Iran players call for patience

FIFAWORLDCUP - Football fans can be a fickle breed. Just ask Iran coach Branko Ivankovic, who has come under increasing fire during the past three months as his side attempt to lift themselves out of a bad patch.

Since their qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, things have not gone smoothly for Ivankovic's team, whose run of three succesive defeats has left supporters and journalists alike pointing the finger at the Croatian coach. Fortunately for Ivankovic, widely credited with the successful rebuilding of the Iran squad, he can at least feel safe in the knowledge that he has the full backing of his players while he rides out the media storm.

Things started to go awry for Ivankovic and his team in their final Group B qualifier against Japan on 17 August. With both teams having already secured a place at the finals, little was at stake at the Yokohama International Stadium and both Ivankovic and his Japan counterpart Zico took the opportunity to rest their overseas-based stars and experiment with new talent. Goals in either half from Akira Kaji and Masashi Oguro were enough to secure the hosts victory, before Ali Daei's late consolation strike.

Because the defeat came close on the heels of their qualification for the finals, Iranian fans were too busy celebrating to take much notice. But losses in the following two games were less well received. In front of 61,000 South Korean fans in Seoul on 12 October, Ivankovic's visiting side were given the run-around by the Korea Republic; they lost 2-0 but it could well have been more. It was the perfect start for the South Koreans' new coach Dick Advocaat but for Ivankovic, it sparked a media backlash.

Worse was to follow. One month later on home soil, Team Melli suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to an FYR Macedonia side comprising mainly reserve-team players in the four-nation Tehran Cup tournament. Although the hosts salvaged some pride by defeating fellow FIFA World Cup finalists Togo 2-0 in their next match, with Daei and Vahid Hashemian finding the target, seeds of doubt had already been sown.

Overseas support

Although two defeats from three games does not mark the best start to their preparations for Germany, the Iran players themselves have been quick to emphasise the positives. It was Ivankovic, they stress, who rejuvenated the squad after their forgettable qualifying campaign for Korea/Japan, leading them to their third FIFA World Cup finals appearance. They also argue that for a coach seeking to test new players and tactics in friendlies, results are not always the first priority.

"Ivankovic has shown that he can lead Team Melli to success and I don't feel that there is any need to change," said Hannover 96 forward Hashemian. "He is a professor of football and is somone who has studied the game. He also gained vital experience with Croatia as Miroslav Blazevic's assistant."

Ivankovic has demonstrated his worth on many occasions during his three-year tenure. He guided the team to gold at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, then led them to the semi-finals of 2004 AFC Asian Cup. He then oversaw their safe passage to Germany, a task completed in their penultimate qualifier on 8 June, with a 1-0 home victory over Bahrain. "In my 26 games in charge, we have lost only once while we have won 21 and drawn four," he told FIFAworldcup.com on the day qualification was assured.

Iran's influential midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia also voiced his support for Ivankovic. "The coach is consistently analysing the team's strengths and weaknesses and he uses these friendly games to gauge our performances and correct any faults," the Hamburg player said. "We are a young team and so we will need to play quite a few of these friendlies if we are to prepare properly for the World Cup.
"You have to remember all the things we've achieved under Ivankovic. This is not something that any coach can do. It is not fair to push aside all of these important results and attack him for the brief disappointment in warm-up matches."