I don't know whether I'm more dumbfounded or scared as a result of Iran's performance against Syria... Even the most stubborn Iran fans know that this is truly a frightening time for us. In any case, the Syria match is in the past now, and it's time to think of the next group match. In the Kuwait match, I'd like to see this line-up: -------------------------Rahmati-------------------------------- ------Kaebi-------Aghili---------Hosseini-------Asadi/Nouri-- -----------------------Teymourian---------------------------- ---------------Jabbari-------------Mobali--------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- -------Kazemian-------Nikbakht----------Madanchi--------- *Given the fact that all our current forward options have failed up front, Nikbakht must be tried in this position *I am not too worried that Mahdavikia is over with (unlike the opinions of many Iranian fans), although I think he should sit for the start of this match because he was in shambles during the Syria match (every player as their shit day). Remember, he was playing a RCM position, which is certainly not the same as his natural RW! *Ando, Jabbari and Mobali will run the engine for the team and can temporarily switch positions with one another if need be *Pick your preference between Asadi and Nouri, but PLEASE don't put Nikbakht there again! *Our wing-backs tend to move forward a great deal, so to have another 2 wings in the midfield is a terrible idea that only disorganizes the midfield and all efforts to score *Initially I wanted Karimi in place of Mobali, but to be honest, Mobali has recently been much more efficient in the midfield Thoughts?
So what.............. Sami al Jaber retired but Calderon brought him back for the 2006 world cup qualifiers and you know the rest.
They need to give a chance to the young strikers, they will definately find a talented forward. With some time he will become a dangerous striker, look at Saudi Arabia's Yasser.
Iran's problem isn't lack of a striker; it's also a case that there is no momentum, no creativity in midfield... Against Syria, not many chances were created at all!! Partially perhaps movement of strikers off the ball, but the problem is so much more! Iran doesn't have a team.
lol we have a lot of forwards... khalili top scorer of best team in iran, mahmoud karimi from sepahan who i think was tied top scorer in asian champions league, UAE based strikers who own the UAE league on a weekly basis, meydavoudi who is IPL top scorer. but when it comes time to play for TM, they all choke.
I respect your opinion, and it's one that many fans share, but I'm not convinced by this popular "lack of midfield creativity" argument. The fact is that there were numerous occasions during which our forwards wasted golden opportunities (especially during the Costa Rica match). I am a strong believer that Nekounam is the anchor of our team and the most vital part of our midfield engine ("creativity"), and his absence cannot be underestimated. Nonetheless, the Neko-less midfield did create some great plays for our forwards, who repeatedly wasted our best chances. We had many more chances during the Costa Rica match because Mobali played the majority of the game and provided many excellent passes. He came in very late during the Syria match, and hardly had a chance to make an impact. I have absolutely no fear of our midfield's abilities once Neko recovers, but even then I'll fear the state of our forwards .
With Clemente on our side I don't think we'll have a problem beating Kuwait. I also think the actual squad will vary considerably from the usual line up.
I sure hope so. I heard that Nekounam will be in the squad even though he wont be playing, he is VERY important to TM. Players like Kia and Karimi need to be phased out, while mobali needs more playing time.
The likes of Mobali and Shojai have been trumpeted so much, and almost every time I have seen them playing for Iran, they have disappointed (every time in Shojai's case!) Kazemian I think deserves much more than he is getting, either as midfielder or striker.
Mobali has been given many chances, and he has really progressed in recent matches. He has proven to have very good vision and he is one of the only players that has provided good balls to our forwards on a consistent basis. I admit, initially I thought Mobali was over-hyped and Shojaei was under-played in TM matches. I still think Shojaei is very talented and has a great deal of potential, but his mental game is nowhere near Mobali's (or Jabbari's, for that matter). He lacks composure, but he's still young. If he moves to a more disciplinary league, he will develop into a smart midfielder that can surely be the next Iranian superstar. I'm sure of it. He needs time, however, and at the moment I'd place Mobali and Jabbari ahead of him. As for Kazemian, I've been extremely disappointed with his performance for TM. At the very least, I never want to see him play as a striker unless there are 3 forwards in the formation (where he can play on the right and provide crosses). He has missed a number of golden opportunities in the box, and I'm tired of it. Nonetheless, I would like to see him play more often on the RW of midfield (yes, Mahdavikia's spot). He provides excellent crosses and is very pacy on the wing. Once again, against Kuwait I propose: -------------------------Rahmati-------------------------------- ------Kaebi-------Aghili---------Hosseini-------Asadi/Nouri-- -----------------------Teymourian---------------------------- ---------------Jabbari-------------Mobali--------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- -------Kazemian-------Nikbakht----------Madanchi---------
HAHAHA Perhaps you should watch Team Melli's recent performances before you make such a comment . Is it such a sin to bench "the Wizard"- Ali Karimi? I'm not an Ali Karimi basher at all. I love Karimi. But the fact of the matter is he's now physically slow, and his passes have been inaccurate 9/10 times! Ever since his terrible injury against HSV, he has been struggling to dribble even the most incompetent defenders. Yes, on rare occasion Ali will beautifully dribble a few defenders and/or play a gorgeous long ball/through ball (which is all he has been good for recently). BUT, personally I'm not willing to play the guy from the start just so he can exhibit a display of bad first-touches and inaccurate passes, with the occasional nice play (Mobali has been FAR more consistent and effective in the past couple of matches, and we all know Jabbari is talented enough to deserve a chance). As far as playing Karimi at forward, I'm not opposed to the idea at all. In fact, I want to see him start as a striker in the near future, but I think the line-up I proposed is worth trying against Kuwait. As far as Nikki goes, I'm not a big fan of the guy... NONETHELESS, if you'd been watching Team Melli recently you'd know that our forwards have been entirely incompetent . Nikki is NOT a natural Left-back, but he does have a great deal of experience as a forward with Persepolis, and I see absolutely no reason NOT to try him at that position for Team Melli, especially given our current forward situation. Nikki at CF can be very useful, as Kazemian and Madanchi can both provide worthy crosses, and we all know Nikki's header is his forte. Also, he somehow tends to draw many fouls. Now, please tell me why I should be "joking" with my proposal ?
Karimi maybe slow and inconsistent but so are the rest of our players. Neither Jabbari nor Mobali have proven their worth in the chances they were given. When Karimi is on fire he can create havoc even if for a few seconds. One single timely dribble can mean the difference between winning/drawing/losing a game. Frankly I'd still take Karimi as a starter over anyone else in his position and I'm sure Clemente will do just that. In regards to Nikbakht, he's just as inconsistent as anyone else. I would not experiment with such drastic positional changes in such an important game. Perhaps these trials can be made during friendly games but not in the middle of WCQ campaign when we're in dire need of a win. I'm also for putting Karimi as a forward if need be.
Nikbakht doesn't play CF for Perspolis. He plays behind the CF and basically provides service. And on the left. The reason he is being played in LB is the same as Karimi was in the AC a few years back when he had his best performance (scored quite a few goals too!!) I do agree however that it didn't really work with Nikbakht; possibly because of him, or possibly because of who the other 3 defenders are and the formation being used.
Yes, you're right. Nikki doesn't play CF for Persepolis. Nonetheless, he plays the forward position and is therefore responsible for putting the ball in the back of the net. Furthermore, as I stated earlier, Nikki is quite strong in the air and he draws many fouls. For those reasons, I think he can be effective as a CF that can feed off of crosses from Madanchi and Kazemian, through balls from Jabbari, long balls from Mobali and Teymourian, and so on. I am not a big fan of Nikki, but I honestly think he'll be more effective as a forward than Samereh and Khalili, even if he's positioned at CF. Just my honest, personal opinion .
I think we both know that Jabbari hasn't been given enough chances to prove himself. At least not recently... As I stated earlier, I wasn't a big fan of Mobali before the Costa Rica match, but recently he has certainly proven himself. If you re-watch the Costa Rica match, Mobali provided many excellent lobs and long balls to our forwards (a talent which I didn't know he possessed!). Also, he always manages to offer an unexpected shot from midfield that catches the goalie off-guard. He has been much more efficient than Karimi, and I honestly think his ability to create chances both for himself and for others far outweighs Ali's current form.
I agree with you on giving Mobali and Jabbari more of a chance. Karimi does produce magic every now and then but has not been in form for some time and it might be a good chance to give the younger players a chance and put pressure on Karimi. Nikbakht hasn't been scoring much for PP either!! He just isn't the centre forward type I think. Great player for PP in what he does, but that isn't what has been missing from the national team. End of the day, it is unlikely that there will be a dramatic tactical change so close to a WCQ game, or that it would be wise to do so. Let's see who the coach will be first, and then think about what tactics he might employ.