GOAL - With a questionable record as a head coach, Carlos Queiroz is anything but a safe bet for Iran as they look to return to the world stage, writes Chris Paraskevas...
Nearly man, bridesmaid, perennial number two, sidekick – any number of terms that could be used to describe newly-appointed Iran manager Caros Queiroz.
Then there’s tactical genius, unsung hero and pioneer, for those who choose to focus on the two most notable accomplishments in his career: unearthing Portugal’s recent golden generation of talent – including the likes of Rui Costa and Luis Figo – and helping Six Alex Ferguson cement Manchester United’s position as the dominant force of the modern English game.
Queiroz’s coaching career reads like a profile of Jekyll and Hyde, oscillating between tangible, major success in the form of domestic and continental glory with United and the disappointment of a short and ultimately disastrous spell with Real Madrid.
The general rule has been that Mozambique-born 58-year-old’s career highs have occurred whilst an assistant rather than a head coach (his time in charge of Sporting Lisbon during the mid 90s was also unsuccessful).
He made headlines recently when overturning a six-month touchline ban handed down to him after the-then Portugal manager made “sexually descriptive” comments about an anti-doping official's mother in May of 2010, whilst preparing for the World Cup in South Africa.
Such indiscretions won’t go unnoticed in a football-mad country, where scrutiny will be constant.
If Queiroz is unsure as to the passion of the fans he’ll have to win over, he need only take a look at the figures for Iran’s most popular sports show 90 yesterday evening, where almost 1.5 million viewers texted their thoughts on the new national team boss.
Of those that voted, 80 per cent expect Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant to guide Team Melli to the 2014 World Cup.
Scepticism might have met his decision to pull out of talks with the Iranian Football Federation earlier this year – for what Queiroz claimed were personal and family reasons – but the reaction to his appointment has been favourable.
| IRAN'S KEY MEN |
 Javad Nekounam willbe at the heart of the Iranian midfield and has over 100 caps to his name. Queiroz will likely need to build a team around the cool, experienced head of the Osasuna man. |
 Masoud Shojaei isa little younger than Nekounam at 26 years of age but is just as important, perhaps for that very reason. Also based in Europe, alongside Nekounam at Osasuna. |
 Mehdi Rahmati isconsidered one of the best goalkeepers on the continent and has been in outstanding form for Iran despite their recent struggles. His saves could be crucial early on for Queiroz. |
For a country with a football history as proud and long as Iran’s, missing out on the 2010 World Cup is a mistake that simply cannot be repeated again and the minimum expectation for Queiroz will be to guide the team to Brazil.
However, questions not only remain about how suited he is to operating as a head coach but also about what he will be able to do with a country where talent has dried up since Germany 2006.
“The problems right now are a lack of talent, ageing national team, lack of strength at youth level and a lack of competitive friendlies, while other problems are rooted deeper in the system at an early age for players,” says Babak Golriz of Iran Sports Press.
“I certainly don't believe we are the force we once were. The talent has dried up and the mental strength of the new generation is suspect.”
The skills and methods Queiroz applied to unearth the aforementioned golden generation for Portugal in the early 1990's will certainly be put to the test in West Asia.
He’ll need to get the best out of the likes of 21- year-old prodigy Karim Ansarifard but also keep an eye on a cluster of key veterans, none more so than Javad Nekounam, who is 30 but remains the heartbeat of the Iranian side.
How Queiroz balances these needs will be crucial, as will be how he deals with elements of a press who have vested interests in alternative, local candidates for the job of Iran manager.
Any early failures will be pounced upon by such individuals and Queiroz would do well to get off to a good start despite his relative inexperience in Asia, a considerable challenge given Iran are a shadow of the continental powerhouse they once were.
Gone is the swagger from their football that used to inspire fear in the east Asian pillars of Japan and South Korea, two teams who have extended the gap between themselves and their West Asian equivalent.
Far from inheriting a side that is widely expected to guarantee itself a place in Brazil, Queiroz must revive a team whose fortunes revolve around two or three key players at most.
Of the current squad, only goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati and Osasuna duo Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei can really be considered top class and when you consider the later two are the only Iranians plying their trade in Europe, the scale of the task becomes apparent.
“I believe a proper dossier on how to develop Iranian football is needed,” Golriz continues. “I can't see Queiroz being that influential in terms of legacy.”
In truth, he has neither the time nor the resources to be thinking in terms of legacy.