Karim Ansarifard @ Al-Sailiya, Qatar

[Camran khan]

right now Kaveh Rezaei and Mehrdad Mohammadi deserve to be given real chances. Ansarifard has shown in many matches he just cannot offer much...And a 34 year old ansarifard in next WC will be as good as useless.

He will be 32 next WC. But yeah I agree time to phase him out.

[Iran_19]

Mehrdad Mohammadi is way overrated by many here, he is totally one dimensional, with Taremi, Azmoun, Kaveh, TM has enough offensive weapons, then we have Ghaedi who should be included soon or later, Jahanbakhsh, Ghoddos are also there.
I rather to give chances to Arsalan Motahari than Mehrdad Mohammadi. He is pure scorer inside the box. Almost the same age also.

[KeonKish]

kaveh should definitely be ahead of karim.

Even mohhebi should more balls and resolve as an amateur than karim.


Karim just seems to get lost in the mix of TM games and doesn't ever seem very confident or effective.

[inarsenewetrust]

He will be 32 next WC. But yeah I agree time to phase him out.

Is it weird that I have stopped counting years if they do not fall on a WC year I can only count in 4 year sequences

[inarsenewetrust]

Mehrdad Mohammadi is way overrated by many here, he is totally one dimensional, with Taremi, Azmoun, Kaveh, TM has enough offensive weapons, then we have Ghaedi who should be included soon or later, Jahanbakhsh, Ghoddos are also there.
I rather to give chances to Arsalan Motahari than Mehrdad Mohammadi. He is pure scorer inside the box. Almost the same age also.

I get what you are saying about mehrdad but I also feel like his one dimensionality in one of his assets for TM. We do not need him to be a starter, but off the bench his direct style of play, speed, powerful shot and good set pieces can actually be of use. Unlike a guy like ansarifard who cant really change a game late on but is a decently well rounded forward who excels at nothing.

What I envision for mehrdad as a tM asset is at 0:29 here vs benfica. Speed to run into space, quick dribbling and goes directly to goal. Great finish.

[KeonKish]

I think Mehrdad would be an excellent sub against tired legs in like the last 20 minutes, his pace, shooting, and direct style is useful if were going for a win

[teammelli91]

Karim has 2-3 more years left to play his football in a league like Greece/Turkey/Croatia. I wouldn’t say it’s completely over for him just yet. He’s got a few more years left in those type of European leagues.

Going to Persepolis now may not be such a good idea to be honest. Persepolis is in a place where they have everything they need in each position. Even if Alipour gets hurt, they’re so good chemistry wise that they’ll be able to fill in his spot and a lesser experienced forward would still manage to do well.

Karim would not be serving himself right if he went back to Iran just yet.

[Roxanaz80]

Karim is super disciplined, he'll be fine wherever he goes. He might even surprise us some more next WC.

[teammelli91]

Karim is super disciplined, he'll be fine wherever he goes. He might even surprise us some more next WC.

I can see that. I too think if Karim stays in form and he make the next WC squad (if we go that is) he will be more experienced and that could give him more motivation to outperform his previous World Cup. Add the fact that he’d be under a new coach in Skocic and it would be his 3rd World Cup, he would be more composed and driven.

I’m a fan of Karim, but to be honest he wasn’t as present as he should’ve been in the last World Cup. He almost won the golden Boot in Greece so there were high expectations. That being said, the team as a whole was defensive so we can’t really blame it on him. But what I mean is, even players who are attacking minded were defending but they did really well as a whole. Karim definitely progressed in the group stage.

Karim vs Morocco < Karim was better vs Spain < Karim was better than the previous match vs Portugal.

There used to be a time when Karim was having a lot of confidence issues. But he beat his insecurities and it became obvious when he shined in Greece. That’s the type of league a player like Karim would do great in and he proved his doubters wrong. He also transformed physically.

So all in all, Karim is a fighter and is a work horse. I still rank him as top three forwards for Iran despite him going to Qatar, I still believe that:

1) Sardar Azmoun
2) Mehdi Taremi
3) Karim Ansarifard

Not taking anything away from Kaveh Rezaei, but we have to consider a players national team experience and that is very important. Karim has been a player of Iran under 3 different head coaches and has been a consistent invitee to the national team.

That being said, Karim will have to continue and fight for his position under Skocic as we have Rezaei, Mohebi, and a young rising Allahyar.

[Sepehr9]

He is still one of our best forwards and only 30 years of age, i can see him make the next world cup (if we make it) where he will be only 32 years of age, he is much better than Mohamadi and on par with Kaveh Rezaei but with alot more International experience.

[pajamNL]

Karim would shine in the Dutch Eredivisie

[Futbolista]

I can see that. I too think if Karim stays in form and he make the next WC squad (if we go that is) he will be more experienced and that could give him more motivation to outperform his previous World Cup. Add the fact that he’d be under a new coach in Skocic and it would be his 3rd World Cup, he would be more composed and driven.

I’m a fan of Karim, but to be honest he wasn’t as present as he should’ve been in the last World Cup. He almost won the golden Boot in Greece so there were high expectations. That being said, the team as a whole was defensive so we can’t really blame it on him. But what I mean is, even players who are attacking minded were defending but they did really well as a whole. Karim definitely progressed in the group stage.

Karim vs Morocco < Karim was better vs Spain < Karim was better than the previous match vs Portugal.

There used to be a time when Karim was having a lot of confidence issues. But he beat his insecurities and it became obvious when he shined in Greece. That’s the type of league a player like Karim would do great in and he proved his doubters wrong. He also transformed physically.

So all in all, Karim is a fighter and is a work horse. I still rank him as top three forwards for Iran despite him going to Qatar, I still believe that:

1) Sardar Azmoun
2) Mehdi Taremi
3) Karim Ansarifard

Not taking anything away from Kaveh Rezaei, but we have to consider a players national team experience and that is very important. Karim has been a player of Iran under 3 different head coaches and has been a consistent invitee to the national team.

That being said, Karim will have to continue and fight for his position under Skocic as we have Rezaei, Mohebi, and a young rising Allahyar.

Definitely true re: the WC games. And you see his confidence when he took that penalty vs Portugal. It was so flawless/ composed.
I think he should be in the squad for the foreseeable future. He's a guy I really feel for. He was riding so high when the transfer issues thanks to the greed of Olympiacos hampered him.

[mehdi13]

LMAO this is how players reach untouchable “hazrat” status with Team Melli like Mathoud. You keep ‘em around well past their expiration date, feed ‘em moft undeserved caps, until they are 32, 33 and then it becomes the usual BS story of “he has experience”, “the young players respect him”, “it will ruin squad chemistry”. Kaveh Rezaei showed us he can actually score goals when he’s not playing for the strongest team in a Mafia league like IPL or Greece. He has only 12 caps while Ansarifard is performing ballet for us for over a decade. Rezaei finished as 4th highest scorer in Belgium. Ansarifard has scored less than Rezaeian. But the Ansarifard lobbyists won’t take a break!

[teammelli91]

LMAO this is how players reach untouchable “hazrat” status with Team Melli like Mathoud. You keep ‘em around well past their expiration date, feed ‘em moft undeserved caps, until they are 32, 33 and then it becomes the usual BS story of “he has experience”, “the young players respect him”, “it will ruin squad chemistry”. Kaveh Rezaei showed us he can actually score goals when he’s not playing for the strongest team in a Mafia league like IPL or Greece. He has only 12 caps while Ansarifard is performing ballet for us for over a decade. Rezaei finished as 4th highest scorer in Belgium. Ansarifard has scored less than Rezaeian. But the Ansarifard lobbyists won’t take a break!

I agree and disagree with you. I agree about the “hazrat” status when it comes to some of our players. But it also comes down to what a player can do and decides to do to progress as an athlete.

I also trust in Carlos Queiroz who has coached a player in Karim Ansarifard for 8 years that he’s been our head coach. And while he’s been the coach, many players (forwards) have come and gone. Even Karim wasn’t called up for a few times and saw the bench on several occasions.

But the difference between Karim and other domestic forwards was that a) he left Iran and actually tried. Even though he failed at Osasuna he still tried. Whether or not the Greek League is better/worse than IPL that’s up for debate. I personally don’t think it’s that much better than IPL, except for their infrastructure/competing in Europa/Champions League. But that’s besides the point. B) Karim has always been a top goal scorer, if he wasn’t the top he’s been always on the top of the list in the leagues he’s played in. Whether at Saipa, Persepolis, Olympiacos. And yes more of his goals were “tap-ins” but he got the job done.

So I agree about “hazrat” status if we praise him when he can’t deliver and if he stays in Gutter. Because he is 30 now and I’m against that league. Rezaei is younger and still in Europe.

I only disagree if we discount what he brought to the table, especially whilst under Carlos Queiroz who was a qualified coach who decides who should or shouldn’t be called up. Because many came and went Karim was a consistent invitee.

[mahestan]

I agree and disagree with you. I agree about the “hazrat” status when it comes to some of our players. But it also comes down to what a player can do and decides to do to progress as an athlete.

I also trust in Carlos Queiroz who has coached a player in Karim Ansarifard for 8 years that he’s been our head coach. And while he’s been the coach, many players (forwards) have come and gone. Even Karim wasn’t called up for a few times and saw the bench on several occasions.

But the difference between Karim and other domestic forwards was that a) he left Iran and actually tried. Even though he failed at Osasuna he still tried. Whether or not the Greek League is better/worse than IPL that’s up for debate. I personally don’t think it’s that much better than IPL, except for their infrastructure/competing in Europa/Champions League. But that’s besides the point. B) Karim has always been a top goal scorer, if he wasn’t the top he’s been always on the top of the list in the leagues he’s played in. Whether at Saipa, Persepolis, Olympiacos. And yes more of his goals were “tap-ins” but he got the job done.

So I agree about “hazrat” status if we praise him when he can’t deliver and if he stays in Gutter. Because he is 30 now and I’m against that league. Rezaei is younger and still in Europe.

I only disagree if we discount what he brought to the table, especially whilst under Carlos Queiroz who was a qualified coach who decides who should or shouldn’t be called up. Because many came and went Karim was a consistent invitee.

If CQ jumped off a bridge, would you jump with him?