Take a step back and enjoy what you’re seeing - there is no question that this is the best team melli since 1996, which most consider the start of our modern era. I’ve been watching team melli since 1997 and I simply cannot believe what I’m witnessing. Our performance against Qatar – like our performance earlier in qualification against Korea – was professional and masterful. No one in the world can deny that Iran is a very respectable national team side.
Team melli games used to look like this:
-Our players play with extreme, oftentimes out of control, passion and emotion
-We can’t string more than 4-5 passes together
-Poor link-ups between defense and midfield, and midfield and offense. If a player is under pressure in our half, he kicks the ball as hard as he can towards the other goal.
-Our defense was an absolute trainwreck. Any time a team got in our half, everyone’s blood pressure would rise. Often you’d see team melli players almost run into each other or run in complete confusion arguing over coverage. Spacing was a joke.
-The team was gassed, tired, and stopped playing in about the 75th minute. We had trouble holding onto leads and even our best players were out of shape.
-Relied almost entirely on ali-asghari, bezan-ziresh moments of individual brilliance
-Most our goals were the result of (a) capitalizing on mistakes by the other team (b) set pieces or (c) link-up play by legionnaires
This current team melli would beat any other team melli…the 1997 team was close but this team is still head and shoulders above despite not having the same star power. This is all attributable to CQ. At this point, if you don't acknowledge that CQ has been a miracle for our football and the greatest coach we've ever had, you're either ignorant or have an agenda. He commands the respect of his players, which means they buy into his tactics. He doesn’t tolerate divas and has created a team atmosphere and a new positive, modern culture around team melli where every player has a “soldier” mentality and there’s no room for drama, secret interviews, gossip, “ghar kardan”, etc. Rahmati and Aghili were the best things that happened to our team from a culture standpoint.
He created a culture where players will forgo MASSIVE IPL and Arab league salaries to go to Europe – anywhere in Europe. Tell me, when EVER did we have players consistently taking massive paycuts to play in random leagues like Russia? Or go to 2nd-division Eredivisie or Portuguese teams over Perspolis? CQ’s made being part of team melli an honor; he’s made TM popular again, and every player wants in more than ever before (especially since they know there’s a good chance they’ll play in the world cup). And the players know that the way to CQs heart is through Europe. The result is that we have around 10 players with European pedigree on our team.
He’s had 6 years to drill his tactics into our players – to the point now where more experienced players like Shojaei, Ando, Hosseini who have been around for a long time and have absorbed all of CQs schemes can serve as coaches in practice and on the field and ensure that everyone is doing their job.
I remember in CQs first few games, he would go BALLISTIC on the sidelines when our players would score and then just try to run out the clock. Even when we were up by several goals, he’d SCREAM at the players to keep fighting for every ball until the last second. Now our team is focused for all 93 minutes – back in the day, when TM was up 1-0 in the 80th minute it was basically 15 minutes of hell until the game ended. Park Ji Sung’s goal that knocked us out of WC2010 is a prime example of this type of mental letdown.
I am very realistic about team melli and our team’s abilities and I can say with confidence that we are a top-25 footballing nation at this moment. No team in the World Cup that scouts us wants to face us, I can tell you that much. A tough, disciplined, laser-focused, YOUNG, hungry, confident team that has retained all of its Persian gheyrat while shedding all the extra baggage and bad habits that were endemic to our teams. Amazing – enjoy this team melli fans, we don’t know that this “golden era” will last.
We should have won AC2015, but Russia 2018 will be our moment: CQs had what VERY few national team coaches have had, which is years and years of instilling their system with almost complete “buy-in” from players. He now has a very young, very disciplined team of legionnaires (including several starters in Europe) that has been together for several years now. They can run his tactics in their sleep. I fully expect us to be competitive for the 2nd round – for the first time in our history, we won’t be going to the World Cup as spectators.
Team melli games used to look like this:
-Our players play with extreme, oftentimes out of control, passion and emotion
-We can’t string more than 4-5 passes together
-Poor link-ups between defense and midfield, and midfield and offense. If a player is under pressure in our half, he kicks the ball as hard as he can towards the other goal.
-Our defense was an absolute trainwreck. Any time a team got in our half, everyone’s blood pressure would rise. Often you’d see team melli players almost run into each other or run in complete confusion arguing over coverage. Spacing was a joke.
-The team was gassed, tired, and stopped playing in about the 75th minute. We had trouble holding onto leads and even our best players were out of shape.
-Relied almost entirely on ali-asghari, bezan-ziresh moments of individual brilliance
-Most our goals were the result of (a) capitalizing on mistakes by the other team (b) set pieces or (c) link-up play by legionnaires
This current team melli would beat any other team melli…the 1997 team was close but this team is still head and shoulders above despite not having the same star power. This is all attributable to CQ. At this point, if you don't acknowledge that CQ has been a miracle for our football and the greatest coach we've ever had, you're either ignorant or have an agenda. He commands the respect of his players, which means they buy into his tactics. He doesn’t tolerate divas and has created a team atmosphere and a new positive, modern culture around team melli where every player has a “soldier” mentality and there’s no room for drama, secret interviews, gossip, “ghar kardan”, etc. Rahmati and Aghili were the best things that happened to our team from a culture standpoint.
He created a culture where players will forgo MASSIVE IPL and Arab league salaries to go to Europe – anywhere in Europe. Tell me, when EVER did we have players consistently taking massive paycuts to play in random leagues like Russia? Or go to 2nd-division Eredivisie or Portuguese teams over Perspolis? CQ’s made being part of team melli an honor; he’s made TM popular again, and every player wants in more than ever before (especially since they know there’s a good chance they’ll play in the world cup). And the players know that the way to CQs heart is through Europe. The result is that we have around 10 players with European pedigree on our team.
He’s had 6 years to drill his tactics into our players – to the point now where more experienced players like Shojaei, Ando, Hosseini who have been around for a long time and have absorbed all of CQs schemes can serve as coaches in practice and on the field and ensure that everyone is doing their job.
I remember in CQs first few games, he would go BALLISTIC on the sidelines when our players would score and then just try to run out the clock. Even when we were up by several goals, he’d SCREAM at the players to keep fighting for every ball until the last second. Now our team is focused for all 93 minutes – back in the day, when TM was up 1-0 in the 80th minute it was basically 15 minutes of hell until the game ended. Park Ji Sung’s goal that knocked us out of WC2010 is a prime example of this type of mental letdown.
I am very realistic about team melli and our team’s abilities and I can say with confidence that we are a top-25 footballing nation at this moment. No team in the World Cup that scouts us wants to face us, I can tell you that much. A tough, disciplined, laser-focused, YOUNG, hungry, confident team that has retained all of its Persian gheyrat while shedding all the extra baggage and bad habits that were endemic to our teams. Amazing – enjoy this team melli fans, we don’t know that this “golden era” will last.
We should have won AC2015, but Russia 2018 will be our moment: CQs had what VERY few national team coaches have had, which is years and years of instilling their system with almost complete “buy-in” from players. He now has a very young, very disciplined team of legionnaires (including several starters in Europe) that has been together for several years now. They can run his tactics in their sleep. I fully expect us to be competitive for the 2nd round – for the first time in our history, we won’t be going to the World Cup as spectators.
I apologize if I'm mistaken but I'm almost 100% sure it was ramingeles
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