How Carlos Queiroz turned Iran into Asia’s best World Cup hope

[shayan_esteghlali]

2014 team was a HUUUGE amount less talented than 2006 team.

We had players who in squads of the year in bundesliga, serie a defenders, players starring in the champions league...

Our depth of the team was more in 2006 as well. The player of the year in the iranian domestic league, a 2-footed 23 year old midfielder, didn't even get picked for the final 23!


What CQ has done is nothing short of miraculous - more than anything changing the mindset of TM into a disciplined outfit from the deimi shit we got used to for a long time

2006 team was more talented and experienced in some positions, but very unlucky. If you remember right before the world cup Karimi, Mahdavikia, Hashemian and Zandi all got injured. That was the core of our team. Along with the locker room problems we had it led to our demise.
the 2006 team although had a strong core, we also had many weak players in the team such as Mirzapour as our goalie (torn ACL), Bakhtiarizadeh, golmohammadi, ali daei, khatibi, enayati... these players were either past their prime or just plain old weak players.
Our squad in this WC is stronger overall, and no i dont think thats due to CQ, he didnt build this generation of Iranian footballers although you could argue that he has helped them grow. He has got a good generations of players, lets see if he can make the best of it.

[krol]

Our most talented generation ever is arguably the one that made the 98 World Cup... and to qualify they needed nothing short of a miracle against Australia in a game that by any justice the Aussies should have won by 4-5 goals.
Our 2006 team was easily more talented than the 2014 generation, and they were almost eliminated in the very first round of qualifying 2 years before the world cup and they needed a last minute goal against Qatar just to make the second round after having lost to Jordan in Tehran! And that last-second goal was scored by Hashemian who Branko didn't even want and was forced on him by the federation.

The people providing insane commentary often overlook the fact that some of the key players from our current generation were either discovered by CQ or brought in by him when they had turned down previous invitations.
Pouladi was a defensive midfielder who was molded into a Left Back by CQ and ended up getting picked as the best in his position in the first round of the 2014 World Cup!

Pouraliganji was another defensive midfielder who was converted by CQ into a CB and is easily our most reliable defender today.
Torabi was a benchwarmer for Saipa when he was picked to play for the national team and today that club revolves around him.
Amiri was considered an average player in Naft when CQ saw his potential and turned him into one of our most dependable international midfielders.
And of course we won't mention Gucci and Dejagah who picked Team Melli thanks to being recruited by CQ when morons like Mayeli Kohan and our own press bashed them as "average" players.

It takes unbelievable ignorance to deny the gift that CQ has been to our football, a football whose best club teams get smacked around like rag dolls by Arab clubs from Qatar and UAE. Perspolis is supposed to be our best club of the last two years and the Iranian media praise Branko like he's Ferguson's twin, yet Al-Hilal manhandled them in two games like they were an U-18 side! CQ took THIS football and had Argentina on the ropes for 90 minutes to the point that when Messi scored their TV reporter was screaming like they just won the World Cup!

But the good news for the geniuses who hate CQ is that at most he'll be gone by next February. It won't be long before they get their beloved Branko or another 3rd rate Croat like him. Congratulations I guess.

[Doctor DOOM]

While I appreciate what CQ has done for us and acknowledge the improvements (especially in self confidence & composure rarely seen at TM), but I agree with The and KC. Lets not make him into something he isnt.

WCQ draws have been extremely kind in the past two editions, and coupled with his good work, we see easier qualifications.
but at the same time he hasnt really "achieved" anything out of ordinary in terms of results AT the WC or Asia Cup ... the two tourneys that REALLY MATTER.

we appreciate his work. But he is not that untouchable giant some ppl make him out to be either. He has quite a few failings also.

[AIrani]

It is good to have CQ as National Team coach. He has benefited from coaching Iran and Iran has benefited from his experiences. I wish he could teach women and youth football teams.

We are in 2018 World Cup. Many countries are not. So be happy and get ready for excitements to come.

[ehsan singapore]

what CQ did, is nothing but miracle

[Iranianarsenal11]

That article should just be:

He didn't though.. Lol

If CQ had the talent of Ali Karimi, Daei, Bagheri, etc, and put them in the same mindset as our players today, who knows how far our team would've gone in the 2006 WC! We definitely would've made the WC both in 2002 and 2010 with CQ...

[Ando Teymourian]

While I appreciate what CQ has done for us and acknowledge the improvements (especially in self confidence & composure rarely seen at TM), but I agree with The and KC. Lets not make him into something he isnt.
WCQ draws have been extremely kind in the past two editions, and coupled with his good work, we see easier qualifications.
but at the same time he hasnt really "achieved" anything out of ordinary in terms of results AT the WC or Asia Cup ... the two tourneys that REALLY MATTER.
we appreciate his work. But he is not that untouchable giant some ppl make him out to be either. He has quite a few failings also.

But everything is relative... those looked like easy groups because CQ made us stronger.

If a lesser coach was managing TM, we would be weaker and thus those groups would seem more challenging.

He made this team much better, with less talent than previous generations - I think that is something that can be agreed on by the vast majority. On top of that, he didn't take any crap from IFF, and in fact he humbled them. Put those 2 together and you have the best coach Iran has ever had.

[Iranianarsenal11]

what CQ did, is nothing but miracle

Nah Ehsan jan, a miracle would be one of these corrupted Iranian CQ hating coaches or Branko making pishraft with Team Melli.

The work CQ has put in equates to the success hes had with us. It's a shame how people still don't appreciate CQ to this day, but one day he will leave and those who didn't appreciate him before will then...

[JamB]

Our most talented generation ever is arguably the one that made the 98 World Cup... and to qualify they needed nothing short of a miracle against Australia in a game that by any justice the Aussies should have won by 4-5 goals.
Our 2006 team was easily more talented than the 2014 generation, and they were almost eliminated in the very first round of qualifying 2 years before the world cup and they needed a last minute goal against Qatar just to make the second round after having lost to Jordan in Tehran! And that last-second goal was scored by Hashemian who Branko didn't even want and was forced on him by the federation.
The people providing insane commentary often overlook the fact that some of the key players from our current generation were either discovered by CQ or brought in by him when they had turned down previous invitations.
Pouladi was a defensive midfielder who was molded into a Left Back by CQ and ended up getting picked as the best in his position in the first round of the 2014 World Cup!
Pouraliganji was another defensive midfielder who was converted by CQ into a CB and is easily our most reliable defender today.
Torabi was a benchwarmer for Saipa when he was picked to play for the national team and today that club revolves around him.
Amiri was considered an average player in Naft when CQ saw his potential and turned him into one of our most dependable international midfielders.
And of course we won't mention Gucci and Dejagah who picked Team Melli thanks to being recruited by CQ when morons like Mayeli Kohan and our own press bashed them as "average" players.
It takes unbelievable ignorance to deny the gift that CQ has been to our football, a football whose best club teams get smacked around like rag dolls by Arab clubs from Qatar and UAE. Perspolis is supposed to be our best club of the last two years and the Iranian media praise Branko like he's Ferguson's twin, yet Al-Hilal manhandled them in two games like they were an U-18 side! CQ took THIS football and had Argentina on the ropes for 90 minutes to the point that when Messi scored their TV reporter was screaming like they just won the World Cup!
But the good news for the geniuses who hate CQ is that at most he'll be gone by next February. It won't be long before they get their beloved Branko or another 3rd rate Croat like him. Congratulations I guess.

Very well said.

[PersianLegion]

CQ definitely has had positive and constructive impacts on our team but it had its own short coming as well. Being top team on fifa coca cola ranking doesn't have too much value to be proud of. We need some titles. AC title, good performance in WC and friendlies. So far the only thing we have achieved with CQ is qualifying for WC twice in a row which is a record. If CQ helps us to go to R16, I say keep him for AC 2019, otherwise, we should start looking for a better coach with some offensive tactics right after WC. Having decipline, good team spirit, better defense and giving value to the most talented player even the young ones are good impact done by CQ.

But I think we are too defensive and need more creative players instead of just using physically stronger players to have better defense.

[ehsan singapore]

saying we had easier groups in the previous qualifiers is nonsense, 2002, we could have been 1st, however we chocked against Thailand in Bangkok and I think we had a draw at home against Bahrain as well so we lost 4 points, with those 4 points we would have been in Korea and Japan and 2010 we could not even draw Saudi at home , so saying our groups we easy this time is nonsense, we only managed to win our games, why back then we didn't

[Leicester City]

Better title: How the Islamic Revolution turned Iran into Asia’s best World Cup hope

Without the revolution there would be no CQ, Ali Karimi, or Daei.

*sarcasm*

[tooleh khers]

For CQ to be considered successful in Iran for me he has to win the Asian cup (I would accept a finals appearance) and/or advance from group stage in Russia. Branko qualified us to the world cup also plus a third place finish at the Asian cup and an Asian games championship.

For a coach of the caliber of CQ he has to exceed Iranian football results to be considered successful. In fact I think he should be expected to exceed and anything less for him is a failure, and don't tell me about qualifying back to back for the first time ever. He is the only coach afforded that opportunity.

[Iranianarsenal11]

While I appreciate what CQ has done for us and acknowledge the improvements (especially in self confidence & composure rarely seen at TM), but I agree with The and KC. Lets not make him into something he isnt.

WCQ draws have been extremely kind in the past two editions, and coupled with his good work, we see easier qualifications.
but at the same time he hasnt really "achieved" anything out of ordinary in terms of results AT the WC or Asia Cup ... the two tourneys that REALLY MATTER.

we appreciate his work. But he is not that untouchable giant some ppl make him out to be either. He has quite a few failings also.

Honestly what do you expect him to do at the World Cup?? We were wrongfully given a red card in the Asian Cup and were also robbed of a penalty in the Argentina game, did you forget?

Look at the roster Branko inherited when he was introduced as manager and compare it to the shit hole CQ inherited when he took over

It's honestly mind boggling how shitty we were talent wise in 2011-2012 and some of you still think CQ had a better team?

[Kiarash]

How Carlos Queiroz turned Iran into Asia’s best World Cup hope

CQ is a good coach considering the 2nd qualification to the World Cup in a row and he put us back on the map with his disciplined and compact style of play. Kudo’s to him for being so passionate despite all difficulties within IFF.

But lets not forget that he made some huge tactical blunders which costed us important games like against namely Bosnia (strange defensive substitutions while needing to score) and Iraq (keep playing Hajsafi at LB).

Or on a side note the first WCQ 2014 final round game where he went with a 4-6-0 formation and put Karimi as a striker in Tashkent against Uzbekistan, getting dominated for 90 minutes and an Uzbeki goal luckily disallowed, very uninspiring for Asia’s best.

Those two games could have had a different outcome if he made the right decisions / approach IMO.

The less talented squad in 2014 is BS, Costa Rica had players all over 2nd even 3rd tier (Norwegian, Swedish) EU leagues and topped their group above Uruguay, Italy and England.

We need a R16 appearance or win the Asian Cup, given all the years CQ is leading the team and his familiarity with ours and Asian football. Anything less than Asian Cup win is unacceptable to be honest, especially since his salary is one of the best paid NT managers of the world.