The upcoming IRAN - SAUDI game

[PouriaAkaBarut]

Did Khalid Aziz played Today ? Because I heard He has been Droped from the Squad !

[Martin-Reza]

^ No, he didn't play and you are correct, he was indeed dropped from the squad, as you can also read in the front page report.

[Doctor DOOM]

I dont think we shd put too much in stock of "dropped off the squad"-news .

come the game day, they could spring all these guys who were supposed to have been dropped !
what can be taken for granted is the suspensions ( and even that, I wont be 100% . coz it is ksa & AFC we're talking about here )

so to sum up; "a suspect defense, good & quick wing play, technical & skillful team with good attack options" sounds correct ?

which means our recipe shd be along: reinforcements for our flanks, perhaps a need for nekunam to play closer ( if not man-mark ) to their playmaker, and a very agile central defense ... at the same time applying a lot of pressure on their suspect defense.

traditionally, they've been very good in shooting as well. so we better be careful in areas immediately outside our box. they've scored a lot of goals thru' this.

[Doctor DOOM]

after watching the highlights of ksa-iraq game I must say the buggers actually looked highly coordinated and played well.
at least in the highlights ( which explains the "name" ).

But our defense has to be on its toes. especially the two central guys.
and nekounam HAS TO be able to mark his man and not allow much space to him. He HAS TO be able to add to the defense in an effective way and not just come back and stand around.

that does NOT mean we have to sacrifice the playmaker's spot on a second def-mid, coz the OVER-ARCHING NEED of this game is a WIN for us. So if there has to be a slight imbalance somewhere, it shd be on the OFFENSIVE side. not the defensive.
a Draw will not be the end of the world, but pretty close to the end of direct qualification.

[zzgloo]

I believe we in PFDC,or may be in whole IRAN put too much importance in the starters....and individual players.....
I remmember , the European CUP, and the turkish team.....as each game they kept loseing players, and they got even better as they were loseing thier top players..and after three games ,and in thier final game, in which they actualy were playing with thier B team, they played thier best !!!
The question is :

1- Is Turkey in particular very rich in players and have excellent back ups ?

or

2- When any national team plays, they are representing the level of thier football, and there would not be that much difference between A team & B team, specialy if the coaching in above PAR ?

.............

The saudi's will be presenting thier level of football, and lack of one or two or three players can never diminish anything !

I also believe, Ali Daei should stop looking for new players ( Enough is enough ), and get on with the bussiness of coaching !!

[Martin-Reza]

after watching the highlights of ksa-iraq game I must say the buggers actually looked highly coordinated and played well.
at least in the highlights ( which explains the "name" ).

But our defense has to be on its toes. especially the two central guys.
and nekounam HAS TO be able to mark his man and not allow much space to him. He HAS TO be able to add to the defense in an effective way and not just come back and stand around.

that does NOT mean we have to sacrifice the playmaker's spot on a second def-mid, coz the OVER-ARCHING NEED of this game is a WIN for us. So if there has to be a slight imbalance somewhere, it shd be on the OFFENSIVE side. not the defensive.
a Draw will not be the end of the world, but pretty close to the end of direct qualification.

I think that a second DM might be a wise decision. Nekounam always plays better when he's not completely bound in defense as lone DM. When Bagheri was added, Nekounam was really busy trying to make up for Bagheri's lacking defensive work. Kazemi beside him wouldn't only stabilize the defense, but also allow Nekounam to come forward more often where he can create danger by shooting or his aereal abilities. In this way we will also be more unpredictable.

I would start with a 4-2-3-1 and then switch to a 4-4-2 or even 4-1-3-2 in second half if necessary.

I also think we shouldn't invite them to counter our rather slow defense (in center) too early in the game.

[Doctor DOOM]

I agree nekunam plays better when given a free reign.

BUT even then, that doesnt solve OUR ( the TEAM's ) problem. that just solves HIS !!

1- lets make a distinction here. the TEAM needs a PLAYMAKER.
Nekunam is NOT one.

2- we NEED a WIN. a draw is not enough.

based on the above 2 points, using a second def-mid may free nekunam ( which is good but doesnt solve the TEAM's deficiency ) and we may consolidate our defense - which is good for preventing concession, but doesnt solve our NEED to SCORE GOALS !

that's why I said if there is to be a sacrifice, it better be in favor of a more offensive attitude than a defensive one.

had we WON the uae game ( like everyone else ) or won the s korea game at home, then we could have afforded a more cautious and safe approach of 2 def mids in this game. but we didnt!
and we're in a pickle becoz of those results!



a team without a playmaker always has to rely on chance or a moment's brilliance of a player . that doesnt sound very reliable or promising!

but a team WITH a playmaker will have BETTER chance of creating danger u front and the more you create, the more ur chances of scoring one of them.


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

Bahram is very right on the fact that using legionnaires does NOT necessarily mean maximum potential.
not always and not in EVERY case.

we've seen TM's B sides play a more effective or less haphazard football than the one that's got all its exports in it. is it familiarity? extra dose of motivation & hunger ? desire to shine and get a euro contract?
I dont know. could be all of those.
but I know one thing: "name" and "region" shd not be the only criteria for choosing a player for a spot in TM.
never.

it shd always be WHAT THE TEAM NEEDS. or lacks.
and the FORM of the player or what he can bring to the table as opposed to the other alternatives.
sometimes we may need youth, hunger and pace MORE than experience.
sometimes, experience is far more important than pace or ... ( like this ksa game, I believe ).

what the TEAM needs is the ONLY criteria worthy in selection of players.

[Martin-Reza]

You misunderstood me. I didn't mean to sacrifice the playmaker, I would sacrifice the supporting striker and play 4-2-3-1, with Shojaei (as playmaker) centrally behind Hashemian.

Nekounam and Kazemi covering Shojaei's back, so he can more concentrate on his offensive duties.

If that doesn't work, we either take out Shojaei (or a winger while moving Shojaei to the wing), or, if we are more desperate, Kazemi, for G. Rezaei for example. Mohammad Nouri for Kazemi would also be a lightly more offensive option, maybe combined with adding a second striker for the Shojaei position.

Mohammad Nouri can fill a playmaking role while also being able to help Nekounam in DM better than any other OM option in my opinion. I think that is why he is always in the squad, beside his passing qualities of course.

[Doctor DOOM]

You misunderstood me. I didn't mean to sacrifice the playmaker, I would sacrifice the supporting striker and play 4-2-3-1, with Shojaei (as playmaker) centrally behind Hashemian.

ohhhh .. okay.
sorry for misunderstanding you.

btw, I hope you've heard of the proverb "from firing pan into the fire"

agha jan, kharab-taresh kardi ke !!! LOL

so you want to sacrifice a second striker for a defensive player.
and put a single striker who hasnt scored a goal in god knows how many months, supported by a fellow who cant score goals even if his life depends on it!!!!
OK.
I gather you'd be very happy with daei's "UNBEATEN" stats and think that would get us into the WC!!!!!!!!!!

my friend, let me repeat this situation we're in:
we NEED the THREE points desperately.
a draw doesnt help us in any way.

what's all this irrational lajbaazi? just to fit in with daei's attitude?

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

speaking of daei's attitude, I really must wonder just what the f**k was he thinking he is to achieve thru' the kuwait game.

this could have been a very good opportunity for him to work on his .... "ahem" tactics and strategies. on different moves or combos ... if he at all has worked on them.

but what it ended up as was a FARCE and a foolish, pathetic circus where the TEAM never benefitted from this game ... simply becoz he resorted to wholesale changes and subs. I think about 12-13 changes !!!
what the F was he thinking?

what was the purpose of this meet?
you ppl constantly complain why ppl criticize daei. bt honestly explain this stupid act of 12-13 changes in a game.

what the HELL was the purpose ?
to allow X number of players walk on the pitch?
that's it?
is that what daei , after all his professional years of football, has understood from a "test game" ?
and you ppl think we shd NOT criticize such stupidity?

[Doctor DOOM]

now, to the scarce and minute benefits this kuwait game had for us, which are very very few:

1- if we had any doubt as to where khalatbari is most useful, we shd have got it here:
NOT on the flanks. but in the MIDDLE. ( anyone remembers this from somewhere ? )
he was on fire and created quite a few dangerous moments and earned the penalty also.

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

2- we also know despite daei's lajbaazi on a few players and their free waltzing into each & every TM call up, they are NOT good picks and certainly not in form.

first we start with zareh, who seems to be there just becoz .....well, just becoz he's been there in the past 4 years!
NOTHING else supports his inclusion. ( unless he has some incriminating evidence on some BIG shot in IFF to push his case always)
definitely NOT his performances.
no matter where we play him, he just flops.
today, no exception.
are we to understand we have NO ONE BETTER than this guy in the whole of IPL ?
really?
coz I think we have at least 30 or 40 players FROM IPL and quite a few from the LOWER DIV who are better than this guy.
and we still see him waltz in after displays lousier than another!!

------
second, G-nejad.
My God I think whoever watched the kuwait game shd have got their answer of who is better ; g-nejad or haydari , by now.

haydari was a force in our right side and had many good interceptions and forward moves and crosses.

but here's G-nejad's story:

FIRST TOUCH --- ended up as a turn-over
FIRST FORWARD MOVE - ended up as a turn-over
FIRST DEFENDING opportunity ---- pushed and fouled , ending up as a freekick to opposition
SECOND DEFENDING opportunity --- allowed his mark to go past him and cross dangerously into our 6 yard box.

he is a talented youth. but the reality is that he IS NOT in form. certainly not on par with the likes of haydari.


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

3- Kaabi still has his weakness on crosses coming from the left side.
he either leaves his mark or is never near him in the first place, which creates a situation for us usually.
this has resulted in quite a few heartbreaks and heart-stopping moments for us.
something HAS to be done about it.
otherwise, Haydari ought to be a very good option for the RB.

[Martin-Reza]

I agree that Gholamnejad had some unlucky touches and didn't do well (on an unusual leftback position though), but I am now more certain than before that Gholamnejad is far better than Heydari.

He is so much quicker in thinking, has much better technique and a great overview. He really has something special.

Heydari si just a hard working average player. He is ok, not bad, can be solid on any right side position, but he doesn't have the "ahhhh" effect .

[Doctor DOOM]

^ hehehehe. nice try. but by persisting on imaginary beliefs we wont transform the reality into them.
if wishes were horses, beggars would ride

quick in what?
turn-overs?
or falling behind?

give it up.
the writing's all over the wall.

[Martin-Reza]

As if I'd like to convince you. Please just don't cry "unfair", "scandal", "parti bazi" and "conspiracy" when this upper average 24-year-old player doesn't become a TM regular in the end instead of a 23-year-old player with 72 caps and World Cup experience.

[Doctor DOOM]

^ I wont ...... as long as :

1- the alternative is not some guy who gets the call purely on the basis of knowing daei.
&
2- there is only ONE spot for a right back post and not 2, like the rest of the world !!!
..... which in turn opens up the question of why we shd have only ONE spot for our RB post and not two

[Martin-Reza]

lol @ 2), but unfortunately 1) will be your standard assumption when things are not going according to your plans.

Other topic: Interesting Daei used a 4-1-3-2 with only one DM. This is logical against Kuwait, but it since this was our final preperation for KSA, this could also mean Daei will be going for that system against KSA.