Ajax fans can't wait to get rid of Chelsea target Ten Cate

Ten Cate has said he would be willing to move to Stamford Bridge to work under Avram Grant if the two clubs can come to an agreement.

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He would certainly not have many Ajax fans begging him to stay despite the club getting off to a fine start in the Eredivisie.

Ten Cate's men lie second in the Dutch league but it is in European competition where they have struggled, crashing out of two competitions.

They lost to Slavia Prague in Champions League qualifying before going down to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Cup first round.

Fan frustration boiled over during Sunday's 2-2 draw at Sparta Rotterdam when fans aimed abuse at Ten Cate, club chairman John Jaakke and defender Jurgen Colin.

Regular chants of "Henkie, get lost and take Jaakke and Colin with you" rang around the away end as Ajax struggled to gain a point.

Ten Cate, who previously worked under compatriot Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona, responded by defending his record in charge, which has yielded two trophies - last season's Dutch Cup and the Dutch Super Cup.

He said: "What must I say about that? Under my leadership we have played 41 games, gained 92 points and scored over a hundred goals."

Ten Cate was non-committal when asked whether the Sparta clash would be his last in charge with a two-week break for international fixtures now looming.

He added: "I can't say if I was sitting on the Ajax bench for the last time.

"That's not up to me. It's now something between Ajax and Chelsea.

"I don't know more than that the clubs are speaking.

"And if they don't come to an agreement I will gladly be coach of Ajax until the end of the season. And if they reach a deal I will go to Chelsea."

Reports in Holland have suggested Ajax would approach Marco van Basten should Ten Cate leave and ask him to combine club duties with his existing job as Holland coach.

But the Dutch FA (KNVB) have ruled out a dual role for the former Ajax and AC Milan striker.

KNVB director Henk Kesler told De Telegraaf newspaper: "(It's) absolutely not something we want to speak about.

"We won't allow the coach and his assistant John van't Schip to bet on two horses. Holland deserves their full attention in the run-up to Euro 2008."