Jordi Cruyff said on Monday that he remains confident Marcos Leonardo will come good at Ajax. The club's technical director expects the striker to show soon why Ajax paid €20 million for him this summer.
Cruyff's view
Cruyff said on Monday on Rondo on Ziggo Sport: "It's a matter of time."
He said: "He's a different type of striker. Not a player you can just put crosses in for. The way he finds space is different. And he needs players who understand him."
Cruyff also said: "But it's a matter of time. Once he scores a goal, he'll start to flourish."
Adapting in the Netherlands
Cruyff said Marcos Leonardo needs time to adjust to football in the Netherlands.
He said: "There's also a lot of one-on-one play here, which isn't the case in most leagues. It's much more physically demanding. He needs to get used to that."
At 23, Marcos Leonardo has scored just twice for Ajax so far.
His place in the squad
Marcos Leonardo remains behind rival Tolu Arokodare in the pecking order and spends almost every week on the bench, though coach Míchel Sánchez does bring him on as a substitute.
Cruyff said: "Someone can only miss chances or score if they're in the right place. For me, it's simply a matter of time. When you watch him in training, everything goes in. So you know: it's going to happen."
Ajax's upcoming match
Ajax face FC Midtjylland on Thursday in the Conference League group stage.
Ajax recently beat Atalanta 2-0, following a 2-1 defeat away to Hajduk Split.
