Insua

[TheElephantMan]

I don't think he had a poor game tonight as such, I just think the passes to him were dreadful. Riera has the skill to control ridiculously extravagant passes on the touchline, that seems to be his speciality - Insua can't do that. Riera didn't do that either tonight. Insua showed much more purpose against Debrecen than Riera did, I think he could work really well with a decent left sided midfielder - someone like Kuyt on the left.

I don't think Reira will be as effective now that we don't have Alonso in the team, we need someone who can defend and attack on the left, someone to work with the LB. I reckon Dossena might be the best option we have available.

[rudedog]

I'm just not seeing any real promise with the lad.
He isn't particularly quick, he isn't very physical, he isn't great in the air, he doesn't bomb up and down like you'd expect from a full back.
I think this is his 3rd or 4th season as a first team player as well so he's hardly a newbie.

he joined the club in april 2007 and made a total of 5 first team appearances up until last season.

Last season he made 13 first team appearances.

Hardly what you'd call a 'first team player'.

[Craig_H]

Are you mad?

The only necessary (and obviously rhetorical) response to the opening post.

[Guest]

I think he's really good. Very solid player for a 20 year old, and he's got a very nice attacking mentality. Good engine too. He will still improve.

[Molby]

I think he's really good. Very solid player for a 20 year old, and he's got a very nice attacking mentality. Good engine too. He will still improve.

a bit raw at the minute........but to be fair, worth his place in the team

[ronanm]

Yes, he was quite ineffective last night - but has youth on his side I gues.. Glad to see Aurelio back

[Molby]

Yes, he was quite ineffective last night - but has youth on his side I gues.. Glad to see Aurelio back

Yeah , great left foot......remember the free kick against the filth?.........yum yum

[Shaggy]

I really like Insua. You can see why Rafa loves his Argies – he’s like a full-back version of Mascherano…a little pocket battleship with the heart of a lion. He’s got a great appetite for getting forward and his overlapping runs are great to see. Definitely one of his poorer games last night but he’s a young player who will have blips en route to becoming a first team regular.

If we were playing a final tonight, fitness permitting Aurelio would be my first choice but Insua will be a worthy successor, and for my money will go on to become a better defender than Fabio. He may lack Aurelio’s class with the ball at his feet, but in terms of being an all-round full-back I reckon Insua has all the tools.

[The Birdman]

Ah so this is the 'pick on the young kid after a poor performance thread' is it.
****ing ridiculous, he's a young lad playing regularly in the 1st team and he had an average night.
Gerrard was ****e and if he was a manc we'd have been calling for him to get yellow carded for his attempts to 'win' a penalty, Carra was poor again and resorted to launching it 80 yards up field but start a thread about our youngest regular player.

Kuyt doesn't have the movement, awareness or touch to play in the advanced role behind Torres, great poachers goal but still think he offers much more wide linking with GJ.

[BobTheCharmer]

Carra was poor again

Really??? Head & Shoulders above his fellow centre back who decided he'd attempt to win every ball from behind. Now that player did look poor again last night.

Carra played pass of the match last night to put Reira through.

Insua is quality and is fast becoming one of my favourite players. I just don't feel comfortable with Auerlio although he is better on the ball.

[Shaggy]

Ah so this is the 'pick on the young kid after a poor performance thread' is it.
****ing ridiculous, he's a young lad playing regularly in the 1st team and he had an average night.
Gerrard was ****e and if he was a manc we'd have been calling for him to get yellow carded for his attempts to 'win' a penalty, Carra was poor again and resorted to launching it 80 yards up field but start a thread about our youngest regular player.

Kuyt doesn't have the movement, awareness or touch to play in the advanced role behind Torres, great poachers goal but still think he offers much more wide linking with GJ.

Agree with all of that (Gerrard's diving ) especially the last bit. I wish we'd just leave Dirk on the right and give Yossi the licence behind Torres.

[dww]

I actually thought that in the other matches Dirk has been better at linking play when he comes inside. All our players behind Torres are going to have to learn to do it more if we want to play with Lucas and Mascherano. If Aquilani comes in and vacates CM more often to attack then someone will have to cover and Kuyt is the best player we have in coming back to defend.

I can see that Benayoun is a better playmaker but I think people are being unfair on Kuyt's awareness and movement. He possibly doesn't have the touch in the sense of instant one touch football on the edge of the box but his lay offs are often sharp and quick which if people run off/past him will open up defenses. If we can't try and get players to play in a slightly new way against the likes of Debrecni then we do have problems.

The team looked disjointed last night but for my money the major culprits were Gerrard and Skrtel actually. They made too many low odds decisions deep and didn't help us to build a possession game and looked to quickly the launch the ball. All the defenders in fact needed to look for quick simple balls to feet more often - that is usually something Johnson in particular is excellent at.

Last night on several occasions Lucas offered a nice option safe, simple and central and was ignored for some daft launch up field or eye of the needle ball to Riera or Benayoun. Insua doesn't escape from that criticism but he was probably the least bad offender and while he had an average game it was hardly a poor one. He has been a solid left back who is willing to get forward all season. He has been over praised in my opinion but that doesn't mean he is deserving of reactionary criticism now.

He is certainly a more worthy possessor of the 'undoubted potential' tag than Babel. Who to be fair to him made a decent cameo last night.

[PTP]

wtf - how can anyone have any complaints about Insua! - a young lad, come through the ressies, and battled to get into the first team and whilst he isn't Roberto Carlos he is doing well - he is ahead of dossena on merit, and i think it's great that finally someone has come from the ressies and has got into the first team.

When fit aurelio will be first choice left back, with insua as his competition, it's great that he is getting games and the chance at the moment, and given time, patience etc he will continue to develop.

People slate rafa for not trying out the youngsters, and when he uses clearly the best of the bunch people slag the kid off

I love it how some people are convinced that the likes of nemeth, Plessis, Spearing etc are potential superstars, should be given more first team opportunites, yet Insua (who surely noone can argue with this, is streets ahead of those three in terms of development and being ready for 1st team football) isn't good enough despite the fact that I believe he is YOUNGER than all three!!!

from the official
Nemeth - Date of Birth: 05/01/1989
Spearing - Date of Birth: 25/11/1988
Plessis - Date of Birth: 05/03/1988
Insua - Date of Birth: 07/01/1989

[BobTheCharmer]

wtf - how can anyone have any complaints about Insua! - a young lad, come through the ressies, and battled to get into the first team and whilst he isn't Roberto Carlos he is doing well - he is ahead of dossena on merit, and i think it's great that finally someone has come from the ressies and has got into the first team.

When fit aurelio will be first choice left back, with insua as his competition, it's great that he is getting games and the chance at the moment, and given time, patience etc he will continue to develop.

People slate rafa for not trying out the youngsters, and when he uses clearly the best of the bunch people slag the kid off

I love it how some people are convinced that the likes of nemeth, Plessis, Spearing etc are potential superstars, should be given more first team opportunites, yet Insua (who surely noone can argue with this, is streets ahead of those three in terms of development and being ready for 1st team football) isn't good enough despite the fact that I believe he is YOUNGER than all three!!!

from the official
Nemeth - Date of Birth: 05/01/1989
Spearing - Date of Birth: 25/11/1988
Plessis - Date of Birth: 05/03/1988
Insua - Date of Birth: 07/01/1989

sold to the man in the dungerees and carrot for a nose.

[Reece]

Insua