Dragan Skočić Appreciation Thread!

[Taz]

Ah of course. I forgot to carry the 1 when I divided by 7.

[Doctor DOOM]

A couple genuine questions I hope PPL can answer, as I just don't remember.

1. When was the last time we beat Iraq by three goals margin?

2. When was the last time, if ever, we beat SKorea in their home?


I genuinely would appreciate the answers

Thank you in advance

[mahestan]

A couple genuine questions I hope PPL can answer, as I just don't remember.
1. When was the last time we beat Iraq by three goals margin?
2. When was the last time, if ever, we beat SKorea in their home?
I genuinely would appreciate the answers
Thank you in advance

We beat Iraq 3-0 back on September 7, 2021 for WC2022 qualification.

We beat Korea 1-0 in Ulsan back on June 18th, 2013 for WC2014 qualification. This win was possible with a huge thanks to the double save by Rahman Ahmadi's double save on the line, and Gucci's persistent on not giving up and capitalizing on the S.Korean's blunder.

[Ghermez Agha]

We have a saying in Farsi that says "Moama cho hal gasht, aasaan shavad". I remember that even during CQ, we struggled against Iraq and we even lost to Lebanon in Beirut, now that we have defeated Iraq three times in a row and went to Bahrain in high heat and humidity in the middle of a COVID-19 red rating in that country and beat everyone and then qualified for the World Cup in the quickest fashion in AFC history, some of us have started to question the accomplishments of TM under Skocic. You know, it is a good thing to be fair in life and give credit when credit is due. I guess that's how everyone of us wants to be treated in life, don't we? I never bad mouthed Skocic like some who still call him the "Croatian dallal" but I had my doubts yet I was willing to give him a chance. He won me over not only with the results but how he has handled the media, the Taremi situation, the Kanaani supposed stupidity and then again this last round of COVID-19 and players joining late due to weather situation in Turkey. He is a mature, dedicated professional that has grown along with TM and now I have confidence that he will be able to handle the huge challenge of WC preparation and taking us beyond the group stage. There are other factors involved here and he is far from perfect, yet he has proven in action and attitude that he is our guy through the WC.

Go TM!

I agree, give credit where credit is due. This also needs to be applied to the ppl not willing to acknowledge the fact that the strength of this group is the fruits on CQ’s labor. When CQ has left Iran and colombia, sh!t hit the fan big time and his critics looked even more stupid than they already did. Skocic is of course a competent manager and miles and miles ahead of the trash that we saw that was wilmots take over after CQ left and single handedly destroyed the NT atmosphere. All the evidence you need for this is to look at the countless interviews with TM players who all mentioned the atmosphere of the TM camp under wilmots and how different it was to prior (when CQ was there) and how Skocic brought that back….again, credit to sko for that and it was clear on day 1 of his job and him doing his tours to see our players, that he would deliver in that very critical and sensitive department TM needed a boost in.

I am tired of the CQ vs Sko debate and don’t see it as comparable due to many circumstances. We can and should be able to appreciate both for the things they have done but I won’t sit here and accept the ppl who want to deny that Sko is not reeping any benefits that came from CQ’s 8 years of hard work

[O-ZoNe]

We are done? I guess we are if have you this kind of small-time mentality. Comparing Skocic to worst TM coach in history or dismissing Korea games in favor of bah bah chah chah after beating Lebanon in stoppage time.

In reality, we are not done. World cup is in November. And games against Korea are more indicative of this team and coaches quality rather than Syria or Cambodia. Probably. I could be wrong.

You are wrong. I was referencing the Mackey mouse tournament you referred too. The same one it took CQ more effort to qualify from. And yes Korea match will not have the same implications as you suggest since reduced pressures, covid related atmosphere, the fact that by then likely both teams have qualified and may not start the strongest lineups are all highly probable events. So to say you plan on dismissing Skocic achievements to date in favor of 1 match of wacky mouse proportions seems odd...and frankly ignorant of the realities of the game.

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[Philosophy_King]

We beat Iraq 3-0 back on September 7, 2021 for WC2022 qualification.

We beat Korea 1-0 in Ulsan back on June 18th, 2013 for WC2014 qualification. This win was possible with a huge thanks to the double save by Rahman Ahmadi's double save on the line, and Gucci's persistent on not giving up and capitalizing on the S.Korean's blunder.

We were overall lucky to qualify for the WC 2014. Just think of our game against Uzbekistan in Tashkent, were we got totally dominated and scored a last-minute goal to snatch totally underserved 3 points.

[O-ZoNe]

I agree, give credit where credit is due. This also needs to be applied to the ppl not willing to acknowledge the fact that the strength of this group is the fruits on CQ’s labor. When CQ has left Iran and colombia, sh!t hit the fan big time and his critics looked even more stupid than they already did. Skocic is of course a competent manager and miles and miles ahead of the trash that we saw that was wilmots take over after CQ left and single handedly destroyed the NT atmosphere. All the evidence you need for this is to look at the countless interviews with TM players who all mentioned the atmosphere of the TM camp under wilmots and how different it was to prior (when CQ was there) and how Skocic brought that back….again, credit to sko for that and it was clear on day 1 of his job and him doing his tours to see our players, that he would deliver in that very critical and sensitive department TM needed a boost in.

I am tired of the CQ vs Sko debate and don’t see it as comparable due to many circumstances. We can and should be able to appreciate both for the things they have done but I won’t sit here and accept the ppl who want to deny that Sko is not reeping any benefits that came from CQ’s 8 years of hard work

I think this is the issue. At what point do we start talking about Skocic and his hard work and legacy? I think in all fairness CQs legacy and hardwork ended in 2018. AC cup we were favorites and left with an embarrassing performance against Japan. Also any positives left by CQ were tarnished by Wilmots. Don't forget Skocic inherited chaos...a situation one was willing to walk into and did nothing short of spectacular after the foundations CQ laid crumbled...and then were sledge hammered by Wilmots to dust and memories of days past.

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[Keshwardoost]

For me, I remember the Japan game as one of our best games.

We played great attacking football, with possesion play, and dominated big parts of the game. Combined with a solid defence. But then that horrible misstake of running to the ref while game was on got us behind, and we had so litle time left so we went all out attack and got scored on 2 more.

I remember that during the game, I was thinking: woow we are realy playing some great football.

Somehow that has been turned by cq haters to: we were playing bad, couldnt play attacking football and so on.
remember cq said, we had done fase 1, implement defence, face 2 was implementing attacking play for asia cup to reach our next level, in his long term plan for TM.

Maybe im the only one that isnt unhappy with how we played, outplaying Japan. eaven if we lost.

[Doctor DOOM]

We beat Iraq 3-0 back on September 7, 2021 for WC2022 qualification.
We beat Korea 1-0 in Ulsan back on June 18th, 2013 for WC2014 qualification. This win was possible with a huge thanks to the double save by Rahman Ahmadi's double save on the line, and Gucci's persistent on not giving up and capitalizing on the S.Korean's blunder.

1. Well, obviously I wasn't talking about the recent 3-0 vs Iraq.
But as far as I know it is unprecedented.

2. Ah yes. The classic opportunistic poacher goal by RGN. I had forgotten it.
Thanks for reminding me.

He was such a great player.

============
One more issue I wld like to credit not only to Skocic, but his staff is their calm demeanor that is showing in a more calm TM.
Skocic is generally a calm individual. And correctly he picked VH and Bagheri both of whom we very calm and low profile characters who complement the coach.

Imagine the team working with not one, but three very calm and quiet individuals. Naturally they too will adopt this behavior.
Thankfully gone are the days when the team was a powder keg and bundle of nerves. Imagine the horrors of seeing Badavi & Rezaei slapping each other in the middle of the pitch in front of the whole world!!!
Yikes!

[mehdi13]

We were overall lucky to qualify for the WC 2014. Just think of our game against Uzbekistan in Tashkent, were we got totally dominated and scored a last-minute goal to snatch totally underserved 3 points.

Reminds me of the game we almost lost to Lebanon in November.

[mehdi13]

We beat Korea 1-0 in Ulsan back on June 18th, 2013 for WC2014 qualification. This win was possible with a huge thanks to the double save by Rahman Ahmadi's double save on the line, and Gucci's persistent on not giving up and capitalizing on the S.Korean's blunder.

Great job by CQ. Might not have been possible with Rahmati or Ansarifard.

[Ghermez Agha]

I think this is the issue. At what point do we start talking about Skocic and his hard work and legacy? I think in all fairness CQs legacy and hardwork ended in 2018. AC cup we were favorites and left with an embarrassing performance against Japan. Also any positives left by CQ were tarnished by Wilmots. Don't forget Skocic inherited chaos...a situation one was willing to walk into and did nothing short of spectacular after the foundations CQ laid crumbled...and then were sledge hammered by Wilmots to dust and memories of days past.
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All due respect to you ozone jaan, I think what you’re saying in the bolded is equally as unfair and feeds into the cancerous remarks by the khiabani’s and misaghi’s of the world who are as clueless and harmful as they come.

CQ’s legacy can be talked about for days but I’ll keep it short. The man raised the standard of winning and TM football as a whole…..his record, squads he built, philosophies and atmospheres did not exist before he came to TM. It was not a norm to walk through the World Cup qualification with ease, it was not a norm to maintain a #1 ranked Asian team, it was not a norm to be placed in the group of death and be fighting for advancement to the knockout stages until the last second, it was not a norm to push for your guys to play in Europe and at the highest levels, it was not a norm to have a no-hashiyeh TM and eliminate your drama queens regardless of status, it was not a norm to pay out of your own pocket for TM expenses……I’ll stop here but I’m happy to chime in with more of the point hasn’t been made at this point. Many, many things this man did was legendary and is being reaped the benefit of by Sko.

If you’re not willing to acknowledge that, then you’re no different than the other side of the argument that doesn’t acknowledge sko’s accomplishments and we can stop the convo here bc we’ll just be going in circles.

[Philosophy_King]

Reminds me of the game we almost lost to Lebanon in November.

Well under CQ we actually lost to Lebanon (WCQ 2014)....

But unlike our recent game against Lebanon, we got totally outplayed by Uzbekistan back in WCQ 2014 and where dominated in every single aspect of the game. Those two games are not comparable at all. Plus our 2-1 Victory to Lebanon was not undeserved.

[mahestan]

We were overall lucky to qualify for the WC 2014. Just think of our game against Uzbekistan in Tashkent, were we got totally dominated and scored a last-minute goal to snatch totally underserved 3 points.

Most definitely. That qualification campaign was definitely not a walk in the park. Lady luck was on our side couple of times.

[Ghermez Agha]

Most definitely. That qualification campaign was definitely not a walk in the park. Lady luck was on our side couple of times.

Yeah and it was very much against us too vs Lebanon away and Uzbekistan at home. It was for sure a wild one…..that Uzbek team was their best ever national team, very tough opponent