Valentijn Driessen Slams Weslley Patati After Ajax’s Narrow Win Over AZ
Ajax’s 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar at the Johan Cruyff Arena should have provided plenty to discuss, but it was Weslley Patati who became the focus of a sharply critical post-match debate. On Kick-off, De Telegraaf’s football podcast, journalist Valentijn Driessen delivered a scathing assessment of the AZ attacker, calling him “the most useless footballer I know.”
The remark followed a match that Driessen found difficult to enjoy. Ajax edged the contest by a single goal, with Tolu Arokodare scoring the decisive strike, while AZ struggled to create a consistent attacking threat. For Driessen, Patati’s performance summed up what he considered a frustrating display from the visitors.
Patati’s performance draws fierce criticism
Driessen’s comments came during a discussion that initially centred on Owen Wijndal, Ajax’s left-back. The journalist questioned whether Wijndal had offered enough going forward, particularly when compared with the more adventurous version of the defender associated with his time at AZ.
“I didn’t think Owen Wijndal was anything special,” Driessen said. “In attack, he’s not the Wijndal you know from AZ. He doesn’t overlap at all any more. Either he wasn’t allowed to or it wasn’t necessary.”
Mike Verweij, De Telegraaf’s Ajax correspondent, offered a different angle. He suggested that Wijndal had effectively neutralised Patati, leaving the winger unable to make a meaningful impact. “We didn’t see him all match,” Verweij said, referring to Patati’s limited influence on the game.
Driessen agreed that the AZ attacker had been quiet, but went considerably further in his assessment. He complained that Patati repeatedly turned away from forward opportunities and played the ball backwards, a pattern that, in his view, made AZ’s attack predictable and irritated viewers.
Why the criticism matters for AZ
Patati’s subdued showing will raise questions about how AZ can get more from their wide players in difficult away matches. Wingers are often expected to stretch a defence, take on opponents and create uncertainty in the final third. When they repeatedly recycle possession rather than drive forward, the opposition can settle into its defensive shape and reduce the space available to attacking teammates.
That does not mean every backward pass is a mistake. Retaining possession can be valuable, especially when a team is under pressure or trying to build patiently. But against a compact opponent such as Ajax, AZ needed more variety and sharper movement if they were to turn possession into clear chances. Driessen’s complaint was that the visitors’ approach became too cautious and predictable.
For Patati, the challenge is to respond with a more influential performance in his next appearance. A winger can change a match with a successful dribble, a dangerous cross or a well-timed run behind the defence. Even when those actions do not produce a goal, they can force defenders to adjust and create openings elsewhere.
Driessen questions the quality of the match
The criticism was not limited to Patati. Driessen also expressed disappointment with AZ’s overall style of play, arguing that too many possessions ended with a turn backwards and a safe pass. He compared the pattern to what he said had been seen at FC Barcelona, using the reference to underline his frustration with the team’s tendency to recycle the ball rather than attack decisively.
He was equally unimpressed by the broader standard of the match. Driessen described Ajax against AZ as “truly dreadful,” adding that he had already found PSV’s meeting with Feyenoord disappointing. In his view, the Ajax-AZ contest fell to a level he associated with the UEFA Conference League rather than a high-profile domestic fixture.
That assessment was deliberately harsh, and it reflects one pundit’s view rather than a complete measure of the teams’ performances. A 1-0 result can also point to a closely contested game in which defensive organisation and small details decide the outcome. Ajax found the decisive moment, while AZ were unable to produce an equaliser.
What the result means for the next meeting
Ajax will take confidence from securing a narrow home win, particularly in a match where the margins were tight. Arokodare’s goal proved enough, but the performance also gives the team areas to review, including how effectively its full-backs support attacks and how consistently it can create chances against organised opponents.
AZ, meanwhile, will want to turn the frustration of the defeat into a more direct and purposeful display. Better movement between the lines, quicker passing into advanced areas and more support for Patati could help the winger receive the ball in situations where he can attack defenders rather than simply return possession.
Any football prediction for a future Ajax-AZ clash will depend on how both sides respond. Ajax may be encouraged by the result, but AZ have the quality to make the next encounter more competitive if they improve their attacking tempo. Patati’s role could be especially important: a more confident, forward-thinking performance would provide a clear answer to the criticism and give AZ an additional route to goal.
For now, Driessen’s comments have ensured that Patati’s display remains a talking point beyond the final whistle. The winger will have an opportunity to let his football provide the response, while AZ must show that their attacking approach can offer more than safe possession in their next major test.
