Does Shojaei belong to TM, and why?

[DR Strangemoosh]

As fans, some of us may not be able to see his impact as easily but European coaches, who can see the tactical side of the game are obviously seeing his worth.

Look, I am not saying we know more than coaches. Far from it. But at the same time all of us know that there are a lot of deals, salesmanship and player agents behind the scenes.

When Shojaei first came on the scene internationally, with no experience he suddenly jumped ahead of a player who was the same age as him, and had just won PLAYER OF THE YEAR in the IPL! His deal to Spain was fast tracked and a lot of people made some money. The other player refused his deal to go abroad, but that's another story.

What makes certain players successful and picked by clubs and national teams isn't just talent and hard work, there are other factors in play that we don't see.

[O-ZoNe]

So no Shojaie against S.Korea...just throwing that out there cause it was probably one of our bests match under CQ. We dominated possession, speed, passing, counters...does one player have that much of an impact in the midfield? I am curious to know how the defenders and detractors of Shojaie feel presently?

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[Tehranto]

Yes, he definitely belongs to TM. He was fantastic vs. Uzbekistan. I love how CQ has so many interchangeable parts in TM and that no one's spot is safe and no one complains.

Masoud and Ando bring great veteran presence - no hashieh.

[DR Strangemoosh]

So no Shojaie against S.Korea...just throwing that out there cause it was probably one of our bests match under CQ. We dominated possession, speed, passing, counters...does one player have that much of an impact in the midfield? I am curious to know how the defenders and detractors of Shojaie feel presently?

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Before, Shojaei's negative impact was that he alters the shape of the team because he doesn't track back and is often out of position.

I think the biggest impact by far of Shojaei on the team is the impact it has on the other players seeing someone who just doesn't run and strolls around. It had a noticeable effect in the world cup because all the players were running their hearts out but Masoud really looked like he was just playing a kickabout in the park. It was something else, all the fans in the stadium were shocked.

I don't know if you guys get the same picture on TV that is in the stadium. I remember people give Karimi a hard time in 2006 (when he was injured) but Masoud was fit. And the fact is that he does this every game.

I think we have seen evidence that the team's shape is more solid without him. Nevertheless because he is one of iran's only two-footed players and is undeniable skillful on the ball (we don't have anywhere near as many skill players as we did 10 years ago) he can be used as a sub. I have a feeling that this is what CQ plans for him.