Contrary to what I wrote a few days ago, Tuesday may turn out to be a lucky night for Dragan Skočić as Syria will be missing 5-6 of their players due to injury and suspension.
The list includes Omar Khirbin who is injured and can’t pair up with Al Soma. Al Soma was the one missing the first leg against TM.
The list includes Omar Khirbin who is injured and can’t pair up with Al Soma. Al Soma was the one missing the first leg against TM.
Your points in this point and others are important but don't miss a major factor: COVID
We just came out of a 1 year disruption in the football cycle, so did our opponents and world football, and we have not nearly recovered yet.
Leagues are not the same
Friendlies are not the same
Our opponents are not at the same levels
Logistics are not the same
...
It has affected us negatively, and has affected other teams negatively
Difficult to say the sum effect is a loss or a gain for us, but right now the strategy should be bagging the points for early qualification to secure as much as prep time possible.
Then we will have a year to make amendments,
-WC has been a lifesaver for our football. It is providing a positive feedback. We showcase our team, young players move to Europe, they progress, then they help TM to go to the WC again. In the cycle our team gets recognition, our cash strapped clubs make little transfer money, public remains interested, kids play, new prospects emerge, and the cycle repeats. Requirementa: 1- we need to advance, 2-we need to do relatively well, 3-we need a team that is not too old.
we have to cross off #1 as soon as possible, because we still have a lot to do:
-we will need a new manager
-we need to kill the weed of player chaos, it is the new old problem
-Our league needs infusion, our teams in club ACL need reinforcement, part of Asian success in the last WC is owed to club ACL
-We need a couple of rising stars playing regular. Amiri, Taremi, HAjSafi, Ansarifard, Rezaei, Shoja are not spring chickens. Age will make them injury prone. Hard to see need for any one except Amiri and Taremi: That means 10-20% of the team should turn over within a year. The average age should not pass 27 IMO, ideally 25.
-Beiro needs rehab or other goalies should get the chance ASAP, not easy options
-Our central defense, and playmaker midfield are at the Syrian standard. Not sure what options we have.
We just came out of a 1 year disruption in the football cycle, so did our opponents and world football, and we have not nearly recovered yet.
Leagues are not the same
Friendlies are not the same
Our opponents are not at the same levels
Logistics are not the same
...
It has affected us negatively, and has affected other teams negatively
Difficult to say the sum effect is a loss or a gain for us, but right now the strategy should be bagging the points for early qualification to secure as much as prep time possible.
Then we will have a year to make amendments,
-WC has been a lifesaver for our football. It is providing a positive feedback. We showcase our team, young players move to Europe, they progress, then they help TM to go to the WC again. In the cycle our team gets recognition, our cash strapped clubs make little transfer money, public remains interested, kids play, new prospects emerge, and the cycle repeats. Requirementa: 1- we need to advance, 2-we need to do relatively well, 3-we need a team that is not too old.
we have to cross off #1 as soon as possible, because we still have a lot to do:
-we will need a new manager
-we need to kill the weed of player chaos, it is the new old problem
-Our league needs infusion, our teams in club ACL need reinforcement, part of Asian success in the last WC is owed to club ACL
-We need a couple of rising stars playing regular. Amiri, Taremi, HAjSafi, Ansarifard, Rezaei, Shoja are not spring chickens. Age will make them injury prone. Hard to see need for any one except Amiri and Taremi: That means 10-20% of the team should turn over within a year. The average age should not pass 27 IMO, ideally 25.
-Beiro needs rehab or other goalies should get the chance ASAP, not easy options
-Our central defense, and playmaker midfield are at the Syrian standard. Not sure what options we have.
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Likes:
Sly
What ever happens, I'm quite sure this is the one thing that is not gonna happen. Right or wrong, there will be lots of arguments about how we have only less than a year left to the WC which is not enough time for a new coach to get to know our players, Skocic has made us qualify to the WC so it's only fair to give him the chance there too, with sanctions present, we do not have a lot of options to bring a bigger international coach, not many coaches will come to Iran at the moment so we have only between Skocic and our domestic coaches to choose from, bla bla bla, etc., etc. You know the deal!
and if things go the way they have so far, I'm afraid we are going to have the worst WC ever! All the status we finally gained in the last one, will go down the drain.
and if things go the way they have so far, I'm afraid we are going to have the worst WC ever! All the status we finally gained in the last one, will go down the drain.
I beg to differ
This is going to be our natural WC. Qatar is not far. Food and lodging, travel, ...will be cheaper and easier to organize by the IFF, TM can camp in Kish Island to adopt. There will be enough support in the stadiums. I think other qualified teams would actually ask for friendlies in the region so we should have less problem to arrange for games this times, we have a best talent ever, older but not affected by thevtoo old like 98 or 2006, we have players in Europe who actually have meaningful playing time ...
This is going to be our natural WC. Qatar is not far. Food and lodging, travel, ...will be cheaper and easier to organize by the IFF, TM can camp in Kish Island to adopt. There will be enough support in the stadiums. I think other qualified teams would actually ask for friendlies in the region so we should have less problem to arrange for games this times, we have a best talent ever, older but not affected by thevtoo old like 98 or 2006, we have players in Europe who actually have meaningful playing time ...
We all know how TM played under CQ. We were a very good and organized team when we DIDN’T have possession. But when we had possession, we had no proper build up, no patterns of play, no effective strategy. Just bezan ziresh long balls, wild shots from distance, set pieces, long throw ins etc. And this was after 8 years and 100 games in charge.
Maybe you consider this to be good football and “playing well” but that’s just your opinion.
Now, parking the bus has the potential to create a shock result here and there like Korea beating Germany at the WC, or even Lebanon nearly beating us a few days ago. But it’s not progress and one shouldn’t be “blinded” by it (if I may quote you).
TM now is playing much better football. We have a proper build up game. We can hold possession that culminates to actual goal scoring chances. The coach makes good tactical changes in response to how the game is going. Do we need to score? Do we need to protect a lead? It’s not just a one size fit all tactic and then we end up looking lost with no answers if god forbid we concede the first goal.
People can make an idol out of someone if they want, but the potential of our football is higher than what a coach like CQ was capable of producing. And we are seeing some it right now.
Maybe you consider this to be good football and “playing well” but that’s just your opinion.
Now, parking the bus has the potential to create a shock result here and there like Korea beating Germany at the WC, or even Lebanon nearly beating us a few days ago. But it’s not progress and one shouldn’t be “blinded” by it (if I may quote you).
TM now is playing much better football. We have a proper build up game. We can hold possession that culminates to actual goal scoring chances. The coach makes good tactical changes in response to how the game is going. Do we need to score? Do we need to protect a lead? It’s not just a one size fit all tactic and then we end up looking lost with no answers if god forbid we concede the first goal.
People can make an idol out of someone if they want, but the potential of our football is higher than what a coach like CQ was capable of producing. And we are seeing some it right now.
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Bong, IEI and Playboy
Because among qualified teams, Iran will be one of the 3 from the region in the WC, and there are 29 teams who are not. Teams will look for options to play friendlies not far away to accommodate to the climate and sea level. Even Saudis don't have major cities with similar climate.
Have you been to Doha? Qatar is not Germany. Qatar can not accommodate friendlies for everyone at every budget. There are a lot of good teams in the WC that are not necessarily rich.
Of less importance, there are also 6 other teams in Qatar and Saudi groups who might want to play against similar football.
Have you been to Doha? Qatar is not Germany. Qatar can not accommodate friendlies for everyone at every budget. There are a lot of good teams in the WC that are not necessarily rich.
Of less importance, there are also 6 other teams in Qatar and Saudi groups who might want to play against similar football.
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ME jan.... what you are describing is nice but way too optimistic and I am afraid it is not going to happen. I remember back in the WC 2006, all teams who were in the same group as Saudi Arabia, rather chose some small Arab nations, who were not even in the WC, to play friendlies with. We were very angry why they did not choose Iran who was in the WC. Then with some arguments about how our playing style was so different compared to the Saudis, we comforted ourselves.
The fact is, if Qatar wont be enough for holding friendlies, most countries rather go to UAE/Bahrain/Kuwait or even Oman than ever setting foot in Iran. Their facilities are better, their trips will be smoother and their players will just be better off. Besides, where would we set up a prestigious friendly with a WC country to accommodate to the climate? In Kish's prestigious amazing Olympic stadium with 1200 capacity? It's just not gonna happen I'm afraid.
This is what is going to happen....we may get to have a friendly with IRI's friend, Venezuela and mahallat players from Sierra Leone and maybe, just maybe with Skocic's conncetions, we get to play against Bosnia and if we are lucky, one more old Yugoslavian country. These are going to be the best and most realistic friendlies we can get.
The fact is, if Qatar wont be enough for holding friendlies, most countries rather go to UAE/Bahrain/Kuwait or even Oman than ever setting foot in Iran. Their facilities are better, their trips will be smoother and their players will just be better off. Besides, where would we set up a prestigious friendly with a WC country to accommodate to the climate? In Kish's prestigious amazing Olympic stadium with 1200 capacity? It's just not gonna happen I'm afraid.
This is what is going to happen....we may get to have a friendly with IRI's friend, Venezuela and mahallat players from Sierra Leone and maybe, just maybe with Skocic's conncetions, we get to play against Bosnia and if we are lucky, one more old Yugoslavian country. These are going to be the best and most realistic friendlies we can get.
It is an expression, sorry my bad.
I just feel so frustrated about news sometimes that I lose it. I shouldn't destroy it for others.
I just feel so frustrated about news sometimes that I lose it. I shouldn't destroy it for others.
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oghabealborz
CQ was great in organizations, supports, disciplines, psychology, international connections, talking the football language, fighting for your team and teammates, and so on. These were never present in team meli to the level that was during CQ.
I can recall seeing the fighting spirit on each of our players. These characters were always there but never surfaced so efficiently during CQ time. You could feel the unified team whenever they put their foot on the turf.
Anytime we lost was because we really weren’t better than the opponent, and not because of anything else. At least you knew everyone in that team; from the players to the staff did their out most… I am not saying they are not doing it now, but it was in another level. The team was working like a well oiled machine.
Every coach has his own tactics including CQ. But in that portion of time, he did the best that was “suited” for our football situations.