The plight of Ali Karimi

[Doctor DOOM]

Just to put things in perspective.

Ali Karimi said he did NOT watch Team Melli vs Saudi match !

Damn ........ for one week before this crucial match , me amongst many other TM fans were excited , nervous, scared , defiant and living in suspense with adrenaline levels high , and this gentleman did not even bother himself watch his team play on TV........!!!!

majid jan, I would not take everything at face value.
It is a human thing. I think a lot of ppl say things like this just to be left alone or not forced to comment that later on can be twisted by our reporters and journalists into even more damning evidence .

you REALLY, deep down, think he didnt watch the game?
really?

I bet my life he did.

[Hajagha]

Rezaei didn't watch it too. Shame.

[maij]

majid jan, I would not take everything at face value.
It is a human thing. I think a lot of ppl say things like this just to be left alone or not forced to comment that later on can be twisted by our reporters and journalists into even more damning evidence .

you REALLY, deep down, think he didnt watch the game?
really?

I bet my life he did.

I don't know Peyman jan.

I would have thought that a player like Karimi will still have SOME interest in Team Melli. I guess Ali Karimi is a different breed.

When Raul Gonzales was omitted from Spanish Team for the Euro , he said this will not make a dent my love for my country and team. He made his way to Austria/Switzerland to watch the matches as a fan.

[Ali Chicago]

I don't know Peyman jan.

I would have thought that a player like Karimi will still have SOME interest in Team Melli. I guess Ali Karimi is a different breed.

When Raul Gonzales was omitted from Spanish Team for the Euro , he said this will not make a dent my love for my country and team. He made his way to Austria/Switzerland to watch the matches as a fan.

I think that is a huge reach. Not watching the TM game indicating lack of love for the TM game. Many Iranians didn't watch it either, that makes them not loving Iran. For you and I as an average fans, this is a huge thing, for many pro players due to different reasons (too much football, to be pissed at teh coach)not watchign a game is normal. Plus what you didnt' post was the fact that he claimed he fall sleep and that is why he didnt' watch it (no way to prove if he is tellign the truth or not, but at least he has an alibi).

I wish he had watched and all, but I can undrestand if he is hurt for not getting invited and didnt' watch it. For you to equate not watching with not loving the country is a huge huge reach to be honest.
Let's be clear, I have no problem you posting the news he didn't watch, but equating that with lack of love for the country is making a conclusion.

It is amazing you accuse people being on the Daie's case, it seems you are on a witch hunt for the Karimis' case as well.

[Doctor DOOM]

I don't know Peyman jan.

I would have thought that a player like Karimi will still have SOME interest in Team Melli. I guess Ali Karimi is a different breed.

When Raul Gonzales was omitted from Spanish Team for the Euro , he said this will not make a dent my love for my country and team. He made his way to Austria/Switzerland to watch the matches as a fan.

and I still dont see how any of this indicates karimi loves TM any less.
I did say, and will repeat, many players say things like "I didnt watch the game" simply becoz they dont want to get involved in typical mud-slinging our media incites. coz then they're asked about their opinion of this and that and team tactics and X's presence, Y's absence, ..... !!! and the best way is to say they didnt watch it.
but trust me, they ALL watch TM games.
even rahman.

I said, dont take things at face value.

[maij]

and I still dont see how any of this indicates karimi loves TM any less.
I did say, and will repeat, many players say things like "I didnt watch the game" simply becoz they dont want to get involved in typical mud-slinging our media incites. coz then they're asked about their opinion of this and that and team tactics and X's presence, Y's absence, ..... !!! and the best way is to say they didnt watch it.
but trust me, they ALL watch TM games.
even rahman.

I said, dont take things at face value.

Yeah....you are probably right...He actually saw the match and did not want to get involved in the post match mud slinging.

Talking about myself , can you imagine me missing a televised TM game !!!
I would have postponed my wedding if it conflicted with the match.


PS: I think I am safe , cuz the Missus does not follow PFDC forums

[purple_haze]

Yeah....you are probably right...He actually saw the match and did not want to get involved in the post match mud slinging.

Talking about myself , can you imagine me missing a televised TM game !!!
I would have postponed my wedding if it conflicted with the match.


PS: I think I am safe , cuz the Missus does not follow PFDC forums

Well lucky you, I on the other hand don't always feel that safe!

[maij]

Apparently Ali Karimi's ITC is being held up by the Qatar FA. He will not be playing against Payam on Tuesday.

[maij]

ليگ براى كريمى تمام شد او دوباره همان ستاره خاموش است

[Ali Chicago]

And the crusade continues (please refer to the movie Pesonal war of Mr. Morphy). According to the write of the article moral of the story a player has to be always 110% or else, after one game, we can find something that was written in the paper to magnify any negative news about him. Oh well it is a free country after all.

[Doctor DOOM]

that piece is quite a stupid one, If I must say so.
one game and suddenly things are bleak and hopeless?

then again, it is iranian sports journalism we're talking about. and we shd NOT expect anything logical from this lot!

[maij]

.....And the Saga continues...

KArimi , according to press reports , has made up his mind and he will not join Team Melli again. Apparently he has no problem with Daei and he says that he cannot perform to expectation, there are many young players in the league that can replace him and do a good job.


I say , Karimi is right for once.

Apart from the odd flashes , I can't see Karimi giving Team Melli any edge in the coming crucial matches. The fact that he has no desire to play is the clearest proof that Karimi lost his apetite and wants to have it easy playing for his club.

[maij]

....which reminds of a question I asked him in the press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Q " How do you feel that you are going to make your 100's appearance for Team Melli and joined the century club?"

A " I really do not care much about the number of matches that I play , as long as I serve my country and bring glory to Team Melli fans. The important thing is to help my country and do my best to represent it when I am needed"

[Doctor DOOM]

I think daei did well to try to mend fences here.
and I think he deserves our respect for this move.

But the method and timing could have been far better than this.

you cant do it in the middle of a match or even right after a game.
star players or personalities with ego ( like karimi or daei ) dont like to get caught off guard and be surprised like this. and that influences their judgment and decisions.

I think the best way to go by this was to invite both, informing both of the intentions, sometime mid-week and go through the patch-up.
that way both parties would have time to think and compose themselves and decide rationally, away from any peripheral stress and tensions.

this was far from stress-free atmosphere !

I feel let down by karimi declining, I must say.


=========================

well, karimi seems to have made up his mind on not re-joining TM. a shame, if you ask me. But if one has to press the issue, I'd say KIA re-joining the TM is/was far more important & crucial than karimi.

yes, karimi is in top form and is scoring goals and is playing even better & more intelligently than the past few years. But the fact is in his position we do have quite a few exciting players who can fill ( or come close to ) up his shoes: jabbari, shojaei, ... .

however, the TM with NO kia ( and no kazemian ) that we have seen in the past few games was like a crippled man with his right leg missing !
With Kia's return the team at least LOOKS healthy and well balanced and has options on BOTH flanks.

personally, I'd wish to have both of them, as I still beleive this karimi can do the job of two players on the pitch: midfielder and striker's.
But if I have to choose who is more crucial to have, I'd have to go with KIA than karimi.... purely based on TM dynamics and recent TM performances.

===============

I'd still say having karimi is twice as good as having the likes of borhani, khatibi, ... and some other players who have been called and have been playing in past 10-12 TM games.

apart from his gifted skills that he always had, he is more intelligent these days.
his intelligence showed in the goal he scored against bargh.
I know it looked a scrappy goal at first. but here's the difference between him and the likes of borhanis, khatibis & .... of the world :

his first kick was a direct shot which was blocked by the keeper. by the time the ball bounced back to him, there were 3 defenders converging on him as well as trying to block his path to the goal.
a player like khatibi or borhani ( definitely this youngster ) would try to mindlessly whack the ball the second time even harder, hoping to go through the mesh of legs and bodies in front of him , which most probably would have bounced off that many legs, hands and bodies gathering in front of him ( and perhaps the ball would bounce beyond him to clear the danger ).
but karimi's intellect ( something those other players hardly have shown ) took over and, rather coolly he, softly chipped the ball over the legs, hands, heads & shoulders of the crowd in front of him. even yazdani tried to swat it with his hand !!!
this split second decision making is what he brings to the offense that the likes of borhani, khatibi, ... cannot. ( who'd be whacking at the ball again & again till today if the ball would bounce back to them , again & again !!!!! )

[Ali Chicago]

...
his first kick was a direct shot which was blocked by the keeper. by the time the ball bounced back to him, there were 3 defenders converging on him as well as trying to block his path to the goal.
a player like khatibi or borhani ( definitely this youngster ) would try to mindlessly whack the ball the second time even harder, hoping to go through the mesh of legs and bodies in front of him , which most probably would have bounced off that many legs, hands and bodies gathering in front of him ( and perhaps the ball would bounce beyond him to clear the danger ).
but karimi's intellect ( something those other players hardly have shown ) took over and, rather coolly he, softly chipped the ball over the legs, hands, heads & shoulders of the crowd in front of him. even yazdani tried to swat it with his hand !!!
this split second decision making is what he brings to the offense that the likes of borhani, khatibi, ... cannot. ( who'd be whacking at the ball again & again till today if the ball would bounce back to them , again & again !!!!! )

Great Observation, I saw the same and wanted to post about it, but after his farewell with the TM, I thought the point is mute. I was amazed how he kept calm and scored that goal with three Bargh defenders plus Bayranvand throwing themselves at him.
To me the difference is Karimi in PP feels like he is being treated like a superstar and he respond accordingly. Karimi seems to be the type that needs that reaffirmation from outside.

Anyhow, like I said, man said farewell to the TM and it is all a mute point.


Great move by Daie and all, but only in Iran in the half time an official match when the coach is trying to talk strategy and tactic, imagine a saga like this in the dressing room. Imagine how something like this impacts a player's emotional state and focus. Only in Iran. . Just imagine Ghotbi's face at that moment with all these extra people walking into the dressing room and the photographers and the rest. Only in Iran