John Heitinga’s dismissal as Ajax boss after less than six months has created uncertainty for Reds loan duo Vitezslav Jaros and James McConnell, who face potentially altered roles at the club.
Former Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga has been sacked as Ajax manager after less than six months in charge, a decision that has created major ramifications for two Liverpool loanees, Vitezslav Jaros and James McConnell, according to reporting by the Liverpool Echo.
Heitinga’s dismissal came swiftly after Ajax’s 3-0 home Champions League loss to Galatasaray on Wednesday, marking the club’s fourth successive defeat.
The string of poor results, which leaves Ajax bottom of their Champions League group and eight points behind Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord, prompted calls for his removal from the main supporters group.
The sudden change in management casts a shadow over the futures of the two young Reds currently on season-long loans. Midfielder James McConnell, 21, was a player Heitinga was a “strong advocate for the signing of,” but he has managed only two starts since arriving in August. His last outing was a brief, 12-minute cameo from the bench on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros initially started as first-choice upon his temporary switch but has since been relegated to an unused substitute in each of the last four games, suggesting his standing within the squad had already diminished before the coach’s departure.
Ajax technical director Alex Kroes confirmed the change, acknowledging the difficult nature of the decision while citing a lack of progress.
Ajax technical director Alex Kroes said: “It’s a painful decision. But looking back at the past few months, we must conclude that things have turned out quite differently from what we had envisioned. We’ve seen too little progress and have unnecessarily dropped points.”
With Fred Grim temporarily taking over and reports in Holland suggesting talks with former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, the incoming manager’s views will now determine whether Jaros and McConnell can salvage their loan spells or if their development will be curtailed by the instability at the Dutch club.