Insua

[Lee]

Insua is vastly overrated. I thought he was very poor again today. what does he offer really?

Terrible mate. At fault for all the goals in our match today.

Heck, he was even at fault for the goals that Wigan, Portsmouth & Sunderland conceded!

[fin7]

Insua is vastly overrated. I thought he was very poor again today. what does he offer really?

[vonk]

I know a lot of tongue in cheek comments here. He was outstanding today. Getting forward, good on the ball. Still first choice for me above Aurelio. He was our best defender today.

[Lee]

I know a lot of tongue in cheek comments here. He was outstanding today. Getting forward, good on the ball. Still first choice for me above Aurelio. He was our best defender today.

One of the best players on the pitch to be honest mate.

I like Insua. I think he needs to work on his final delivery & decision making, but all in all I think he has done well.

[saj]

He was easily man of the match today for me. And he got another assist. That's 2 assists from him this season already.

[vonk]

By the way. His Argie team mate, Kun.... his team is on the wrong end of a beating at Barca. 3 down after half an our.

Come home, Kun. You know you want to.

[BobTheCharmer]

I was joking mate, aimed at marky.

Insua is fast becoming one of my favourites.

[saj]

I was joking mate, aimed at marky.

Insua is fast becoming one of my favourites.

I dont mean to go over the top, but has he ever put in bad performance for us? Admittedly, he was pretty poor by his standards in the champions league and made one mistake against hull last year when we were already 3 up. But has he ever let us down? His reading of the game is excellent and the way he anticipates and intercepts the oppostion passes and starts counter attacks is amazing. He did this yesteerday a few times and this led to our first goal. What a player this guy will be in 3 years time. He's almost on par with Johnson and yet he's 5 years younger than him. In fact, I don't he's even played 20 games for us yet!

[Lee]

Insua wins first call-up for Argentina

Good lad

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26092009/58/world-cup-qual-argentina-cap-higuain-insua.html

Struggling Argentina called up Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain and Liverpool left back Emiliano Insua for the first time for next month's decisive World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay.

Coach Diego Maradona, who named 18 players, also recalled midfielder Pablo Aimar and Angel Di Maria, team mates at Benfica, and Luis Gonzalez of Olympique Marseille.

French-born Higuain, who has turned down the chance to play for France, has been rewarded for his patience in waiting for this call and his good form in La Liga. He could earn a starting place up front alongside Lionel Messi.

Argentina must beat Peru at home on October 10 and Uruguay in Montevideo four days later to be sure of progressing to next year's finals in South Africa.

A revamped squad includes winger Di Maria who has served a four-match suspension following his dismissal in Argentina's 6-1 drubbing by Bolivia in La Paz in April and playmaker Aimar, who was last in the squad at the 2007 Copa America.

Maradona has also recalled Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta and Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez, who has recovered from injury after missing the defeats by Brazil and Paraguay earlier this month that left Argentina in danger of failing to reach the finals for the first time since 1970.

He has dropped Inter Milan defender Javier Zanetti, Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago and Olympique Lyon striker Lisandro Lopez from the squad.

Argentina are fifth in the 10-nation South American group from which the top four qualify. The team finishing fifth will play off against the fourth-placed side from the CONCACAF region.

A victory over a weak Peru side who are bottom of the group would send Argentina, who have lost their last three qualifiers, into a potential decider away to the Uruguayans.

Brazil, who have 33 points from 16 matches, and Paraguay with 30 points have qualified. Chile are third on 27.

In a tight race for the fourth spot and the playoff berth, fourth-placed Ecuador have 23 points, Argentina are on 22, Uruguay and Venezuela 21 and Colombia 20.

Bolivia (12) and Peru (10) are out of the reckoning.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania)

Defenders: Emiliano Insua (Liverpool), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Nicolas Pareja (Espanyol)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Luis Gonzalez (Olympique Marseille), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United), Angel Di Maria, Pablo Aimar (both Benfica)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli)

[RedReet]

I wonder how much of a say Mascherano had in that. Great news for Insua though even if it's not ideal for us.

[Frenchie]

not one Argentina based player in that squad

[lackyboy]

Defensively, Argentina look nothing like world class judging by that squad.

Coloccini - English 1st div, steady but not set the world alight.
Heinze - getting on a bit now, average league.
Zabaleta - seen him have some good games but also some very poor ones for city too.
Pareja - is this the former R madrid centre half? Part of another dreadful defence.

No wonder they are struggling to qualify - bringing in some quality like Insua can only be a good thing!

[sambirken]

2 Newcastle players. Hard times.

[Shaggy]

Superb performance today, well worth his call up to the national side. I think he'll be their left-back for years to come. What a brilliant piece of scouting and signing that was. Hadn't even played for Boca's first team.

[wiw]

He's played every minute in the league so far