Dragan Skocic put up a brave face in the post-match press conference where he stated that he is quite satisfied with everything except for the goal conceded by Beiranvand.

The reality is, we do not expect anything dramatic from coaches’ statements as they always have a standard format for their statements focusing on how good their teams were in the match. We also do not expect the coach to publicly discuss his players’ shortfalls and weaknesses, which is best kept for the dressing room and the next practice session.

The reality is, Team Melli despite the win, did not function on all cylinders, and signs of wear and tear were visible in the lineup. The synchronicity, fluid passing, and brute force of the offensive line were not there to be enjoyed by the fans. The last time Team Melli showed up for a friendly against Syria, despite it being a practice match against a powerful Asian Team, the Team Melli players displayed some neat football that pleased the fans. This match did not have much to cheer the masses of their fans across the globe.

Let us start with the forwards. The pair of Taremi and Azmoun need to be sorted out. These two are the best footballers that Iran has right now and the most famous, but they need to understand and appreciate that they are playing for Team Melli, not Porto or Zenit. They need to co-exist and complement each other rather than compete. Their understanding of each other’s position was embarrassing, to say the least. The coaches have a heavy-duty to make them work together. Failing that for whatever reasons, then there are enough good players on the bench who can do the job, Ansarifard being one of them.

On the bright side of things, Ali Gholizadeh was the MVP of the match and his display against Hong Kong was nothing short of 5 stars performance. Skillful, pacey, intelligent, and energetic player who was a menace to the opposition. He was confident enough to try to penetrate the solid wall of the Hong Kong defense and was rewarded for it. An excellent player and an asset for Team Melli.

After a long injury that kept him away from football fields, picking Sadegh Moharrami for the squad was kind of risky. Skocic, however, scored points by starting him for this match. Moharrami is a footballer who plays intelligently, crosses immaculately and his runs create opportunities for the attackers. He is a solid defender too.

These two were the best two players for Team Melli. Honorable mention goes to Saeid Ezatolahi and substitutes  Karim Ansarifard, Saman Ghoddos, and Mehdi Torabi.

Another couple that is beginning to create doubts in their deliverables, are Vahid Amiri and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Amiri might have scored a goal, only his second in 56 matches,  (Golizadeh scored 4 goals in only 10 matches) but his contribution, effectiveness, and general value for the team are not worthy of a regular place in the lineup. He is 33 years old and has been hard-working but no more than an average player at best during his career for Team Melli. It is time that Skocis looks beyond him with several young players waiting in the pipeline, the Croat has choices that can be better for the team.

Jahanbakhsh, has been nothing short of disappointing since he joined the English League club Brighton, specifically since there was a coaching change two seasons ago. He is getting less and less playing time and never managed to finish a match if he is a starter. A promising, capable, and skillful player has turned into a passive, play-it-safe, and timid player. In Asian Cup, he was slightly better although nowhere near what was expected from him. It is obvious that warming the bench in Brighton has taken its toll both on his confidence and talent. Like Amiri he is not a prolific scorer for Team Melli scoring 7 goals in 51 matches, however, he is much younger at 27 and a proven goal scorer being the first Iranian player to win the top scorer trophy in a major European league. The ability is there but he is just not delivering.

There is something gone astray with Jahanbakhsh which needs to be carefully handled. Team Melli cannot afford to do trial and error at this junction of time and should not wait for players’ improvements. Only the best must be selected. There should be no doubt about that.

Beiranvand conceded a goal that he really should not have. Primarily it was the poor defenders who failed to defend against a shorter player that outjumped them. Is it worrying? That is probably attributed to the frame of mind of the defenders, who had very little to do during the entire match but failed on the first serious offense by the opposition. Basically, they were too relaxed and over-confident. It is unlikely that similar mistakes will occur during the next matches as the defenders will be on a much higher alert.

Circumstances against Bahrain will be completely different. Skocic priority is to sort the forward line and the midfield. The selection of the right players for the match is becoming increasingly critical.