This is after their second games respectively.
1- SAIPA
I'd like to start positively and praise what Daei has done at Saipa.
remember this was a team that lost many of its influential players like khalili, who had a major hand in their championship winning season last year.
so Daei was left with a bunch of unknowns but hungry players and naturally it took some time till they gel together and make a formidable team. hence their rise in second half of the season.
but today, their display of football was beyond expectation. They performed extremely well and I must say they truly deserved to win the game by even larger margin and I dare raise my hope of them advancing from the group. They played like a TEAM, not 11 individuals. and that means a LOT, given our individual-based football in Iran. Kudos to Daei.
Of the players, I have always been impressed by the highly under-rated Omid Sharifinasab. but today he outdid himself. he proved he is a natural general in the middle and frankly, among the top 10-15 best IPL players this half season.
Then the surprise was Gholamnejad in defense. the guy was a revelation ( perhaps becoz the moronic irib rarely shows teams other than the 2 usual spoilt-rotten soosools ). The guys played very well, he tackled well and saved us on a couple of occasions, he attacked well too. he is young and energetic and has pretty decent technique. I know I wouldnt mind seeing him in TM camp. certainly someone to keep an eye on for future.
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2- Sepahan
sigh! oh, sepahan, sepahan .... what has befallen you?
It almost hurts physically to see how the mighty have fallen!
and it is not only this game, but it's been going on for quite sometime now. almost from their final game at ACL last season.
could it be the loss of Navidkia and Karimi ?
it certainly coincided with their dip in form. but is it correct for a team to suddenly transform from a great organized and acceptably efficient team to a lost, confused and impotent one with the loss of just 2 players?
then there was the saga of Bonacic and how the internal politics in the team forced him out. ironically becoz of the same two influential players: nadivkia and karimi, who opposed bonacic.
I try to understand what sepahan's management, who have made the good reputation of being skillful and professional during recent years, suffered to come to a decision on this.
I understand their dilema as whichever decision they made, they'd stand to lose a lot.
and lose a lot, they did!
perhaps far beyond their expectations!
In hind-sight one can claim keeping bonacic and letting both navidkia and karimi go may have resulted in better fortunes for the team. but we dont know that for sure, do we?
It is also obvious Viera isnt up to the task and he isnt the right man for the job. which brings his part in Iraq's success into question, btw.
He hasnt taken one step correctly and hasnt been able to halt sepahan's slide. his arrangements and formation isnt working either. and at times, like today, baffles any fan.
why play the little striker paapi as your right DEFENDER, when you are playing the physically tough & strong uzbeks in their home? what were you thinking?
no wonder that side was our weakest and we paid dearly for that.
but we cant blame everything on him either.
IFF had a MAJOR hand in screwing up their trip and game also. and sadly nobody will be able to hold these bastards responsible for dropping the ball. It seems our new IFF is good in ONE thing only: dropping the ball .... again and again and again. no matter what the issue !!!
anyway, it appears sepahan has a monumental task to merely dig themselves out of this hole and frankly, I dont see it happening, given their recent form and their group.
They might as well concentrate on the league and hazfi games, and perhaps try to aim for face-saving games in ACL only.
1- SAIPA
I'd like to start positively and praise what Daei has done at Saipa.
remember this was a team that lost many of its influential players like khalili, who had a major hand in their championship winning season last year.
so Daei was left with a bunch of unknowns but hungry players and naturally it took some time till they gel together and make a formidable team. hence their rise in second half of the season.
but today, their display of football was beyond expectation. They performed extremely well and I must say they truly deserved to win the game by even larger margin and I dare raise my hope of them advancing from the group. They played like a TEAM, not 11 individuals. and that means a LOT, given our individual-based football in Iran. Kudos to Daei.
Of the players, I have always been impressed by the highly under-rated Omid Sharifinasab. but today he outdid himself. he proved he is a natural general in the middle and frankly, among the top 10-15 best IPL players this half season.
Then the surprise was Gholamnejad in defense. the guy was a revelation ( perhaps becoz the moronic irib rarely shows teams other than the 2 usual spoilt-rotten soosools ). The guys played very well, he tackled well and saved us on a couple of occasions, he attacked well too. he is young and energetic and has pretty decent technique. I know I wouldnt mind seeing him in TM camp. certainly someone to keep an eye on for future.
========================
2- Sepahan
sigh! oh, sepahan, sepahan .... what has befallen you?
It almost hurts physically to see how the mighty have fallen!
and it is not only this game, but it's been going on for quite sometime now. almost from their final game at ACL last season.
could it be the loss of Navidkia and Karimi ?
it certainly coincided with their dip in form. but is it correct for a team to suddenly transform from a great organized and acceptably efficient team to a lost, confused and impotent one with the loss of just 2 players?
then there was the saga of Bonacic and how the internal politics in the team forced him out. ironically becoz of the same two influential players: nadivkia and karimi, who opposed bonacic.
I try to understand what sepahan's management, who have made the good reputation of being skillful and professional during recent years, suffered to come to a decision on this.
I understand their dilema as whichever decision they made, they'd stand to lose a lot.
and lose a lot, they did!
perhaps far beyond their expectations!
In hind-sight one can claim keeping bonacic and letting both navidkia and karimi go may have resulted in better fortunes for the team. but we dont know that for sure, do we?
It is also obvious Viera isnt up to the task and he isnt the right man for the job. which brings his part in Iraq's success into question, btw.
He hasnt taken one step correctly and hasnt been able to halt sepahan's slide. his arrangements and formation isnt working either. and at times, like today, baffles any fan.
why play the little striker paapi as your right DEFENDER, when you are playing the physically tough & strong uzbeks in their home? what were you thinking?
no wonder that side was our weakest and we paid dearly for that.
but we cant blame everything on him either.
IFF had a MAJOR hand in screwing up their trip and game also. and sadly nobody will be able to hold these bastards responsible for dropping the ball. It seems our new IFF is good in ONE thing only: dropping the ball .... again and again and again. no matter what the issue !!!
anyway, it appears sepahan has a monumental task to merely dig themselves out of this hole and frankly, I dont see it happening, given their recent form and their group.
They might as well concentrate on the league and hazfi games, and perhaps try to aim for face-saving games in ACL only.
