Bolton star Teymourian has high hopes for Iran

AFP - Bolton Wanderers midfielder Andranik Teymourian is hoping a new-look Iran can forget the disappointment of the World Cup with a successful Asian Cup campaign, but is wary of Australia.

After a poor World Cup which garnered just one point, Iran fired Croat coach Branko Ivankovic and replaced him with Amir Ghalenoei who has brought in a number of younger players.

Teymourian, who successfully established himself with Bolton this season, believes the new-look Iran makes them among the frontrunners for a competition they have won three times but not in 31 years.

"We are a mix of youth and experience," he told the official Asian Cup website.

"We will be missing some of the older players like Ali Daei, Yahya Golmohammadi and Sohrab Bakhtiari Zade, but new coach Amir Ghalenoei has different ideas from those of the previous coach Branko Ivankovic.

"This competition will be the hardest it has ever been with Australia participating but I hope both Team Melli and I will be successful there.

"I hope the coaching staff will have a precise plan for us to be the most dangerous team in the Asian Cup."

Drawn in Group C alongside China, co-hosts Malaysia and Uzbekistan, Iran have a strong team boosting Bundesliga regulars such as Ali Karami, Vahid Hashemian and Mehdi Madhavikia.

But Teymourian knows no game will be easy in the July 7-29 finals.

"I don't believe there is any easy group," he said. "Ours is hard. I am sure even Malaysia will provide a stern test, the same as China and Uzbekistan.

"I am told the humidity and temperature in Kuala Lumpur will be high so we may have breathing problems there."

Despite a gruelling campaign with Bolton that saw them qualify for Europe on the last day of the season, Teymourian, 24, is ready to pick himself up for his country.

"We had some very intense matches in the Premier League in a short space of time and of course you would like to have a rest," he said. "But it is an important time for our national team and I would never want to miss out.

"It is a part of my commitment to the Team Melli jersey and to my country. I've talked to the coach and we're trying to find a way for me to be in the best shape by July 7."