Ajax renaissance picks up pace

The past couple of seasons have been an unusually barren period for AFC Ajax in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam club have had to watch on as PSV Eindhoven claimed successive Eredivisie titles and when Henk ten Cate's side were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in qualifying it did not bode well - but on Sunday, less than two months later, a last-gasp Kenneth Perez goal took them top of the table.

New talent
For so long the suppliers of young talent to clubs in England, Germany, Spain and Italy, Ajax are constantly having to deal with players coming and going and the last two seasons have been harder than most. The last time the Amsterdam outfit's name sat above 17 others in the Eredivisie standings, on the final day of the 2003/04 campaign, their side was laced with recognised talent.

Difficult transition
Nigel de Jong, Maxwell, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Rafael van der Vaart and Daniël de Ridder all played that day in 2004 but have all since moved on and there has been a difficult transitional period as a new wave of youngsters has been ushered in. Danny Blind started the process but despite leading Ajax to the Dutch Cup and the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League last term, he left the club after finishing a disappointing fourth in the domestic league.

Improved outlook
Ten Cate was brought in from FC Barcelona's backroom staff but having claimed initial success with a 2-1 Dutch Super Cup victory against PSV Eindhoven on 13 August, early optismism was dashed by UEFA Champions League elimination against FC København in the third qualifying round. The outlook has since improved a lot, with Ajax booking a place in the UEFA Cup group stage before picking up a fifth win in six Eredivisie matches with a last-gasp triumph on Sunday.

Late drama
First-half strikes from Gabri and Johnny Heitinga put Ajax on course to halt a run of six losses in their last seven games against FC Utrecht at the De Galgenwaard stadium. Goals in the last ten minutes from Gregoor van Dijk and Marc-Antoine Fortuné looked to have put paid to those hopes, however, before Perez scored a minute after replacing Wesley Sneijder, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Michel Vorm and taking Ajax to the Eredivisie summit.

Work ethic
With AZ Alkmaar second and FC Groningen third, there are now two points separating Ajax and champions PSV Eindhoven in fourth, and Ten Cate is in determined mood. "We have to put paid to the idea that when you play physically against an Ajax player you will win the battle," he said. "I've said it before - when you work as hard as your opponents then quality will see you through." More hard work and Ajax could end PSV's stranglehold in the Netherlands.