Time to Deliver, Branko

 By the time next June comes around, Ivankovic would have been involved with the national team for about 6 years, and that is a long time at any level in football. He knows the players capabilities better than most, he knows what the reserve pool of players offer and he knows how things work with the nation of 70 million football coaches. However, Ivankovic continues to make selections that are constantly criticized by people and the media alike. One day it is a matter of why Iman Mobali, arguably the star of last season’s IPL is not playing, and the next it’s the matter of why is such an inexperienced player playing against Japan? There is no pleasing the fans. Ivankovic knows that, and he isn’t in the business to please the fans. Ivankovic will pick the team that he feels will best reach the goals that his strategy is aiming for.

What is Ivankovic’s strategy though? What was his strategy in Yokohama? Was it to avoid defeat at all costs and come out with a draw in a meaningless match, which could have done so much in helping the preparation of the side? Ivankovic took his side into the match with the mindset that they can hold their hosts to a draw and possibly hurt them on the counter-attack. But, that plan went out of the window when Akira Kaji scored in the first half. The problem was that there didn’t seem to be a Plan B and the players found themselves wondering what to do too many times. They offered almost no potency and no cutting edge. They lacked cohesion and organization. Does Iran under Ivankovic even have a Plan B? Even when they did attack in the second half, the efforts were half-hearted and not nerve-wracking, as opposed to Japan’s early pressure in the first half. Kawaguchi was barely tested during the whole night.

The answer to that question, only Ivankovic knows. The truth is that the Croatian has dug himself a hole and cannot deny that he has not given satisfactory responses to his critics lately. Whilst there are sections of the media and circles around Iranian football that have been aiming for his head since day one, this isn’t one of them. ISP would like the Croatian to explain what exactly is going on with the national side? Iranians are only looking for a sense of acknowledgement from the Croatian that his side has some problems. The defence is constantly sliced open by any half-decent attack. The side does not defend as a unit. The side lacks organization between the three lines of defence, midfield and attack. There is far too much dependence upon the individual skill and talent of the players and there doesn’t seem to be a clear strategy or style of play which can be noticed by viewers. Last but not least, Iran’s goalkeeper is plagued by a case of non-judgment when it comes to crosses.

What do Iranians want from Ivankovic? It is simple. They just want to know publicly that the head coach is aware of all of these problems. Too many times, we have heard Ivankovic publicly state after the matches that he was happy with the players under the circumstances and that he could not ask more and they all played well. Even when it is clear to see to all that it had not been all so rosy. Ivankovic’s approach to the media might have worked for a while, but now its time for a new page to be written. Ivankovic has to publicly acknowledge some of the doubts and criticisms so that 70 million people can at least know that the coach is aware of the problems and is working on them. This isn’t to say that the Croatian is not aware of all the weaknesses of his side if he does not publicly acknowledge criticisms, but it would serve as a deterrent to outlets of the media that continuously harass him.

What is for sure though is that football is a matter of opinions. Critics cannot suggest who Ivankovic should pick, as he is free to choose the players that he rates or does not rate. There have been endless debates about who should not be playing and who should be playing. The bottom line is that the Croatian will pick the players who he feels are best suited to get him the result. Ivankovic has earned the right to choose the players. But, he must be prepared to answer critics if his choices fail to perform.

There is a sense of deflation around the national team these days. There is far too much pessimism around in the air. Let us not forget that the players at the coaches disposal are some of the best ever produced in Iran, including a one in a million star in Ali Karimi. Ivankovic is blessed with some real talent and it is his responsibility to gel them together and form a winning unit. He has largely done that up until now. But, the level of opposition will only get tougher. Under-performing and playing below-standard might still be enough to get a result against North Korea, and Bahrain because of the abundance of individual talent in the side, but it will not be enough against the top sides in Europe, South America and even Africa. We are all after the same goal, and that is to see Iran do well at the World Cup next summer. There is still a long time to go and enough time to fine tune the side and rectify its weaknesses. But, what is all the time in the world, if it isn’t utilized to your advantage? There is no doubt that Ivankovic has delivered results for Iranian football, and that is what matters most, but, at a higher level, getting the result is just that much more difficult and it becomes all the more difficult with the rate of errors that Iran is currently committing. The prosecution has virtually closed its case. The defence, Branko Ivankovic and his side, now have 10 months to lay forth their case. Then there will be, hopefully, one full month of deliberation before a verdict is, finally, read out in this long-running saga.