Originally posted by eliz3p
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Welcome to PFDC -
Thank you! ^_^Originally posted by dejagah_fan View PostA Singapore girl who supports Iran Football
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Persian Pride - Alireza Jahanbaksh
Alireza Jahanbakhsh lives to play football. Born in Qazvin to the manager of a local bicycle factory and a stay-at-home mother, football was a shared love for the Jahanbakhsh family.
“I come from a really big football family; my uncles, my cousins, they really love football,” the 24-year-old revealed.
“One of the most amazing moments that I still remember is the qualification for 1998, I was five or six years old and the dramatic qualifying of Iran to the World Cup against Australia.
“The country was crazy; everyone was out [in the streets]. It was crazy and people were so happy.
My parents, my father, who is crazy about football, and I still remember the people were cheering and dancing in the streets.”
It was that moment that inspired Jahanbakhsh, the second of three children – he has an older sister and younger brother – to take up the sport. But had a school teacher not intervened, Jahanbakhsh may have been lost to football at an early age.
A prodigious talent in multiple sports, Jahanbakhsh was selected for the junior national teams in both handball and futsal.
“I tried different sports,” he explained. “Kung fu and athletics; I played handball for the national team, and I was also selected for the country’s youth futsal team.
“I think when I was 12 we had a sport teacher in the school, he told me I had to find my way, I had to choose between football and futsal. And at that time I would rather play football.”
Like so many of Iran’s footballers, Jahanbakhsh learned his craft playing in the streets with his friends from his local neighbourhood in Qazvin.
“What I really remember about that time was I was in a hurry to finish school and to go and play in the streets with the guys from the neighbourhood,” he recalled.
“All that mattered for me was that small ball and playing with the ball. It didn’t matter if that was in the afternoon in 32 or 35 degrees or even in the winter in the cold weather. I had a lot of fun.
“The nicest thing I remember was always playing with the older people because they were always saying ‘he has really nice skills’ and they wanted me on their team. It was such a great time.”
With his talent obvious for all to see, his parents were only too happy to nurture their son’s ambitions.
“We weren’t from a rich family, but [my father] was always supporting me because he knew that I was just following my ambitions, following my dreams,” he said.
But his father also wanted his eldest son to learn the value of hard work. Over the summer break, when Jahanbakhsh was a young teenager, his father made him work in the bicycle factory alongside him to engender a sense of independence in his son – but there was a downside.
“I was working just fixing the wheels of the bicycles. My father told me if you want to get some money you have to come there and work and be independent and earn your own money. And I was working there fixing the wheels in the factory; it was also a lot of fun.
“But what made me a little bit annoyed was I had less time to play football as I had to work from six o’clock in the morning to five or six o’clock in the evening, and then afterwards I had only three hours to play football. I was so tired but still I went to the street to play.”
Before too long Jahanbakhsh had outgrown his hometown and at the age of just 15 moved to Tehran to further his burgeoning football career. He made his professional debut at age 17 for Damash Gilan, a club that represents the province of Gilan in northern Iran, where his parents were born and raised.
Looking for any opportunity to play, Jahanbakhsh began his career as a fullback, because the right wing position was already occupied by Iranian legend Mehdi Mahdavikia.
“The first game that I played in the first division in Iran I played as a right-back,” he said with a chuckle.
“At that time the club spent a lot of money, they invested in a lot of big players, so they took Mehdi to the club, but he wanted to play as a right winger.
“So they were searching for someone and the coach said, ‘ah this little kid, he has potential to play right-back’. I was 17 and he asked me can you do that and I said ‘why not? [I’ll play] wherever’.
“I played right-back the first game, and also the second game, but afterwards I told them I would like to play closer to goal, so I went to the right wing.”
And he hasn’t looked back since. Given his prodigious ability it wasn’t long before scouts in Europe were aware of his talents – skills that were on full display at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championships, where he scored two goals as he helped Iran reach the quarter-finals.
“After the tournament I heard that I had an offer from NEC Nijmegen,” he said. “They gave me an offer, and at that time I had offers from France and Turkey.
“But I knew because of their academies and the way they work with the youth and everything, that in Holland they could help me more,” explained Jahanbakhsh.
“In Iran we have a lot of good players, [but] mostly we are individual players with good skills. But I knew if I wanted to be a better player, to become better and better every single day, there would be a limit in Iran. So if you want to make it further you have to go to Europe.”
And the learning didn’t just come on the pitch, the adjustment to life in a foreign country at just 19 years of age was not easy. “The first couple of weeks were really tough because Holland is really different from Iran,” said the forward, who spoke only a little English when he arrived.
“It’s a different culture, different language, different mindset. They’re one of the freest countries in the world. I am going from an Islamic country to the freest country in the world, so it was difficult and I had to adapt myself to different situations, like how to communicate with the people.
“Communication with my teammates was really difficult because I couldn’t understand them. When I got the offer from NEC I had almost two months to decide if I wanted to go or not. In that time I had a personal [English] teacher.
“But that wasn’t enough. When I went there I understood my teammates, but just to answer, just to say what I wanted was really difficult. But the club asked the local teacher to teach me how to speak. At the same time I was learning English and also a little bit of Dutch. It was great and after a couple of months I could speak with my teammates.”
After two seasons with NEC Nijmegen, during which he won the Eerste Divisie (second division) Player of the Year award in his second year at the club, the opportunity presented itself to take the next step in his career.
“It was a big decision because I knew at the age of 21-22 you have to make a really good step,” he explained.
“Because I became the Player of the Year, everyone expected me to make a good step. I had different offers but I wanted to stay in Holland because I wanted to learn more, to stay in the competition, because after two years I knew more about the culture, about the language, the people, the style of football – everything.
“I had three offers and AZ Alkmaar was the best I had at that time, and I am very happy I made that step.”
A knee injury in his first season meant he couldn’t have the impact he would have liked, with just three goals in 23 matches. In his second season he improved his output and hit double figures, with 10 goals.
But his third season, the 2017/18 campaign, saw him take his game to a whole new level. His 21 goals were enough for him to win the Golden Boot award, while he also finished in the top three in the league for assists with 12, which he says gives him more satisfaction than scoring goals.
“For me personally giving assists is a better feeling than scoring goals,” he revealed. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t value the Golden Boot award, however, admitting it is his greatest achievement in his career so far – but he wants more.
“To be honest until now it’s the top moment in my career,” he said. “That means a lot to me. That says that hard work pays off. I dedicated this to my family, my agent, my friends, all my teammates; all the people who helped me.
“It’s been an amazing feeling, but on the other side I am also going to forget it because I have a long way to go and I want to achieve more things as an individual and as a team.”
At the same time he was flourishing in Europe, so too was his career with the Iran national team. He was just 19 when he was named in the 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and, while he only managed 49 minutes off the bench across the three group stage matches, just having that experience on the global stage was a dream come true.
“The first World Cup was unbelievable,” he said.
“It was a great experience for me at the age of 19 after six months playing in Europe. Inside of football and outside of football I learned a lot, and at the age of 19 when you go to such a tournament it’s just about having the experience, learning a lot and watching a lot, and seeing the best players in the world.”
Jahanbakhsh recently played a major role in his country’s memorable FIFA World Cup performance in Russia as Team Melli came within a goal of qualifying for the Round of 16 for the first time.
After defeating Morocco in their opening game, Iran lost 1-0 to 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain in a hard-fought contest, before drawing 1-1 with Portugal to miss out on the knockout rounds by the narrowest of margins after Mehdi Taremi skewed a golden chance to win it wide at the death.
The tournament may have ended in heartbreak for the forward and his teammates, but Iran won many new fans by giving two of the global giants an almighty scare as they proved themselves a match for anyone.
Jahanbakhsh is still only 24, but he has well and truly established himself as one of the stars of the national team, and for him there is no better feeling than wearing the jersey of his beloved Iran.
But with his rising stature comes increased pressure, and he knows he must now deliver the same form he has produced at club level if he is to realise the one goal he is desperate to achieve – win the AFC Asian Cup, something Iran have not done since 1976.
“I know that after such a season the expectation is higher for me,” he admitted. “But on the other side, I just try to do my best whenever I am wearing the jersey of the national team, whether it’s a World Cup or Asian Cup or even just a normal friendly.
“But of course some competitions are more important. So that’s why I know the value of these two competitions, the World Cup and then the Asian Cup, they mean a lot for our people.
“One of the things I always dream of is winning the Asian Cup with Iran. That’s one thing that hasn’t happened for a long time now.”
http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsecti...za-jahanbakhshComment
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Brighton & Hove Albion - West Ham United International Coverage
5th October 2018 20:00 Live
*Time shown in your time zone
England Premier League
Stadium: The American Express Community Stadium (Falmer, East Sussex)
https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3...st-ham-united/Comment
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Let me guess, the same defenders and the same mids with Bissouma playing and probably Murray
. No changes as usual!
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Probably. We know that Hughton has zero creativity.Originally posted by scuderia View PostLet me guess, the same defenders and the same mids with Bissouma playing and probably Murray. No changes as usual!Comment
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already shaping up to be a relegation battle 6pointer ..!!
3 points is a must at home and only a ultra conservative fool would have his team tank back again waiting to get scored on before trying to salvage something too late into the game..!!
i'd expect ARJ to get his first start in place of Marcsh, switching wings with Knockeard all game long..! hopefully they wrap up the points early and CH can bring in Marcsh late on for ARJ to defend the lead..!Comment
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What a tactically clueless manager Chris Hughton is. No game plan whatsoever.Originally posted by Tehranto View PostComment
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At what point does "easing a player in" become not giving them a sufficient opportunity to show what they can do? I think we're getting close to that point. I was happy for CH to ease him in, but I query why CH is still saying this in October.Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.Comment
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If he doesn't start tomorrow, I am traveling to Brighton and kicking Hughton in the balls."Formerly known as AliDaeiClone"Comment
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I dont mind him being sub at the moment but bring him on sooner than 10min leftComment
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I hope CH starts ARJ tomorrow. I am hoping that metrics and analytics have started to point that way and CH will take a leap of faith in our guy i.e. its time to take some CALCULATED risk here. I am standing for him starting in place of SM.
Go ARJ!
Go BHAFC!Comment
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Talk about being tactically clueless, all whilst being completely delusional. All the manager is doing making pitiful excuses for why they have lost. (This is evident when he completely goes back and keeps on referring to the penalty they've conceded) The midfield didn't play to your liking? Hmm, I wonder what that 20+ million player is doing sitting on your bench? Just ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! Honestly, seeing CH as manager makes me feel lucky how our NT isn’t such tactically clueless and deluded manager. (Even though I may critize CQ's style of play or the lineups that he uses)Comment
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vs WesT Ham
Subs at 66 minutes.Originally posted by EKBATAN View Post
I think CH will probably go for experience in the starting XI. That means Glenn Murray to start over Locadia or Andone.
Beram Kayal may get a start.
I think the defence is sounder with Bruno in it and I hope he would at least make the squad.
The big ? is left wing. Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Solly March or José Izquierdo ?
Dale Stephens may make the bench, even if not fully fit in case of any injury to midfielders.
NB: CH may start Alireza Jahanbakhsh and keep José Izquierdo as a strategic reserve. PS: I am not sure if he is that devious?Comment
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Originally posted by Leicester City View Post
Talk about being tactically clueless, all whilst being completely delusional. All the manager is doing making pitiful excuses for why they have lost. (This is evident when he completely goes back and keeps on referring to the penalty they've conceded) The midfield didn't play to your liking? Hmm, I wonder what that 20+ million player is doing sitting on your bench? Just ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! Honestly, seeing CH as manager makes me feel lucky how our NT isn’t such tactically clueless and deluded manager. (Even though I may critize CQ's style of play or the lineups that he uses)
You are not even at level one of understanding soccer coaching and tactics to call someone who is a professional at top level soccer "tactically clueless". I won't go into the many reason Jahanbakhsh isn't starting yet, because arguing with fanboys isn't worth it. Jahanbakhsh has a problem marking his man.
I'm done.Comment
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