Encouraging signs despite Burnley’s 2-1 defeat to Ajax

Burnley will have been left with plenty of encouragement after going down to a narrow defeat to Dutch giants Ajax in their latest pre-season outing.

Nicky Hayen’s side put on an impressive showing in the first-half, as we got to witness a clear indication of how the new boss wants his Clarets side to play.

The visitors were largely in control of the first 45, thanks to a mixture of positional rotations, good movement, an aggressive press and, most significantly of all, a willingness to get the ball forward quickly.

Nevertheless, there were still some things to iron out, most notably a lack of quality and conviction in the final third and, at times, they looked a little frail defensively.

Despite the strong first half, Burnley went a goal down when Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman took advantage of a poor Max Weiss error.

While not quite as strong in the second half, the Clarets still managed to level through former Ajax man Jaydon Banel.

But they weren’t level for long, as Abdellah Ouazana restored Ajax’s lead shortly afterwards as the home side ran out 2-1 winners.

Florentino Luis was not named in Burnley’s squad amid ongoing speculation regarding his future. The midfielder is currently in talks with Hull City over a potential switch, thought to be a loan.

Zian Flemming was also left out, alongside Hjalmar Ekdal, Zeki Amdouni, Michael Obafemi, Lyle Foster and Armando Broja.

Jordan Beyer and Josh Cullen remain sidelined.

The Clarets played without a recognised striker, leaving former Ajax academy graduate Jaydon Banel to play the furthest forward.

As for the home side, they made wholesale changes from their Thursday night Conference League qualifier, with the return leg coming up this coming week.

Burnley competed well early on, more than holding their own. What was noticeable from the opening exchanges was how the players were rotating and swapping positions, something Hayen made reference to during his recent media interviews.

A flowing move from back to front found Jacob Bruun Larsen, a surprise starter given the recent speculation surrounding his future, but the winger’s chipped cross was cleared behind for a corner, which was easily dealt with.

The Clarets looked the more composed side in possession of the ball, which is a sentence you might not have expected to read given the opposition and their historical reputation.

We had to wait until the 17th minute for the first genuine attempt on goal and it was a good one, as Josh Laurent’s 25-yard rasping drive was well turned behind.

It came after the midfielder had turned cleverly on the ball in the centre of the pitch and, with Ajax defenders backing off, he was encouraged to roam forward and try his luck from range.

Burnley continued to adopt an aggressive approach, leading them to winning the ball back high up the pitch just before the half-hour mark - but unfortunately they were unable to take advantage, as Hannibal wastefully side footed over after being teed up by Marcus Edwards.

The chances continued to come in one direction, as Burnley threatened again from a dangerous Lucas Pires corner delivery, only for Bashir Humphreys and Kyle Walker to get in each other’s way.

Ajax had to wait until the 32nd minute for their first sight of goal, as Youri Baas headed harmlessly wide from just inside the box after the Clarets had been undone down their left flank.

A minute later, the Dutch outfit took the lead with a goal that certainly came against the run of play.

Defender Aaron Bouwman was the man to get it, tucking home from close range after the Clarets had failed to clear their lines from a low cross, with Max Weiss certainly culpable.

The goal sparked a spell of Ajax pressure as Burnley struggled to maintain their control, but they managed to get through to half-time without conceding a second in what was, despite the scoreline, still an encouraging first 45 minutes.

There were just two changes at the break, as Luca Koleosho and Mike Tresor entered the fray for Marcus Edwards and Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Tresor was given a great chance to get Burnley level when he stood over a 25-yard free-kick in an enticing central position, but while he managed to beat the wall his curling effort failed to trouble the goalkeeper.

In the next move, Ajax ought to have probably doubled their lead as half-time sub Don Angelo Konadu headed wastefully over at the back post.

The striker threatened again when he managed to get the wrong side of Humphreys, only for his near post effort to be denied by Weiss - although the referee disagreed, awarding a goal kick after adjudging the strike to have clipped the outside of the post.

The home fans were up in arms when the referee opted against awarding their side a penalty when the ball appeared to hit the flailing arm of Humphreys, but the man in the middle emphatically waved away the appeals.

Their frustration only heightened in the following move, as Burnley levelled through Banel - rubbing further salt into the wounds as a former Ajax man.

It was a clever finish from the forward, although it’s unclear if he knew a great deal about it as he diverted Koleosho’s effort beyond the keeper.

But the Clarets weren’t level for long, as Abdellah Ouazane restored their lead with a simple tap-in at the far post following an incisive break from the home team.

This sparked a number of changes from the visitors, as Joe Worrall, Shurandy Sambo, Oliver Sonne, Lluc Castell and Andreas Hountondji all got their chance to stake a claim.

As is often the way in these summer friendlies, the final third of proceedings became a bit bitty and messy due to the multitude of changes for both sides. The game opened up and became a little stretched at times, but there was no real flow.

Ajax could have opened up a two-goal cushion for the first time in the 81st minute when Mohammed Abdalla tried his luck from just inside his own half. But Weiss, backpedaling, just about managed to palm it over his own crossbar.

Aside from that, the game largely fizzled out as Hayen handed some late opportunities to a handful of youngsters. One of which, Ellis Clark, had the last chance of the game, as his drive was well claimed by the keeper.

TEAMS

Ajax: Heerkens, Gaaei, Bouwman, Baas, Henrique, Johnson, Carrizo, Mokio, Leonardo, Ouazane, Edvardsen

Subs: Reverson, Muzungu, Fitz-Jim, Blind, Klaasen, Konadu, Gloukh, Godts, Rosa, Berghuis, Abdalla, Nash

Burnley: Weiss, Roberts (Sonne), Walker (Worrall), Humphreys (Campbell), Pires (Sambo), Laurent (Brierley), Hannibal (Clark), Ramsey (Castell), M. Edwards (Bruun Larsen), Bruun Larsen (Tresor), Banel (Hountondji)

Subs: C. Edwards, Pimlott, McMahon-Brown