Liverpool pair caught up in major protest as statement released calling for sack

Vitezslav Jaros and James McConnell could face uncertain futures with calls for ex-Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga to be sacked by Ajax

Liverpool loan duo Vitezslav Jaros and James McConnell have been caught up in growing unrest at Ajax amid calls for John Heitinga to be sacked as head coach. Ajax suffered their fourth successive Champions League loss to sit bottom of the table after a miserable 3-0 defeat on Wednesday at home to Galatasaray, for whom Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick.

It prompted an angry response from fans, with the Ajax supporters club issuing a statement demanding Heitinga - who left his post as Liverpool assistant coach to return to Amsterdam in the summer - be dismissed with the club also already eight points behind leaders Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.

The statement read: "The AFCA Supporters Club has enormous respect for Johnny Heitinga as a player. This will always be the case; he remains a child of the club. But now we evaluate him as the manager of Ajax.

READ MORE : Arne Slot ponders surprise Florian Wirtz move as Alexander Isak Liverpool update expectedREAD MORE : Andy Robertson leads fume against Real Madrid as Ibrahima Konate sends message to Liverpool fans

"After 11 league matches with an eight-point deficit to the top spot, the dismal performance in the Champions League, and a style of football that constantly brings tears to your eyes, we can only come to one conclusion: Johnny is not the right manager for this Ajax. It's time for a new, experienced manager!

"We urge (Ajax technical director) Alex Kroes and the other technical policymakers to immediately come up with a solution and take action. This is no longer sustainable. The decline in sporting performance must be halted now."

Reports in Holland claim talks have already taken place with Erik ten Hag over a possible return to Ajax, with the removal of Heitinga likely to have a major impact on the two Liverpool loanees.

McConnell has started only two games since moving to Holland on a season-long loan in August and was limited to a 12-minute outing from the bench on Wednesday during which he was booked.

Jaros, meanwhile, was initially first-choice goalkeeper having temporarily switched to Ajax at the start of the summer but has been an unused substitute in each of the last four games.

Speaking last month, Heitinga's agent Rob Jansen revealed he had warned his client against returning to Ajax, where he was previously a player and interim head coach.

“I told him: I wouldn’t go to Ajax right now," said Jansen, speaking on the KieftJansenEgmonGijp podcast. "He wanted to do it based on his ego, his heart, and his feeling for the club.

“That’s also a bit of opportunism, of course, for a young manager, who thinks I’ll make things work for me. But what he was confronted with was the past, a huge mess within the club. The entire management structure and supervisory board are flawed, the board still needs to find its footing."

Click here to read article