The upcoming IRAN - SAUDI game

[Doctor DOOM]

I'm watching pool-madrid game and the same things keep coming back to me when I watch european football:

1- the intensity in the game
2- the force and pace of most passes
3- the pace and physicality of the british game

and I come back to one of my wishes for our football: run even half as hard and as fast as these guys.
and for that, we need one of those bloody physical trainer wankers from england. I dont care if he's from div 1 or even div 2 league. it's the same philosophy. why cant we get one of those ?
imagine if our lads could run close to that speed. I doubt anyone in asia could hold a candle to us!
(LOL. btw, gerard just scored their 3rd off a cross from left !!! width, width, width .. ppl )

I dont want to feel bad for the matadors ( barca-madrid rivalry and all ) ... but I just cant help to feel a tinge of disappointment !
I mean these guys have truckload of stars. and they are over-run by a bunch of "kargar"s ( except torres who's the only one with flair in 'pool team. btw, what on earth was that flick-in at the beginning? simply magnificent )!!
how?
becoz of the brit's physical conditioning and their pace!
you gotta admire the brits' commitment to physical perfection and discipline ( even if they suck in technical skills and flair ).

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anyway, back to TM needs. why cant we get one of those phys trainers from england?
I mean how expensive can they be in div 1 or div 2 leagues?

[Martin-Reza]

no spoilers please about European football results

[BehzadB]

for the upcoming Saudi game, I be looking forward to Vaheed finally putting one in the back of the net for a change....

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DD, about that intensity and pace thing.. the key is the one touch football that these guy plays that makes their game so great..

physical training part is not such a secret science ... everyone knows how to manage their physical fitness, but not everyone actually goes out and does it.. Pros do it, have arss pros don't..

[Paradigm]

You may have a point there, bahram jan.
certainly the more experienced coaches will find our moves and tactics and can devise counters to them.
what do we have to up the ante?
I'd say a fit and energetic karimi is a good start. but we need more.
I must say after Niki's recent games, I wouldnt mind suspending his ban in TM and using him as one of the strikers.
in PP's ACL game, he was on fire. and did very well in passing, heading, crossing, creating chances, .... etc.
It'd be a pity if we have a chance to use a resource like him but end up eliminating him!
------------
after PP's ACL game:
With karimi subbed out, pp lost all quality in management of the middle of the park. their creativity quality went down. so did the quality of their passing and their combo-plays ( that was the highlight of their first half )!
this just shows what a playmaker can be to a team.
compared to his replacement, bagheri who, if not a big ZERO, was very very poor.
I think we all can take a major lesson from this that any team who wants to be successful and WIN games ( not merely draw ), they ought to have a playmaker, as compared to a mere central mid.
following bagheri's continuous decline in efficiency in the past 2 months or so, I think the answer is clear to daei who deserves to start and who doesnt.
Will Daei sideline bagheri?
and why would he even sub him IN? I'd say judging by his performances these days, he shdnt even get subbed in unless we are 2-3 goals up ( which is an improbablity ). subbing karimi due to fatigue or whatever is one thing, but we must be very careful with his replacement also. another playmaker like jabbari or shojaei would be far more effective than bringing bagheri in.
sorry, agha karim. thank you for all the years of dedication and hard work , for all the glory you have brought to Iran. I think it is time to re-retire. and this time, for good. dont go listening to others who may want to use you as a political tool. think about ur achievements and standing in our football and exit gracefully and with honor.
as it shd be with every player.
=============================
that was the case made for the need for a playmaker, now , this is for the need for WIDTH:
in PP's ACL game what proved to be a constant danger for the uae team was the number of crosses coming in from PP's left ( and some on right ) with petrovic, nouri and niki constantly running up and down, ... USING ALL THE PITCH, even the opponent's 1/3rd and crossing in.
now, PP may not have the resources of a national team, and they have to do with only their 22 man squad. but at TM, we have far more options for senders and recievers.
but the ACT of playing the whole pitch and using wide plays to create chances shd not be ignored anymore.

Dr D all of these points make complete and perfect sense to me. Anyone who has a sufficiently logical brain wiring should acknowledge them. I say this and I am a mathematician by profession who teaches at the college level. I am just surprised how come we never have a TM head-coach who is sophisticated enough to implement these aspects? It must be a national curse on us, truly sad. I am already furious Daie not inviting Kazemian (a striker we need), but I am going to tear down a room if I see him playing Bagheri in the Saudi game. I hope one of his staff members reads this thread. Oh, and as for when Hashemian scored for TM last, it was in 2006... that is 2.5 years ago.

[Doctor DOOM]

1- sorry Martin jan. I was so caught up by the PACE of the game that I didnt think it'd spoil matters for ppl.
But it underlines the age-old saying ; SPEED KILLS.
in football, speed kills the opposition, hardly bothering about their technical standards!

2- behzad jan, you are correct on the dedication of the athletes. unless they want to ( or are forced to ) go thru the rigors, they wont get in this kind of shape.
that's why I say perhaps a more ruthless phys trainer , a kind of no none-sense guy, can force them to get in this shape.


3- DAAAMMN, a Mathematician? massive respect to you , bro.
I think we got one part right as bagheri, respectfully, pulled out of that particular game.

[zzgloo]

Payman Jaan.You have my vote to replace Daie !
.......................................

I totaly agree with you on giveing NIKI another chance...specialy since Karimi will be there to,..and thier familiarity...
There are others whom could also be given a chance, and not haveing them will hurt us....players such as, Madanchi, Navikia, Karimi ,Rhaman


1- Our Midfield does not look bad.....it has always been the streangth of our TM......
Shjaee...............Neku................karimi
Possible new invitees,whcih daei should " Az khare shaytan biad baeen ",and invite them...............(....Navikia......Zandi )

2-Our Forwards...the same ..vahid...Rezaie....( khalili....NIKI....Madanchi ).

3- Our defense...in My opinion, is the weakest link !!!!.............We have no choices....and we must bring back ( Rahman )....not to solve our problems, but to make it less bad !

[Doctor DOOM]

LOL. bahram jan, stop pulling my leg.

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and as if you all didnt know what I'm going to talk about after the 4 ACL games, I must talk about a totally "NEW & FRESH" subject called ..... ... WIDTH in the team .


put aside a couple of foolish passes and mistakes ( which every single ss player commited anyway ) , I think Heydari proved once and for all, he truly deserves to be in TM's final 22 man squad.
far more than the likes of zareh, g-nejad, ... etc.
the way ss scored their goal just underlines the need for a player who KNOWS how to use all of the pitch, even the zone near the opponents' corner flag and also, knows how to cross.

his fighting spirit in defending is what impressed me.
also his pace and crossing ability was something that REALLY caught me.
to overlook this talent is literally criminal.

[zzgloo]

Payman Jaan.....it was meant as a complement,only 50%...and the other 50% was meant as criticism to Daei !

Regarding " the width ".....,I like to mention a similar issue of " Passing ", and disturbution of the ball........
To my eyes, Navidkia , is the best " Passer " in Iran..and too bad he has been over looked.

[Doctor DOOM]

I think Navidkia's exclusion has much to do with his inability to keep and maintain fitness for a long period. he is highly injury-prone and just recently he's come back from his 7347653th injury.

But once he and asghari came in, sepahan became a more adventurous and positive team.

Hopefully if he keeps his fitness till ksa or even the latter games, daei will be compelled to use him.
like him, there are a few other players who are more deserving than some of the present players in TM's stable 22 man squads.
if only .....

========================================

[faraz]

if today's SS game was any indication of the kind of game we will see against the saudis, it is more than obvious that the only threat to us...is us.

I hope Daei watched the match closely, and particularly noticed how Saudi teams in general are not behind in Asia when it comes to attacking creativity and skill. hence, sitting back and inviting them forward after a marginal lead may not be a useful tactic if we end up scoring a goal.

how many times are we going to learn that our defense is not capable of soaking up pressure? how many more times are we going to pull back in fear, as if we are playing brazil, in our home stadium against arguably level or weaker opponents? it's a shameful display of football and we are far too skilled to have to succumb to it. let's even forget 'display of football' - has this tactic EVER paid off for us? Have we ever been able to sit back on a lead and completely shut off a team?

look at manchester united, playing the top team in the Serie A. Did they stop at 1-0? did they stop at 2-0? they kept possession mostly in the OPPONENTS third of the field.

look at liverpool, who relentlessly attacked, giving Madrid zero hope. now imagine if 'pool and manu sat back, inviting the likes of ibra, higuain and a bunch of others forward, constantly aiming balls into the box. the chances of one of those going in somehow is quite high...

when will we learn that playing in fear through destructive, defensive and 'bezan zeeresh' football will only harm us??

why are we so scared and what are we scared of??

when will we learn?? i pray we learn in time for the saudi match, or else I have a strong feeling we'll see another heartbreaking 1-1 draw.

[RaginG Inferno]

I must agree with your statements, Faraz.

[Doctor DOOM]

Totally correct, faraz.

afterall a large majority of ppl still believe in the saying" The best defense is a good offense".
which will keep the opponents' defenders, fullbacks, def-mids, ... at bay and bothered about your attackers. hence, they wont have time to add to their offensive players, therefore increasing the pressure on ur defense.

now, if a team has suspect defense and defensive strategy, it is even more important to make sure there is no undue pressure on ur defenders. by any means possible. even if it means you become a bit more gutsy and courageous in crucial games.

====================

on recent TM call ups:

Now, I dont know what daei's trying to pull here. is this just a roster for the 2 test games? if so, it has certain flaws in calling many players whom you are NOT going to use, while keeping some of those whom you ARE going to use away from the team practice/training, and therefore, DENYING the chances for coordination and cohesion between those who WILL play against saudi.

or :

Kiafan jan, this is not just for Kenya friendly, this is the list for following games:
1- Kenya
2- Senegal
3- Kuwait
4- Saudi Arabia

اسامي تيم ملي فوتبال اعلام شد؛
مهدوي كيا،شيث رضايي و معدنچي دعوت شدند
باز هم خبري از علي كريمي نيست
خبرگزاري دانشجويان ايران - تهران
سرويس: ورزشي - فوتبال
اسامي بازيكنان تيم ملي فوتبال ايران براي سه بازي تداركاتي وهمچنين ديدار برابر تيم ملي عربستان اعلام شد.
به گزارش خبرگزاري دانشجويان ايران (ايسنا)، علي دايي سرمربي تيم ملي ايران 27 بازيكن را براي بازي تداركاتي مقابل تيم هاي كنيا،كويت و سنگال وهمچنين ديدار مقابل تيم ملي عربستان در روز هشتم فروردين 88 از سري رقابت هاي راهيابي به جام جهاني 2010 آفريقاي جنوبي به اردوي تيم ملي فراخواند كه اسامي اين بازيكنان بدين شرح است:سيد مهدي رحمتي،وحيد طالب لو،محمد محمدي،هادي عقيلي،محسن بنگر،سيدجلال حسيني، شيث رضايي، حسين كعبي، خسرو حيدري، علي حمودي، حسن اشجاري، ستار زارع، مازيار زارع، جواد نكونام، حسين كاظمي، مسعود شجاعي، محمد نوري، محمدرضا خلعتبري، مهرزاد معدنچي، احسان حاج صفي، مهدي مهدوي كيا، احمد جمشيديان، مجيد غلام نژاد، وحيدهاشميان،سياوش اكبرپور،غلامرضا رضايي و جلال رافخايي.
اين بازيكنان بايد ساعت 12 ظهر فردا (پنجشنبه) خود را در آكادمي فوتبال به كادر فني تيم ملي معرفي كنند.با وجود برخي گمانه زني ها نام علي كريمي در ميان دعوت شدگان به تيم ملي وجود ندارد.

SOURCE: ISNA

if this is the final roster for the 2 test games AS WELL AS KSA game, then he has committed a humongous f**k-up in his selections, once again. leaving out the legionnaires, he still have not called karimi ( a key player that we'd need ), jabbari ( far more effective than shojaei or nouri ), and I'd even add khalili ( who by that time would be in a better shape than last week ).

basically, whichever excuse the staff comes forth with, will have quite a few holes in it that opens them to a lot of criticism ( many of which are justified ).

( is there a third explanation ? )


on the roster:
I think many of the "new" guys ( like hamoudi, rafkhahi, ...) would be struck off . But what really gets me is how he still trusts utterly USELESS players like zareh ( who will be there in the final roster. but really. what the hell has he done in the past 6 months or more, that favors him over many others in the league ? what ? ) and even rezaei ( who hasnt really done anything worth mentioning in the past 2-3 months ), but khalili , who may be an answer to our problems up front isnt !! and no borhani ( but that brainless akbarpoor is there !!) !! it reeks of stupidity!

how lower caliber OM players like khalatbari, nouri and shojaei are there, but superior players like jabbari and karimi arent!

and going by the past experience, calling up hajsafi, madanchi heydari, .. are just an eye-wash to please the critics. come game time, I'm afraid we'd see the faces of g-nejad and khalatbari and ... much BEFORE seeing these others!

so what is he trying to do?
persist, persist and persist ... no matter what?
even at the cost of denying us the 3 points? ... just to prove you stand by your initial words/decisions ( which by themselves are open to question ) ??
lajbaazi ta kay?

[Doctor DOOM]

It's a dangerous game what Daei's playing here.
He is putting way too much emphasis on "ghaza o ghadar", fate or luck.
and on too many fronts as well!

aside from relying on rahmati's EXTRA-ordinary ( emphasis on "extra" ) saves in each and every game which separates us from some heavy defeats, he is also putting too much in store of luck up front also.

given the team's lack of coordination and much tactical quality, he seems to rely on the opponents' mistakes or set pieces to score goals.
a look at our last WCQ's plus some preliminary round games we see many of our goals are either off dead ball situations ( by itself not a bad idea. but as the SOLE tactic to score? uh uh! ) or off grand mistakes by the opponents' defenders! either their keeper misses the ball or the defender misses it or ... .

not one of our goals have been scored becoz we FORCED it or showed a combination move or strategy ... except perhaps jabbari's cross to kia's header against N Korea.

so I think it is safe to say daei's team plays a PASSIVE game, waiting for loop holes and mistakes to do its damage. again, nothing wrong with this as long as we show OTHER ideas and tactics alongside this. But we dont! and that's why we've become a passive, reactionary team rather than a team that's PRO-ACTIVE and CREATIVE by forcing our moves onto the opponents and scoring goals through OUR brilliance and ideas, rather than their errors.


His latest omission of Karimi and jabbari ( I'm not even gonna bring up mobaali ) is along such lines and underlines this passivity even more.
this shows the team will ONCE AGAIN lack creativity and pro-active measures to MAKE A GOAL BY ourselves!

I dont know what daei has against technically gifted players like karimi, jabbari, mobaali, ... , but it is NOT healthy for the team.


lets say he doesnt like karimi in TM.
ok. fine.
screw karimi.
but WHO is going to be the playmaker in ur team?
is your team going to have a playmaker AT ALL?

or are we to rely on chance and luck and fortunes on both ends, to save us from conceding multiple goals and also smile a couple of times on us up front with opponents' errors ?

why cant we be a proactive team who CARVES OUR OWN FORTUNE and MAKE our own plays and CREATE our own chances?

[Doctor DOOM]

[maij]

if today's SS game was any indication of the kind of game we will see against the saudis, it is more than obvious that the only threat to us...is us.

I hope Daei watched the match closely, and particularly noticed how Saudi teams in general are not behind in Asia when it comes to attacking creativity and skill. hence, sitting back and inviting them forward after a marginal lead may not be a useful tactic if we end up scoring a goal.

how many times are we going to learn that our defense is not capable of soaking up pressure? how many more times are we going to pull back in fear, as if we are playing brazil, in our home stadium against arguably level or weaker opponents? it's a shameful display of football and we are far too skilled to have to succumb to it. let's even forget 'display of football' - has this tactic EVER paid off for us? Have we ever been able to sit back on a lead and completely shut off a team?

look at manchester united, playing the top team in the Serie A. Did they stop at 1-0? did they stop at 2-0? they kept possession mostly in the OPPONENTS third of the field.

look at liverpool, who relentlessly attacked, giving Madrid zero hope. now imagine if 'pool and manu sat back, inviting the likes of ibra, higuain and a bunch of others forward, constantly aiming balls into the box. the chances of one of those going in somehow is quite high...

when will we learn that playing in fear through destructive, defensive and 'bezan zeeresh' football will only harm us??

why are we so scared and what are we scared of??

when will we learn?? i pray we learn in time for the saudi match, or else I have a strong feeling we'll see another heartbreaking 1-1 draw.

Great post..... Needless to say , I agree entirely.


To me , and that is entirely a personal preference , the best form of defense is attack... I loathe this tactic of sitting on a slender lead although sometime circumstances dictate such.

I don't have enough confidence in the defenses to sustain continuous attacks by the opponents, and as mentioned , their "Hail Mary" clearances usually end up coming back to them in a few seconds...

So , provided that we have a midfiled that does not tire and physically condition thensleves well , I beleive that TM should not sit on a slender lead scenario ....


The only thing that I slightly differ with you Agha Faraz , is the "Fear Factor"...I think TM should be afraid , concerned or cautious ( or words to similar effects!). This is Saudi Arabia , we are talking about . NEVER...EVER...undersetimate them....