Erik ten Hag praises Ajax starlets for 'crushing' PEC Zwolle | OneFootball

Erik ten Hag spoke glowingly of Ajax’s youngsters in the wake of Saturday’s 3-0 win over relegation-threatened PEC Zwolle.

While experienced hands Dušan Tadić and Davy Klaassen (2) hit the net, Ajax boss ten Hag reserved most praise for the contributions of 18-year-old right-back Youri Regeer and 19-year-old midfielder Kenneth Taylor.

“PEC’s playing style requires players who can hold the ball well, can play well under pressure and have a lot of walking ability, in other words a lot of dynamics,” ten Hag said after the game at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

“That’s why I chose Regeer, but also [Mohammed] Kudus and Taylor. They are all ball-resistant and can bring a lot of running power to the field. That can crush an opponent like PEC.”

Ajax are enduring a bit of an injury crisis at the moment, but ten Hag expressed his pleasure that promotion through the ranks has helped plug the gaps.

“Sometimes that happens to you. You have to make sure you have alternatives,” the Manchester United-bound manager said.

“We can solve that because we have a very good co-operation with Jong Ajax. The boys who are not always in the starting line-up therefore also develop. And that’s nice.”

The win moved Ajax eight points clear atop the Eredivisie with three games to play, though PSV can narrow the gap to five points should they beat Willem II on Sunday.