Insua

[Dhav]

this kid worries me, a lot. his defending and heading is weak, his positional play is non-existent, he is slow and cumbersome, and stockier than he needs to be. He has been a liability this season and I am still having nightmares about the way Govou raped him and generally made him his bitch in the home leg v Lyon which ultimately cost us that game and went a long way to eliminating us from Europe. I don't understand how someone as consistently poor as him has played so many games this season, yet this is the same manager who continues to play Dirk Kuyt who is some kind of attacking momentum repellant.

[little dave hedgehog]

i think so. if he continues to progress this season and keeps aurelio out of the team, i wouldn't be surprised if someone bid 5-8 million for him in the summer. and i think he might be good enough that we shouldn't take it.

this is dependent on him tightening up his game, and playing at least this well on the front foot. he can do it. i wish babel had anywhere near his development.

[Roboklopp]

Really improved again in the last couple of games- looking much more like the player we hoped he would become. His delivery really seems to have improved too.

He does need to learn defensively, but a lot of that is positional sense which can be learnt with him being so young. As for his height, didnt France & Bayern win things with Lizarazu at LB- wanst he about 5'4"?? Dont see a problem with him being a bit chunky either as long as it doesnt slow him down/ make him less fit- strength is very useful in the Prem- just ask his compatriots Masher & Tevez. Insua used his strength to beat the man to deliver that cross anyway.

I have renewed optimism for the lad- he seems to be eniefitting from the team playing a bit better as a whole.

[el matador]

this kid worries me, a lot. his defending and heading is weak, his positional play is non-existent, he is slow and cumbersome, and stockier than he needs to be. He has been a liability this season and I am still having nightmares about the way Govou raped him and generally made him his bitch in the home leg v Lyon which ultimately cost us that game and went a long way to eliminating us from Europe. I don't understand how someone as consistently poor as him has played so many games this season, yet this is the same manager who continues to play Dirk Kuyt who is some kind of attacking momentum repellant.

He is an absolute liability when defending (but was better yesterday) and with spurs coming up he'll be up against lennon.

However, going forward he has been pretty good and apparently he has 4 assists and one goal which is really good for a young full back.

He isnt slow but he gets caught out easily which makes him look a yard behind - but the lad definitely isnt slow. As for his tubiness, rooney is a fat ****er but that's his build.

I think insua is just round and that's his natural physique. Some of the puppy fat will eventually go but his stockiness also adds to his strength.

Heading is a weak point and this has to be worked on but he's argentinian so if he was asked to head a brick wall he would do it. All argentinians are mad and im sure insua is no exception.

On the negative side every time rafa brings on another youngster the value of the club goes up by another £10m. We all wonder why a club that cost £218m is now worth a reputed £400m+ - well look at the values of the assets (players) torres - £80m (or really anything we want), gerrard £40m, mascherano £40m, reina £20m. The next one could be ngog.

Add to that benny, agger, johnson and co then everytime a player becomes a genuine world class star it becomes harder to sell the club because the owners want more.

[Guest]

this kid worries me, a lot. his defending and heading is weak, his positional play is non-existent, he is slow and cumbersome, and stockier than he needs to be. He has been a liability this season and I am still having nightmares about the way Govou raped him and generally made him his bitch in the home leg v Lyon which ultimately cost us that game and went a long way to eliminating us from Europe. I don't understand how someone as consistently poor as him has played so many games this season, yet this is the same manager who continues to play Dirk Kuyt who is some kind of attacking momentum repellant.

Insua has been one of our most consistent performers this season and it's only been his first when he's been a regular. Give credit where credit is due please.

I also think he's a great little player, very tidy and offers a lot in an attacking sense. He is not the quickest and greatest of defenders but hey, Phil Neal was one of our poorest player yet he still won medals galore. And full back is one of the most difficult positions to master, as it needs a whole range of qualities. Maybe you'd rather see a centre back play there and offer nothing in attack, rather than an exciting attacking full back who excels in attack but still has rough edges as far as defending is concerned? Then maybe you'd have liked the way we played under Houllier.

[Dhav]

Insua has been one of our most consistent performers this season and it's only been his first when he's been a regular. Give credit where credit is due please.

I also think he's a great little player, very tidy and offers a lot in an attacking sense. He is not the quickest and greatest of defenders but hey, Phil Neal was one of our poorest player yet he still won medals galore. And full back is one of the most difficult positions to master, as it needs a whole range of qualities. Maybe you'd rather see a centre back play there and offer nothing in attack, rather than an exciting attacking full back who excels in attack but still has rough edges as far as defending is concerned? Then maybe you'd have liked the way we played under Houllier.

I will give credit when it is due, and what I see in Insua is someone who has cost us countless goals this season with his poor defending and even poorer positional play. I'm not going to rise to your condescension except to say while he's fit I'd rather see Aurelio playing at left back than Insua. Hell I'd even go as far as to say I'd rather see Riise out there than Insua, and believe me I absolutely detest that ginger ****wit.

[Armchairkopite]

I have been critical of Insua this season myself but he is only a kid and he has some outstanding attributes.

The fact that he doesn't have a nautal left sided player ahead of him 90% of the time doesn't help, I think its easy to forget how much help Johnson gets from Kuyt on the right.

[Guest]

I will give credit when it is due, and what I see in Insua is someone who has cost us countless goals this season with his poor defending and even poorer positional play. I'm not going to rise to your condescension except to say while he's fit I'd rather see Aurelio playing at left back than Insua. Hell I'd even go as far as to say I'd rather see Riise out there than Insua, and believe me I absolutely detest that ginger ****wit.

Well he deserves a lot of credit and there's something wrong when someone lays into him like you do.

He's got more positives than negatives, and he's only 20, which obviously indicates that he has a lot to learn. Do I look condescending when I just point out some facts? I think not.

What has cost us points this season is our failure in dealing with situations as a team, not something that you can state was the result of one or two individuals not performing or not being good enough. Sure Carra had a dodgy spell, but it was rather a symptom rather than the root cause of our problems.

To even suggest that Riise should be played instead of Insua, is laughable IMO. Sorry, but I think that is ludicrous. Some people will never be happy. Bring back Paisley and Shankly, that's what 'living in the past' means.

[Armchairkopite]

I will give credit when it is due, and what I see in Insua is someone who has cost us countless goals this season with his poor defending and even poorer positional play. I'm not going to rise to your condescension except to say while he's fit I'd rather see Aurelio playing at left back than Insua. Hell I'd even go as far as to say I'd rather see Riise out there than Insua, and believe me I absolutely detest that ginger ****wit.

You have to admit that he is improving though.

[Armchairkopite]

Well he deserves a lot of credit and there's something wrong when someone lays into him like you do.

He's got more positives than negatives, and he's only 20, which obviously indicates that he has a lot to learn. Do I look condescending when I just point out some facts? I think not.

What has cost us points this season is our failure in dealing with situations as a team, not something that you can state was the result of one or two individuals not performing or not being good enough. Sure Carra had a dodgy spell, but it was rather a symptom rather than the root cause of our problems.

Insuas from is on the upturn since the presence of Agger as well. Playing alongside two centre backs earlier in the season that prefer to work the right side of the pitch didn't help him either.

[Guest]

I have been critical of Insua this season myself but he is only a kid and he has some outstanding attributes.

The fact that he doesn't have a nautal left sided player ahead of him 90% of the time doesn't help, I think its easy to forget how much help Johnson gets from Kuyt on the right.

I think you make a very good point. Dww stated this also in one of his previous posts and it makes a lot of sense. Kuyt does a lot of 'donkey work' on the right side and that is often not mentioned. It's obviously much more pleasing to the eye to see a player full of flair and technique, but who's got not inclination to work back and help his defenders. Then you'd get an argument that the same player isn't good enough because he doesn't defend.

Insua is playing his first full season for us, and we have to give him credit for the only fact that he seems to be raising amongst the criticism he gets, without any fanfare. He just gets on with his job and responds by giving good performances consistently.

[dww]

Actually Nicey I think that comments not entirely unfair - Villa definitely targetted him and he isn't the quickest in the world - a couple of times he did get slightly caught out of position and also one or two of his clearances weren't the best. He also isn't great in the air generally.

However he's really still a baby in defensive terms, he'll improve a lot over the next few years in terms of reading the game etc if he continues to show the mentality he has so far.

However, he also did some very good things today, he's very willing to get forward and he was left rather exposed imo by the playing of Benayoun on the left - Benny just isn't a left winger and came inside a lot, leaving us very narrow in attack and short of players covering on the flank in defence.

I think the lad will be a cracking player in a few years if he keeps working hard at his game.

The being targetted thing is fair but I thought that given that little came of it he deserves a lot of credit - people made an extra effort to attack him, he had no protection and still people can only fault him on a couple of occasions - can you really expect any more of any defender?

He does badly need to work on his heading though. His body shape looks all wrong and his leap seems to add very little to his height.

[Armchairkopite]

I think you make a very good point. Dww stated this also in one of his previous posts and it makes a lot of sense. Kuyt does a lot of 'donkey work' on the right side and that is often not mentioned. It's obviously much more pleasing to the eye to see a player full of flair and technique, but who's got not inclination to work back and help his defenders. Then you'd get an argument that the same player isn't good enough because he doesn't defend.

Insua is playing his first full season for us, and we have to give him credit for the only fact that he seems to be raising amongst the criticism he gets, without any fanfare. He just gets on with his job and responds by giving good performances consistently.

Indeed mate, its a credit to Insua and Lucas that both players have a very strong mentality at such a young age.
Both have come in for extreme critisism over the last twelve months but have worked there socks off to improve. The club will reap the benefits of this as these young lads mature into top class players.

[MrMichael]

With respect, I think that is bull****! if i was going to target anyone it would be johnson ..he has been utter gash for well over a month now and single handly lost us our last two defeats ... Insua on the otherhand has been the main reason we have won one and very solid today in the other ... i paid particular attention to him today and really and lost to were you people are getting this **** from ... just look at the MOM thread and see how many people have him not only in the top three but there no.1 pick ...

This place is strange ... Now if you had have said Kuyt had a stinker ... for once i would have agreed ... but no Insua still gets stick after for what was for many a Man of the Match performance from a 20 year old defender playing at Villa away in thee most important match of the season ... Shocking stuff

Aaaaaaaaarrrrggggg! Nicey, seriously though! Right, look, its is possible for someone to have a really good game and still make a few mistakes at the same time that are worth commenting on.

Anyone saying the kid wasn't one of our better players wasn't watching the same game as me. But anyone who also didn't see him have a couple of dicky moments is wearing blinkers. Pointing those out while talking about his performance is not the same thing at all as giving him stick.

I really think Insua could become a superb full back in time and be the answer for us for many years. But acting like he's Nilton Santos right now is going over the top.

Now stop making every bloody discussion just a case of black and white damn it, football's about opinions!

Insuas from is on the upturn since the presence of Agger as well. Playing alongside two centre backs earlier in the season that prefer to work the right side of the pitch didn't help him either.

Point

The being targetted thing is fair but I thought that given that little came of it he deserves a lot of credit - people made an extra effort to attack him, he had no protection and still people can only fault him on a couple of occasions - can you really expect any more of any defender?

He does badly need to work on his heading though. His body shape looks all wrong and his leap seems to add very little to his height.

Totally. All in all it was very impressive how he maintained his composure under regular pressure in the game, and no, you probably can't.

His heading does indeed need some real work.

[BrianF80]

The being targetted thing is fair but I thought that given that little came of it he deserves a lot of credit - people made an extra effort to attack him, he had no protection and still people can only fault him on a couple of occasions - can you really expect any more of any defender?

He does badly need to work on his heading though. His body shape looks all wrong and his leap seems to add very little to his height.

Everton targeted his side of the pitch and there was another game shortly after where they did the same and similarly nothing came of it.

The left has looked more secure since Agger partnered him and will get better when Riera is back as he at least tracks runners properly something Yossi is not the best at.