Imagine

[Martin-Reza]

It's the final group match versus the UAE and we need a result. Hosseini is injured and Sadeghi suspended. How would your defensive lineup look like with the given Asian Cup squad?

Honestly, that an inexperienced defensive midfielder is our only backup makes me nervous.

Otherwise I only know that Nekounam played some minutes as center-back for Osasuna many years back and Hashem Beikzadeh played one half as such during the Portugal camp.

What other options are there? Rezaeian? Teymourian as a kind of Mascherano solution? Has anyone else ever been tried as central defender in Team Melli or at club level?

[St_Mark]

If CQ is unwilling to play Murteza in such scenario why is he in the list ?
CQ has Used Murteza as CD more than once already.
Indeed he played CD in exact scenario already.

پورعلي گنجي: جاي سيدجلال بازي کردم

فرق نمی کند کجا بازی کنم

من در بازی اول دفاع وسط بودم آن هم بخاطر این بود که سیدجلال مشکل داشت و نمی توانست بازی کند
ولی بعد که برگشت من یک خط به جلو رفتم. برای من فرق نمی کند که کجا بازی کنم. در دفاع و هافبک راحت هستم.

[Martin-Reza]

Ok. But in the given scenario you need a second defender too. Who would that be?

Also isn't Pouraliganji rather small? Some sources say 178cm,others 184cm.

[Dreamer]

Given that we play with three central defenders and our two defensive midfielders act as center backs as well, I don't think we're going to have an issue on the defensive front. Quieroz would just take out Ghoochannejhad / Dejagah / Masoud / Jahanbakhsh / Azmoun / whoever is playing up front and bring in a defensive minded player in, probably pushing Ando or Neko back into the CB position.

[Kiarash]

This has been my concern as well. We should have added 2 central defenders as back up which we didn't. It's too late now, but I feel Ryan Tafazolli from Mansfield Town should have been included in our squad as a back-up. He is a 23 year old center back playing for a League Two side, he was on verge of moving to Scottish team Dundee United but his club didn't want him to go. I hope he gets a tryout soon.

I know it's very impopulair on PFDC to invite a player from the English 4th division, but there is a problematic shortage of CB's inside Iran and there are no short-term replacements available. So Tafazolli should be considered as temporary replacement. Last time I checked League Two is somewhat competitive.

League Two overall is worth 66.1 million euro's according to Transfer Markt:

http://www.transfermarkt.nl/league-t...wettbewerb/GB4

[Martin-Reza]

Imagine

Given that we play with three central defenders and our two defensive midfielders act as center backs as well, I don't think we're going to have an issue on the defensive front. Quieroz would just take out Ghoochannejhad / Dejagah / Masoud / Jahanbakhsh / Azmoun / whoever is playing up front and bring in a defensive minded player in, probably pushing Ando or Neko back into the CB position.

We are playing with three central defenders?

[St_Mark]

Ok. But in the given scenario you need a second defender too. Who would that be?

Also isn't Pouraliganji rather small? Some sources say 178cm,others 184cm.

He has few inches over Seyed Jalal . He is very tall.
If all defenders are out as you suggested, best is CQ himself play. May be he did not need Rafeiei or Pouladi.

[Martin-Reza]

Ok, mystery solved, it's Beikzadeh.

Not the best idea Queiroz ever had.

[St_Mark]

This has been my concern as well. We should have added 2 central defenders as back up which we didn't. It's too late now, but I feel Ryan Tafazolli from Mansfield Town should have been included in our squad as a back-up. He is a 23 year old center back playing for a League Two side, he was on verge of moving to Scottish team Dundee United but his club didn't want him to go. I hope he gets a tryout soon.

I know it's very impopulair on PFDC to invite a player from the English 4th division, but there is a problematic shortage of CB's inside Iran and there are no short-term replacements available. So Tafazolli should be considered as temporary replacement. Last time I checked League Two is somewhat competitive.

League Two overall is worth 66.1 million euro's according to Transfer Markt:

http://www.transfermarkt.nl/league-t...wettbewerb/GB4

No need for Tafazoli..... . There is no shortage of young CD players in Iran.
In Naft Tehran alone there are two CD much better than him , young and experiencedn in IPL and Internationally with TM youth team.



Ciamak = top 2nd from left

Amin = top 3rd from Right.


Amin Haj Mohammadi , Siamak Kouroshi are good dependable CD. Indeed Mansourian put them ahead of Pouraliganji for CD. and that's Naft alone.

[Martin-Reza]

Hajmohammadi, Khanzadeh and Khalilzadeh all would have been good picks.

Queiroz has a hand for using players in unusual positions (Pouladi, Dejagah) and Pouraliganji looked good in defense today, but him and Beikzadeh (learning a new position at 30+) as only backups while other positions are crowded with options is too risky for my taste.

[Dreamer]

We are playing with three central defenders?

During the World Cup we played:

Heydari -- Montazeri -- Hosseini -- Sadeghi -- Pouladi

The official lineups show Heydari as a right mid, but really Heydari was playing as a right wing-back more than anything. He'd come and help out in defense while Montazeri would go back to center defense.

Added to all of this, Nekounam and Ando play as defensive midfielders, Neko sits back while Ando presses.

-- anyways, goal scoring and chance creation is our issue in my opinion, not defending. We're disciplined enough to defend now, our issue is that we won't use to our advantage to score.

[Mansoor]

- Carlos prefers players in CB that are comfortable with the ball as it is part of today's modern football. Unfortunately, most IPL coaches don't. He likes players like Maziar Zareh and Pouraliganji that are DM in IPL to rather play CB. He prefers play making to start from defensive line. So, consider Pouraliganji and Beikzadeh as his primary CBs. Nekunam and Ando would be his emergency.

I believe we would see Carlos' TM to gradually transit to more play making from the back line as he transits to new generation.

- In a tournament like Asian Cup, those back up defenders specially in CB would not see any action unless a scenario like what you said happens. With not much friendlies, Carlos had no choice but to bring more options for midfield and offense to use. It is a work in progress during the camp for offensive line. To the contrary, I doubt we would see even one minute of action from backup CBs.

- Others left in Iran emerging as promising CBs are Hajmohammadi, Moradmand, Kanani, and Majid Hosseini.

[Adesor Vafaseya]

I wouldnt be too much worried about this particular issue.

CQ is focusing more on "Group Defence" rather than the classic firm 4 men defence (RB, CB, CB, LB & DMs), that IPL coaches are still practicing.
In WC we could see systematic defending as a group, where we had efefctively 3 defence lines RB, CB, CB, LB - CDM - DM, DM , DM, DM - FW (4-1-4-1 when opponenst where in attack) with very narrow space between each lines.

We didnt defend too deep either but more compact with closing spaces. The focus was: not to let opponets to get space to cross the ball and send flanks, rather than relying on CBs to intercept the flanks!
Thats why CQ didnt bother too much on his roster call ups. We are efectively moving away from the old stationary Back 4 defence, where concentration is on wining duels in CB after crosses and flanks are delivered, but rather closing the space to prevent crosses/flanks in the first space.

So in case, god forbid, those players are not available, CQ can sub them with the players Mansoor mentioned in the above post, so long as the overall system functions (the way it did at WC)!

[St_Mark]

With Hashem's unfortunate injury, CD Order:

Hosseini, Sadeghi , Pouraliganji , Khanzadeh , Pouladi.

[Martin-Reza]

Pouladi as CD?