TM strengths and weaknesses for the Asian Cup

[AhuraMazda1]

Dorood mashtiha. I wanted to create a thread where we can discuss our strengths and weaknesses. I would also appreciate insights into the Japanese and Korean teams for those who have analysed their games as a source of reference and comparison.

Some of you may know I have thoughts about the weak mentality of our players and squad but I will not reference these here as I want to bring up empirical points.

Strengths:

1. Physicality. We possess a tall and physically dominant team
2. We have a world-class striker in Taremi and although Azmoun was once in that calibre, we can say, we also have a top-tier strike partner
3. We have a versatile midfielder in Ghoddos that can make fantastic aerial crosses to wingers and strikers
4. Both Ghoddos, and Ramin appear to have improved
5. Our squad is full of attack minded players

Weaknesses:

1. Older team and with that comes a loss of speed
2. Our second striker (Azmoun) is not fit enough to play the majority of minutes and so we are over-reliant on Taremi
3. Our lack of effective build-up play means Taremi will often track deep into our own half
4. We are not a threat if we draw a FK outside the opposition box. If we draw a foul outside the opposition box and a chance to score a FK presents itself, we rely on Ramin to take it who does not possess effective technique to do so. He crosses/lobs the ball towards goal instead of utilising precision and power to take it which is far less effective. We do not have any other alternative
5. The majority of our players are experiencing to various degrees slumps in form including Kanaani, Beyranvand, Shoja, Torabi, and Taremi
6. As we get close to the opposition goal, we often run out of ideas and do not appear to have an effective game-plan. An example of this is when Ezzat was in front of the Wales goal, appeared not to know what to do, slowed the game down, and then took a shot. A team like Japan or Korea in such a situation would have more likely converted such a opportunity at a higher tempo
7. We lack effective play-makers in the squad
8. Our defence particularly on the wings is fragile
9. Our opponents will have easy ways to render us ineffective. Game plans against us would be to crowd out the midfield rendering Ghoddos ineffective and force Taremi to have to track back whilst attacking the flanks.
10. We have the fattest team in the tournament. Yes, we are also the tallest but bigger fat percentages is also a big factor. Judging by the eye, Ezzat is quite simply topol. Azmoun, Kanaani, Ghoddos all should be losing some fat. Speed, agility, endurance, recovery, athleticism can all be impacted by kheeki tendencies.

I am keen to hear your thoughts. Sepas!

[persiangodfather]

Strength: Taremi

Weakness: everything else

[Nokhodi]

We’re not the fattest team. We’re the heaviest team. It stands to reason the tallest team will also be the heaviest.

[Pluto2000]

We have four real weaknesses that if solved, would take us to R16 next world cup and final of this AC.

1. Left back: it has always been a issue for us. Almost something like 70% of goals ever conceded has been started from a left side counterattack that left Milad or Haj Safi too slow to run back.

2. Midfield: We need a real CM aside from Ghoddos and Ezatolahi to play with them. We're Always playing with a two man midfield that leaves us prone to high press that gets us overwhelmed. See any good team that has pressed us in the last few years.

3. Defensive transition: Our defense is just bad. Plain and simple. Our current strategy is press and inshallah, that's it.

4. Coaching STAFF: Not specifically Ghalenoei, but his assistants are awful. We have no decent tactical team and no decent supporting staff. We need people like Karim Bagheri back in TM to instill discipline and good tactical assistants. On top of that, a good and aware staff would bring to the attention the vast amount of TM legionnaires and diaspora that could be useful, like: Kaveh, Rostami, Pichkah, etc.


As for South Korea, they have ONE glaring weakness: their fullbacks are PGPL Sanat Naft level, and they are very easy to outplay compared to the start strudded rest of the team. We need to have goosalehs like Torabi and Mohebi on the wings to outpace and out technique them.

For Japan: we need to play tightly. Get rid of wingers and play 4-2-3-1 with a tight midfield and technical passing and counterattacking. Pray too .

[PSGman#19]

Weaknesses :

- GN and its staff.
- awful squad list, old and full of non TM material players
- mental weakness, brainfart prone
- legionnaires aren't in very good form as a whole.

Strength :

- players that are above asian average level. Should be enough to do the job against weaker teams, even if I wouldn't be surprised we get a draw in one of our group game.

[AhuraMazda1]

We have four real weaknesses that if solved, would take us to R16 next world cup and final of this AC.

1. Left back: it has always been a issue for us. Almost something like 70% of goals ever conceded has been started from a left side counterattack that left Milad or Haj Safi too slow to run back.

2. Midfield: We need a real CM aside from Ghoddos and Ezatolahi to play with them. We're Always playing with a two man midfield that leaves us prone to high press that gets us overwhelmed. See any good team that has pressed us in the last few years.

3. Defensive transition: Our defense is just bad. Plain and simple. Our current strategy is press and inshallah, that's it.

4. Coaching STAFF: Not specifically Ghalenoei, but his assistants are awful. We have no decent tactical team and no decent supporting staff. We need people like Karim Bagheri back in TM to instill discipline and good tactical assistants. On top of that, a good and aware staff would bring to the attention the vast amount of TM legionnaires and diaspora that could be useful, like: Kaveh, Rostami, Pichkah, etc.


As for South Korea, they have ONE glaring weakness: their fullbacks are PGPL Sanat Naft level, and they are very easy to outplay compared to the start strudded rest of the team. We need to have goosalehs like Torabi and Mohebi on the wings to outpace and out technique them.

For Japan: we need to play tightly. Get rid of wingers and play 4-2-3-1 with a tight midfield and technical passing and counterattacking. Pray too .

Yes, I watched highlights of all Iran's matches up until the WC and I was shocked how many times we conceded from the left wing.

Yes, contrary to the Nekou, Ando era, our midfield is in a bad state.

And I agree, much of our success in this tournament will rest on how effective Torabi, Mohebi, and Gholizadeh are. Torabi in particular has become a pass back to the defence player for some strange reason, he must overcome this if he wants to get playing time.

I actually think one of our best players in the tournament will be Mohebi and I predict he will score a few goals.

[AhuraMazda1]

Weaknesses :

- GN and its staff.
- awful squad list, old and full of non TM material players
- mental weakness, brainfart prone
- legionnaires aren't in very good form as a whole.

Strength :

- players that are above asian average level. Should be enough to do the job against weaker teams, even if I wouldn't be surprised we get a draw in one of our group game.

I agree with all your points. However, I think we will win all our group games given we have so many strikers on the squad that can come on and get on the end of a cross. These tactics however may not work against the better sides as more intelligent tactics may need to be deployed.

[PSGman#19]

I agree with all your points. However, I think we will win all our group games given we have so many strikers on the squad that can come on and get on the end of a cross. These tactics however may not work against the better sides as more intelligent tactics may need to be deployed.

Against bigger team, we need all our top players to be on top form all together and have no defavorable scenario occur. It may work one but not twice

[AhuraMazda1]

Against bigger team, we need all our top players to be on top form all together and have no defavorable scenario occur. It may work one but not twice

I'm excited to see what happens. I really hope we win this tournament. If not, I predict a massive upheaval and some players retiring (not just the older players).

[Kavian]

For me the weakest aspect of our team is lack of consistency, focus, and keeping the level of the game high throughout the full 90 minutes. We are our own enemy and often lose the game to ourselves than to the opponent. We can win this Asian Cup, if we put our learning from the past into a good use and don't commit the silly mistakes we did before.

And one last thing:

To become a Champion, you not only need all the necessary ingredients of game of football in a team, but more importantly you also need to have a team who possesses the character of a Champion, and that character is something which is always visible from the first game. What I look for tomorrow is exactly that. It doesn't matter how many goals we score.

[AhuraMazda1]

For me the weakest aspect of our team is lack of consistency, focus, and keeping the level of the game high throughout the full 90 minutes. We are our own enemy and often lose the game to ourselves than to the opponent. We can win this Asian Cup, if we put our learning from the past into a good use and don't commit the silly mistakes we did before.

And one last thing:

To become a Champion, you not only need all the necessary ingredients of game of football in a team, but more importantly you also need to have a team who possesses the character of a Champion, and that character is something which is always visible from the first game. What I look for tomorrow is exactly that. It doesn't matter how many goals we score.

Saad afarin dorosteh. Bazikonan bayad shakhsiat neshoon bedan. Omide piroozi

[Kavian]

Regretfully, I did not see the character of the champion in our team today. :-(

[PSGman#19]

For me the weakest aspect of our team is lack of consistency, focus, and keeping the level of the game high throughout the full 90 minutes. We are our own enemy and often lose the game to ourselves than to the opponent. We can win this Asian Cup, if we put our learning from the past into a good use and don't commit the silly mistakes we did before.

And one last thing:

To become a Champion, you not only need all the necessary ingredients of game of football in a team, but more importantly you also need to have a team who possesses the character of a Champion, and that character is something which is always visible from the first game. What I look for tomorrow is exactly that. It doesn't matter how many goals we score.

The pb is that our staff don't bring added value. They just throw randomly player and substitutes and watch them play.
The line up change so much their is no coordination.
It works only because we are superior to our opponent and some players have experience together.

The only good thing GN and his gang did is playing ghoddos in MF. Something pfdc was asking for long years. But he just did that to save his head, as he knows playing the best legionnaires will hide he has no added value to provide

[The]

One thing yesterday's match showed us is that we lack the pace in the midfield to play with two CM. Maybe if it was Nour or Hosseinejad alongside Saman, things would be better, but against faster teams our CM will struggle.

[MR.ESTESNAII]

The smartest move for GN to do due to our age and stamina is to rest taremi Ghodos Mohebi for next game...we need to do a rotation for easier games and let these guys play the big games for us...we have plenty people of to play...HK is not a big body team so smaller players like Ghaedi would be perfect for this game..