‘God must do his work’

• Sam Porskamp

  follows Ajax on behalf of Autovantra Sport

Ajax striker Brian Brobbey (22) is not easily upset. Racist garbage on social media? He shrugs it off. Strong criticism from three-time world footballer of the year Marco van Basten? He says he doesn’t care.

But what is eating away at him: his goal drought. The counter stands at three goals this season after more than seventeen hours on the field.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I’m really sleeping badly,” he emphasizes. “I recently didn’t score for seventy days. Then I slept badly for seventy nights. A lot of thinking in bed. About what needs to be improved.”

For example, he first took a ball completely wrong, only to shoot past it moments later after he had turned away from his opponent in a characteristic way – putting his ass in and using the defender as a pivot.

At halftime he was replaced by Wout Weghorst. Together with Steven Berghuis, who was also substituted, he watched the second half inside. The missed opportunity haunted his mind.

“Once I get home, I immediately lie down in bed. I call one of my brothers about the match. This time it was Samuel. He then tells me not to hang my head. And that it will be fine. Then I close my eyes. close and I have to think about that missed opportunity again. Normally I also look back on moments from the match, but I didn’t do that yesterday.”

Brobbey agrees that he is currently in the most difficult phase of his football career. While many players have flourished under coach Francesco Farioli, the striker has found the net a lot less often than last season. Sometimes it seems like the devil is playing with it.

Below, see Brian Brobbey’s highest expected goals goalless shots this season.

“I can’t explain it. Some things are beyond my control,” says the Ajax striker. Like many other young football professionals, Brobbey finds a lot of support in faith. The player with Ghanaian roots prays every day.

“God sometimes puts me in difficult positions to ultimately make things better for me. God has to do his work now. He is going to do his work too. I trust that.”

At the table next to Brobbey, Ajax Under 19, including Damián van der Vaart, son of Rafael, has started lunch. The talents are on the threshold of breaking through at the highest level. For Brobbey it has been more than four years since he made his debut in the first team. What can he give to this generation with his experience?

“There were no barriers when I was a youth player. Everything was great. But in the world of big men, things change. There is pressure involved. At times when the pressure is high, you have to stay close to yourself. And close to the people who really need it. mean you.”

His older brothers Samuel Brobbey, Derrick and Kevin Luckassen – also professional football players – are people on whom the Ajax striker can always fall back, just like his parents. In the Ajax selection he has a lot of use for Owen Wijndal and especially Kenneth Taylor, with whom he went through training.

Taylor stood up for his buddy this week. “He may feel that he is not of value if he does not score as a striker, but that is not the case.”

“He’s right,” says Brobbey. “But yes. If I don’t score, people immediately say that you are playing poorly. I would rather score myself.”

Ajax-PSV (3-2 win) was such a match where Brobbey played well without scoring. “And Lazio at home too,” he adds.

“Cristiano Ronaldo can also be grumpy if his team wins 6-0, but he has not scored. I understand that very well. If you are a striker, you will feel that too. But yes. You are not, you are a journalist” , he says with a penetrating look. Followed by a booming laugh.

Brobbey also receives help on a football technical level. Not from John Bosman, about whom the story has long been that he would help Brobbey with heading and finishing. But from someone outside Ajax.

“He actually helps me with everything. I know him very well and for a long time. I’m not going to say who it is, you can find out for yourself.”

Ajax will play its last match of the first half of the season on Sunday, and Brobbey will have a week off when called. “I will be with my family at Christmas. Very quiet, praying. A little food, not too much. And then I will clear my head in Dubai. And I will visit my friend Bergwijn. I miss him very much.”