Bassey has suffered a lot of backlashes since he moved to Amsterdam in July, but his boss believes he will eventually come good
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar believes that Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey needs more time before his impact can be felt at Ajax.
Bassey impressed during his two-year stay at Rangers, and his brilliance earned him a €23million transfer to Dutch kings Ajax during the previous transfer window.
However, since his move to the Eredivisie champions, Bassey has gotten a lot of sticks for his performances. Ajax have been a shadow of themselves this season, and Bassey has been a constant fixture in the team- either at left-back or at the heart of the defense.
The Godenzonen were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League, recording just four losses in six games. In the Eredivisie, they have not been convincing, winning only nine of their 14 games, and conceding 17 goals.
Bassey has been one of the scapegoats in the team, as past players and fans have often criticized him for Ajax’s poor run.
Manchester United great Van der Sar feels Bassey does not deserve the criticisms he has gotten and believes the 22-year-old Super Eagles defender will still come good.
“Calvin has qualities, but he will have to improve to get to that level,” Van de Sar said as per Daily Record.
“That is very logical, and Lisandro Martínez has also had that development with us. Just think about two years ago, when Martínez spent a lot of time on the bench. It takes time to grow, it’s not fair to judge Bassey directly on the level of Martínez.”
Ajax’s problem may not be entirely due to Bassey’s defensive ability. The team is currently changing, as most members of the team just arrived in the summer, and even coach Alfred Schreuder took charge of the team in July.
As such, the team may need some time before they can start delivering the goods.
