Dutch journalist Mike Verweij who writes for De Telegraaf, said that former Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom is ‘the least big bad buy of Sven Mislintat’.
Sven Mislintat was the technical director at Ajax before being removed after a terrible run of results. The statement, which was published via the FC Update website, is a damning indictment on the recruitment process at the Dutch club, with the improving form of their forward only being described as the ‘least bad buy’.
Ajax, a club that is rich in European history, endured their worst ever start to a season, recording just one win, two draws and three defeats in their opening six games.
Akpom, who struggled for starts early in the season, has hit some form, scoring three consecutive goals coming off the substitutes bench. The player who scored 29 goals for Middlesbrough last season has been used in a more orthadox number nine role when he has played, which may explain his early struggles. A quick look at his stats historically would have surely suggested that his strength is running from a deep ten role. His goal on Sunday against Almere City showed just that.
Akpom’s struggles
Starting only once in the Eredivisie this season, Akpom has found it difficult to make an impact with the Dutch giants, and he alluded to the struggles he has faced in a recent emotional post-match interview via ESPN that has appeared on social media. He described his time at Ajax as a ‘catastrophe’, both personally and collectively. He also said, ‘to be honest, I haven’t felt settled for two months. I felt like I’ve been alone here.’
The striker also made reference to the impact of the new manager, John van’t Schip, hinting that his upturn in form could be attributed to a better relationship with the new boss. He added, ‘the manager came and spoke to me straight away, on a human level, not a football level. He asked how i am, how’s my family. We’re footballers, but we’re human beings firstly and I really appreciated that little chat i had with the manager and the assistant, and when I left the meeting, I just felt happy.’
Akpom, who was last season’s top scorer in the Championship, hitting a remarkable 28 league goals, left Middlesbrough in the summer for around £10.5 million. The value of the transfer could reach around £12 million with add-ons. If the add-ons are performance-based, then Teessider’s will hope that Akpom’s form and recent comments regarding a more settled environment will continue, thus providing a more lucrative fee for the north east club.