Qatar-Iran

[The-Red]

this performance was worrying..If I had a penny for every bad passes our players made today, I would have a couple of hundred dollars by the end of the game....there were type of errors that no coach can really do anything about, but the whole team as a unit lack any real tactic!
I know we will do better against UAE, but the question is how much better can we really get even with the rest of the boys joining the team.

I have my doubts about Pirooz Ghorbani in the back, but one good thing I saw today was Seyed Sallehi's motivation and Rezae's good form. I don't know with Hasheminan probably back, who will start up front with him tho, probably Rezae will..

overall, simply a below average game played by Iran and btw the Ref I thought was horrible...not to mention Qatar is one of the weakest teams in the region it seems, didn't you think so?

[Martin-Reza]

^ well, I didn't see much on the small window I had to watch in, but this was no different from what I expected in such a game.

I don't think Qatar are that weak, they are indeed contenders for a WC spot and among the top 10 Asian teams currently. They have a couple of decent (naturalized) players and that we defeated them on their homesoil with a depleted team is not a bad achievement.

[faraz]

Although I haven't seen the game (except for the goal), it is not one that can be easily judged.

Judging each player individually does not work because really, they are all second string TM players - if you insert one of those players into the first team alongside Neko, Shojaei and so forth, they may surprise you in their abilities.

...And judging as a team - well, from the looks of it, this team barely knows each other so to expect fluid football is probably pushing it.

With that being said, I'm not sure if anything can really be gained from this friendly aside from giving experience to those who will probably never wear a TM jersey in a game that matters or perhaps coming up with a 'surprise player' who completely outshone the rest (which is somewhat rare).

At least Daei can put another game under his belt? Or tactically, Qatar is similar to the UAE, which really - how many times do we have to play them to know their strengths and weaknesses?

Can anyone else see any positive outcomes from this game?

[The-Red]

^ well, I didn't see much on the small window I had to watch in, but this was no different from what I expected in such a game.

I don't think Qatar are that weak, they are indeed contenders for a WC spot and among the top 10 Asian teams currently. They have a couple of decent (naturalized) players and that we defeated them on their homesoil with a depleted team is not a bad achievement.

unfortunately MR jan it seems to me that every post or comment that criticises TM is an attack on Daie in your view and you seem to respond based on that mentality. I guess there isn't much to discuss if that's the case.

Although I haven't seen the game (except for the goal), it is not one that can be easily judged.

Judging each player individually does not work because really, they are all second string TM players - if you insert one of those players into the first team alongside Neko, Shojaei and so forth, they may surprise you in their abilities.

...And judging as a team - well, from the looks of it, this team barely knows each other so to expect fluid football is probably pushing it.

With that being said, I'm not sure if anything can really be gained from this friendly aside from giving experience to those who will probably never wear a TM jersey in a game that matters or perhaps coming up with a 'surprise player' who completely outshone the rest (which is somewhat rare).

At least Daei can put another game under his belt? Or tactically, Qatar is similar to the UAE, which really - how many times do we have to play them to know their strengths and weaknesses?

Can anyone else see any positive outcomes from this game?

Faraz jan these players are about 80 percent of the players that will play against UAE! how can you say that it's our 2nd string team? Besides Neko and Shojae that are almost certainly going to start against UAE, Mahdavikia and hashemian are doubtful and they haven't even been in the team recently consistent enough to be able to say that they are certainly a huge part of this team...It's hard for me to buy the arguement that this was our 2nd team.

I do agree that in games like these one can't expect much harmony and team work from the team due to the number of substitutions and players being tested out, but no matter how I look at this game, I can't get many positives out of it and whether it was individual performances or team work, it was aweful.

[faraz]

Armin Jan,

80 percent? Based on the player ratings thread, here are the players + their positions in TM. If I have never seen them play for TM recently or they are usually on the bench, I put a question mark beside them (tell me if you think my assumptions made below are fair)

Rahmati - starting TM keeper
Hosseini - starting TM CD
Ghorbani - ?
Kaabi - starting TM RB
Zare - starting TM LB
M.Zareh - ?
Bagheri - ?
Khalatbari - ?
M.Nouri - ?
Rezaei - starting TM ST (questionable as well, could be VH)
Rakhfaei - ?
Talebloo - ?
Alenemeh - ?
Gholamnejad - ?
K.Rahmati - ?
Baoo - ?
Salehi - ?

By my count, only 5 of those players are 1st team players. Where does the 80 percent come in?

This looks like '2nd string' to me...?

I'm surprised they even managed to scrape a win with this makeshift squad of IPL players. Good on them in a sense - I certainly don't expect this team to put a great performance away to an underrated Qatar side.

[Ali Chicago]

Don't want to create Hashiyeh before the Emarat game, but team didn't play well. Except maybe 10 minutes between 25th to 35th minutes. Our team was specially super weak in the offensiev third.

Players individually weren't very poor or something, but team didn't have coheision (which to a large degree is understandable since this team hasn't played or practiced with each other much).

I hope I am wrong, but the weakness in the offensiev third specailly is very worrisome. Sayed Salehi is by no stretch of imagination at the TM level based on the few games I have seen from him. Gholamreza Rezai is one of the most hard working players, with a great personality and work ethic. However, he isn't a forward period.

I wish Karim has been used in the position that he is more comfortable behind the forwards close to the goal. Karim at his age isn't a two way player. It seemed our team's tactic was long balls behind the defense to take advantage of Gholamreza Rezai. Noori had a good day, so did Ghorbani and Hosseini (considering they played the first time together). But then again, the defense wasn't put under sever pressure in order to see its strengths or weaknesses.

I hope Mr. Daie and Mr. Afzali and rest of the staff do magic with this team. I wish them all the best.

[The-Red]

Armin Jan,

80 percent? Based on the player ratings thread, here are the players + their positions in TM. If I have never seen them play for TM recently or they are usually on the bench, I put a question mark beside them (tell me if you think my assumptions made below are fair)

Rahmati - starting TM keeper
Hosseini - starting TM CD
Ghorbani - ?
Kaabi - starting TM RB
Zare - starting TM LB
M.Zareh - ?
Bagheri - ?
Khalatbari - ?
M.Nouri - ?
Rezaei - starting TM ST (questionable as well, could be VH)
Rakhfaei - ?
Talebloo - ?
Alenemeh - ?
Gholamnejad - ?
K.Rahmati - ?
Baoo - ?
Salehi - ?

By my count, only 5 of those players are 1st team players. Where does the 80 percent come in?

This looks like '2nd string' to me...?

I'm surprised they even managed to scrape a win with this makeshift squad of IPL players. Good on them in a sense - I certainly don't expect this team to put a great performance away to an underrated Qatar side.

Faraz jan by 80 percent of TM roster I am talking about the team that will face UAE...this is the roster that for the most part will play in 10 days and if you really look at it again, you see that except Neko and Shojaee, the other 8-9 players did take part in today's game, either started or came in after the 55th min.

my point is really not to down play or discredit the boys or the coaches, I am only worried b/c I didn't see much in the team today, that's if you can call it a team.

[Doctor DOOM]

Most prominent team tactic that we’ve seen in the past months from our present TM staff/bench : pass back to defenders !!
Next tactic: defenders lob the ball aimlessly !!
TM has shown these 2 tactics rather consistently in all its games !!!
Genius !!


I wouldnt have said this and am not basing it on this game only, as nobody shd expect it from a second string team. But the worrying matter is even our first string team plays the same and no better!!!

-------------

I always wondered about the origin and reason for the idea of “using zareh as LB”.
But I can tell you this much:
If you wrote down this idea on a piece of paper and then asked me to take a piss on it, I would vehemently refuse.
I wont even piss on such an garbage idea.
Pissing on this idea is pure wastage of good urine !


mind you, not that alenemeh blew everyone away. he also had a couple of misses and bad moves.
but I'm ready to give him at least quarter of what zareh has been getting in the past 3-4 years ... unjustifiably.
I mean it is still a very confusing matter: based on WHAT LB performance of zareh are we constantly putting him in that post?
when has he played at LB in his REGULAR football ( club ) that we're compelled to use him there?
it just boggles the mind !


-------------

The only players who did well were kaabi & maziar zareh.
Hosseini & rezaei were just ok. Yes, inspite of the goal.
The rest were varying from very average to quite poor!
I wont rate the subs as some of them shd have started instead of some of the fixed ones we saw.

-----------------

didnt see much width in the team.
well that's becoz we didnt use the right players on the flanks ..... big freaking surprise there, eh ?
nouri and gholamnejad showed they will never be able to replace or even replicate what kia does on the right.
hajsafi would have been a more wise choice for the left , ... but hey, we've got to be consistent in one thing. therefore, we'll just ignore logic and deny the team of width.
at least we're showing consistency in that !

----------------

I wasnt very impressed with bagheri's performance.
I cant make a ruling on one game after such a long time. but TM's #6 didnt impress.

[shayan20]

What else can you expect from a team that's the first time playing together in a team!!

Am sure we'll improve in terms of performance, result wise we're doing a great job.

[Ali Chicago]

What else can you expect from a team that's the first time playing together in a team!!

Am sure we'll improve in terms of performance, result wise we're doing a great job.

Even if we accept that, would u mind to answer why is that after Mr. Daie being in charge for like say more than 6 months, still we have so many players are being tested and team playing with so many different players? I know legioners can't come for every game, but by now, mr. Daie should have a B team that he should focus on when legioners not playing.

At the end, it doesn't make a difference, it seems. I am just afraid, sooner or later ball not going to go our way and I hope this isn't against North or South korea in their home field.

Best of luck to the TM and Mr. Daie, I hope I am wrong.

[shayan20]

^^
I agree with you we must have a number of players with fixed position in the team so the team plays with more fluid knowing each other well, less wrong passes, but the situation is other than our legionnaires, we have a whole bunch of IPL players giving their best in each game knowing Daei will look and invite anyone regardless of "names".

This has created this mess for Daei and Co to try out different players. This issue could have been solved if we could get more friendlies before the crucial games!!!

[Martin-Reza]

unfortunately MR jan it seems to me that every post or comment that criticises TM is an attack on Daie in your view and you seem to respond based on that mentality. I guess there isn't much to discuss if that's the case.

Aziz, I don't see why you feel I'd see you post as attack on Daei. I don't think it was. Such posts always appeared after such games under any coach in the past decade.

My two points were:

a) The quality of the match was not different to similar games we regulary had under different coaches against such opposition, so I was not surprised. Look at the friendlies against Qatar or UAE in recent years, all rather boring low-level games with barely any goals.

b) Qatar finished deisappointing 14th in the last Asian Cup but now they are among the 10 teams competing for a WC spot and currently are doing good there. In FIFA Ranking they are the ninth best ranked Asian team. So I cannot agree with

Qatar is one of the weakest teams in the region

which is simply stated without really assessing the current circumstances. And when we then play in Doha without Hashemian, Mahdavikia, Nekounam, Shojaei, Zandi, Teymourian, Khalili, Nikbakht, Jabbari, Madanchi, Aghili, Bengar, Nosrati and Khatibi - who would all have started instead of some players now having gotten a chance - I must say being dissatisfied with a surely not undeserved 1-0 win against their full team is not a feeling I can share.

I don't know what's that got to do with bashing or defending Daei. I just think when you expect a different game than we witnessed dozens of times before unders similar circumstances and also underrate the opposition it's a very subjective thing without acknowledging the facts.

[zzgloo]

Pissing on this idea is pure wastage of good urine !

Payman Jaan....we never want that to happen...as I am sure we will come up with a better use for your urine !

[Martin-Reza]

I always wondered about the origin and reason for the idea of “using zareh as LB”.
But I can tell you this much:
If you wrote down this idea on a piece of paper and then asked me to take a piss on it, I would vehemently refuse.
I wont even piss on such an garbage idea.
Pissing on this idea is pure wastage of good urine !


mind you, not that alenemeh blew everyone away. he also had a couple of misses and bad moves.
but I'm ready to give him at least quarter of what zareh has been getting in the past 3-4 years ... unjustifiably.
I mean it is still a very confusing matter: based on WHAT LB performance of zareh are we constantly putting him in that post?
when has he played at LB in his REGULAR football ( club ) that we're compelled to use him there?
it just boggles the mind !

Why is Zare the undisputed first choice leftback in TM then currently? And not for the first time in his career?

Two explanations. Daei is wrong or you are - because your assessment of Zare and the one of Daei (as Zare's situation in TM proves) couldn't differ more so one of you two has got to be wrong. I wonder who it is...

[Doctor DOOM]

^ hmmm .... good question.

I'm afraid I cant answer you as I'll be biased towards ME.

But hey, dont take MY words for it. All you have to do is WATCH HIS TM GAMES.

in MY book, what I see with my eyes in official games is validation enough.
now, someone may say zareh plays like nesta's grand dad in TM training sessions or practice. that's why he's picked.
I also cant be bothered about how magnificently he passes or covers his man or runs or ... in those sessions.
I dont care. It doesnt matter to me.
what matters is how he plays these official games.
and he's been failing at it.


secondly, we all know daei isnt exactly the epitome of impartiality, as are many of us as well. so just becoz he's picked by daei does not mean he's the best for the post.
again, I must refer you to the first point above.

third, I'd love to hear the explanation of whoever chooses zareh for LB to see exactly WHAT they base this decision on.
it certainly cant be zareh's CLUB PERFORMANCES. we know that much.
so what is it based on?
his high turn over?
his miss passes?
his getting constantly dribbled and outrun ?
his consistent bad positioning ?
his repeated losing his mark ?


anyway. this is all old hat.
I cant choose who plays and who doesnt.
I just call it as I see it. I dont follow any "party line" or "doctrine" or favoritism.
and for the past 3-4 years of suffering zareh's fumbles as LB, I think most of us can decide if he shd get a free pass at the team , again & again, after each & every failure.

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

btw, qatar has no right to be in this round to begin with.
they cheated and Iraq was the victim of this blatant cheating. they used an illegal player against Iraq and Iraqis failed to tender their objections "in time" to the AFC ( as if "time corrects cheating" !!! )
had it been any other confederation aside from AFC, they'd have been banned instead of being promoted.
so just becoz these morons have reached the final round of qualifiers does not mean they are strong. not by any standards.
by the same token, are we to say uae also is a strong team, just becoz they've reached this round?