Ajax have had a solid start to the season under new head coach Michel Sanchez, although there have been some hiccups along the way.

The Amsterdammers threw away a 2-0 lead against SC Heerenveen and settled for a draw. They also suffered a 1-3 defeat to PSV Eindhoven and had to settle for a point against Excelsior, despite being completely and utterly dominant in that game.

They beat PEC Zwolle, Telstar, Fortuna Sittard, and Willem II and qualified for the UEFA Conference League after three qualifying rounds.

Michel Sanchez's side has been averaging over three goals a game in all competitions, but has looked defensively vulnerable at times throughout the season.

After the international break, Ajax will play six games in the last three weeks. They return with a home game against NEC Nijmegen before beginning their UEFA Conference League campaign against Hajduk Split. After that, they face FC Groningen, Atalanta, Sparta Rotterdam and finish the month at home against AZ Alkmaar.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh has spoken about this current Ajax side in an interview with Algemeen Dagblad.

The former Feyenoord player faced Ajax before the international break with Excelsior, in a game that finished in a 2-2 draw. Ajax had 81% possession and 33 shots, but failed to find the back of the net for a third goal. Excelsior had two shots on target, both of which ended up in the back of the net.

"Beforehand, you would say that a victory was unrealistic, but we came very close," Jahanbakhsh said, speaking on Excelsior's 2-2 draw in Amsterdam.

"But honestly, this was really the best Ajax I have seen in all these years, and I have played against them often.

"Secretly, I do think they underestimated us a little bit. They struggled with our high pressure."

Ajax are currently five points behind league leaders AZ Alkmaar, but it is still early, and this could be a very successful season. 

Ajax's performances are improving quickly. They secured dominant 5-1 victories against Fortuna Sittard and Willem II, and even though they failed to beat Excelsior, they produced a performance that should have been more than good enough to win that game.

They also have great squad depth, and that could allow them to win the Eredivisie and also potentially go very far in the UEFA Conference League.

PSV Eindhoven finished 28 points ahead of Ajax last season, and at the end of last season, it seemed unrealistic that Ajax would be able to close that gap in one season.

However, Jordi Cruijff delivered an excellent summer transfer window, and also seemingly made a good decision by appointing Michel Sanchez as head coach. 

Ajax added a wealth of experience to their squad in the summer, and also a lot of proven quality.