Popular Post MC Prussian Posted 13 July 2018 Popular Post Share Posted 13 July 2018 (edited) Welcome to our boards, Iranian/Persian fans - I can much more imagine living with you as new supporters as opposed to the Algerian plague that spread on Social Media with the Mahrez Cult over the years. (Not trying to go too much into detail with regards to the Sunni vs. Shi'a debate, but I consider Persians/Iranians much more Western-like, much more level-headed, less aggressive, more interested in a serious debate and also much more fluent in English) I've been naming Jahanbakhsh as a great option on the right wing for a while, and I'll be very happy should he finally sign for us. The World Cup didn't really help him in terms of attacking displays, he was rather anonymous for large stretches, but we play a different style, he has a fantastic right wing-back in the shape of Ricardo Pereira behind him and I hope he thrives at LCFC. Edited 13 July 2018 by MC Prussian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 5 minutes ago, Inarsenewerust said: Get ready bc iranians are notorious for this. Even for smaller euro teams they will spam the **** out of any youtube,twitter, instagram pages of that club. haha ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 (edited) Here is some eye candy for you guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZulfwFbXWo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXnTLV_PMcg Edited 13 July 2018 by Sebastian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKCJ Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 We signing this lad then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onekeithweller Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 39 minutes ago, Inarsenewerust said: guys just say Alireza and call it a day. An easier way for you to pronounce The surname : Ja-hon ( like on but hon) - baksh Forget about the "h" between the "k" and "s", the dutch did as well. Can we call him Al? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriderHiryu Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 We call him Al! We call him Al! His name's Alireza Jahanbaksh, But we call him Al! (If he signs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachhere Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 2 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said: We call him Al! We call him Al! His name's Alireza Jahanbaksh, But we call him Al! (If he signs) Hope you are leading on that... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardyfox86 Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 2 hours ago, EnderbyFox said: Is this guy the tits? I can’t make my mind up from his YouTube video He doesn’t look very fast, and scored a lot of pens? Sounds like Mahrez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Smudge Posted 13 July 2018 Popular Post Share Posted 13 July 2018 5 minutes ago, onekeithweller said: Can we call him Al? If you'll be my bodyguard I can be your long lost pal I can call you Betty And Betty when you call me You can call me Al 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue ROI Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 Be interesting how he gets on should he join. Surprising how few Iranians have played in the premier league since they've made so many World cups since 98. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inarsenewerust Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 what do you guys think of Musa and Slimani ? Personally I thought both were very high quality players, but it seems after they moved from smaller leagues to leicester they struggled. The only reason that some iranians arent totally excited about this move is that they fear the possibility that something like this happens to alireza. Obviously, flopping is a possibility anywhere. But, english clubs kind of have a bad reputation of discarding players that dont immediately perform/fans jumping on them/scapegoating them. As a long time arsenal fan, I have witnessed similar unfair treatment of the likes of lucas perez, joel campbell, and even at times mesut ozil. Now ozil is a world class player that is able to handle such pressure and continue to perform, but the other two drifted away from arsenal and back to other leagues. Would you guys say this attitude is also prevalent at leiecester or not as much? I personally think Puel is a very coach and guy and thats why I am fine with the signing. Ideally I would have liked to see ARJ in a more development oriented league, like Bundesliga, for one of the top 6-7 teams, but I feel like he can develop similarly at leiecester with good young players around him, as well as the Puel who is known for player development since his time in france. I think the fact that ARJ's playing style really suits the PL, more than most iranian players for sure, also makes this not that big of a concern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norwichfox Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 Rudkins present to us this window....more fan boys 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costock_Fox Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 1 hour ago, Inarsenewerust said: Hey guys, iranian here who has watched alireza jahanbakhsh (we call him ARJ or alireza for short), since he moved to europe at the age of 18, and even some before that in our youth teams. The interest seems pretty legit at this point so I thought I would give some expertise to leicester fans pondering this signing. You guys have all seen his stats, they're fantastic. Top scorer in dutch league from right wing role, though he can also play as a left winger, CAM, and second forward in a 3-5-2, 5-3-2 and did so a couple times for AZ. It seems strange to me that he gets very little hype, but Lozano and Ziyech, both from the same league, playing for the top clubs in that league (teams much better than AZ in terms of quality), have inferior stats, but get so much praise and hype from western media, whereas there is comparatively much less hype for ARJ. Its clearly bc of his nationality, so ill leave it at that. In terms of his main strengths, he is an all around good player. His dribbling, body strength, crossing are all very good. He has a phenomenal strike on him with both feet. In my opinion, his biggest strength is his shooting, and decision making. His weight of pass, when to release the ball, when to shoot, etc, is excellent, as evidenced in the videos. He is not a winger like mahrez who will dribble through 5 defenders and then hit a curling shot to win a game. That is simply not his skill set. He is instead a very efficient winger, who makes his decisions in a very calculated manner. That is not to say his skill set isn't exciting. He is stll a great dribbler, loves a meg, and again really has a cannon of a shot on both feet. He is also very tidy in possession. Side note, he is also weirdly good at heading, at scored quite a few headed goals for AZ this season off corners. Another note, he is very good defensively. Playing in Iran's team, Carlos Queiroz (ex United - assistant to SAF, Real madrid - Head coach, Portugal - Head coach), requires his wingers to do a lot of work defensively and really cover the outside backs. He performs this job very well. But it also explains why he struggled to make a major impact offensively for our national team at the WC (as did our other big offensive players such as Azmoun, Ghoddos, Ansarifard), as when we got the ball they were 50-60 yards away from the opposition goal, and by the time they got the ball there, no support was really around them. Mentally, he is very strong. Came from poorer background and left to europe alone at the age of 18, despite offers from the traditional big tehran teams, who were willing to pay him 10 times as much as any dutch side. Worked way up to AZ, had some injury issues in first season but really flourished since then. He can speak both english and dutch fluently, and is a very nice lad I would say. He always is giving advice to younger iranian players, visiting children in poorest communities in iran, etc. He wants to be a role model for all of iranian kids/footballers, and with his character and quality I think he is doing that. Weaknesses : Yes, he doesnt have a crazy turn of pace, and at times for our national team he doesnt grab the game by the scruff of the neck as he should. This mainly has to do with the system we play, but still I expect more form him at times. In terms of interest from other clubs : Napoli were VERY interested early on. There was talks of an agreement being very close, as they wanted him to replace Callejon. However, once Sarri left, and Ancellotti arrived, their entire transfer policy changed from targetting young talented players from smaller leagues, to going after big names such as Di maria. Lazio were also reportedly interested, but ended up signing Berisha from RB Salzburg. Brighton are interested, but he rejected them before he moved to AZ, and I dont really get the vibe that he fancies a move there. Leicester would be a good fit bc I think Puel is a good coach who will improve him, there is obviously playing time available with mahrez leaving, and the team is very solid all around with quality players, so he wont have to deal with a lack of quality teammates, a too defensive team, or a team in the relegation battle. Overall for 22 million, I think he is certainly worth that price in todays market. Spurs payed a similar fee for his teammate Jansen a couple years ago ( ARJ was the main part of his success with a ton of assists), and Janssen is a forward. ARJ is a winger, with a ton of assists as well, and WC + Europa League experience, so the price is reasonable. Anyways if you guys have any other questions, feel free to ask. Lets see how this one plays out... I’ve got a paragraph in and have got a 18/19 Premier League champions tattoo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MC Prussian Posted 13 July 2018 Popular Post Share Posted 13 July 2018 An interesting piece on Jahanbakhsh in the Tehran Times, interestingly enough just from today Friday: Quote Alireza Jahanbakhsh; Persian Pride Sports July 13, 2018 Alireza Jahanbakhsh lives to play football. Born in Qazvin to the manager of a local bicycle factory and a stay-at-home mother, football was a shared love for the Jahanbakhsh family. “I come from a really big football family; my uncles, my cousins, they really love football,” the 24-year-old revealed. “One of the most amazing moments that I still remember is the qualification for 1998, I was five or six years old and the dramatic qualifying of Iran to the World Cup against Australia. The country was crazy; everyone was out [in the streets]. It was crazy and people were so happy. My parents, my father, who is crazy about football, and I still remember the people were cheering and dancing in the streets.” It was that moment that inspired Jahanbakhsh, the second of three children – he has an older sister and younger brother – to take up the sport. But had a school teacher not intervened, Jahanbakhsh may have been lost to football at an early age. A prodigious talent in multiple sports, Jahanbakhsh was selected for the junior national teams in both handball and futsal. “I tried different sports,” he explained. “Kung fu and athletics; I played handball for the national team, and I was also selected for the country’s youth futsal team. I think when I was 12 we had a sport teacher in the school, he told me I had to find my way, I had to choose between football and futsal. And at that time I would rather play football.” Like so many of Iran’s footballers, Jahanbakhsh learned his craft playing in the streets with his friends from his local neighborhood in Qazvin. “What I really remember about that time was I was in a hurry to finish school and to go and play in the streets with the guys from the neighborhood,” he recalled. “All that mattered for me was that small ball and playing with the ball. It didn’t matter if that was in the afternoon in 32 or 35 degrees or even in the winter in the cold weather. I had a lot of fun. “The nicest thing I remember was always playing with the older people because they were always saying ‘he has really nice skills’ and they wanted me on their team. It was such a great time.” With his talent obvious for all to see, his parents were only too happy to nurture their son’s ambitions. “We weren’t from a rich family, but [my father] was always supporting me because he knew that I was just following my ambitions, following my dreams,” he said. But his father also wanted his eldest son to learn the value of hard work. Over the summer break, when Jahanbakhsh was a young teenager, his father made him work in the bicycle factory alongside him to engender a sense of independence in his son – but there was a downside. “I was working just fixing the wheels of the bicycles. My father told me if you want to get some money you have to come there and work and be independent and earn your own money. And I was working there fixing the wheels in the factory; it was also a lot of fun. But what made me a little bit annoyed was I had less time to play football as I had to work from six o’clock in the morning to five or six o’clock in the evening, and then afterwards I had only three hours to play football. I was so tired but still I went to the street to play.” Before too long Jahanbakhsh had outgrown his hometown and at the age of just 15 moved to Tehran to further his burgeoning football career. He made his professional debut at age 17 for Damash Gilan, a club that represents the province of Gilan in northern Iran, where his parents were born and raised. Looking for any opportunity to play, Jahanbakhsh began his career as a fullback, because the right wing position was already occupied by Iranian legend Mehdi Mahdavikia. “The first game that I played in the first division in Iran I played as a right-back,” he said with a chuckle. “At that time the club spent a lot of money, they invested in a lot of big players, so they took Mehdi to the club, but he wanted to play as a right winger. So they were searching for someone and the coach said, ‘ah this little kid, he has potential to play right-back’. I was 17 and he asked me can you do that and I said ‘why not? [I’ll play] wherever’. I played right-back the first game, and also the second game, but afterwards I told them I would like to play closer to goal, so I went to the right wing.” And he hasn’t looked back since. Given his prodigious ability it wasn’t long before scouts in Europe were aware of his talents – skills that were on full display at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championships, where he scored two goals as he helped Iran reach the quarter-final. “After the tournament I heard that I had an offer from NEC Nijmegen,” he said. “They gave me an offer, and at that time I had offers from France and Turkey. But I knew because of their academies and the way they work with the youth and everything, that in Holland they could help me more,” explained Jahanbakhsh. “In Iran we have a lot of good players, [but] mostly we are individual players with good skills. But I knew if I wanted to be a better player, to become better and better every single day, there would be a limit in Iran. So if you want to make it further you have to go to Europe. And the learning didn’t just come on the pitch, the adjustment to life in a foreign country at just 19 years of age was not easy. The first couple of weeks were really tough because Holland is really different from Iran,” said the forward, who spoke only a little English when he arrived. “It’s a different culture, different language, different mindset. They’re one of the freest countries in the world. I am going from an Islamic country to the freest country in the world, so it was difficult and I had to adapt myself to different situations, like how to communicate with the people. Communication with my teammates was really difficult because I couldn’t understand them. When I got the offer from NEC I had almost two months to decide if I wanted to go or not. In that time I had a personal [English] teacher. But that wasn’t enough. When I went there I understood my teammates, but just to answer, just to say what I wanted was really difficult. But the club asked the local teacher to teach me how to speak. At the same time I was learning English and also a little bit of Dutch. It was great and after a couple of months I could speak with my teammates.” After two seasons with NEC Nijmegen, during which he won the Eerste Divisie (second division) Player of the Year award in his second year at the club, the opportunity presented itself to take the next step in his career. “It was a big decision because I knew at the age of 21-22 you have to make a really good step,” he explained. “Because I became the Player of the Year, everyone expected me to make a good step. I had different offers but I wanted to stay in Holland because I wanted to learn more, to stay in the competition, because after two years I knew more about the culture, about the language, the people, the style of football – everything. I had three offers and AZ Alkmaar was the best I had at that time, and I am very happy I made that step.” A knee injury in his first season meant he couldn’t have the impact he would have liked, with just three goals in 23 matches. In his second season he improved his output and hit double figures, with 10 goals. But his third season, the 2017/18 campaign, saw him take his game to a whole new level. His 21 goals were enough for him to win the Golden Boot award, while he also finished in the top three in the league for assists with 12, which he says gives him more satisfaction than scoring goals. “For me personally giving assists is a better feeling than scoring goals,” he revealed. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t value the Golden Boot award, however, admitting it is his greatest achievement in his career so far – but he wants more. “To be honest until now it’s the top moment in my career,” he said. “That means a lot to me. That says that hard work pays off. I dedicated this to my family, my agent, my friends, all my teammates; all the people who helped me. It’s been an amazing feeling, but on the other side I am also going to forget it because I have a long way to go and I want to achieve more things as an individual and as a team.” At the same time he was flourishing in Europe, so too was his career with the Iran national team. He was just 19 when he was named in the 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and, while he only managed 49 minutes off the bench across the three group stage matches, just having that experience on the global stage was a dream come true. “The first World Cup was unbelievable,” he admitted. “It was a great experience for me at the age of 19 after six months playing in Europe. Inside of football and outside of football I learned a lot, and at the age of 19 when you go to such a tournament it’s just about having the experience, learning a lot and watching a lot, and seeing the best players in the world.” Jahanbakhsh recently played a major role in his country’s memorable FIFA World Cup performance in Russia as Team Melli came within a goal of qualifying for the Round of 16 for the first time. After defeating Morocco in their opening game, Iran lost 1-0 to 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain in a hard-fought contest, before drawing 1-1 with Portugal to miss out on the knockout rounds by the narrowest of margins after Mehdi Taremi skewed a golden chance to win it wide at the death. The tournament may have ended in heartbreak for the forward and his teammates, but Iran won many new fans by giving two of the global giants an almighty scare as they proved themselves a match for anyone. Jahanbakhsh is still only 24, but he has well and truly established himself as one of the stars of the national team, and for him there is no better feeling than wearing the jersey of his beloved Iran. But with his rising stature comes increased pressure, and he knows he must now deliver the same form he has produced at club level if he is to realize the one goal he is desperate to achieve – win the AFC Asian Cup, something Iran have not done since 1976. “I know that after such a season the expectation is higher for me,” he admitted. “But on the other side, I just try to do my best whenever I am wearing the jersey of the national team, whether it’s a World Cup or Asian Cup or even just a normal friendly. But of course some competitions are more important. So that’s why I know the value of these two competitions, the World Cup and then the Asian Cup, they mean a lot for our people. One of the things I always dream of is winning the Asian Cup with Iran. That’s one thing that hasn’t happened for a long time now.” (Source: AFC) http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/425352/Alireza-Jahanbakhsh-Persian-Pride 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincinnati Fox Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 Looks like it’s happening but he looks a bit slow for the PL. if it was 500k great but not sure for 20 million Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucey Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 7 minutes ago, Inarsenewerust said: what do you guys think of Musa and Slimani ? Personally I thought both were very high quality players, but it seems after they moved from smaller leagues to leicester they struggled. The only reason that some iranians arent totally excited about this move is that they fear the possibility that something like this happens to alireza. Obviously, flopping is a possibility anywhere. But, english clubs kind of have a bad reputation of discarding players that dont immediately perform/fans jumping on them/scapegoating them. As a long time arsenal fan, I have witnessed similar unfair treatment of the likes of lucas perez, joel campbell, and even at times mesut ozil. Now ozil is a world class player that is able to handle such pressure and continue to perform, but the other two drifted away from arsenal and back to other leagues. Would you guys say this attitude is also prevalent at leiecester or not as much? I personally think Puel is a very coach and guy and thats why I am fine with the signing. Ideally I would have liked to see ARJ in a more development oriented league, like Bundesliga, for one of the top 6-7 teams, but I feel like he can develop similarly at leiecester with good young players around him, as well as the Puel who is known for player development since his time in france. I think the fact that ARJ's playing style really suits the PL, more than most iranian players for sure, also makes this not that big of a concern. General consensus is that Musa is too much of a confidence player, when he has no confidence he becomes the worst player on the pitch, so therefore unreliable. Slimani has been injured half the time he's been here, and apparently has a bit of an attitude. Both of them have their best position as number 9 so have only been played out of position here, as they clearly can't displace Vardy, so their skills are difficult to accurately judge. Alireza should be played in his strongest RW position here and he seems to have a great character, so less likely to be a problem. Puel is great for giving young players game time, but I don't think many of the fans (or players) expect him to last very long. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsX Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 24 minutes ago, Sebastian said: Here is some eye candy for you guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZulfwFbXWo Thanks for the vid. I tried not to watch it though Mahrez-tinted glasses, but I’m not there yet. ARJ is obviously a very heads up player and incisive passer, which is what we will need more than anything from the “successor”. OTOH, it made me realize how much I am going to miss the watching-Rembrandt-paint beauty of the best first touch in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inarsenewerust Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 1 minute ago, brucey said: General consensus is that Musa is too much of a confidence player, when he has no confidence he becomes the worst player on the pitch, so therefore unreliable. Slimani has been injured half the time he's been here, and apparently has a bit of an attitude. Both of them have their best position as number 9 so have only been played out of position here, as they clearly can't displace Vardy, so their skills are difficult to accurately judge. Alireza should be played in his strongest RW position here and he seems to have a great character, so less likely to be a problem. Puel is great for giving young players game time, but I don't think many of the fans (or players) expect him to last very long. Ok. Yes the attitude bit wont be a problem at all. Why is there dislike for Puel? I heard about this towards the end of last season as well and just couldnt wrap my head around it. I am aware the thai owners are quite knee-jerk. Imo, thats not the best for an incoming player, when stability is important (or for the whole team for really) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Prussian Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 7 minutes ago, Everygamefox said: Looks like it’s happening but he looks a bit slow for the PL. if it was 500k great but not sure for 20 million Mahrez wasn't the fastest for us, either. Speed can be an attribute, but only if you can follow it up with skill and vision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucey Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 3 minutes ago, Inarsenewerust said: Ok. Yes the attitude bit wont be a problem at all. Why is there dislike for Puel? I heard about this towards the end of last season as well and just couldnt wrap my head around it. I am aware the thai owners are quite knee-jerk. Imo, thats not the best for an incoming player, when stability is important (or for the whole team for really) We have a "strong" dressing room that doesn't seem to get on with Puel's management style. His quietness and language barrier probably makes it difficult to get his ideas across to the players. Among fans, opinion is very split, there's a long thread arguing about it but basically a few people are worried about his playing style. Our owners are the best owners ever and I don't think they're knee jerk at all, they will do whatever is best for the club. Maybe the Ranieri sacking gave them that reputation, but that really should have been done a few months earlier. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inarsenewerust Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 Just now, brucey said: We have a "strong" dressing room that doesn't seem to get on with Puel's management style. His quietness and language barrier probably makes it difficult to get his ideas across to the players. Among fans, opinion is very split, there's a long thread arguing about it but basically a few people are worried about his playing style. Our owners are the best owners ever and I don't think they're knee jerk at all, they will do whatever is best for the club. Maybe the Ranieri sacking gave them that reputation, but that really should have been done a few months earlier. Maybe they got that reputation because of the subsequent hiring and firing of shakespeare, and then the hiring of puel followed by all this talk of him getting the sack. But yeah Puel's demeanor is a bit understated, distant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardyfox86 Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 I just don't think he looks that good. He lacks pace and his close control isn't the best, never looked fully in control. Maddison's showreel excited me more, looks like its playing in fast-forward by comparison. As always, I'm happy to be (and probably will be) proved wrong. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonFox Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 2 hours ago, Paddy. said: Ali Al-eh I think! LOL 39 minutes ago, Sebastian said: Here is some eye candy for you guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZulfwFbXWo Has a weird running style that I kind of like (check out 1:18 into the vid). Kind of reminds me of this... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfosse Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Inarsenewerust said: Ok. Yes the attitude bit wont be a problem at all. Why is there dislike for Puel? I heard about this towards the end of last season as well and just couldnt wrap my head around it. I am aware the thai owners are quite knee-jerk. Imo, thats not the best for an incoming player, when stability is important (or for the whole team for really) To answer your question, Geoff Peters, who works for Talksport and is well connected at Leicester City, has made it clear on several occasions that the players and non-Puel backroom staff absolutely hate him. If true, it’s hard to see Puel making it to October to be honest with you. Edited 13 July 2018 by Nickfosse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxinNotts Posted 13 July 2018 Share Posted 13 July 2018 Looks good to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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