Tolu Arokodare continues to attract attention at Ajax after former KRC Genk assistant manager Jan Wuytens praised the Nigerian striker’s qualities.
Arokodare has made a strong start in Amsterdam. He has five goals and two assists in eight appearances across all competitions this season. The forward also scored twice against Sion in the UEFA Conference League play-off round.
The 25-year-old joined Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. The Dutch club signed him on a season-long loan. The agreement also includes an option to buy.
Wuytens identifies Arokodare’s key strength
Wuytens previously worked with Arokodare at Genk. He recalled how the striker initially struggled with the Belgian club’s pressing system.
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“Tolu has a very special profile, he is a unique boy,” he begins. “When he arrived, he mainly had to get used to our style of play. We played a kind of Ajax football, with high pressure. He really struggled with that at the beginning: constantly making those sprint meters while pressing. But in his second season, Tolu really came into his own at Genk, also because we started using him much more to his strengths,” Wuytens reflects.
According to Wuytens, Genk later adjusted its approach. The club focused more on crosses and deliveries into the penalty area.
“We started training more on crosses, throwing balls into the box. Tolu is simply unstoppable there. He is a very good header, and also quite fast, so you have to bring out his strengths,” he continues enthusiastically.
Arokodare’s development
Wuytens also credited Arokodare for adapting to the demands of Belgian football.
“He himself also adapted increasingly well, especially to the tempo of the game, as there are a lot of transition moments in Belgian football,” observes Wuytens, who is full of praise for Arokodare’s development.
The former Genk assistant manager also pointed to the striker’s character. He believes the right coaching approach can bring out Arokodare’s best qualities.
“He is a special boy. He has a kind of magic, that allows him to win everyone over at certain clubs,” he explains. “As a coach, you really have to strike the right chord with him, the perfect chord, and you have to keep striking it to keep him consistent. If you do that, you get a killer on the pitch,” predicts Wuytens, who points out that the technical staff must pay close attention to Tolu.
Ajax benefiting from his qualities
Arokodare’s physical presence gives Ajax another attacking option. His height, pace and ability to hold up play can also help teammates join attacks.
“That is the game you have to play with him: you want to put him into a certain structure, in which he can still be himself. That is interesting. With us, there have never been any problems with him being late or things like that,” he emphasizes.
“And eventually, he really started to push through. He started scoring more and more, and we started using him better and better. He is so strong at holding onto the ball, allowing the rest to join in. If you feed him with crosses, and have players making runs around him, he is a very interesting player,” concludes Wuytens.
Arokodare was an unused substitute as Ajax defeated Willem II 5-1 on Tuesday. The result followed another 5-1 league win over Fortuna Sittard.
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