Iran vs Algeria Post Match Ratings and Discussion

[inarsenewetrust]

The whole point of a friendly as a WC prep, is to experiment and make mistakes. I remember before WC 2018 in the friendly against Turkey, we lost 2-1 to two really bad goals courtesy of Roozbeh Cheshmi (was not a fan, but CQ liked him). This was against CQ where defense comes first. Defense splitting passes regularly carved up our back line in that game.

I’m happy Algeria came to play motivated, pressed us very well, and did not make it easy for us. Both of their goals came off of defensive errors. Our goal came again, courtesy of ARJ, who is consistently proving himself to be a valuable member of the team, in spite of not being in club form. One goal here or there, makes the world of a difference in WC2022, and ARJ is scoring or assisting in almost every other international game for us.

Just like how our losses to Tunisia and Turkey before WC2018, were excellent teaching lessons for CQ to makes proper adjustments against our opener against Morocco, there MUST be more friendlies to help us. THEN, Skocic must make the proper adjustments. Or else, yes, it will be a repeat of our WC2006 performance.

But, Skocic’s gameplan was clear: no bezan ziresh tactics, be patient with build up play from the back. Hence, why so many sideway passes to the middle. However, against a good opponent like Algeria, who pressed us well, this is easier said than done. You need the proper spacing, with players who possess the skill and touch to play those deft posession based passes.

Noorafkhan should not play CB in the future, and Ghoddos’ clever passing and touch were sorely missed in many instances when our players needed someone to get them out of trouble.

Our team does play better when it’s not in posession, and wins the ball in the opponent’s half. This is a problem that has plagued TM many years, even during CQ’s era when facing good high pressing opponents.

I hope the coaching staff fully dissects this game, as well as future games, so we’re honed and ready in November.

We didnt learn anything new from this game though. We all knew norafkan should never play CB. Why did we need to waste a critical friendly match to find that out? We all knew ghoddos technicality in the middle is critical and that nourollahi is not a TM starting caliber player in his place. These players prove their incomptence regularly, both internationally and for their clubs as well (why should norafkan be trusted in TM when he gets raped on weekly basis in ACL with sepahan. Nourollahi in shabab al ahly is a bench player behind uzbek kid all year) and keep getting more chances.

[ParthianDE]

More thoughts:


midfield:
Ezatollahi was decent. Why was he taken off.
Ebrahimi should definititely stay on as an active TM player.
Ghoddos was clearly missed.

RW:
Golizadeh should not start, but still deserves to be in the team.
Sayyadmanesh should have come on much earlier, or perhaps start.

[Karimi 8]

I guess Abedz is being roasted here?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeuBbLuD-ta/

Good, he should be made fun of with these mistakes. Hopefully he learns from it.

[Karimi 8]

For those who tried using the “guys it’s a friendly let’s try things out”……SKOCIC DID NOT DO THAT!!!

- he used noorafkan as a CB which he ALREADY FAILED MISERABLY AT!!!
- he continues to use Gholizadeh from the start DESPITE A CLEAR TRACK RECORD of being immensely ineffective
- sadegh moharammi also, same shoes as gholi- one of our most woeful players in the last round and we saw the same garbage performances
- continues to not implement any sort of emphasis on defending as a unit - something we will have to do, on SOME level against the opposition we have in the World Cup.

All of these are REPEATED mistakes by skoocher over and over and over again….this is a life principal my friends - it’s ok to make a mistake once and learn from it, that’s a great way to learn. But if you keep doing the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER again and cannot have the common sense to SEE the failed results…..that my friends is the epitome of ignorance and something that nobody here can argue in defense of Skocic on.

Exactly, I don't get what we are even testing out? He keeps making the same mistakes and playing the same players. The 15 day camp was a waste of money, and the friendly just showed that nothing has changed. He will just continue to play "ye pa do pa then blind cross Mohrammi", Airhead Abedzadeh, Haji-NASA, blind as a bat Gholizadeh, and Omid Koorafkan

[Afat11]

The problem isn’t the players. In CQ’s system, Noorafkan would look like Sergio Ramos. Our low block tactic hid the fact that we don’t have world class defenders. We played team defense under CQ, now we are expecting non-world class defenders to bail us out and we are being punished for it. If the players were instructed better tactically, we might have still lost today, but the game would have been less depressing in terms of us not looking so disorganized and inferior. Gholizadeh dribbled and didn’t pass at least 4-5 times, and those possession losses were causing dangerous counter attacks against us. I don’t blame Gholizadeh for this, I don’t blame Noorafkan and Moharrami for crumbling under the Algerian press, they are not instructed of how to properly play the ball, and often they’re alone in no man’s land. Watch the game again if you want to punish yourself, but you’ll notice how static the team is. In every position, players are mostly standing waiting for balls, and not coming back to compress the defense when needed.

These same players were running until they couldn’t run anymore under CQ. Skocic is not getting the best out of these players. I really believe that Cheshmi or whomever can play in our defense under Skocic and be soorakh and play under CQ and look like a capable defender. It’s just the tactics were there for CQ, Skocic still has a long ways to go, but he shouldn’t be TM coach. He should have achieved something before such a prominent position, he is not put in a position to succeed. History repeating itself for TM, mistakes of the past being made again. We didn’t learn from CQ that someone who has tasted success can push us far, but bringing in a stopgap will get us results like Branko, Daei, etc. Skocic is among these guys in terms of ability at the moment, not on CQ’s level. And if some of the deranged folks on here want to argue there’s even a comparison in experience, I’m happy to have a good laugh.

EDIT: I’m extra annoyed since I had my brother come watch the game with me and he doesn’t watch TM often and it was embarrassing. He was asking if we always played so disorganized. I told him that under Skocic, we have. We were able to skate through the group on our talent gap with our weak group, but the reckoning I worried about is starting. If Skocic is coach still in November, mark my words that history will repeat itself like last world cups, England 2-0 Iran, Wales 3-1 Iran, US 0-0 Iran. We have had almost these exact results in previous world cups where we’re ill-prepared and I’m already pretty confident that the cycle is continuing. Anyone who has hopes of round of 16… lol, sorry. Barring a major change or the other teams all getting Covid and playing waterboys, we’re in deep deep trouble.

[Ghermez Agha]

I’ll call myself out also on being a diehard abedz supporter for being the undisputed #1 for TM…..clearly he is not ready and makes mental mistakes we cannot afford.

Beiro going back to Persepolis could sadly be the best news of the summer transfer window for all TM fans

[perspolis#1]

Play Amiri at LB if he is healthy in November.

Our midfield needs to be Ezatolahi,Ebrahimi, Ghoddos. It seems a bit slow but if Mohammadi/Amiri help with coverage it can work, especially if ARJ helps on defense on the right. Hajsafi has no place.

Gholizadeh should be kept as a sub around 60 minute. If our midfield problems persist, should Taremi play behind Azmoun?

Sayyadmanesh needs to be a fixed sub at least at 60th minute mark. He might be good to start against Wales/US
.

Tactically, all 3 teams outrun us so we need to slow the game down with that strong midfield above, get some fouls and move up for opportunities.

[the matrix1]

The main problem with Skocic is he is reversing everything CQ did and that is why we are playing like headless chicken. He does not have any real plan or strategy in place and should be fired immediately. I think he is the worst foreign team Melli coach we have hired besides Wilmot. Also, I was watching the highlights and Abedzadeh is really shaky and scary to watch out there in goal and needs to be replaced asap by Beiravand. He plays exactly like a combination of Mirzapour, Daniel Davari and Rahman Ahmadi . We don't need a player like that anywhere near team melli.

[Prowess]

We didnt learn anything new from this game though. We all knew norafkan should never play CB. Why did we need to waste a critical friendly match to find that out? We all knew ghoddos technicality in the middle is critical and that nourollahi is not a TM starting caliber player in his place. These players prove their incomptence regularly, both internationally and for their clubs as well (why should norafkan be trusted in TM when he gets raped on weekly basis in ACL with sepahan. Nourollahi in shabab al ahly is a bench player behind uzbek kid all year) and keep getting more chances.

Khalilzadeh, Kannani, and Morteza were all out. How many more CB options did we have today? Maybe Nourafkhan had a good training camp, and from all the available options, he has the most experience playing that position for TM, so Skocic wanted to give him one more try?

I agree about Nourellahi. I hope Omid’s return, will make Skocic realize that he’s a better player in that position. I think our best midfield consists of ezatollahi, ghoddos, amiri, and ebrahimi (at times, maybe hajsafi too for defensive support).

[the matrix1]

Sorry guys, but we are stuck with an amateur coach at best and there is not possibly any more excuses you can make up for him about why he is seriously under performing, unless IFF takes action and fires him nothing is going to happen in the world cup as well for team melli unfortunately.

[Prowess]

Do you think there’s any chance Ramin Rezaeian can come back for TM? Moharrami at RB does not put me at ease…

[Leicester City]

My MOTM(s) for this match: Abedzadeh, Jahanbakhsh, and Noorafkan. With the award officially going to Omid joon.

Got Algeria the W and helped gain a large number of supporters in the "Skocic-Out" contingency.

KUTGW!

[naderb94]

Here's some of my takes after this friendly:

1. We need to make a coaching change FAST! Skokic has absolutely no idea or gameplan on this team. We should thank him for helping us get to the WC, but its time for some fresh new ideas and someone who can put a gameplan together... I think I would much rather have Nekonam in a caretaker role or possibly go after CQ on a short term deal. We know what we're getting from Skokic and it will look even more ugly come WC time.

2. Big thanks to Algeria for giving us a friendly. TM needs this badly and need more friendlies in September or else we'll be the new 8-0ers.

3. This is certainly no wake up call. Our wake up calls were months ago against Korea and the other poor performances. This TM squad simply doesn't have it for any impressive run in the WC especially with what we have in place. Changes need to be made.

4. Players such as Noorafkan, Hajsafi, Nourollahi, Abedzadeh, and even Gholizadeh should be NOWHERE near the Starting 11. Skokic is truly a moron for not realizing this yet. All of these guys should be sub players at best. I would argue Noorafkan should be kicked off all together, I've seen enough of him.

5. On a positive note, it was amazing to see Omid Ebrahimi back again and he is a MUST for the WC team. It took Skokic long enough to bring him back.
Aghasi should certainly be invited more.. Hoping to see PAG, Majid, Kanani, Aghasi, Shoja all invited for defense. Allayar looked great too and certainly needs to start over Gholizadeh.

6. As far as our GK situation, it's time to fully go back to Beiranvand and ride with him.. I certainly have the most trust in him and it's great to see him transfer back to Perspolis and get full playing time again.

7. Hope to see more playing time for guys like Alipour, Hosseinzadeh, or Mehdipour in future friendlies. Stop playing the useless Noorafkan or Hajsagi.

Overall: this was a poor performance against Algeria's B team who were primarily domestic players and some player in lower level players abroad. Hopefully we can organize some more friendlies to get our player's chemistry up and get more comfortable with one another. Shame on IFF for the lack of preparation for TM. Feel like the Qatar FA has done more for TM than IFF has.

[Team Melli Fan]

Omid Ebrahimi post-match interview at 3:44:50:

[the matrix1]

Also, Taremi should be replaced for good in team melli. He is an excellent Portuguese club soccer player. Still, unfortunately, he has shown time and time again that he cannot transition that to team Melli and is just another Karim Ansarifard. He took too many shots for me to count, but none of them went in. He does not have the accuracy and precision we need for a striker in tm and is also not playing well constantly. He plays well against bottom-feeder teams, but when faced with more vigorous opponents, he cant help us. I am sorry guys, IMHO, but he is just an awful tm player! I am serious I can't be the only one that sees that on the pitch!