Article: An Ajax fan's feelings regarding Davidson Sanchez leaving for Spurs

[VertongHen]

Found a great article by an Ajax fan about Sanchez:
(Sorry if this has already been posted, but I haven't seen it on here)

http://www.ajaxdaily.com/2017/davinsonbedankt/

My heart hurts.

To paraphrase Selena Gomez, “I love you like a love song, Davy.” It was only a year, but what a special year it was. Your stunning athleticism, remarkable pace, enchanting dance moves, commanding presence and thumping headers make it hard to say goodbye. Red and white suited you, #5. You solidified our defence, formed a mouth-watering partnership with Matthijs de Ligt, brought us to a European final, won over my heart with your captivating smile and, most importantly, gave me reason to believe – to believe in the future, believe in loyalty, and believe world class defending is not a thing of the past. You reinvigorated my passion, and now you are leaving.

But you must know, I am not blaming you. This is not your fault. Champions League football has eluded us once again, and Marc Overmars has shown no ambition to take us to the next level – he’s never received a transfer offer he didn’t like. Next time you come to the ArenA, you will find your locker cleaned out and nametag replaced. You are nothing but a memory, but I will never forget you – never forget our year together. I will always remember the good times, and there were a lot of them. This is a letter I hoped I would never have to write.

You came, you danced, and now you have to leave. You brought great pride to Amsterdam, but I am forced to say goodbye. I wish there was another way. Bedankt. Tot ziens. Veel succes.

Davinson Sanchez arrived in Amsterdam for five-million Euros last summer, shortly before winning the Copa Libertadores with Colombian outfit Atletico Nacional – just the second in club history – and now he departs for around eight times the fee paid by Overmars. There’s no denying it’s a terrific return on their investment. A sale in the region of 45-million Euros (including add-ons) is an Ajax and Eredivisie record, surpassing the 34 million Manchester United spent to buy Memphis Depay. It’s a higher fee than was paid for the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, Klaas-jan Huntelaar, Luis Suarez, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Christian Eriksen and so many others. So why do Ajax supporters feel their club has been swindled? Watch him play and the answer will be obvious. They unearthed a star.

A physical specimen, he is virtually unbeatable in the air, as evidenced by the six goals he scored in his first – and only – Eredivisie season, tied for the league lead amongst defenders with PSV’s Hector Moreno, bought by Roma earlier this summer. Sanchez started 32 of 34 Eredivisie matches last term, missing only their first game due to the timing of his arrival, and their penultimate league clash as he was rested for a midweek European tie. Speaking of the Europa League, he played a crucial role in guiding Ajax to their first European final since 1996, playing every minute of the knockout stage (minus one match missed due to suspension), helping them to three clean sheets.

Sanchez completed just under 90 per cent of his passes last season (88.9), the third-best mark in the Eredivisie, and his average of 70.9 completed passes per match is better than that of any Tottenham centre-half last season – and it’s not just the competition he was up against. In the Europa League, many of Sanchez’s numbers saw drastic increases. His total tackles per match almost doubled, and his average completed dribbles, interceptions and key passes were higher.

Of course, numbers do not tell the whole story, of course. The Colombian centre-half is a stalwart in defence. Built like a mountain, Sanchez has every tool to become a world class defender. Those who have watched him over the course of the last year might argue he’s already flirting with the label. At the ripe age of 21, he plays well beyond his years. Aggressive in his approach, Sanchez mimics a concrete wall in the centre of defence and has become famous for the impeccable timing of his last-ditch challenges.

He is a ferocious footballer, blending a unique combination of power and grace. He makes a hobby of bullying opposing attackers and possesses impressive skill on the ball, a claim which can only be made by a small percentage of centre-backs in the game today. Comfortable as the last line of defence, Sanchez has also been known to embark on mesmerising runs into attack, reminiscent of Italian legend Alessandro Nesta on occasion, and has the athletic ability to recover his position. His darting forays through midfield help to alleviate congestion, drive play forward and disrupt the opposition’s shape.

A former defensive midfielder, Sanchez is incredibly comfortable in his distribution. Be it deep in his own end or up inside the halfway line, he thrives in picking out a pass, and has shown an innate ability to kick-start quick attacks with precise balls over the top.

Sanchez is a five-tool defender who is well on his way to becoming one of the best at his position: physicality, tackling, aerial ability, reading of the game and ball skills. High, but deserved, praise for the 21-year-old who, in his first taste of European football in 2016/17, guided Ajax to the Europa League final en route to winning the Rinus Michels award as their player of the season

At White Hart Lane, Sanchez should slot right into the centre of defence. He has limited versatility, and while Mauricio Pochettino could experiment with him at right-back, it would not be in anyone’s best interests to remove him from the role he has exceedingly flourished in.

Danny Rose, if you have to Google him, you don’t watch enough football.

 

[DCSPUR]

interesting....curious to know how Poch decides whether to play Toby in the middle of the CB 3 or Sanchez there? Pros and Cons for each --- interesting...

 

[thinktank]

interesting....curious to know how Poch decides whether to play Toby in the middle of the CB 3 or Sanchez there? Pros and Cons for each --- interesting...

Depends who's RWB. Also, verts and tobes next to each other is always a plus. Know each other's games inside out.

 

[DCSPUR]

Depends who's RWB. Also, verts and tobes next to each other is always a plus. Know each other's games inside out.

yup that was my thought....trying to work out what is the better advantage Verts next to Toby or Toby covering RB.....tend to think that if Trippier is RB, Sanchez is RCB (Trippier good defender but a tad slow) but if it is KWP at RB it is Toby at RCB

 

[thinktank]

yup that was my thought....trying to work out what is the better advantage Verts next to Toby or Toby covering RB.....tend to think that if Trippier is RB, Sanchez is RCB (Trippier good defender but a tad slow) but if it is KWP at RB it is Toby at RCB

Yeah. Good dilemma to have. Our defensive options are lit.

 

[thinktank]

We've finally replaced King.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

*DAVINSON*

Not Dave

 

[jonathanhotspur]

I have never seen this guy play, but I feel bad for Ajax that we can pinch their best player. They have given so much to the game, and I hope they see better days again.

 

[CornerPinDreamer]

*DAVINSON*

Not Dave

Dirty Sanchez

 

[Hercules]

Guy is going to be incredible. Think how we cannot do without Toby. We will be saying the same about him. Exceptional pace with timely stride. He glistens in grace, with the rawness well
Made for Poch. Desailly incarnate, and more. Trust me on this boy'

 

[TwanYid]

I have never seen this guy play, but I feel bad for Ajax that we can pinch their best player. They have given so much to the game, and I hope they see better days again.

Agreed. They are to us as we are to Real Madrid, which is sad all around. But that's modern football unfortunately.

Wanted them to win the Europa SO badly last year- despite the fact that Manure in the CL actually helps us in reality. I literally cannot believe how many of our starters (assuming he starts) played for them. Four of eleven is a lot- and all four (assuming this kid's the business) are just beautiful to watch.

 

[Don_Felipe]

*DAVINSON*

Not Dave

That's just short for DAVE-MY-SON

 

[scat1620]

Always appreciate some first-hand opinion from fans of our players' former clubs, but I'm really not a fan of the overwrought 'open letter'-style prose (with the author addressing the opening couple of paragraphs to Sanchez, as if there's any kind of chance that he'd ever be reading them). It's really, really RAWK-y. Yuck.

 

[Donki]

Didn't know he had played CDM, even more options for Poch.

 

[Wellspurs]

Danny Rose the worldwide ambassador for Google?

 

[WorcesterTHFC]

I have never seen this guy play, but I feel bad for Ajax that we can pinch their best player. They have given so much to the game, and I hope they see better days again.

As an Ajax fan, I just wish we were weakening Feyenoord's (spit) or PSV's team.

 

[Japhet]

I have never seen this guy play, but I feel bad for Ajax that we can pinch their best player. They have given so much to the game, and I hope they see better days again.

I know what you mean, but Ajax will qualify for CL every season and will always be at the top of the tree in Holland. They won't suddenly find themselves plunged into mid table obscurity when they sell off a few good players. It's a sustainable model for them to do what they do, and I'm glad we seem to have a good relationship with them. Some of our youngsters could benefit from some playing time there IMO.

 

[walworthyid]

We've finally replaced King.

Must say that watching his youtube clips he really did remind of Ledley. His pace, recovery tackles and even the way he moves and passes the ball.

 

[Frozen_Waffles]

I watched the scout nation vid on YT and he reminds me of a mix of ledley and Toby.

He passes like Toby, there is even a carbon copy of the bullet Toby scored against PSG.

I hate going of vids but it seems from all sides an amazing signing, can't wait to seem him with the belgian lads.

 

[Bobbins]

Without wanting to sound too cynical, if he's as good as it looks like he is, I'm fairly sure we'll be a stepping stone to the very top for him. Which is fine as long as we get a few years of top performances and he helps us win something.