Ajax Fall Into Relegation After 4-3 Defeat At Utrecht

Ajax's woeful start to the Eredivisie season continued on Sunday as they suffered a shock 4-3 defeat to Utrecht, sending them into relegation contention.

Mike van der Hoorn and Flamingo scored for Utrecht to put the Dutch giants down 2-0 after 48 minutes. However, Ajax got themselves back into the game when Kristian Hlynsson scored two goals in as many minutes in the 52nd and 55th to make it a tie game. In the 65th minute, Ajax took the lead when Steven Bergwijn netted from the penalty spot, but Utrecht quickly responded with a goal by Jens Toornstra. And then, in the nick of time, Oscar Luigi Fraulo scored a remarkable late goal to give the home team the win. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Ajax now sit in the relegation place after losing to FC Utrecht | Credit: Getty Images[/caption] With this loss, Ajax drops to second from last place in the Eredivisie standings, having won just once in seven games this season. This is the first time since 1954 that Ajax have been in the bottom three.

Where did it go wrong for Ajax?

Ajax's slow start to the season can be attributed to a number of causes. The occurrence of injuries has been a major problem. Key players like Geronimo Rulli and Van Axel Dongen have been out for extended periods of time. Another potential problem is that they have lost too many of their veteran players, such as Donny van de Beek, Antony and Lisandro Martinez, who are currently playing for Manchester United. In fact, the club's manager, Erik ten Hag, was once Ajax's manager. While the Dutch club made some high-profile additions over the summer, many of them have not lived up to the hype. While Steven Berghuis stands out as an outlier, Brian Brobbey has had trouble making an impression. Finally, the squad has been having trouble settling on a consistent strategy. Ajax have struggled all season long, and their defense has been vulnerable.

What does the future hold for Ajax?

It's understandable that Ajax fans are worried about the future of the club. They haven't won anything significant since 2021, and now they might even be relegated. The future of the club is not hopeless, though. The team is talented, and Maurice Steijn, who has a proven track record as a coach, is in charge. Ajax's fortunes should improve if Steijn is successful in getting the most out of his players. However, one must not lose sight of reality. The situation for the club is dire, and improvement will be slow. It will take a lot of character from the players, and fans will need to be patient. The way Ajax responds to and ultimately triumphs over this shocking setback will say a lot about who they are and what they become.