DE BOER BLASTS HIS MEN

FRANK DE BOER laid into his Ajax players after a spirited comeback against FC Twente on Saturday failed to preserve their 100-percent start to the season. The Amsterdam side went behind inside 20 minutes when Twente’s Felipe Gutierrez caught them napping at a corner before Hakim Ziyech then doubled the home side’s lead with a spot-kick six minutes after the break. Viktor Fischer pulled one back for Ajax on 65 minutes after being picked out by Riechedly Bazoer. Then, after Yaya Sanogo had been cleaned out by the Twente keeper, Nemanja Gudelj converted from 12 yards with eight minutes remaining. Ajax remain two points ahead of champions PSV Eindhoven ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Celtic but de Boer (left) was less than impressed with their first-half display. ‘It was only after the first half that we stepped on to the field,’ he stated. ‘We started very weak, there

was no sharpness. For so long we did not do the things we want to see. ‘The first goal we went to sleep at a corner. ‘Twente didn’t do much in the rest of the first half but we were at fault again at another corner and we get a penalty against (for handball). ‘We then showed resilience. Luckily, we ended the game level but we should not have been that far behind. ‘It is important that we start cutting it at the beginning of matches. ‘Because we started poorly, we got into trouble. ‘You can eventually be glad that you come back, but I am not happy at this result. It really was not a necessary outcome.’ De Boer urged his players to get themselves mentally right for the opening game in Group A this week against the Scottish champions. ‘Eventually we regained control of the ball and played the game in Twente’s half,’ he said. ‘It was very nice that from that moment. Indeed it showed that we can play football. But it was not necessary. If we had started well, we could have got three points. ‘I am completely convinced of that. ‘We have to start games sharper. There’s a mental side to any sport. ‘We have to learn from this. This was a good lesson for us all of us, the players and coaches.’