Ajax manager Ten Hag marveled by Kudus' performance

Ajax Amsterdam manager Eric Ten Hag is full of praise for Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus following a splendid display against Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.

The attacking midfielder was handed a more defensive role against Groningen, starting in central midfield rather than his usual attacking role.

However, kudus showed versatility, excelling in that position to earn the plaudits from the manager, who says he enjoys watching him.

"I chose against this Groningen for power in the back and creativity in the midfield," explained the coach after the match. "I knew that a lot of spaces were going to be created there, so I needed players who have the ability to play people out under a lot of pressure," he added.

"With Gravenberch and Kudus you have ball-resistant players and with Klaassen and Haller you have a good tandem that can play the depth behind in combination with Tadic and Neres."

Kudus recently returned from injury and looks to be rediscovering his form despite the lengthy spell on the sidelines.

"I thought he played very strong during the first phase of the game, just as we imagined. The second half he slumped a bit, but that is logical," said Ten Hag.

"He has to build on his race condition, he needs more minutes for that. I can really enjoy him, that he is always able to find solutions under this pressure and that he knows how to play freely and often also has a very good continuation," he concluded.