Kraay radically changes his view on Ajax player: 'Truly unbelievable, how can that be?'
Hans Kraay junior has torn into Marcos Leonardo on Goedemorgen Eredivisie. The analyst cannot understand how Ajax's Brazilian forward is still not fully match fit.
Leonardo came on against NEC (1-1) with a quarter of an hour left. Kraay was far from impressed by the substitute's display on Saturday, as he made clear on Sunday morning's show on ESPN.
''No matter how tired Tolu is, I would always leave him on. Because that Leonardo is dreadful,'' fumes the astonished Kraay. ''Twenty million euros is being paid for that boy, but how can you come on at Ajax and not be fit? That's unbelievable, isn't it? Truly unbelievable. It is the best profession on earth, so surely you have to be fit?'
This is not the first time Kraay has gone after Leonardo. Back at the start of September, after Ajax - PSV (1-3), the analyst also said last summer's multimillion signing was not fully fit.
Back in July, though, Kraay welcomed Leonardo's arrival at Ajax. ''At the moment I am in Mexico with my wife, where I have come across a few football lovers who support Al-Hilal and they are lyrical about Marcos Leonardo, Ajax's new striker. They say: he is not like Messi, but he is a magnet in the opposition penalty area,'' he told Voetbal International.
''So he does not score them from 40 metres, does not go past seven opponents, but the goals he scores all still count for one. And these people also told me that Ajax are going to get an incredible amount of pleasure from this player,'' Kraay said a few months ago.
So far, Leonardo has played 343 minutes for Ajax across ten matches. The 23-year-old forward, who has to accept Tolu is ahead of him, has scored twice.