Even with a title challenge last season, Ajax captain Davy Klaasen has admitted things just aren’t right at the club.
Ajax are currently on course for a fifth-placed Eredivisie finish and Conference League football after a season that saw three different coaches.
Last term they lost a nine-point title lead under Francisco Farioli, which barely covered up the Amsterdam giant’s current demise.
But for Klaassen, it all went wrong when Ten Hag departed for Manchester United in 2022.
“At the moment there is a chaotic atmosphere, because you are in fifth place,” he told Ziggo Sport.
“That just doesn’t suit Ajax. You want to go higher, you have to go higher.
“Under Ten Hag and [director Marc] Overmars, it was very clear, and you really had the feeling that they reinforced each other.
“They looked at things like the squad, the balance, and how we were going to do it. There was a very clear line in that.
“There have been a lot of changes in that respect over the past few years. Everyone has their own coach, their own players. There is no continuity.”
Ajax won’t be seeing a return of either, with Ten Hag going to work as sporting director at FC Twente, while Overmars left in disgrace.
Yet Klaassen can see things turning around, looking at what’s happened in the past.
“The year before ’18/’19 (when Ajax won the double and reached the Champions League semi-finals) was also all drama and all complaining,” he explained.
“And we all know where that led. So things can move quickly, but the right choices do need to be made.”
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