THE AJAX ACADEMY CHALLENGE

[W4NKER]

Ajax are renowned for their youth program that has produced many Dutch players over the years, such as ​

​

Johan Cruijff​

Edwin van der Sar​

Dennis Bergkamp​

Patrick Kluivert​

Marco van Basten​

Wesley Sneijder​

Rafael van der Vaart​

Nigel de Jong​

​

However the production line has slowed down in recent years with most gradutes being foreign based nationals signed up by the Ajax Academy at a young age - Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen, Vurnon Anita etc.​

​

When Ajax won the Champions League in 1995 the Dutch national team consisted mostly of Ajax players - van der Sar, Reiziger, the de Boers, Blind, Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert, Overmars.​

​

My challenge (and yours, if you chose to join in) is to return Ajax to the top of the European ladder.


Fairly simple you might say...


However, I challenge you to do so WITHOUT BUYING ONE SINGLE PLAYER! All player MUSTcome through the famous Ajax Academy.


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SUB-CHALLENGE:


Win the Euros/World Cup with Holland having a large portion of your squad from the Ajax Academy.


__________________________________________________ _______________

​

 

[W4NKER]

You join me two-thirds of the way through the second season.

I actually started a similar save on full version FM believing that I could get more youth players and have better control over their training and development.

So I played a full season winning the league and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. However I never really took to the full version of the game. Whilst having more influence over training was great I realised how much I actually hate doing team talks, press conferences etc. I tried designating them to my assistant but he always messed them up, affecting morale and subsequently results too.

So I returned to FM Classic and began again. And here is my progress so far...


SEASON 2012/13

We dominated the league winning it at a canter.

View attachment 306487

On the cup front we somehow managed to lose to an unknown pub side in the first round of the Dutch cup. I rotated the squad which in hindsight was a bad idea as the whole team were still learning the new tactics.

In the Champions League we finished bottom of our group which was obviously hugely disappointing but unsurprising considering we faced AC MILAN, DORTMUND and BENFICA!
________________________________________

SEASON 2013/14

The exciting part of this challenges: the academy products!

View attachment 306491View attachment 306490View attachment 306493

Scholten and van Barneveld certainly have the potential to become first team regulars in the future. There are several other 2.5/3 star potential kids as well which will be vitally important to keep the squad vibrant and at a decent size given I won't be signing anyone.

View attachment 306486

LEAGUE

View attachment 306488

You join 25 games into the season and we have a comfortable 10 point lead. Who would bet against us retaining our title??


We done much much better in Europe, topping a difficult group of Inter Milan, Schalke and Spartak Moscow.

View attachment 306489

We also claimed the Super Cup, hopefully the first of many cups for me and the kids.

View attachment 306492

So now you are up-to-date I will do more regular updates, including results and on how the youth players are progressing.​

 

[W4NKER]

MARCH 2014


AJAX BOW OUT OF EUROPE

At Madrid 4 v 2 Ajax
Turan, Falcao(3) – Moisander, Boerrigter

Ajax 2 v 2 At Madrid
De Jong, Juanfran(og) – Diaz, Turan


Eredivisie

Ajax 3 v 0 Willem II
Enoh, Sulejmani, de Jong

Feyenoord 0 v 4 Ajax
Mulder(og), Boerrigter, Enoh, Sulejmani

Roda JC 1 v 3 Ajax
Sigporsson, de Jong, Veltman

Ajax 3 v 1 VVV
Koppers, Enoh, Sigporsson

Ajax 3 v 1 FC Utrecht
Sulejmani, de Jong, Enoh


Disappointed to be out of Europe but we hammered them on the return leg. They had two shots, two goals.

With 5 games to play and a 10 point league the league is a formality now. Once its in the cabinet I will introduce some of the youngster into the first team for the final few games

The players in orange are Dutch. Eventually they should all be orange ​

 

[W4NKER]

APRIL/MAY 2014

AJAX RETAIN TITLE!

FC Twente 5 v 6 Ajax
De Jong, Babel(2), Serero, Enoh, Sulejmani

Vitesse 0 v 2 Ajax
Scholten, Sulejmani

Ajax 3 v 1 Sparta
Scholten, Frijters, Babel

ADO Den hag 1 v 1 Ajax
Scholten

View attachment 306527

View attachment 306528

A great finish to the season. With the league claimed we still had 4 games to go and a chance to blood some younsgters. Academy products Scholten and Frijters made their debuts.

Frijters came off the bench to set up one goal and score another against Sparta.

View attachment 306530


Scholten finished the season with 4 goals in his 6 appearances including each in the last 3 games of the season. Fantastic.

View attachment 306529


Van Barnveld made it onto the bench for the final games but too young to throw a goalkeeper in. Next year for him.

View attachment 306531


……..Next Update……..
Our second batch of young stars!​

 

[W4NKER]

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Erik van Bergen
Goalkeeper
4.5* potential

View attachment 306542

Erik looks a top top prospect. With van Barneveld from last years crop as well I think we will be grand for goalkeepers for years to come.


Ivo van der Sleen
Striker
2.5* potential

View attachment 306543

Only 2.5* potential but tall, good in the air strikers fit do very well in my tactical set up so this kid will get games and will score goals nonetheless (unless of course a better target man comes through the ranks in the next year or two)

Prasetyo Iswanto
Striker
3.5* potential

View attachment 306544

Alongside a big striker I like a fast one and Iswanto fits that bill although he'll have much to do to overtake Scholten who came through last season and already has 4 goals in 6 games for the first team!


Robert Monteiro
Centre Back
3.5* potential

View attachment 306545

Looking forward to seeing him progress because outside of Alderweireld and Moisander we are lacking quality centre backs. Also some bigger clubs have been sniffing around Alderweireld and Moisander as a result of their outstanding performances and I may struggle to resist big bids for them​

 

[White army]

gd luck with this

 

[iArsenal]

Good luck, I love your careers.

 

[W4NKER]

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

AJAX PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF


SUPER CUP

PSV 3 v 6 Ajax
De Jong, Babel, Alderweireld(2), Sulejmani(2)

View attachment 306760


LEAGUE

Ajax 3 v 0 PSV
De Jong, Boerrigter, Babel

FC Utrecht 1 v 1 Ajax
Enoh

Ajax 5 v 0 Sparta
Boerrigter, Alderweireld(2), Babel(2)

Ajax 2 v 0 FC Groningen
Babel, Blind

De Graafschap 0 v 3 Ajax
Boerrigter, Babel, Alderweireld

VVV 0 v 1 Ajax
Boerrigter

FC Twente 3 v 3 Ajax
Eriksen(2), Sulejmani

View attachment 306761


DUTCH CUP 2ND​ ROUND

Ajax 2 v 1 FC Oss
Fischer(2)


CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Real Madrid 2 v 2 Ajax
De Jong, Sulejmani


A good solid start to the league and cups apart from the Twente game where we were 3-0 down! Injuries to Alderweireld and Moisander have hit us hard. Danny Blind at centre back is horrible!

In the cup game I gave game time to some youngsters including Scholten and several are progressing well in training.​

 

[Henry8597]

Have you stopped this story already!? Was enjoying the read

 

[W4NKER]

Have you stopped this story already!? Was enjoying the read

Have continued the story actually but haven't bothered to update here. Into 2017 now. Maybe update 2moro

 

[W4NKER]

Bumping an old thread of mine here but reloaded this up for the first time in months.

I left the updates in 2014 but I actually played on for quiet some time...


​

Season	League Position	Dutch Cup	Super Cup	Champions League	Europa League
2012/13	1	2nd Rnd	Winners	Group Stage
2013/14	1	4th Rnd	Winners	1st Ko Rnd
2014/15	1	4th Rnd	RU	Group Stage	Semis
2015/16	1	Quarters	Winners	Group Stage	Winners
2016/17	1	Winners	Winners	Semis
2017/18	1	4th Rnd	RU	Winners
2018/19	1	Semis	Winners	Quarters
2019/20	1	Winners	Winners	Semis
2020/21	1	Winners	Winners	Quarters
2021/22	2	4th Rnd	Winners	Winners

I played half of that last season today. Sacrificed the league run-in to rest players for the Champions League (we have an extremely small squad given I don't sign anyone).

But we won it...

View attachment 464182


...and the board bestowed me with the greatest honour!!

W4NKER PARK!!!
View attachment 464183​

 

[kitchin75]

about time you got a new home named after you well done mate

 

[MrStu01]

Brilliant work mate. So did they decide to build a new stadium for you or was it requested already?

 

[MaximumPower]

You still need to get the treble. Just saying

 

[W4NKER]

Brilliant work mate. So did they decide to build a new stadium for you or was it requested already?

Board decided.

You still need to get the treble. Just saying

Yea but play the youngsters in the Cup as I have a small squad. Over ?100m to spend but choose not to.

 

[MatthewElphinstone]

Quick question... when you say super cup does that mean like dutch super cup (the equivalent to the community shield)
If this font is huge blame my phone

 

[W4NKER]

Quick question... when you say super cup does that mean like dutch super cup (the equivalent to the community shield)
If this font is huge blame my phone

Yea Dutch Super Cup

 

[MatthewElphinstone]

Yea Dutch Super Cup

Alright cheers, i got confused because you wouldn't win Europa or CL but would win a super cup? found that wierd haha

 

[coolmcool]

I heard that if Chelsea build a new stadium its going to have a similar name . . . . . ..

 

[W4NKER]

Season 2022/23

View attachment 463921

A comfortable league win. Early exit in the Cup to PSV on penalties and a harsh 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the CL, having won 1-0 in the Bernabeu Madrid managed to score from EVERY shot in the second leg to send us packing.

Only a few weeks now until we move into W4NKER Park (6)


​

Season	League Position	Dutch Cup	Super Cup	Champions League	Europa League
2012/13	1	2nd Rnd	Winners	Group Stage	-
2013/14	1	4th Rnd	Winners	1st Ko Rnd	-
2014/15	1	4th Rnd	RU	Group Stage	Semis
2015/16	1	Quarters	Winners	Group Stage	Winners
2016/17	1	Winners	Winners	Semis	-
2017/18	1	4th Rnd	RU	Winners	-
2018/19	1	Semis	Winners	Quarters	-
2019/20	1	Winners	Winners	Semis	-
2020/21	1	Winners	Winners	Quarters	-
2021/22	2	4th Rnd	Winners	Winners	-
2022/23	1	2nd Rnd	-	Semis	-