Sardar Azmoun @ Rubin Kazan | 2017-2018

[Bandar Hamal]

About Hashemian nothing says he would have continued to play "the best football" if he stayed one more season in Bochum instead of going to Bayern. Yes off course, risk can lead to failure. But at least an other bundesliga came after him after his bayern unsuccessful year.
A guy like Azmoun has the ability to succeed in a high level team (if only he decides to focus on hard work). Do you think some respectable clubs will come and rescue him if he continue his lethargic season in Berdiev. FC?

The guy played 269 minutes in the bundesliga for bayern, do you understand how little that is? Bayern only bought him because their strategy has always been to buy the best players in the league, just to harm the opposition. It killed his confidence. He never came to close the numbera he had at his time at Bochum. From 8-16 league goals a season to no more than 4; the drop-off is staggering.

Azmoun is a different matter entirely from any of the others mentioned, and I don't think his stagnation has anything to do with lethargy. I've never seen a lazy performance from Azmoun for either club or country, he always is a willing worker. In every team he has played, being a worker is the minimum requirement anyway. I hope Azmoun leaves Kazan for the same reasons other have, but I would never call him a lazy player.

[PSGman#19]

This is complete and utter nonsense. JB's year in the Jupiler league, the year he won best player of the league, was what made him. He was getting props for some heroic performances as NEC were relegated but that's it, there was no serious offer that came. It was after his season in the Jupiler league that AZ Alkmaar gave him 1. A contract 2. A first team place 3. A promise that they would give him time to grow - all three things that he needed. Now he is top scorer of dutch league, you are doubting any of the decisions he's made up until now? wtf.
And what is he supposed to do if no serious offers come, invent one? Napoli were the biggest club reported to be tracking him - and that's all there were doing, tracking him! They never even made an offer, they decided to sign someone else!
Face it, the only clubs willing to spend 25 million euros on a winger are top clubs that can afford more expensive and established players, and premier league clubs. That's how the cards of have been played this summer
Birghton is a more stable club than Leicester present time (Puel does not inspire confidence), and have a better record of integrating players they've signed. They offer the promises and value similar to what Alkmaar had, why shouldn't he go? Because Sarri is at Chelsea and, therefore, he is still interested in Jahanbakhsh?
You could make counterpoints - ready? Vahid Hashemian. One excellent season in the Bundesliga, and he took Bayern's bait. He was never the same player after that season, if you could call it a season. There is no point in going to a big club if you're just going to make up the numbers. Hashemian to this day says he played his best football with Bochum. It works both ways!
Nekounam one time, one season, had an offer from Villareal. One time! And he is unambitious?
Mahdavikia's nationality (his coach admitted as much) and awkward timing with form / injuries prevented a move. By the way, when he was at HSV he was playing in Champions League / UEFA Cup so it's not as if he was at a begger's club.

About Hashemian nothing says he would have continued to play "the best football" if he stayed one more season in Bochum instead of going to Bayern. Yes off course, risk can lead to failure. But at least an other bundesliga came after him after his bayern unsuccessful year.
A guy like Azmoun has the ability to succeed in a high level team (if only he decides to focus on hard work). Do you think some respectable clubs will come and rescue him if he continue his lethargic season in Berdiev. FC?

[Bandar Hamal]

At the sametime, the topscorer of Holland is grateful for Brighton interest since years and won't stab them in the back even if United, Real Madrid or Juventus come for him. When NEC relegated, he stays with them and waste one precious years of his career there. I guess if the same happens to Brighton, he will stay and play championship next year.

This is complete and utter nonsense. JB's year in the Jupiler league, the year he won best player of the league, was what made him. He was getting props for some heroic performances as NEC were relegated but that's it, there was no serious offer that came. It was after his season in the Jupiler league that AZ Alkmaar gave him 1. A contract 2. A first team place 3. A promise that they would give him time to grow - all three things that he needed. Now he is top scorer of dutch league, you are doubting any of the decisions he's made up until now? wtf.
And what is he supposed to do if no serious offers come, invent one? Napoli were the biggest club reported to be tracking him - and that's all there were doing, tracking him! They never even made an offer, they decided to sign someone else!

Face it, the only clubs willing to spend 25 million euros on a winger are top clubs that can afford more expensive and established players, and premier league clubs. That's how the cards of have been played this summer

Birghton is a more stable club than Leicester present time (Puel does not inspire confidence), and have a better record of integrating players they've signed. They offer the promises and value similar to what Alkmaar had, why shouldn't he go? Because Sarri is at Chelsea and, therefore, he is still interested in Jahanbakhsh?

It was the same with Mahdavikia in Hamburg, Nekunam in Osasuna.

You could make counterpoints - ready? Vahid Hashemian. One excellent season in the Bundesliga, and he took Bayern's bait. He was never the same player after that season, if you could call it a season. There is no point in going to a big club if you're just going to make up the numbers. Hashemian to this day says he played his best football with Bochum. It works both ways!
Nekounam one time, one season, had an offer from Villareal. One time! And he is unambitious?
Mahdavikia's nationality (his coach admitted as much) and awkward timing with form / injuries prevented a move. By the way, when he was at HSV he was playing in Champions League / UEFA Cup so it's not as if he was at a begger's club.

[PSGman#19]

problem is our ppl have the wrong references for such specific issues like transfer to clubs.

we (including supposedly more exposed football personalities like experts, and commentators , that moron ferdowsipour included) repeat the European mantra of "wait till the WC/Euro is over before you review your offers" bcoz frankly that doesnt apply for us. But like our league calendare (which instead of our weekends of Thursdays and Fridays, we idiotically use sat and sunday for games!) … we try to emulate this mantra for our players.

what we miss is the attention span of euro scouts over Asian, especially those outside of korea/japan is extremely fickle and short lived.

you either capitalize on their interest in you when they show it or your window is shut.
till you either have a repeat of a fantastic tournament/season (which given most Iranians, consistency is a bit of an issue), or say good bye to whatever tiny birds you had in your hands, dreaming about big fat ones that never materialize


with a wink at Beiranvand



so this silly mantra of "wait till after the WC to decide your new club" makes no sense, where teams like ours will have momentary flashes that die out, or get lost in the midst of the ongoing tourney or simply get forgotten soon.

Moreover, iranian players menage their career with their heart (and money also) rathen than their brain. Yesterday a overrated brazilian from Bordeaux was expected to land in Roma to sign with As Roma. Their fans were waiting him at the airport but at the last minute, the brazilian accepted a last minute offer from Barcelona, cancelled his flight and signed with Barcelona.

At the sametime, the topscorer of Holland is grateful for Brighton interest since years and won't stab them in the back even if United, Real Madrid or Juventus come for him. When NEC relegated, he stays with them and waste one precious years of his career there. I guess if the same happens to Brighton, he will stay and play championship next year.
It was the same with Mahdavikia in Hamburg, Nekunam in Osasuna.

Iranians should learn to be more opportunists

Second point, someone speak about Allayar and co. Don't get your hope too high as we could see again the same scenario (Esteghlal blocking a EU transfer, the player prefering to stay in IPL over and over again, or go to Qatar). Someone said Allayar's father was a wrestler, but Azmoun's father was a player volleyball btw.

[Afat11]

Remember I was predicting all of this last year, and many were telling me I’m a Sardar basher, “don’t judge, Lazio will buy him after a 10 goal season and scoring a couple in WC.”

This was all predictable to anyone with any semblance of logic. Emotionally, I was hoping Barca and Real would be in a bidding war after Sardar broke the Russian league goal record and scored 4 in World Cup. Realistically, I saw how crappy Kazan is run as a club, with a lack of talent, and knew TM’s style would prevent Sardar from really shining in the World Cup.

The fact that I, as a fan, can see this, yet other professionals cannot would be funny if it weren’t so sad.

At this point, I really believe that Berdyev knew this would happen as well. If you have a player’s interest at heart, you send him to greener pastures to succeed. Not force him to stay in the nest with the illusion that you’re helping him improve.

Truthfully, Sardar’s value as a player has dropped significantly and without TM play will drop more, as all of his hype was around his TM record and the goals in Champions League, which looks like an outlier for his club career that won’t be repeated anytime soon.

[Doctor DOOM]

problem is our ppl have the wrong references for such specific issues like transfer to clubs.

we (including supposedly more exposed football personalities like experts, and commentators , that moron ferdowsipour included) repeat the European mantra of "wait till the WC/Euro is over before you review your offers" bcoz frankly that doesnt apply for us. But like our league calendare (which instead of our weekends of Thursdays and Fridays, we idiotically use sat and sunday for games!) … we try to emulate this mantra for our players.

what we miss is the attention span of euro scouts over Asian, especially those outside of korea/japan is extremely fickle and short lived.

you either capitalize on their interest in you when they show it or your window is shut.
till you either have a repeat of a fantastic tournament/season (which given most Iranians, consistency is a bit of an issue), or say good bye to whatever tiny birds you had in your hands, dreaming about big fat ones that never materialize


with a wink at Beiranvand



so this silly mantra of "wait till after the WC to decide your new club" makes no sense, where teams like ours will have momentary flashes that die out, or get lost in the midst of the ongoing tourney or simply get forgotten soon.

[Leicester City]

Have faith in Azmoun guys. Y'all are so quick to dismiss what he has done for us.

[inarsenewetrust]

and I dont agree with kiarash, I would pay 10 million EU for him because in this market strikers with just as crappy records and less talent are going for that much. But anything more is not worth it.

[shahname]

I have been one of his biggest supporters for some time, as many of you remember, but even I have changed my stance on him, and I think you guys should to. I no longer HAVE BIG EXPECTATIONS for this guy. He is an incredible talent, but he just seems stuck in teenage years, not growing up. How can you expect Azmoun, who really has the potential to be a top striker, to ever be on the same leve las a killer like mandzukic or costa, when the guy has to live with his parents still at the age of 23? You expect this guy to handle your expectations and the pressure of a nation on his back? I thought he performed very well in the WC, but his mental situation of the pitch screamed of somebody who was close to mental breakdown. Only the close TM group, CQ , and adrenaline kept his performances at a high level. If it was a regular league season, he would have crumbled and played poorly for a couple months before finally regaining form. Just compare him to guys like Ezatolahi and Mohammadi who in comparision to a beautiful city like Kazan live in the crappiest, coldest, most dahat parts of russia, alone, with no iranian teammates or father like coach, just working their ass off.

But I am sure there is a reason for this. Which parents would do this to their 23 year old son, who is an international figure? Parents that care, and know something we dont. If azmoun lived alone, I think he would really suffer from depression or something, and his parents know that, so they stay by his side. We make fun of berdyev, but his comments about azmoun are of somebody who cares and sees things that truly alarm him in a talented youngster. The guy cannot handle pressure or fame, and it affects his performance. When he said azmoun wasnt ready to leave to a big club, he was right. The guy cant even handle the spotlight of 3 world cup matches, let alone the pressure of a 50 game season in a demanding foreign environment, fighting for his place amongst other big strikers, with fans and media breathing down his neck.

Compare his attitude to that of the man that many say he is the heir to, Ali Daei. A guy who came from some poor corner of Ardabil, went to Sharif for a degree in engineering, and did that while pursuing a footballing career and having to deal with some of the worst coaches around, and while working multiple jobs in the bazaar to make ends meet. Somehow, this guy, with very little natural talent compared to Azmoun (so stiff he could hardly move, no dribbling ability, no agility or flexibility), scored goals at the highest level and made it to Bayern Munich, winning a German league title in the process, shining in the champions league in the LATTER stages of the competition, not the group stage, and carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders, playing through severe injuries at times and still carrying the team, and never once responding to critics with "you come run as much as me"...

The reality is, Sardar cannot handle the pressure, it sends him into a state of mental breakdown/collapse of close to it. Even with his good performances in WC, off the pitch the guy was a train wreck. The weird/not so weird thing is, to alleviate this pressure, he could just delete instagram and focus on his game, not the comments of some idiots who know nothing about real football (anybody that did said he played very well). But hes a kid! Although he cant handle the pressure, he loves the attention and fame! He is always messing around off the field, only wants to talk about his horses and make jokes. Not that everybody needs to be a stone like Mandzukic or cold blooded like Costa, but come on, there are times when you need to be serious. I remember and interview with ARJ that azmoun interrupted in, and ARJ told him, "Sardar jan, jedi bash", and Sardar responded "Asan nemitoonam". Seems like fun and games, but there is an underlying message here, the guy is just not serious.

This guy has so much talent, but if I was a big club, the MAX I would spend on him is 10 million Euros. I cannot rely on him to carry my team in the tough moments, or overcome adversity or media pressure, or pressure from his own teammates. I could not justify having to have special conversations, accommodations, relationship with him just to get him in the mental state to play a match.

For this reason, I dont expect from sardar anymore. If he gets past these clear mental problems, he will be amazing in a big club, there is no doubt about that. But for now, hes still just a boy in terms of HIS ACTIONS AND ATTITUDE, NOT AGE, and it is thus unfair to expect him to do the work of a man.

We need to stop focussing on him so much, if he moves great, if not whatever. Allahyar sayyad is a specimen of a striker, already starting and scoring in games for SS, and is just 17, with excellent mentality, and also absolutely massive potential. He will work with Shaeffer for a 2-3 years, and around the age of 20 I think he will then move to europe, where he will be totally ready for any challenge. Lets focus on the likes of him and Delfi more. I think Delfi will make a straight jump to europe next year, as he is currently still at SS Khuzestan, all signs point to him leaving as soon as he turns 18. These guys have enormous potential as well, and in 1-2 years can be making a big impact for TM.

Your comment on Sardar is spot on. He is not mentally mature. We have already had an example of a player with an enormous talent that could have ended in Real Madrid or Barcelona but had quiet a dismal club career even though he finally moved the move to Bayern Munich in the end of his career.
Yes, I am talking about Ali Karimi. The man was the biggest Iranian talent I have ever seen. Yet he didn't have the right mentality to take him to big places. It is pretty much the same story with Sardar!

[Tehranto]

I have been one of his biggest supporters for some time, as many of you remember, but even I have changed my stance on him, and I think you guys should to. I no longer HAVE BIG EXPECTATIONS for this guy. He is an incredible talent, but he just seems stuck in teenage years, not growing up. How can you expect Azmoun, who really has the potential to be a top striker, to ever be on the same leve las a killer like mandzukic or costa, when the guy has to live with his parents still at the age of 23? You expect this guy to handle your expectations and the pressure of a nation on his back? I thought he performed very well in the WC, but his mental situation of the pitch screamed of somebody who was close to mental breakdown. Only the close TM group, CQ , and adrenaline kept his performances at a high level. If it was a regular league season, he would have crumbled and played poorly for a couple months before finally regaining form. Just compare him to guys like Ezatolahi and Mohammadi who in comparision to a beautiful city like Kazan live in the crappiest, coldest, most dahat parts of russia, alone, with no iranian teammates or father like coach, just working their ass off.
But I am sure there is a reason for this. Which parents would do this to their 23 year old son, who is an international figure? Parents that care, and know something we dont. If azmoun lived alone, I think he would really suffer from depression or something, and his parents know that, so they stay by his side. We make fun of berdyev, but his comments about azmoun are of somebody who cares and sees things that truly alarm him in a talented youngster. The guy cannot handle pressure or fame, and it affects his performance. When he said azmoun wasnt ready to leave to a big club, he was right. The guy cant even handle the spotlight of 3 world cup matches, let alone the pressure of a 50 game season in a demanding foreign environment, fighting for his place amongst other big strikers, with fans and media breathing down his neck.
Compare his attitude to that of the man that many say he is the heir to, Ali Daei. A guy who came from some poor corner of Ardabil, went to Sharif for a degree in engineering, and did that while pursuing a footballing career and having to deal with some of the worst coaches around, and while working multiple jobs in the bazaar to make ends meet. Somehow, this guy, with very little natural talent compared to Azmoun (so stiff he could hardly move, no dribbling ability, no agility or flexibility), scored goals at the highest level and made it to Bayern Munich, winning a German league title in the process, shining in the champions league in the LATTER stages of the competition, not the group stage, and carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders, playing through severe injuries at times and still carrying the team, and never once responding to critics with "you come run as much as me"...
The reality is, Sardar cannot handle the pressure, it sends him into a state of mental breakdown/collapse of close to it. Even with his good performances in WC, off the pitch the guy was a train wreck. The weird/not so weird thing is, to alleviate this pressure, he could just delete instagram and focus on his game, not the comments of some idiots who know nothing about real football (anybody that did said he played very well). But hes a kid! Although he cant handle the pressure, he loves the attention and fame! He is always messing around off the field, only wants to talk about his horses and make jokes. Not that everybody needs to be a stone like Mandzukic or cold blooded like Costa, but come on, there are times when you need to be serious. I remember and interview with ARJ that azmoun interrupted in, and ARJ told him, "Sardar jan, jedi bash", and Sardar responded "Asan nemitoonam". Seems like fun and games, but there is an underlying message here, the guy is just not serious.
This guy has so much talent, but if I was a big club, the MAX I would spend on him is 10 million Euros. I cannot rely on him to carry my team in the tough moments, or overcome adversity or media pressure, or pressure from his own teammates. I could not justify having to have special conversations, accommodations, relationship with him just to get him in the mental state to play a match.
For this reason, I dont expect from sardar anymore. If he gets past these clear mental problems, he will be amazing in a big club, there is no doubt about that. But for now, hes still just a boy in terms of HIS ACTIONS AND ATTITUDE, NOT AGE, and it is thus unfair to expect him to do the work of a man.
We need to stop focussing on him so much, if he moves great, if not whatever. Allahyar sayyad is a specimen of a striker, already starting and scoring in games for SS, and is just 17, with excellent mentality, and also absolutely massive potential. He will work with Shaeffer for a 2-3 years, and around the age of 20 I think he will then move to europe, where he will be totally ready for any challenge. Lets focus on the likes of him and Delfi more. I think Delfi will make a straight jump to europe next year, as he is currently still at SS Khuzestan, all signs point to him leaving as soon as he turns 18. These guys have enormous potential as well, and in 1-2 years can be making a big impact for TM.

Great post!

Very well said. Just because we physically age, does not mean we mentally/emotionally mature. Thank God it seems our next few upcoming stars (those in their 17s) - Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, Taha Shariati and Younes Delfi already have shown to have great attitude. I follow Allahyar's father on Instagram. The man is a strong man (champion Wrestler), he loves his kid but it's clear he wants him to venture on his own and succeed.

Unfortunately, in our culture - we think good parenting is for parents to overload you with love and kisses. That's bullshit. A good parent is one who loves you but know that their biggest job is to make sure their child is able to survive and flourish on their own. I am not blaming his parents, just saying that Azmoun does not have the emotional competence. He must go to therapy.