Your Lineup against Morocco

[inarsenewetrust]

Then bring him on at CM! Lol

He'd make a good pairing with Ezatolahi there but idk if him and Hajsafi would cut it. I honestly don't think hajsafi is cut out to be a CDM/CM either tbh.. Think Dejagah could do better there

No hajsafi comperatively is good there. The others except ezatolahi are shoot e shoot. Its really strange to me that in all of iran we dont have a cdm that covers a lot of ground, smaller type like Kante, or even at a lower level ascacibar from stuttgart. Not even a play who is bazi saz, just somebody who covers down as does the simple things right. Another example would be elneny. Guess it just goes to show the low levels of fitness iranian players have, none of them can run that long without technique going to shit and starting to make really retarded plays.

[Nariman]

Haghighi
Ghafouri - PAG - Hosseini - Mohammadi
Ezat - Hajsafi
Rezaeian - Shojaei - Jahanbakhsh
Taremi

Max. pressing from the very start. Don't let them breathe and get used to the World Cup atmosphere. Sub. in Azmoun, Dejagah and Ghoddos for the kill

[jaya]

Biranvand
Resaian PAG Hossieni Milad mohammadi
Karimi Hajsafi
Dejageh Shojaei Taremi
Sardar

[TM4LIFE]

Playing Shojaei as a deeper CM has its benefits as we would be able to have a much stronger presence distributing and bringing the ball up the midfield, but it leaves a lot to be wanted defensively. He tends to foul a lot and gets rounded fairly often as a defender. He would need to be complemented by a CDM that is much more solid in pressing and more importantly, ball/shot stopping. Even then, you would still want the CDM to be confident on the ball, unlike Karimi who tends to resort to useless bekesh ziresh football the minute somebody steps up to him.

However, IF we can get shojaei in the back to take some of that pressure off of Karimi, that would also give us the option of putting Ghoddos/AJB as CAM which would be a very appealing attacking threat. Either of the two could alternate between more central positioning and wide positioning, in a similar way that you see Messi/Dembele play in the new Barca (link to further explanation on that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vipTxyEW3E ). BUT if they cannot be picked out from the get-go by the deeper midfielders, they'll have to drop back too much which would take away from their more advanced attacking threat. Dejagah would also fulfill a similar role to shojaei, with the added benefit that he is much stronger defensively--its only a question of whether he will be match-fit in time and if he'll be rusty from the lack of play. I wouldn't mind putting hajsafi as the more defensively minded midfielder, but against Tunisia he was very shaky.

My best bet, judging just from what i've seen from TM thus far would be this formation:

---------------- Azmoun -----------------
Taremi----------Ghoddos-------------AJB
-------Shojaei/Dejagah-------------------
----------------------Ebrahimi/Hajsafi----
MilMo---PAG---Hosseini---Rezaeian/Ghafouri

[amirfigo]

even though you stole that idea from me! posted that with dejagah and shojaei years or months ago and nobody said anything. bet some minds changed now

[Sarbaze-Vatan]

How about using 1 DM and 2 AM?

[rdwrrr]

---------Azmoun
Taremi---Ghoddos---Jahanbakhsh
-------Hajsafi---Shojaei
Mohammadi---PAG---Hosseini---Ghafouri
-----------Beiranvand

Kaveh for Sardar at 60 min
Ebrahimi for shojaei if we get ahead at 60 min.
Dejagah for Ghoddos at 60 min.

I think Kaveh can end up as starter if Sardar's form does not improve, we I am ok with

I think this will be the starting lineup in Morocco
we can not afford a draw
a draw is the same as a loss, you don't move to next stage
we can not go to last game needing a win against Portugal

[JamB]

I cant believe I see line ups not starting ghoddos.

[YeCheesi Tala]

If Ezza was not red carded I was going to say fvck it and start 1DM. Unfortunately our options are limited badly.
---------------Beiran------------
--Ramin---PAG---Hossieni---mimo
-------Nooraf-----Omid------------
------------Ghoddos---------------
---ARJ------------------------Torabi
--------------Kaveh----------------
-I rather save SA for Spain or Portugal. He has shown his potential to score against big names. And I would also start Taremi with SA for Spain and portugal due to their bromance bond.
- Play Torabi as LW if he can get his confidence back/ if not bring Barzay? (+ Barzay great link up with Kaveh due to ESES days)

[Kian Persepolis]

I wonder if Tafazolli could be tested at CDM? A shame he's injured

[Leicester City]

I wonder if Tafazolli could be tested at CDM? A shame he's injured

We don't invite Tafazolli for shit like Khanzadeh or Ansari? FU on that one CQ, what does Khanzadeh have that Tafazolli doesn't?

[Iranianarsenal11]

I wonder if Tafazolli could be tested at CDM? A shame he's injured

Ryan would lowkey be a tank at CDM... Plus he has a good shot for a CB. Don't think hes good enough at dribbling or passing to really be a CDM though.

I still like the duo of Ezatolahi and Dejagah at CDM/CM for the Spain and Portugal games

As for the Morocco game, give me Hajsafi and Dejagah? Would be amazing if we can mold Dejagah into a CDM/CM

[Iranianarsenal11]

We don't invite Tafazolli for shit like Khanzadeh or Ansari? FU on that one CQ, what does Khanzadeh have that Tafazolli doesn't?

I get ur frustration but CQ is always 3 steps ahead of us bro..

He knows Ryan is good enough but he doesn't wanna invite him and then disappoint the shit out of him by having him benched or even worse.. cut from the team if he plays poor.

But yeah Khanzadeh is hella questionable. Idk if it beats Pourghaz though I kinda wish we could've seen Majid Hosseini. He's really solid

[Leicester City]

I get ur frustration but CQ is always 3 steps ahead of us bro..

He knows Ryan is good enough but he doesn't wanna invite him and then disappoint the shit out of him by having him benched or even worse.. cut from the team if he plays poor.

But yeah Khanzadeh is hella questionable. Idk if it beats Pourghaz though I kinda wish we could've seen Majid Hosseini. He's really solid

Yes, Majid Hossieni. Or the millions of better defenders than Khanzadeh like Kanaanizadegan, Gök, Sadeghi (he has WC experience! smh...), Shafiei, Shariati, and hell even me. Yes ME! I promise you I'd put in a better performance than Khanzadeh and not get Boateng'd by Khazri!

[Sarbaze-Vatan]

Should not Dejagah be fit for WC? We badly need him for the first game due to Ezatolahi's suspension. I go with the following line up at the moment although I may change it at any time: