Dragan Skočić Appreciation Thread!

[nisfejahan]

The excuses/complaints of CQ haters after WC:

What?!! Only four points in this group? Mayely-kohan would have advanced this team.
What?!!! Team selection/formation was too defensive. I'd rather lose by 5 rather than tie.
What?!!! This Portugal is not as strong as the one that won UEFA two years before.
What?!!! This Spain was a shadow of itself.
What?!!! Win against Morocco was lucky.
What?!! We still did not advance to 2nd round.

What?!!! CQ doesn't eat onions with his Kabob?!! Fire him already!

Moral of the story:

Stop complaining and jump on the Skoochi train....Skooch...Skooch....Chugga lugga.......Chugga lugga... Next stop Qatar 2022!!

[amas20]

Name me ONE coach who has beaten ALL these teams at a go.

When was the last time we beat Iraq by difference of 3 goals?

Name the coach we've had who had 92% WIN rate in Asia campaigns?

Qualifiers are not even finished. Just wait a bit more before cheerleading for the guy. We have 4 more games left.

[mehdi13]

Name me ONE coach who has beaten ALL these teams at a go.

When was the last time we beat Iraq by difference of 3 goals?

Name the coach we've had who had 92% WIN rate in Asia campaigns?

Name one who didn’t drop points at home to South Korea…

[Omid177]

Name one who didn’t drop points at home to South Korea…

Amir Ghalenoei

[mehdi13]

Amir Ghalenoei

A better option than Skocic.

And he beat them with Reza Enayati.

[nisfejahan]

A better option than Skocic.

And he beat them with Reza Enayati.

Was it Enayati or Enayati's dead body?!! because Enayati's dead body could score against Mexico! His live body, ehhh, not that impressive.

[snowleopard]

Rest assured TeamSgohcic are enjoying a peaceful and expected road to the world cup. They have never thought problems would arise when faced with Arab lizard herders, they are merely confident that we're on an inevitable road to embarrassement once facing players of a respectable level at the important stage.

The embarrassment will still sting and our ability to bathe in the tears of those who wished to look away from the signs and kid themselves that this team isn't being run to the ground by this incompetent man are meaningless.

Constructive criticism is always welcome! But lets not wish the TM being demolished by bigger teams. Let's look into this way. Who thought Leicester City would win PL champions league cruising through big teams few years ago. So far, TM is doing great under this coach. Let's celebrate for now and give full support to the team and the coach. If Sco takes us to the WC, good, and if he takes us to the next stage, 16, great. It's premature to be too negative towards the coach when he is delivering and is expected to deliver more.

[Taz]

I see Di Matteo's CL winning Chelsea side as the example to look to emulate. A side who were basically able to manage themselves to glory in spite of an underqualified manager. I don't follow the personality of our players closely enough to know if they have the same leadership qualities as the likes of Drogba, Terry and Cech which that Chelsea side boasted but it looks like a steady group so here's hoping.

[oracle]

Ali karimi has the most disgusting character that i've ever seen! I love him as a player but his character is just way too disgusting ! He is always jelous to see other people having a successful career ahead of him! Remember how CQ kicked him out .

AND ali karimi what did he ever do for pp
in the late 90s and early 2000 pp had parvin as hc
and bunch players which where really good KARIMI WAS BENCH WARMER come in and spark
whatever we won we could won without him.
WHAT DID KARIMI DO IN HIS SECOND
time around NOTHING NOTHING
HE WOULD SCARE PLAYERS AWAY
no one wanted come to pp because of his personality AND WE GOT THE WORST RESULTS
IN OUR HISTORY WITH HIM.
he is god for people who dont know difference
from ot o corner orthe young generation tht dont remember.
اگه نه ما که
زندان نبودیم
ک دنبال نکرده باشیم
از صب تا شب
او موقع ها
pfdc ya oon yeki site boodim

[inarsenewetrust]

I feel like this is relevant to the discussion, particularly what ragnick (new united coach) says from 3:50 onwards.

[koorosh]

Thank for that video.

I think the discussion is more nuanced because NT coaches have different conditions than club football coaches. You get the players you get...can't trade players. You are more restricted by the
1. physical aspects of your team...Korea is not going to have large tall defenders or physical players.
2. Development infrastructure of the country. Most Asian and African countries won't be able to execute a sophisticated tactical plan unless provided with years of training. After 8 years, Iranian players and coaches learned to execute CQs tactical plans. Wilmots tried an entirely new system and failed because it would take a long time to learn. Skocic continued with CQ plan and we are back to success.
3. NT coaches have a lot less time with the players so it takes much longer to teach/transfer their vision. Give CQ 8 years and he can really help. Give him 1 year in a country like Iran and he won't (didn't ) achieve anything.

Skocic has been smart. Revert to basic CQ structure.. maintain much of the same players....defense first and solid. Counterattack...works against most Asian countries.

[PSGman#19]

Thank for that video.

I think the discussion is more nuanced because NT coaches have different conditions than club football coaches. You get the players you get...can't trade players. You are more restricted by the
1. physical aspects of your team...Korea is not going to have large tall defenders or physical players.
2. Development infrastructure of the country. Most Asian and African countries won't be able to execute a sophisticated tactical plan unless provided with years of training. After 8 years, Iranian players and coaches learned to execute CQs tactical plans. Wilmots tried an entirely new system and failed because it would take a long time to learn. Skocic continued with CQ plan and we are back to success.
3. NT coaches have a lot less time with the players so it takes much longer to teach/transfer their vision. Give CQ 8 years and he can really help. Give him 1 year in a country like Iran and he won't (didn't ) achieve anything.

Skocic has been smart. Revert to basic CQ structure.. maintain much of the same players....defense first and solid. Counterattack...works against most Asian countries.

I thought Skocic was adopting a more open play/less defensive "sit deep" than CQ

[Farzadfarhangni]

I feel like this is relevant to the discussion, particularly what ragnick (new united coach) says from 3:50 onwards.

Are you implying that if Klopp took over instead of Skocic, Iran would be playing like Liverpool after six 2 day camps each a month apart??? Shoja would be playing like Van Dijk? How did Klopp do in his first year in EPL? I believe they finished 8th in EPL with a very talented team. Much more money and time was spent before Klopp's liverpool became Klopp's Liverpool.

Unrealistic expectations maybe???

[nisfejahan]

I see Di Matteo's CL winning Chelsea side as the example to look to emulate. A side who were basically able to manage themselves to glory in spite of an underqualified manager. I don't follow the personality of our players closely enough to know if they have the same leadership qualities as the likes of Drogba, Terry and Cech which that Chelsea side boasted but it looks like a steady group so here's hoping.

The more optimistic and statistically astute people see Dalic and Croatia 2018 team as a model. Dalic was coaching various Al-Soosmar teams before taking on the Croatia job. Come on to the side of reality. It is more fun.

p.s. How is the "reversion to mean" working out in the Potter-land?!!! Eight games since the last league win? Reality catching up with a scheduling fluke. I hate to say it, but I told you so!!!

[inarsenewetrust]

Are you implying that if Klopp took over instead of Skocic, Iran would be playing like Liverpool after six 2 day camps each a month apart??? Shoja would be playing like Van Dijk? How did Klopp do in his first year in EPL? I believe they finished 8th in EPL with a very talented team. Much more money and time was spent before Klopp's liverpool became Klopp's Liverpool.
Unrealistic expectations maybe???

I didnt imply anything about klopp, shoja, or van dijk. You did.

My point is just that the coach needs to have a very well defined vision of how he wants his team to play before anything else. I believe we had that under CQ. That doesnt mean the vision was perfect, or that we won every game we were supposed to, but you could see and associate a certain style of football with our national team, for better or worse. This style was to be extremely well organized, but highly combative when closing men down, in 50/50s, etc , and then break with fast transitions. The players bought into it and thats why we achieved our record points total in a very difficult group in Russia. This was the style you could associate with CQ football throughout his time as assistant in united, head coach at real, etc. It took a slightly deeper form with our team bc of the player deficiencies you mention, and CQ wanted to cover those deficiencies as much as possible (which he did to a great extent). But with the explosion from Azmoun and Taremi in the past years, and the development of guys like gholizadeh, allahyar, moharrami, etc our team has the ability to execute those transition moments even better today.

I didnt see any such definitive style or footballing identity from Skocic during his time at SNA, Gol Gohar, Foolad and I dont think anybody has even bothered to argue that there was any such planning. With TM it all seems extremely game to game and short-termist approach which I and many others think may lead to an eventual failure on big stage. Now we seem way less secure without the ball, lacking ideas with the ball for long stretches (lot of shorter passes that eventually lead to turnovers bc our midfielders are too weak to circulate the ball as soon as they are pressed or try line breaking ball, lot of aimless crosses bc we struggle to break teams down from open play if not azmoun/taremi combo), and notably much weaker on set pieces (used to be one of our strengths).

To the points mentioned that International team coaches have less time on the training ground, less player selection optionns since no transfers, those are both very true points. That is why its even more crucial to develop an identity and philosophy for the national team that the players buy in to and can understand easily. It is precisely that style and identity the team will lean on during the most difficult moments of a WC. That is why our team was able to compete so well vs 3 objectively superior sides and get a very solid points return too, not necessarily bc the style was perfect, but because every single player there bought into it 200%.

And again, this doesnt mean I think every single thing skocic does has been bad. I actually think he has achieved exactly what he was brought in to do -> Short terms results, and from mental perspective calmed the team down in stressful time and does understand iranian psyche well. I think he is an honest, hardworking guy and the players definitely appreciate that after wilmots charalatan experience where guy was actively trying to lose. I just think that Skocic has severe technical limitations that people know about (why he hasnt been hired even to any notable posts in croatia or eastern europe recently) and lacks a longer term vision to lead the national team of a country with as much talent as ours.