Ajax' confidence rises as Shelbourne grapple with injuries

Ajax' confidence is high as the Dutch side prepares to meet Shelbourne in the third qualifying round of the Conference League, with journalist Gavin Cummiskey of The Irish Times insisting the Irish club "makes no appearance of chance against this Ajax". The Amsterdammers, who are referred to as the Amsterdammers, feel no pressure ahead of the tie.

In the previous round Ajax eliminated the Servische Vojvodina, winning 1‑4 away and repeating the 1‑4 scoreline at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Those comfortable victories underline the Dutch side’s attacking pedigree.

Shelbourne reached the third round by dispatching Estonia’s Nõmme Kalju FC, recording a 5‑2 win and a 2‑1 loss in the two‑legged tie. The Irish club therefore entered the draw with recent European experience.

Cummiskey highlights a serious injury crisis at Shelbourne: all three strikers are sidelined and the two first‑choice goalkeepers are unavailable. "Shelbourne makes no appearance of chance against this Ajax. They are battling an injury crisis," he said.

One of the injured keepers is Wessel Speel, a former FC Utrecht youth product who moved to the United States, later joined Minnesota and is now on loan to Shelbourne until year‑end. "He is injured, but it is a good keeper," Cummiskey added.

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Harry Wood, until recently Shelbourne’s most dangerous player, scored ten goals and supplied five assists in 25 competitive matches this calendar year before moving to Stockport County.

Cummiskey also points to Ali Coote, the Scottish winger, and Sean Moore, an Irish youth international, as key threats, while midfielder Kerr McInroy, valued at €325,000, is "a bit comparable to Mark van Bommel".

The journalist jokes that Ajax is the club of Cruijff, total football and Frank Stapleton, the only Irish player ever to wear the Ajax shirt, who made four appearances before a hernia ended his spell.

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Shelbourne, founded in 1895, have won the Irish league fourteen times but suffered bankruptcy in 2007, restarting in the second tier before returning to full strength. Under manager John Russell the side will line up compact, aggressive and ultra‑defensive in a 4‑5‑1 formation, having conceded 35 goals in 24 duels, often from sloppy finishes.

Ajax will kick off the first leg at the Johan Cruijff ArenA at 20:00, with the return scheduled for Tolka Park, a venue that can hold 6,450 spectators. Ajax." La Het One De Op Ali Voor today set the stage for a decisive European encounter.