Ajax v Rangers: Can Dutch giants build again after Antony & Ten Hag exit?

The surroundings are a pilgrimage to legend, standing at the foot of a staircase that leads to the heavens.

There is a wall on the left. Adjacent is a large mural of a face on a wall. There is a statue in front of a picture of a man. The name of the person is JohanCruyff.

The stadium now bears his name and is a shrine to past glories and moments of magic.

While the stadium's grand entrance is a nod back to a wonderful past, once again Ajax are looking into the future through a fresh lens. There is a new manager and a new group of players.

How will the Eredivisie champion fare in the European competition?

Dealing with loss

In recent years, the slogan "it's better to have loved and lost..." has been used more than a bicycle repair kit to console the players who have left the club.

Many people have left for big clubs and big money. Over the last five years, there have been ups and downs for the club.

The departure of three-time title-winningErik ten Hag was a body blow. The loss of Antony, who followed his coach to Old United, was a big one.

The person had already left for Manchester. The right-back had left.

The editor of Get Belgium and Dutch Football News said a lot of fans were unhappy about how much the club cared about finances.

They thought that the summer had been a good one for the company. They didn't want Antony to leave because they already sold some players.

They showed how reluctant they were to let Antony go. They are trying to change their image.

The next generation

Over the summer, the board of the Ajax has made a lot of money, but they haven't been shy about spending as well.

Alfred Schreuder has been given a chance to build on the legacy of his predecessors.

Calvin Bassey was brought in from Rangers for a fee that is expected to top twenty million dollars; Brian Brobbey was brought in from RB Leipzig for a fee that is expected to top fifteen million dollars; and a defender from Club America was brought in for a fee that is believed to

Steven Bergwijn was acquired from Spurs for over 30m Euro. Antony has yet to be truly missed despite the Dutch international's 6 goals in 5 matches.

Crebolder says that they are a weak team. The one that is hard to replace is Mazraoui. They didn't replace him at all. Bergwijn has compensated for Antony's loss.

Can Schreuder hit new heights?

There is optimism about what is being built.

This is what happens when you combine the two. There is a football philosophy here. Under the 49-year-old, that's not likely to change.

The man who won the Belgian title with Club Brugge was an assistant to Ten Hag. Look up at the wall now and then look at it again.

The Dutch Super Cup loss to PSV was not the best start, but five straight wins have more than made up for it.

In the league, Ajax have completed the most 10-pass sequences with 83 and have the highest average possession. They have faced the most shots, but have only allowed three goals.

The group is still in its infancy.

It's too early to know if the bright early start can be maintained, while former Netherlands great Rafael van der Vaart has been critical of Dusan Tadic.

Even if pragmatism is whispered in the corridors as the Schreuder era begins, there is still a quiet confidence in the Dutch giants.

The coach said that the team was very competitive. It takes a little bit of time to get the changes in the system we want. The first 11 have been here longer than we have now.

I think our squad is good enough to get a good season even though they know how we play.