Analysis: Donny CDM, Frenkie Davy’s successor
I translated my Dutch piece on Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek as Davy Klaassen’s successors.

‘Frenkie is a boy who never loses possession’, Peter Bosz spoke after Copenhagen-home. Ajax qualified themselves through a 2–0 win for the quarter-finals of the Europa League and in the home match Frenkie de Jong replaced Donny van de Beek, who -on his turn- sat in for the suspended Davy Klaassen in the starting lineup.
A few months later this substitution, in other words, is part of a conversation. Klaassen has left the club for Everton, Ajax won’t sign a replacement, so who should replace last season’s captain? Most of them say Van de Beek, single ones say De Jong, a little Twitter-poll have shown. 2689 votes. 69 percent see Ajax’ youth product as Klaassen’s successor, 31 percent the talent from Arkel (small village in Brabant, Netherlands).
For most of them, the successor is clear
Clear: Van de Beek should replace Klaassen according to outsiders. It’s a logical thought. Since Van de Beek made name for himself in the U19’s, he ‘s the Klaassen’s dream successor. Both midfielders are surely complement to each other. Character, the looks, qualities; both have gang and feelings for space in especially depth, both have high work ethic and stamina, they have technical ability, have qualities to play successful passes from both short and long distance, can score goals and are from Ajax’ famous youth academy.
And that last thing, that’s important for many. If you are a real, Amsterdam’s youth product, you’re almost a starter and someone is leaving: yes, then you deserve a chance and you’re (internal) one up on especially a signing, like De Jong. The technician came over from Willem II two seasons ago, had an immediate and unhappy loan spell at his former club, came earlier than expected back to Amsterdam, excelled immediately and he has a name nowadays, compared with the likes of Van de Beek and previously Nouri. The three talents formed most of the time the midfield-three of Jong Ajax (second team).
During games of the Amsterdam’s promises, the composition of the midfield changed very often. First De Jong CDM, at the end of the season CAM and Van de Beek CDM. It was a wonderful, dynamic unity, with both joy, interaction, as result, which was constantly positive. It says enough about not who, but how Ajax should replace Klaassen.
De Jong and Van de Beek
You see… De Jong and Van de Beek have to play both. They deserve it. But if you think about a successor, you’re inclined to think about one individual who’s from the same type of player. A sort of copy. And yes: you think about Van de Beek first if you think that way. There is a possible truth in this, but don’t underestimate De Jong’s qualities. He’s very good, one of the best in Jong Ajax since his arrival, absolutely not less good than his roommate in Austria, another type of player, but very far in his development. Statistics of SciSports say this too. Out of all competitions, De Jong sends, in comparison to Van de Beek and Lasse Schöne, the most passes per 90 minutes. Those are relatively successful too. Alongside that info, De Jong is the most dominant midfielder in attack and he has the most dribbles with a success-rate of 95 percent.
Despite De Jong played his most games at Jupiler League-level, he showed in his short entrances in Ajax 1 in both Eredivisie as Europa League and in friendlies that he’s ready to play in Ajax’ midfield. If you have to explain the definition of an Ajax player you have with three words enough: Frenkie de Jong. He is the ideal man to play an attacking role in Ajax midfield.
Especially if Van de Beek plays behind him. The talent out of Dutch town Nijkerkerveen must replace (long term) Schöne as CDM. At the end of last season many fans said (deservedly) that Van de Beek had to play on Schöne’s position. Why not now? Van de Beek is also a footballing player at the ‘6’ position, he showed that against Standard Liege with a world class assist on Anwar El Ghazi. He developed himself within the years conditionally as physically. This combined with his tactical knowledge, vision, knowhow where balls are going to get and data that shows that Van de Beek is not really bad at anything, makes him with his versatility the modern midfielder Ajax need for now and the future.
This is at the cost of Schöne, but he is and stays valuable. Together with De Jong he gives the most key passes (passes that lead to a shot on goal), he gets the most in defensive duels in comparison to Van de Beek and De Jong, he wins those duels relatively much and his interceptions are with 6,9 per 90 minutes the most of his midfield-teammates. Despite that, the European games in the last phase of last season showed that Schöne can’t always play conform to the high tempo anymore. Van de Beek can do this. The young player have to play after years of waiting and he can, if he plays regularly, bring more to Ajax game within a short time. Van de Beek is a much more modern midfielder, he’s physically stronger, faster and he’s more dynamic in his game than the Danish international.
If Van de Beek plays at CDM for most of the season and Schöne gets his minutes at the same position in especially the Eredivisie, De Jong can excel automatically at his favorite position in right attacking midfield. He says by himself he can play anywhere in midfield and it doesn’t matter to him, but if you look at De Jong’s qualities, he can optimizes those when he plays nearer to the opponent’s goal. He can dictate from there. His circle to turn is very, very short, he almost always plays to the right color at the right moment, he showed against Go Ahead Eagles-home that he has a feeling for runs in behind and space in front of him and minimally three times per game he dribbles past defenders as if they aren’t there. That last thing has Van de Beek a little bit lesser, with all respect.
If Ajax manager Marcel Keizer doesn’t choose for the natural successor of Klaassen (Van de Beek), but for another type of player who’s much more a player in the realms of Litmanen, Dani, Van der Vaart, Sneijder and Eriksen, Ajax have their midfield-three for now and years to come. Van de Beek-De Jong-Ziyech has all the facets which Keizer wants in his midfield. All players have the capacities to win the midfield battle with playing football. To create central midfield domination, which Keizer wants big time. The coach need players who are comfortable in little space, have risks in their play, are complement to each other and who can assist the attackers. And you have players like Schöne, Carel Eiting and talents from Jong Ajax as substitutes too.
Despite what the poll concluded, Van de Beek or De Jong isn’t Klaassen’s successor, they’re both Klaassen’s successor. Both friends played together in Jong Ajax’ midfield and created dynamic which was really hard to beat. Short passing in high tempo, much movement, positional changes every time, patience in build up and at the end destroying the opponent. They can do that now in Ajax 1st team. Within a few months no one talk about Klaassen anymore, as Ajax replaced him with two super talents.