Next Ajax Manager: Three potential replacements for Maurice Steijn
The 23/24 season has been one to forget for Ajax fans so far; finding themselves in the relegation zone with only one win and 22 points off league leaders PSV. As a result, Ajax have decided to part ways with manager Maurice Steijn.
With no concrete rumours for a replacement just yet we’ll be taking a look at three potential replacements they could bring in an attempt to rescue the season.
Ralph Hassenhuttl
Ralph Hassenhuttl was linked with a number of jobs during his time at Southampton but since his departure from the club in 2022, talks around the Austrian have died down a lot. He’s been out of a job since his departure from the Premier League and could be a potential option for Ajax.
Hassenhuttl played some exciting football with Southampton and his aggressive playing style would be sure to fit in with a team like Ajax. The Dutch side are in desperate need of someone to breathe new life into the club and get the players back to their best. They have the squad to challenge for the title, they just need steering in the right direction.
Ralph made a big impact on the players at Southampton and if he can build something out of a team like Southampton, there’s no reason why he can’t get something good going at Ajax. He should definitely be considered by the board.
Jesse Marsch
Another ex-Premier League manager could be in the mix as Jesse Marsch is still without a club. His tenure may not have been long at Leeds, but he still caught the eye of many clubs around Europe.
Jesse Marsch is another manager who has gone through the Red Bull ranks managing at New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig. It’s clear he has the knack for managing having seen some positive results in his time and Ajax could consider bringing him in to help their season.
We saw at Leeds how much Marsch cares about his players and keeping them up in the Premier League was a huge moment for the club. This could be the type of manager to get the players back to their best if he adopts a similar approach at Ajax. The players clearly need some direction and with a man like Marsch in charge, they’d certainly be getting that.
Graham Potter
Sticking with the Premier League theme, Graham Potter could also be in the mix for this job. Potter did a phenomenal job at Brighton which earned him one of the biggest jobs in Europe at Chelsea.
Potter’s time there is one to forget, but don’t let that take away from how good of a manager he is. He completely transformed this Brighton side into what they are today and even if De Zerbi is helping out massively, he can thank Potter for the style of play they are used to and some of the players he brought in.
The Englishman has a very unique style in his positional play and often brings out the best in players. You’d often see at times Brighton with the highest xG in the Premier League but also conceding a lot of goals. This is down to his aggressive play and the formation he chooses. His full backs would be attacking most of the time and that could highly suit a team like Ajax.
Ajax should be dominating games in this league and are always one of the league favourites, so to see them down so low in the league is a real shock. But Graham Potter could easily get them back to a dominant force if they allow him the time to implement his style of play.
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