Hamid Derakhshan, the former coach of Persepolis, expressed his views on the team's defeat against Foolad Khuzestan and its impact on the future of Persepolis. Following this defeat, some Persepolis fans protested against the performance of Mehdi Tartar and the coaching staff, which could put more pressure on the head coach.
The Role of Motivation and Defensive Mistakes
Derakhshan said: “Foolad was a young team and had high motivation in this match. Persepolis needed to play smart and with high concentration. Opposing teams come to Tehran with a defensive approach and look to capitalize on counterattacks. Persepolis fell victim to a counterattack at the moment they attacked to score, and Foolad managed to win with a beautiful shot from Vahid Amiri.”
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Need for Improvement in Scoring
The former coach of Persepolis pointed to the players' wasted opportunities and said: “Persepolis had several good chances to score that they could not capitalize on. If this trend continues, the team will face more problems and lose important points. This could harm Persepolis's championship goals.”
Derakhshan also discussed Persepolis's poor results in big matches, stating: “The team has only earned one point in the last three matches against Tractor, Esteghlal, and Foolad. This can create a negative mindset among fans and increase pressure on the coaching staff.”
He further emphasized: “Persepolis must win in big matches because winning easy games is not an art. A team aiming for the championship must succeed in six-point matches, and if they lose these games, their path to the championship becomes difficult.”
Derakhshan referred to criticisms regarding Tartar's substitution decisions and said: “We cannot delve into this matter because we do not know what is going on in the head of the coach. However, Persepolis must address its weaknesses and has a high chance of winning the championship, provided they learn from their mistakes.”
The former coach of Persepolis concluded by highlighting the importance of tactical diversity and said: “Persepolis needs to have tactical diversity to reach the goal and must have a plan to score. This season, Persepolis has a good opportunity for the championship.”
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