Karimi's return, the right thing or two steps back?

[Martin-Reza]

So Ali Karimi, with 31, give his second Team Melli comeback.

A logical selection? A step into the wrong direction? And should others, like Kia and Hash also be re-activated?

Opinions please!

I for my part am excited. There is much I think he's done wrong, I don't think he is anything close to the 2004 Karimi and think his IPL dribblings of barely any value are overrated by many, yet my heart starts beating when I think about him in TM jersey.

Karimi, Shojaei and Khalatbari as the offensive trio in a 4-2-3-1, that could be magical...

[Martin-Reza]

Just a few notes about the Thailand game:

First of all I think there can be little doubt about Hajsafi once more starting as leftback, and not Feshangchi.

Apart from that I suppose Ghotbi will rather use Shojaei as striker with Karimi behind him. Then he can put Khalatbari and Madanchi on the wings.

I also think Zanidpour will find himself on the bench with Karimi and Shojaei back.

Of course also a formation with either Ansarifard or Meydavoudi upfront is possible. Then I agree Khalatbari will have to make space, as Ghotbi doesn't seem to value him as much as I do, unfortunately. Then again I think Madanchi will start as leftwinger.

[Nokhodi]

I think Karimi should be the exception. We need him for the simple prowess he has in attacking opponents and cutting away at the defense. Ghotbi should already be thinking of Asian Cup right now and even World Cup qualifiers. Karimi may not be with the team for World Cup 2014, but he will be useful in Asian Cup 2011 and a good mentor for some of the younger players in terms of offense.

Ghotbi shouldn't invite any of the older guys though. He needs to be thinking about 2 years from now when World Cup qualifiers begin again. Players like Ansarifard, Kaveh Rezaei, ... need to be given tons of experience and help the team have a general flow, style and direction.

[Martin-Reza]

^ I don't think he will change Hajsafi. He is a young player who has no chance on the left wing currently due to the competition you mentioned and therefore it is a good solution to fill a weakspot with a talent.

Also there simply are no alternatives. Nosrati is more an emergency option against stronger teams, Feshangchi, with all due to respect to his fans, is an utter joke as leftback and Mohammad is an utter joke as a football player. So I am pretty sure he will stick to Hajsafi and keep Nosrati as reserve for stronger opposition when he needs a defensively stronger leftback.

On Shojaei as striker, I'm also no fan of this, but Ghotbi only selected 2 strikers, which is a sign to me that he at least considers the Shojaei option.

Now when you think that Ansarifard also more is a Shojaei type of player and no real centre forward and Meydavoudi is more a winger than a classic centre forward too and also consider that players like Khalatbari, Madanchi or Zanidpour surely have more quality in the offensive positions behind the striker than those 2 players have as striker, the Shojaei version becomes very likely.

Also don't forget most recently Ghotbi used Ansarifard as OM (against Mali and Macedonia) and not as centre forward but instead earlier last year he repeatedly had used Shojaei as striker, at least partially successful, I for my part regard the lineup I described as most likely:

------------------------Rahmati----------------------
Heydari--------Aghili---------Hosseini-------Hajsafi
-------------Teymourian----Nekounam--------------
Khalatbari--------------Karimi-------------Madanchi
------------------------Shojaei-----------------------

Alternatively I think he would drop Khalatbari but keep Madanchi and play:

------------------------Rahmati----------------------
Heydari--------Aghili---------Hosseini-------Hajsafi
-------------Teymourian----Nekounam--------------
Shojaei-----------------Karimi-------------Madanchi
-----------------Ansarifard/Meydavoudi--------------

[Martin-Reza]

Madanchi has saved Ghotbi's ass a couple of times recently. I therefore can't imagine Ghotbi benching him.

Zanidpour actually started as leftwinger I think, but never really impressed me until he played in center, either as OM or as supporting striker. In that position he was really convincing. Now Ghotbi also only used him in center so far, so I think he doesn't really see him as leftwing alternative to Madanchi, although he surely can play there.

So I think Zanidpour will be the "victim" of Karimi's return, but of course it also is a realistic option that he'll start.

Since this is more a test match to Ghotbi, many different formations are thinkable anyway.

[toofan]

why do people like playing 2 DM's so much is beyond me.
why neko and ando?

one has to be benched.and quite frankly i pick ando over neko, simply because of
his higher diffesive abilities and his fighting spirit and steam.

so maybe something like

--------ansarifard-------------
------------------shojae------
------------karimi-------------
------------------------------
madanchi------------------rezayi
--------------------------------
------------ando---------------
-------------------------------
hajsafi---hosseini-aghili----heydari
-------------------------------
------------rahmati------------

now khalatbari should be a 60th min super sub or
simply replace any of the under-performing attacking players.



but i dont see ghotbi benching neko over ando.also khalatbari could
be a starter aswell, but not in the wing, maybe a sub for karimi or
ansarifard (where shojae will move forward and replace ansarifards position).


also meydavoudi could play instead of ansarifard.i dont like seing shojae play
on the wings.

[toofan]

or maybe

----------------ansarifard-------------
-------meydavoudi-------------------
--------------------------------------
---------------karimi-----------------
khalatbari-----------------------shojae
---------------------------------------
----------------ando---------------------
----------------------------------------
hajsafi------hosseini---aghili------heydari
-----------------------------------------
---------------rahmati-------------------


then sub in rezayi for one of the underperforming strikers and
place shojae instead of him.

[Martin-Reza]

First of all we didn't discuss about what we like but what we expect. Are you seriously expecting Ghotbi will lineup what you expected?

Secondly, you won't find any coach playing a 4-1-3-2, which is what you put. We discussed that many times before and this simply is no stable working formation, unless you play Laos.

You have a 3-7 defensive-offensive balance in your lineup, considering both fullbacks are actually midfielders. The normal thing is 5-5, even with Neko and Ando we'd still have a 4-6 balance.

[Babak agha]

As long as there's no pontetial players behind him and he still is the best I say it's a good thing. Unfortunatly we don't have any potential players, who can be a playmaker in the next years. So I think it would be wise to select him, I think his still the best playmaker we have. He shouldn't be used on the wings though.

[Martin-Reza]

^ I agree, nowadays Karimi is best used in a central position. Of course he can move to the wings to if he likes, but OM suits him best for sure.

[Haf3z]

My thoughts on Karimi and his presence in the Iranian squad;

Iran does not (and probably never will) have players with the talent(s) of Ali Karimi. Iran does however have players that contribute more to the group intensity and harmony (Nekounam to mention one), and Karimi's role will hence not improve the composition of the group, but rather add raw quality to the game.

Looking at a country like Sweden, I can see similarities with the attitude many Swedes had when Henrik Larsson retired and returned to the national team (three times). Each time, people were convinced that his presence was better than his absence since there were no young players that could do the job better than him anyway. Even though he had lost speed, pace and match practice from La Liga/Premier League/Champions League, he was still a great boost for the squad and the supporters.

When it comes to Karimi, I personally think that there are far better professionals to pick before him, even though I can't name many at the moment. But I still believe that a weak footballing nation as Iran should call these players up. Even though they are far past their peaks.

Finland keeps calling Jari Litmanen up, and he is still one of their best players, even though he is 39 and injured most of the time. Karimi belongs in Team Melli, even though he is far from his 2004 form that took him to Munich.

I'm not sure about his tactical role on the pitch as I am not very familiar with Iran's current setup and tactic, but I believe that I guy like Karimi could help improve the quality of trainings, the attitude (oh well...) among youngsters and other technically gifted players as himself.

Calling Karimi up is the right thing because we have to use all resources we have in order to reach progress.

[toofan]

nope, i had a diamond midfield. no 4-1-3-2 stuff.

and if you look back at my post you could see that i said i doubt ghotbi would
do such a thing as benching neko and play with a single DM (ando).

[Martin-Reza]

nope, i had a diamond midfield. no 4-1-3-2 stuff.

and if you look back at my post you could see that i said i doubt ghotbi would
do such a thing as benching neko and play with a single DM (ando).

This is no diamond midfield, this is a diamond midfield:

------------OM-----------
-----LCM--------RCM----
------------DM-----------

and you are proposing Madanchi, Gholamreza Rezaei and Shojaei for the CM positions?

With those players it is a 4-1-3-2, and never a diamond.

And yeah, but you complained why we are insisting on 2 DMs, so I was just mentioning we were only predicting in that case, not necessarily suggesting that ourselves here.

[Adesor Vafaseya]

My poistion on this is different

He will be a great addition to TM

BUT

I DONT WANT that addition.

simply because I am against relying on old great players time and time again... we are gonna have future problem with that.... Haven't we learned form WC2006 and Daei issue?

of course Karimi will be a great addition, but that great addition today, will detroys us in 2014!!!!!

we must build new players, and hell, we have 4 yrs time to the next WC!!!!



why are we doing it? well, we put the coach and coaching stuff, so much under pressure that they have no choice but look for short term solution

again, the problem lies with our and medias attitude, that does not give time and credits to a coach and expect results, of course they go for short term soultions such as this... So I dont blame Ghotbi either here....

[Paradigm]

A step into the wrong direction? And should others, like Kia and Hash also be re-activated?

Karimi, Shojaei and Khalatbari as the offensive trio in a 4-2-3-1, that could be magical...

Yes good move by Ghotbi. He shows once again, that TM doors are open. Kia is absolutely finished, but Karimi and possibly Hashemian can still be useful for TM if he turns out satisfying performances for Bochum.