Ajax's Oscar Gloukh Criticized for Playing Out of Position

Israeli footballer Oscar Gloukh was substituted in the 54th minute of Ajax's 3-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league on Saturday. Gloukh started the match 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 was simply in the wrong position. Journalist Lars Lipink suggested that Abdallah Ouzan, who came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, should have replaced Gloukh in that role, noting, "He simply did not fit into [coach Maurice] Steijn's structure. It was strange."

Despite the criticism of Gloukh's performance and positioning, Lipink observed that Ajax played better than they did last year. The Amsterdam team is currently five points behind Alkmaar, who have had a perfect start to the season, and six points behind league leaders Eindhoven, though Ajax has a game in hand. Ajax will compete in the Conference League this year.

Rick Aalfrink commented on Gloukh's performance, stating, "Gloukh had a promising chance, but he wasn't accurate enough." The Israeli player will aim to score in Ajax's next match against Fortuna Sittard on Friday, ahead of Rosh Hashanah.