first half:
- Again, our keeper wasn't tested. While this is very reassuring that the defense is doing its job, we still need to get the keepers pushed and pressured.
- Way too many lobs from defense. The midfield has to come closer to the defense to receive balls and transition forward. But because Hosseini is wayyyy too deep and close to the keeper, the entire defense line is held too far from the rest of the team. So there's no connection or very little.
- Dejagah is simply amazing. He is bossing the middle and RGN and heidari seem to complement him on our right side.
- Our left side is just crippled. Not only because we don't have someone like heidari on this side (hajsafi may deliver heidari's copy), we also have a slow chap whose overall contributions to the game has been six turn overs, two useless dribbles going backward instead of forward and one decent through pass. No wonder our left looks so poor.
Nothing new though. Except for those who have closed their eyes for the past two years!
- JB would transform our left tremendously. I think he will come in soon.
- Corners and Fredericks were disappointing.
Ando's corners fall too close to the keeper.
I also would have like the team to use all its set pieces , direct and indirect, to be sent as crosses and passes, instead of direct tries.
Direct kicks can be practiced in camps and under wraps. No need to show what we can do.
What we need to do is to try indirect route to test ourselves and hone our moves. Coz God knows we're not going to get too many attacking opportunities in the games through open play. So we HAVE TO have specific plans for set pieces.
********************
Second half:
- Overall Montenegro was quite disappointing. they looked very toothless and never tested our goal.
and it had to come to some c0cky and totally unnecessary move by the BORED Ahmadi to create some excitement inside our 18.
I know he was bored and had nothing to do and needed something to look alive. but THIS was not the way. too c0cky and over confident and entirely silly. lol
But unlike many others in the forum, I don't think he will behave so c0cky in the games and would be more serious and careful. So my bet is still on Ahmadi in between the posts.
- With introduction of JB, Azmoun and Hajsafi, we saw that CQ wanted to change the team's movement and bring in some pace.
well, JB delivered the goods with confidence. he is a surefire WC ticket.
His pace, energy and drive was such a refreshing thing to see.
- hajsafi also brought in just as much fighting spirit as dejagah to the midfield. at least CQ has given up on using him as LB. good call.
- Azmoun's first TM game was well .... necessary in many ways. he gets his first cap and sheds some tension and stress.
but also it might be a good reason for his die hard fans to come down to earth and not make him into the second coming of Messi. the fact that he got 5 passes, and aside from his two correct passes, three times he tried to get away from his marker and all 3 times he failed.
The kid needs more time. as I've been saying for many months.
Lets test him against Angola and arrive at a better conclusion. But I haven't changed my original opinknthat a player like Norouzi or Ghazi would have been far more effective for us.
- shojaei was his usual fumbling self. He was slow with an alarming number of turnovers. Even for him!
Him playing the entire 90 minutes can be taken in two distinct ways.
GOOD - This would be his FINAL chance to finally prove his months and months of failures are behind him and all he did was fail even more. So CQ comes up fair in giving him one final chance.
BAD - CQ still closes his eyes to the STARK TRUTH that shojaei is a dead weight and a LIABILITY. just becoz he plays outside Iran!!!
now, we dont know which CQ we'll see after the game.
but one thing is clear. Shojaei just doesnt cut it. the sheer number of his turn overs and also inability to have any impact on high balls (every single aerial ball he came second best to his markers) shd be enough for ANY coach to recognize this.
This was that much more painful to see when we knew there is a youngster (Rahmani) on the bench who could have performed better. Or at least this opportunity would have been a good investment in him for later.
- Hosseini and Montazeri were exceptional and outstanding. yes, even if we count montenegro's low quality.
Sadeghi also wasnt bad either.
and alenemeh also will stay for his sheer physical presence.
Poor CQ is stuck to choose which one of sadeghi or montazeri will pair up with hosseini. TOUGHEST task for any coach.
- I would have liked to see a little more pace on the wings. Maybe with inclusion of Khalatbari we could have experienced this.
Perhaps CQ will try it against Angola.
I think the 5 players getting the axe are already decided and most probably are:
rahmani
khanzadeh
hadadifar
sharifi
+ one keeper.
... unless CQ surprises us all and does something unexpected or has a hidden agenda for one of these players to surprise our opponents. highly unlikely though
- Again, our keeper wasn't tested. While this is very reassuring that the defense is doing its job, we still need to get the keepers pushed and pressured.
- Way too many lobs from defense. The midfield has to come closer to the defense to receive balls and transition forward. But because Hosseini is wayyyy too deep and close to the keeper, the entire defense line is held too far from the rest of the team. So there's no connection or very little.
- Dejagah is simply amazing. He is bossing the middle and RGN and heidari seem to complement him on our right side.
- Our left side is just crippled. Not only because we don't have someone like heidari on this side (hajsafi may deliver heidari's copy), we also have a slow chap whose overall contributions to the game has been six turn overs, two useless dribbles going backward instead of forward and one decent through pass. No wonder our left looks so poor.
Nothing new though. Except for those who have closed their eyes for the past two years!
- JB would transform our left tremendously. I think he will come in soon.
- Corners and Fredericks were disappointing.
Ando's corners fall too close to the keeper.
I also would have like the team to use all its set pieces , direct and indirect, to be sent as crosses and passes, instead of direct tries.
Direct kicks can be practiced in camps and under wraps. No need to show what we can do.
What we need to do is to try indirect route to test ourselves and hone our moves. Coz God knows we're not going to get too many attacking opportunities in the games through open play. So we HAVE TO have specific plans for set pieces.
********************
Second half:
- Overall Montenegro was quite disappointing. they looked very toothless and never tested our goal.
and it had to come to some c0cky and totally unnecessary move by the BORED Ahmadi to create some excitement inside our 18.
I know he was bored and had nothing to do and needed something to look alive. but THIS was not the way. too c0cky and over confident and entirely silly. lol
But unlike many others in the forum, I don't think he will behave so c0cky in the games and would be more serious and careful. So my bet is still on Ahmadi in between the posts.
- With introduction of JB, Azmoun and Hajsafi, we saw that CQ wanted to change the team's movement and bring in some pace.
well, JB delivered the goods with confidence. he is a surefire WC ticket.
His pace, energy and drive was such a refreshing thing to see.
- hajsafi also brought in just as much fighting spirit as dejagah to the midfield. at least CQ has given up on using him as LB. good call.
- Azmoun's first TM game was well .... necessary in many ways. he gets his first cap and sheds some tension and stress.
but also it might be a good reason for his die hard fans to come down to earth and not make him into the second coming of Messi. the fact that he got 5 passes, and aside from his two correct passes, three times he tried to get away from his marker and all 3 times he failed.
The kid needs more time. as I've been saying for many months.
Lets test him against Angola and arrive at a better conclusion. But I haven't changed my original opinknthat a player like Norouzi or Ghazi would have been far more effective for us.
- shojaei was his usual fumbling self. He was slow with an alarming number of turnovers. Even for him!
Him playing the entire 90 minutes can be taken in two distinct ways.
GOOD - This would be his FINAL chance to finally prove his months and months of failures are behind him and all he did was fail even more. So CQ comes up fair in giving him one final chance.
BAD - CQ still closes his eyes to the STARK TRUTH that shojaei is a dead weight and a LIABILITY. just becoz he plays outside Iran!!!
now, we dont know which CQ we'll see after the game.
but one thing is clear. Shojaei just doesnt cut it. the sheer number of his turn overs and also inability to have any impact on high balls (every single aerial ball he came second best to his markers) shd be enough for ANY coach to recognize this.
This was that much more painful to see when we knew there is a youngster (Rahmani) on the bench who could have performed better. Or at least this opportunity would have been a good investment in him for later.
- Hosseini and Montazeri were exceptional and outstanding. yes, even if we count montenegro's low quality.
Sadeghi also wasnt bad either.
and alenemeh also will stay for his sheer physical presence.
Poor CQ is stuck to choose which one of sadeghi or montazeri will pair up with hosseini. TOUGHEST task for any coach.
- I would have liked to see a little more pace on the wings. Maybe with inclusion of Khalatbari we could have experienced this.
Perhaps CQ will try it against Angola.
I think the 5 players getting the axe are already decided and most probably are:
rahmani
khanzadeh
hadadifar
sharifi
+ one keeper.
... unless CQ surprises us all and does something unexpected or has a hidden agenda for one of these players to surprise our opponents. highly unlikely though
