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GOAL - Branko Ivankovich has entered a new and
complex phase of his career. He led the Iranian national team to
qualification for the World Cup 2006. For that, he deserves our gratitude.
That achievement by itself does not and should not stop journalists and fans
to discuss the shortcomings of our national team. These shortcomings go
beyond the players and include the style of the game, the assistant coaches
and other aspects.
I have been a supporter of Branko, as he is called by many in Iran, over the
last 22 months. He was the right coach for Iran when he returned and he has
been the right coach until today. For Branko to remain as the right coach
for our national team, he needs to perform a serious self-evaluation and
take concrete steps to correct mistakes made and weaknesses all across the
program.
As a fan and a student of the game, I am writing the following letter to
Branko.
Dear Branko:
Suggestion #1 Aim High!
It is not good enough to play and get eliminated in the first round of the
2006 World Cup.
Been there twice!
Done that twice!
You need to at least aim for the final 16 and many of us believe that with
great coaching, we could advance to the Final Eight. We certainly have the
raw talent.
To succeed, first you have to be able to dream. By aiming for the final 16,
you could then present a plan that is aggressive enough to support such an
aim.
Instill confidence in your staff, team, press and fans. Show us that you are
serious and aggressive about taking Iran to the final 16.
Instill confidence in yourself. If you don’t believe Iran should and could
advance to the final 16, then you are not the right man for the job.
Suggestion #2 - Have a solid coaching Bench
You are as good as your assistant coaches. It sounds bad but it is true.
When you look around your bench today, do you see a well qualified assistant
coach? I doubt it.
I am assuming that you didn’t pick these guys and the current assistant
coaches of Iranian National team are forced upon you. Now is a perfect time
to respectfully replace them. Faraki and Shahrokhi will not be of help to
you in Germany and for that matter on the way to Germany. The two other
goalkeeper coaches, a running joke in Iranian football, are not world class
level either. While we are on the topic, please explain the logic for having
two goalkeeper coaches.
There are many qualified Iranian and non-Iranian coaches who would jump on
an opportunity to help a national team in Germany. Look at Afshin Ghotbi. He
has been to two world cups and could have worked his magic for you and for
us but went to Korea last month instead.
Don’t feel threatened, talk to Ahmadzadeh and Kazemi and other aggressive
coaches in Iran. These are energetic and young coaches that would benefit as
much from you as you them.
Alternatively, if it was you who chose Shahrokhi, Faraki and the other two
in the belief that these guys are world class, I suggest a pink slip; not
for them but for you.
Suggestion #3 – The Iranian Premier League Does Matter
You have at least 12 great midfielders in the IPL to choose from. Moabali
and Kazemian should be your top picks.
Khatibi, Enayati, Borhani, Karimi (Sepahan) and others are there for you to
test at the forward position.
The IPL does matter. Don’t ignore it as you would be ignoring your great
talent pool.
While I am at it, stay away from players agents either in Iran or Germany.
They will blacken your name, something that has already started to happen.
Suggestion #4 - Libya is in Africa, Germany in Europe
Do I need to say more?
How would you justify playing against 4th class teams of the world and third
class clubs in England? You have nothing to gain in these matches and
everything to lose.
Refer back to Suggestion #1.
Aim High.
Try to schedule playing matches against France, Germany, Italy, Holland,
England and Brazil. Don’t even listen to the excuse that their schedules
don’t match ours.
Playing Libya is like playing Pakistan. As bad and as hopeless.
Suggestion #5 - Conservatives Will Not Go to Germany, Be Daring!
Football is a passionate game where science and logic need to act as guides
to ensure success.
It seems to me that while you are a passionate man, you manage mechanically
and conservatively. This style of game planning is a sure way to be defeated
before any world cup matches are ever played. Be daring.
Iran has the potential to play games like she did against South Korea a year
ago, or the first 30 minutes of the match against Germany.
Suggestion #6 It is no Crime to Discuss Daei
It really isn’t..
You have a great player who will be 37 by the time the World Cup comes
around the corner. In today’s international football standards, that is O L
D.
Discussing Daei is not a crime.
I happen to believe that Daei should still be a part of our national team
but not as a starter. Use him as an effective sub. Build around Hashemian
and one other young hungry forward but Daei should remain in your plans as a
backup player. The more you insist on using Daei as your 90 minute a game,
every game, starter, the more you lose credibility. A coach with no
credibility is a coach with no team.
Suggestion # 7 The Press Is Not the Enemy
Your mentor talked too much with the press and made too many claims.
Four years later, you don’t say enough.
As much as you are a part of our favorite game, so is the press. Not every
reporter is out to get you. The common thread between you and most of us is
that we care about Iran’s national team. We all delighted that Iran
qualified for the World Cup.
Develop a relationship with the press and avoid saying the same clichés in
every single press conference.
Suggestion # 8 - Appreciate Where You Are
As much as Iranians are pleased with having qualified and going to Germany,
you should be pleased with the opportunity of being the head coach of a team
at the world cup. We receive many benefits from going to Germany and so do
you.
Next year, only 32 among the 200 or so international head coaches who
believe they are first class will get a chance to sit on the bench. While
being one of the 32 does not make you a top 32 coach, it brings respect and
enhances your career. There is nothing wrong with that.
Plan to succeed.
Don’t plan Not to Fail.
We don’t need Branko Ivankovich in order to play it safe. We have enough
Iranian coaches who could do that just fine.
You less than a year to build a world class team. That is not what we have
today. Many of us still have faith in you yet for our country’s sake, we are
watching your moves very closely.
Aim High, Be Daring and fix your bench. These are good steps to get started.
Sincerely
Kaveh Mahjoob
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