Ajax's Oscar Gloukh Criticized for Out-of-Position Play

Ajax suffered a 3-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league on Saturday, with Israeli midfielder Oscar Gloukh starting the match but being substituted in the 54th minute. Gloukh was deployed once again as a left winger, a position he has been playing since the departure of Mika Godts. During his time on the field, Gloukh took three shots, none of which were on target, and lost possession ten times.

Following the game, Dutch football analysts criticized Gloukh's deployment on the wing. "He is anything but a left winger," stated the "Tactick Steven" account, adding that Gloukh is an excellent attacking midfielder but is simply not in the right position. Some suggested that Abdallah Ouzan, who came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, should have been given the role instead.

Journalist Lars Lipink commented that Gloukh "simply didn't fit Michel's structure" and that his performance was "strange." While acknowledging that Gloukh did not capitalize on his opportunities, Lipink noted that Ajax played better than they did last year. Ajax is currently five points behind Alkmaar, which has had a perfect start to the season, and six points behind PSV, with a game in hand.

Another analyst, Rick Elfrink, summarized Gloukh's performance by saying, "Gloukh had a promising chance, but he wasn't accurate enough." The Israeli player will aim to score his next goal on Friday against Fortuna Sittard, just before Rosh Hashanah.