Dick Advocaat was particularly critical of Ajax player Josip Sutalo after the team's Europa League loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Croatian did not make a good impression on the former national coach in the Veronica studio.
Sutalo formed the center of defense with Jorrel Hato against Brighton. In the final phase, the Croatian international was the captain of Ajax when Steven Bergwijn was substituted. Advocaat found the man-marker to be a notably weak link in Hedwiges Maduro's team.
Sutalo joined last summer from Dinamo Zagreb for 20.5 million euros. 'How can they say he's a top center-back?' said Advocaat on Veronica. 'I paid attention to him again, and I wonder if Sutalo really is a center-back. He can't defend at all, not at all.'
The former national coach of the Netherlands felt that Sutalo did not intervene convincingly at Ansu Fati's 2-0. 'He stays a meter away (from Ansu Fati, ed.) and thus gives him the space to shoot. He needs to be closer. A good center-back doesn't give away that space,' said Advocaat.
Fellow analyst Wim Kieft also has strong doubts about Sutalo's capabilities, who has played eleven international matches for Croatia. 'You can be out of form sometimes, but you can still see whether someone has qualities or not. Whether it's a kick, a ball control, or whatever. But I really haven’t seen it once with him,' said former Ajax player Kieft. Sutalo played seven times for Ajax this season, with the team not winning a single match in those appearances.
