fun: come over here or go into our dressing room. But I was still a Hamburg player and so behaved like one. I knew that the clubs were in negotiations.
Hsv.de: Bernd Hoffman proved himself to be an uncomprimising negotiator. How did you experience the back and forth over the last several days?
Van der Vaart: It was exciting. It was my absolute dream and a big career goal of mine to go to Real. Hoffman, naturally and like we all know, negotiated uncompromisingly. But Hamburg also earned its money.
Hsv.de: You weren’t in the starting lineup at the Emirates Cup. Many fans were angered by this decision. Can you explain this?
Van der Vaart: It was a joint decision with the trainer [Martin Jol]. I had so much going through my mind. In that condition you aren’t able to help the team. Naturally people will ask, “why does he want to go, why to Real?” But anyone looking in his heart [knows] it’s a dream to play for a club like that.
Hsv.de: You can look back on three wonderful and successful years at HSV. What are you going to take from this time?
Van der Vaart: It was, without question, a super time. It was the best decision of my footballing career to come to Hamburg. I experienced three wonderful years, received a lot of love, enjoyed many beautiful moments. There were highs and lows, but the fans were always there, that was the best. A single look into the stadium and you know that.
Hsv.de: Your wife felt quite comfortable in Hamburg as well. In addition, your son was born here. Are they both going with you to Madrid?
Van der Vaart: They both are coming along tonight. Sylvie will come back in a few days, because she has to return to work. But they’re both moving to Madrid in order to support me.
Hsv.de: Now it’s time to say farewell. Are you leaving with mixed feelings and is there anything else that you’d like to say to the fans?
Van der Vaart: It pains me to move away as well. Especially when I think of the fans. They always supported me even during the bad times, especially during the Valencia affair. I had goosebumps every time I played here. When you leave of course it’s easy to say, “Hamburg will always stay in my heart,” but it’s honestly so and will remain that way. I think Hamburg and I will meet again, maybe as a trainer or as a player, but in any case as a fan. I can only say thanks for everything!
Hsv.de: We would also like to thank you and wish you and your family good luck in your travels.
* – I replaced HSV with Hamburg throughout and made some other minor edits.

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