Discussion after the Iran - Korea game

[Ali Chicago]

Folks,

I would like to propose one thing. Let's don't use the result of the Iran Korea game, as a means to itself. I suggest we look at the trend (here we go Sohail, see your postings hasn't been in vain bro).
If Iran barring a miracle beats Korea in Seoul or ties, it won't mean GN is a great coach and I was a genious in opposing Branko. If Iran looses in Seoul it doesn't mean GN is awful ( if he makes a stupid sub or totally illogical formation that is a different story) and we need to ask for Branko being reinstated and time to call Ali Dai back to TM. If team doesn't do well, of course we need to think of plan B, but the point is let's don't get all emotional irrespective of results.

Let's just see where our team has come from the Syria's game. That is the only unbiased way of judging the TM.
Don't forget Iran lost 2-0 to Korea under Branko as well, so a loss in not end of the world.

Game result
========
This is not a do or die game for us. Our teams isnt' mature and our players aren't professioal enough to deal with emotional pressure well (do I need to remind how our team buckled under emotional pressure in Bahrain in WC2002 qualification). The do or die game for us is in Syria in a way. Although, syria still has to play in Seoul and we can still come out of the Syria with a tie and mathmatically we need to beat Taiwan with a lot of goals and beat korea in Tehran and we will be in.

[Doctor DOOM]

I, personally expect to see a more coordinated team, with less hic-ups and wrong passes.

anything less than this is deemed a failure.

I dont expect TM to beat korea.
if it happens, it'd be divine, but am not holding my breath.
a point would be very good.
a loss means nothing and we would be still where we are anyway.


what I will look for, however, is how the team plays.

[Ali Chicago]

Doki,

Coordination I undrestand, however one needs to be careful. Our team will be under pressure from get go. So the best showcase of our coordination will be defensive coordination.

Koran's will attack us from get go, they play a very high pressure soccer style, so as far number of consecutive passes I don't think our team gonna shine in that department. Koreans will try to take the time factor away from us. They I am sure will totally try to limit Mahdavi Kia and Karimi and take the space from them as well.

Bottom line, I don't think we will witness a pretty game from Iran. It will be a grind type of game (that is my hunch anyways).

[Martin-Reza]

Folks,
I would like to propose one thing. Let's don't use the result of the Iran Korea game, as a means to itself. I suggest we look at the trend (here we go Sohail, see your postings hasn't been in vain bro).
If Iran barring a miracle beats Korea in Seoul or ties, it won't mean GN is a great coach and I was a genious in opposing Branko. If Iran looses in Seoul it doesn't mean GN is awful ( if he makes a stupid sub or totally illogical formation that is a different story) and we need to ask for Branko being reinstated and time to call Ali Dai back to TM. If team doesn't do well, of course we need to think of plan B, but the point is let's don't get all emotional irrespective of results.
Let's just see where our team has come from the Syria's game. That is the only unbiased way of judging the TM.
Don't forget Iran lost 2-0 to Korea under Branko as well, so a loss in not end of the world.
Game result
========
This is not a do or die game for us. Our teams isnt' mature and our players aren't professioal enough to deal with emotional pressure well (do I need to remind how our team buckled under emotional pressure in Bahrain in WC2002 qualification). The do or die game for us is in Syria in a way. Although, syria still has to play in Seoul and we can still come out of the Syria with a tie and mathmatically we need to beat Taiwan with a lot of goals and beat korea in Tehran and we will be in.

Since we're all biased anyway and have a very subjective and unscientific view on football, this unfortunately will also not be an unbiased way to rate TM.

[Behrooz]

Knowing TM games have been like a rollercoaster, I think Iran will play better against better teams. Just look at the players we have at our disposal:

Mirzapour-
Kaabi-Fekri-Rezaee-Nosrati
Kia-Teimourian-Nekounam, Niki(Madanchi)
Hashemian, Karimi

Reserves: Majidi, Kazemian

[Hadi]

This is not the time to look at "progress" in TM.
Wake up guys. We COULD be out of the Asian Cup in less than a week.

So I say if we lose in Korea everyone will panic. It's natural. Every single person in the new IFF will go under the blade of criticism.

[maij]

The problem with analysis of Team Melli here is as follows:


1) We are all biased, some to the extreme.
2) Football is not the easiest of subjects to rate and grade.
3) Emotions run high on defeats or victories demoting subjectivity to the rear
4) There is such a wide variety of expertise or so-called expertise to the extent of some talking completely different language from each other.
5) A situation which could very well mean that Team Melli could be out of the Asian Cup 2007........

I know not many of you are nervous...by default , I am....!!!!.

What are the chances of a subjective analysis , I wonder.

[Kaveh Ahangar]

I know not many of you are nervous...by default , I am....!!!!

maij jan,

I am totally beside myself with fear, anxiety and a real sense of foreboding about this match so you're not alone.

Iranian football has hit a real low, and after being embarrassed on the world stage and by a group of Syrian youngsters, I personally don't know how lower our football could go. In reality, a loss tommorow won't be the end, though it will probably feel like it.

This is football, and miracles can (and do) happen. Which is pretty much what we need in 12 hours time.

[Sepehr]

In the midfield we have our miracle workers back and in the front Hashemian is there. So I don't think we can compare these two sections to the two previous games to look for improvements. The defence is where we should be looking at. It’s very much a new defence that hasn't been tested yet. And Mirza, after returning from somewhat of a good world cup may have new confidence in his abilities. Lets see if he can repeat a Portugal-like game against the Koreans who have really beaten him before.

[faraz]

I know not many of you are nervous...by default , I am....!!!!.

baaaaah majid jan, u were my only hope in all of this....
now u've made me nervous too...

[Ali Chicago]

Folks,

Thanks for your input. Each one of you raised very valid points. Let me clarify, I never claimed we can be really unbiased and scinetific about this. As Maij clearly argued his point. Maybe I didn't choose my words clearly.
Let's give it a second try.
Ok, if Iran wins in Korea tomorrow or play great even or get a tie, it doesn't mean the problems in our soccer all of a sudden vanish.
If on the other hand, our team loses but play decent, I hope we try to honestly judge the team's performance and don't come here with I told you so, bring Branko back Bring Dai back etc etc.
Whatever Branko/Dadkan, Dai, they are past history. We need to be honest and fair and yes critical too of the new team. However, we can't constantly refrence back to the past.

I was going through the posts in the general forum, it is amazing the negative and gloom and doom that is out there. I hope this is not a sample of the general attitude of people in Iran and among our players.
More than anything our team needs confidence. and support until somehow our soccer recovers from the WC emotional shock. Having said that, this doesn't mean chah chah and bah bah only for GN (or whoever the next coach will be) his work needs to critically analyzed in the mean time.

[maij]

baaaaah majid jan, u were my only hope in all of this....
now u've made me nervous too...

Sorry...Fraz Jan.......I did to try to hold it , but something that Ali Agha Chicago said had triggred it...Blame it on him

[maij]

Ali Jan.

As a rule of thumb, Iranians are quick to react to situations ( Khoon Garm hastand). It is in their nature and in itself it is quite good attribute but it could also be harmful. I rather be part of a nation that is critical than a part of people who are blind followers of the hierarchy like goats.

I can only guess that the uninspiring gloomy mood was due to the very disappointing result against Syria. A team fresh from playing in the World Cup and has claims to Asian Cup SHOULD be able to dispense of a second or third tier Asian opponents.
Just over a year ago the same Syria, much stronger at the time , we managed to put 7 goals then 4 goals against them in LG Cup !

Now , Syria missing 3 of their top players and a few others , and virtually with no hope in hell , according to the tone of their sport journalist , can grab a point in Azadi…!!! How can you motivate the fans with such result/performance ???

No …it is not entirely Ghalenoei’s fault, as much as I have little faith in him, I blame the people who appointed him. They should have realized that he is being given a job much bigger than his ability….

Tactics and plans aside…..I sincerely hope that a draw against Korea today and a victory or a draw against Syria Wednesday will put my nerves at ease…..

[Khodayar]

As stated before in this thread, we shouldn't look at the reslut, so...

Getting a 1-1 draw against Koreans in Korea is a great resul BUT... We didn't play well, the team wasn't coordinated properly and there were no plans to open up Korean's defence. There wasn't any tactics or plans in the way we played.

To talk about the formation, Leaving Kaebi out and restricting Kia to RB was a mistake, it might pay off in Hamburg but obviously not in TM .

Nikbakht is not LB material. A rule of tumb in defence is that you have to keep a certain distance between yourself and the attacker outside the box, so they cannot pass you by simple dribles. Nikbakht doesn't know that apparently, every time the attacker was backing into him, he got to close and was passed.

So it was bad, happy we got the draw, but the result should not blind us to the facts...

[Paradigm]

Folks,
Thanks for your input. Each one of you raised very valid points. Let me clarify, I never claimed we can be really unbiased and scinetific about this. As Maij clearly argued his point. Maybe I didn't choose my words clearly.
Let's give it a second try.
Ok, if Iran wins in Korea tomorrow or play great even or get a tie, it doesn't mean the problems in our soccer all of a sudden vanish.
If on the other hand, our team loses but play decent, I hope we try to honestly judge the team's performance and don't come here with I told you so, bring Branko back Bring Dai back etc etc.
Whatever Branko/Dadkan, Dai, they are past history. We need to be honest and fair and yes critical too of the new team. However, we can't constantly refrence back to the past.
I was going through the posts in the general forum, it is amazing the negative and gloom and doom that is out there. I hope this is not a sample of the general attitude of people in Iran and among our players.
More than anything our team needs confidence. and support until somehow our soccer recovers from the WC emotional shock. Having said that, this doesn't mean chah chah and bah bah only for GN (or whoever the next coach will be) his work needs to critically analyzed in the mean time.

I prefer GN 10 times to Branko of 2005-2006. GN will much improve with TM; right now the players need more games together since this is a more or less new lineup that he is deploying. I like to see Shojaie and Kaabi back though.