Guardian Next Generation 2018 - Allahyar Sayyadmanesh picked

[DR Strangemoosh]

I'm surprised Johnny didn't go for Delfi but still a good pick.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

Showed what he could do at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup as Iran made the last eight. His goal against Guinea demonstrated what he was all about: running away from goal, suddenly turning on the edge of the area to fire into the top far corner. Plays for one of Asia’s biggest teams in Esteghlal of Tehran and is already coming off the bench for them

[DR Strangemoosh]

Previous picks in the Next Generation list (all from Johnny Duerden):

2015 - Reza Shekari

https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

2016 - Mohammad Soltani Mehr

https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

2017 - Mohammad Sharifi

https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

[inarsenewetrust]

I'm surprised Johnny didn't go for Delfi but still a good pick.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

Showed what he could do at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup as Iran made the last eight. His goal against Guinea demonstrated what he was all about: running away from goal, suddenly turning on the edge of the area to fire into the top far corner. Plays for one of Asia’s biggest teams in Esteghlal of Tehran and is already coming off the bench for them

Think both will go on to have long careers in TM if they stay grounded and keep working. IF/When delfis move to PSV goes through that will aid his development so much bc european football will improve the exact things he struggles at, releasing the ball, staying engaged throughout the game, etc.

BUT, my personal preference is Allahyar. His style of play is just so physical and gheyrati, its really unique.

[rdwrrr]

What ever happened to Soltanimehr

[inarsenewetrust]

What ever happened to Soltanimehr

still only 19. In and out of Saipa starting xi for last couple seasons with daei. Played at u20 WC where shekari carried the team.

[rdwrrr]

still only 19. In and out of Saipa starting xi for last couple seasons with daei. Played at u20 WC where shekari carried the team.

Is he still any good?

[inarsenewetrust]

Is he still any good?

I still think he is a talented young player. Its much harder for young CM's, especially in a league like ours, to really impose and improve themselves bc there is traditionally so little build up play from back through deep lying midfielders. Saeid is an exception to that rule, and that is mainly because he got out of iran at a very early stage in his development and learned real "bazi saazi" in the best possible country for it, spain, with Atletico Madrid.

Even new young mids like Sharifi from u17 arent doing much in this aspect of the game in PGPL. Typically the best young mids in iran can do is be good runners, work tirelessly, and just make the simple passes. This is a clear deficiency in our football that shows on international stage. We dont have enough midfielders and CB's that are capable of building our attacks and bypassing high level opposition presses. Slowly, this is getting better with Majid Hosseini and PAG being very comfortable on the ball, along with saeid.

For mids who spend their entire careers in PGPL, the best they can typically aspire to on the international stage is something like Ebrahimi. Lot of running, gheyrat, good defensive ability, can make the simple passes. Solid. But in order to build plays and have entire field vision, even talented kids like Soltanimehr cannot get that far if they stay in iran, at least if the league continues the style of play that it historically has.

[PSGman#19]

Would be nice that Johnny pick more than one iranian next time.

[DR Strangemoosh]

Would be nice that Johnny pick more than one iranian next time.

We're lucky to get one a year (more than his wife's South Korea for example), given the amount of vitriol shown towards him by some on this site!

[The Farbod]

We're lucky to get one a year (more than his wife's South Korea for example), given the amount of vitriol shown towards him by some on this site!

He's actually been terrific the past few years. I dunno what changed, but his reporting has been excellent since the 2014 world cup. He believes in Iranian football.

[DR Strangemoosh]

He's actually been terrific the past few years. I dunno what changed, but his reporting has been excellent since the 2014 world cup. He believes in Iranian football.

He was great in the late 90s and early 2000s as well and was the only western media advocate for especially Karimi (who he called by far and away the best player in Asia) but also mahdavikia, nekounam.

I must admit I wasn't following much in the period that people here seem to have got angry about in the early 2010s. Maybe his wife was giving him rancid kimchi, who knows. But for me he has been the biggest non-iranian journalist advocating iranian footballers since mid 90s, when no one else was.

[Sly]

Rightly so too. Frankly I was much more impressed with Allahyar Sayyadmanesh than Delfi in the U17 WC!

[St_Mark]

What ever happened to Soltanimehr

He is with U23.
They have a game on Tue