Insua, Ability & Experience

[cmuller]

Without going into the issue of his ability and long-term prospects, it seems utterly self-evident to me that the lad is playing really badly and, at the very least, needs to be dropped. I am stunned that anyone can deny he's at fault when he lets a player run past him - in front of his very eyes - in the box to score and doesn't even react. Ditto the fact that he didn't even attempt to close down the final ball for the second goal.

 

Insua's not playing well, not sure what the alternative was yesterday though? Dropping him probably is the right thing.

 

Just watched the replay of MOTD, I'd say Kyrgiakos is equally at fault as Insua for every goal. Every time he's just completely static and nowhere near where he should be, especially the second and third where he stops playing altogether. The first he has a glance where Zamora is but still doesn't cut out the angle and only risk he's responsible for. There's acient statues in his home country who have more mobility.

 

Typical of the way Hansen the pundit is now - blaming Insua - I reckon he just gets fed lines from production staff for his 'analysis'.

 

EDIT just seen a Portsmouth goal where Melchiot's defending is much worse than Insua's for the first. Hansen "...he manages to get infront of Melchiot..." no singling out at all.

Edited November 1, 2009 by cmuller

[jackofdk]

I want to get back to this, at times he has no awarness about whats happening in a 3m radius around him inside the box.

 

Piss poor defending once again today.

 

They say there is a silver lining on every cloud, and for you it must have been great to watch us collapse yesterday so you could come on here and be a smug cunt.

[Paul]

Insua's not playing well, not sure what the alternative was yesterday though? Dropping him probably is the right thing.

 

Just watched the replay of MOTD, I'd say Kyrgiakos is equally at fault as Insua for every goal. Every time he's just completely static and nowhere near where he should be, especially the second and third where he stops playing altogether. The first he has a glance where Zamora is but still doesn't cut out the angle and only risk he's responsible for. There's acient statues in his home country who have more mobility.

 

Typical of the way Hansen the pundit is now - blaming Insua - I reckon he just gets fed lines from production staff for his 'analysis'.

 

EDIT just seen a Portsmouth goal where Melchiot's defending is much worse than Insua's for the first. Hansen "...he manages to get infront of Melchiot..." no singling out at all.

 

I'm no fan of him either and I broadly agree with your point about blame albeit with one proviso - Zamora (Christ, that's painful) ran in behind Kyrgiakos, but in front of Insua. That makes him marginally less culpable in my view as it was harder for him to see what was happening.

 

Of course you allude to a sound general point - defending is a team activity, first and foremost. The last time I saw Carra play so inconsistently is when he was up against Henry that time. Surely it's no coincidence that he had Josemi and Biscan around him then and similarly poor players now? One man cannot do it all himself. Even Alan Hansen would look bad playing next to Degen, Kyrgiakos and Insua. Just look at those names together - it seems barely credible that such poor players could have lined up in the same Liverpool defence, does it? I don't think any one of them is Premiership standard at the moment, never mind Liverpool quality.

[Mathewbet1]

We clearly need to sell Dossena and get a quality left back in asap.

[stevienando]

Who would buy him?

[SpeedyG]

Insua's not playing well, not sure what the alternative was yesterday though? Dropping him probably is the right thing.

 

Just watched the replay of MOTD, I'd say Kyrgiakos is equally at fault as Insua for every goal. Every time he's just completely static and nowhere near where he should be, especially the second and third where he stops playing altogether. The first he has a glance where Zamora is but still doesn't cut out the angle and only risk he's responsible for. There's acient statues in his home country who have more mobility.

 

Typical of the way Hansen the pundit is now - blaming Insua - I reckon he just gets fed lines from production staff for his 'analysis'.

 

EDIT just seen a Portsmouth goal where Melchiot's defending is much worse than Insua's for the first. Hansen "...he manages to get infront of Melchiot..." no singling out at all.

 

Fact is the Insua bandwagon is in full force. Problem is our collective defending has been crap since the middle of last year. The midfield is no longer an effective screen and players are not compensating for each others known weaknesses. We didn't used to see Carraghers known weakness in one on ones resulting in players getting dragged to the floor every week because the midfield was tighter. Now you have Lucas going box to box and Mascherano swanning around all over the place. Whose fault is that Carragher's or the way the unit is put together? It was the same early season when Johnson was pushed on.

 

It's the same with Insua he has weaknesses but the unit is not compensating but because of the way the british media works you can't blame the system you have to blame a personality. You can't blame "balance" or "complementarity", you have to blame a person and shout "Wah, wah, wah, it's all his fault".

 

In the case of the first goal, as is usually the case, it was caused by multiple mistakes, so why are we only talking about one of them?!?!?!?!?!? And even then the mistake is not even properly identified, the mistake was simply that neither took responsibility, both needed to anticipate what the other would do and neither did. Which is not a great surprise given the two have played together for what a couple of hours at most. As I said before if Agger had been playing he would have taken responsibility.

 

A lot of these problems will go away when we have a settled back 4, let's hope that happens before the vultures pick Insua to pieces and leave him in the same state they left Lucas.

[Red Mist]

I agree. The whole team, never mind just the defence, is playing fucking appallingly, yet people are making the youngest and least experienced player the scapegoat? Fuck that.

[Red Nick]

I agree. The whole team, never mind just the defence, is playing fucking appallingly, yet people are making the youngest and least experienced player the scapegoat? Fuck that.

 

Its not about scapegoats it about looking at our weakest point on the pitch and fixing it.

 

Its not personal its just football business and Insua isnt up to the job in hand so you get someone in who is.

[TheBitch]

Degen, Kyrgiakos and Insua. Just look at those names together - it seems barely credible that such poor players could have lined up in the same Liverpool defence, does it?

 

This hurts my eyes. It really does.

 

Make it go away. Someone. . . . . Make it go away. . . . . .

 

Words defy me in a moment like this, thats a truly awful basis for a defence isn't it.

[DJLJ]

They say there is a silver lining on every cloud, and for you it must have been great to watch us collapse yesterday so you could come on here and be a smug cunt.

 

This is uncalled for. Actually it is a cunts trick.

[jackofdk]

This is uncalled for. Actually it is a cunts trick.

 

Fair enough. I went too far there, apologies to Code for that. I don't think he actually wants us to lose.

[rebel23]

Its not about scapegoats it about looking at our weakest point on the pitch and fixing it.

 

Its not personal its just football business and Insua isnt up to the job in hand so you get someone in who is.

 

yeah because getting players in under a brutal regime is so damn easy. I can't wait for January to see all these top players arrive

[Soleilrouge]

insua not good enough - bad defender with no pace - end of. Put aurelio back there. Move on

[silverlining]

It's just a shame that the band wagon is gathering speed, unfortunately, driven primarily by people who have not a clue or an appreciation of context of what they are talking about.

 

 

That's the only thing that is. He's shit, and slow.

[Manny]

I like Insua and think he's got potential, but the way he's been playing the last few games has really pushed his weaknesses into the limelight. He should have a stretch in the reserves and use those games to work on the problems that his first team appearances have highlighted.

[shaunstrudwick]

Insua should only ever be played when Agger is in the middle imo

[dirty_sanchez]

Both had a major advantage over Insua, though.

 

Blinding pace.

 

Slow full-backs are a rarity these days, for very obvious reasons.

 

Can you think of any playing at the top level?

 

Tony Hibbert

 

Oh wait, you said top level.

[AussieRed]

Have to agree that pace is a key for a full back. This is particularly true when we expect our fullbacks to get forward. It is mare noticeable when Benny plays on the left. As Benny naturally cuts in, Insua has to push further up. This takes him further out of position. The other problem is that Insua is also very short and not that strong. This means that defensively he can not get in front, will struggle to fend off and cannot win headers against his opponent.

 

I think a big attacking fullback like a Juan Vargas or Hamburgers Marcel Jansen would give our squad the power and attacking threat we need.

[BatChainPuller]

insua not good enough - bad defender with no pace - end of. Put aurelio back there. Move on

 

I'm sad to say I have to agree - he's been a liability for weeks. Reminds me of Riise the season before he left. Regularly out of position, players go past him and he just jogs back, too slow to launch himself to get a block. His lack of pace will always limit him however much his positioning/reading might improve.

[Sangria]

He has qualities but a lot of posters have pointed out his weaknesses and it is pace and his positional sense.

The later can be worked on but pace cannot.

Coop said at reserve level he seemed quick enough and I think he probably was but that next step up, shows up things that were never noticed before.

 

We have only one decent left back and he is made of glass, we really do need better.

[Paul]

I'm sad to say I have to agree - he's been a liability for weeks. Reminds me of Riise the season before he left. Regularly out of position, players go past him and he just jogs back, too slow to launch himself to get a block. His lack of pace will always limit him however much his positioning/reading might improve.

 

Agreed. Aurelio compensates by having great touch, composure and awareness. However, his lack of pace limits even him and I don't see anything of Aurelio in Insua. Full back these days is probably the toughest position on the pitch in terms of physical and positional demands; unlike centre half, you can't get away with being slow any more.

 

I hope I'm proved wrong and he turns out well, but I don't see it because I've never seen anything to suggest it will happen. At best he's been competent and at worst he's been very poor. In fairness, I don't think what we've seen recently is his natural level. However, I don't think he's got anything more than half decent in his locker.

[Funkasy]

i know what you guys will be crying about when we spunk 18millions on an attacking wing back to take insuas place in the summer.

[Code]

Insua got a very good start with loads of fans, not really because of his performances but just because he was not Riise.

 

I think the lack of top class quality in his game will get more and more evident the more games he gets.

 

Aurelio is by far our best option but he is far from perfect himself, who knows, maybe we will see Degen/Kelly on the right and Johnson on the left in a few games this season, it would not surprise me.

[BatChainPuller]

Agreed. Aurelio compensates by having great touch, composure and awareness. However, his lack of pace limits even him and I don't see anything of Aurelio in Insua. Full back these days is probably the toughest position on the pitch in terms of physical and positional demands; unlike centre half, you can't get away with being slow any more.

 

I hope I'm proved wrong and he turns out well, but I don't see it because I've never seen anything to suggest it will happen. At best he's been competent and at worst he's been very poor. In fairness, I don't think what we've seen recently is his natural level. However, I don't think he's got anything more than half decent in his locker.

 

The sad thing is that at the end of last season I thought we were finally going to see a youngster break into the first team. Hopefully Martin Kelly will be the one.

[Guest TK-421]

You've just done a poo in your own hat. Urgh.

 

It ended up....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..in sewer.