Jordan Henderson dragged away by Ajax stars during angry mid-game row with team-mate
Jordan Henderson has endured a frustrating season in Ajax and tempers flared on Thursday night when he confronted team-mate Bertrand Traore during a win over Besiktas
by Jacob Leeks · The MirrorJordan Henderson had to be dragged away from an angry row with Ajax team-mate Bertrand Traore during his side's hammering of Besiktas.
Ajax hosted the Turkish side in the opening game of their Europa League campaign on Thursday night. The Dutch giants cruised to a 4-0 win to get off to an excellent start in the new Swiss-style league format.
Goals from Kian Fitz-Jim and Kenneth Taylor, as well as a double from Mika Godts helped Ajax to a comfortable win. But tempers flared just after the hour mark after Traore gifted away possession in a dangerous area.
The former Chelsea star was rescued by his team-mates, though captain Henderson was left furious. He charged over to Traore and began shouting in his face, with the 29-year-old arguing back.
Henderson leaned into Traore as he confronted his team-mate and had to be dragged away by Fitz-Jim. The former Liverpool star remained angry though and could be seen continuing to shout as he left the scene.
He has become increasingly frustrated this season, with Ajax now sitting ninth in the Eredivisie. Their latest poor result came in a draw with Go Ahead Eagles, with Henderson admitting his side must improve.
"There are many areas we can improve on. Hopefully, we can show that tomorrow (Thursday). It’s already a challenge to demonstrate this," the Ajax skipper said ahead of the win over Besiktas.
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"With small details, we could have done better in Deventer, like winning second balls and winning duels in general. There are more matches now. Especially for players who also compete internationally, the schedule is packed. It’s a lot when you think about it."
Earlier this week, Henderson also hit out at Ajax's summer transfer strategy. He singled out the decisions to sell Carlos Forbs to Wolves and Steve Bergwijn to Al-Ittihad in particular, with both deals having come late in the window.
“They are two great players. Every team would have missed them, of course. But we still have other players, who are also good. Players who can create chances and are especially dangerous in the final third," he said.
"We managed to do that against Fortuna, but not tonight. Hopefully we learn from it. It’s also not ideal to lose one or two of your wingers on the final day of the transfer market. We have lost quality.
“But with the guys who played today, it was possible. We have to help them get into one-on-one situations, but they didn’t bring anything. It’s not just the wingers, but it has to be better.”
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