To score three goals away to PSV and still lose, it's a thing that shouldn't be allowed to happen said Ajax-coach Martin Jol after the exciting game between PSV Eindhoven and Ajax Amsterdam.

But his many predecessors could point out to him that it's an old flaw, that of an incapable back four.

Much to his dismay Jol will have seen that Ajax showed the same defensive vulnerability as it did during the Amsterdam Tournament.

Back then Atletico Madrid (3-3) and Benfica (3-2 defeat) exposed the weaknesses of the Amsterdam defense without much effort.

A soothing Jol then said it would surprise him if Ajax would meet the same opposition in the Eredivisie.

The first two league games of the new season (FC Groningen, 0-2 and RKC, 4-1) proved him right, but didn't offer any security.

For that the opposition was too weak and Ajax were hardly tested.

The real test would come on August 16 against PSV, that much was clear.

In this game, early in the season, that gave Ajax the chance to widen the gap with PSV to 7 points the team were hurled back to reality.

Goal keeper Stekelenburg, right-back Van der Wiel, center backs Wielaert and Alderweireld and left-back Atouba: it's not a back four that pairs calm to defensive ability.

The experienced Wielaert (30), of whom it is expected that he leads his defense simply falls short in games that matter.

At the second PSV goal he ran over Van der Wiel rather clumsily when Dzsudzsak broke through down the left flank.

On the fourth decisive goal he was pushed aside to easily by Bakkal.

Atouba (26), making his debut also failed to make a big impression.

He may be pacy and physically strong - he's also the type of player who embarrasses his team mates with silly pranks.

The best example of that came in the 62nd minute when he decided to put a throw into his own box and Toivonen almost benefited.

Jol has known Atouba from his days at Tottenham and Hamburg, but he will not have taken him along hoping for many of this blood pressure raising moments.

But it wasn't only the Ajax defense falling short.

Vertonghen and De Zeeuw lost the ball too often and up front all danger came from captain Suarez.

The Uruguayan struck in the second minute after PSV's goal keeper Isaksson couldn't control a poor back pass by Salcido.

Suarez reacted well, rounded the Swede and scored.

The crowd had little patience with Isaksson after that moment and he was treated to cynical reactions each time the ball came his way.

PSV then equalized through a screaming free kick of Dzsudzsak, but not even three minutes later Ajax had scored a second when Andre Ooijer lifted the ball over his own keeper with Suarez breathing down his neck.

After the break PSV turned the tables within minutes.

First Bakkal equalized after a great dribble by Dzsudzsak, and four minutes later the Hungarian curled another free kick into the far top corner with his left foot.

Afterwards he would admit that it was intended as a cross.

But again Ajax came up with a quick answer when Emanuelson beat Isaksson with a howling shot from 20 meters out.

But 15 minutes from the end PSV again scored and this time it was the decisive goal.

Lazovic broke down the left found right-back Manolev on the overlap and his cross was met by Bakkal for his second and PSV's fourth goal.

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"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football