Reira should be to Insua what Kuyt is to Johnson

[Mystic]

We hardly need another Reira thread, however this is more about our left side in general. What we've seen so far this season, from Kuyt and Johnson has been brilliant, genuinly now it would be fair to say our right side is the best in the league, Kuyt is dangerous and scores goals, Johnson is dangerous and scores goals, together there lethal. However without a player like Kuyt on the wing with Johnson, i'm sure his effectiveness would be much less.

Insua this season has recieved some negativity from some people on here, people even targetting him as a weakness in the side. Personally I really like Insua, he's dangerous going forward and he's a capable defender, however he's been a little isolated this season, having Babel in front of him provides next to no support/link up play, same goes with Benayoun although to a lesser degree, due to his tendacy to drift inside and link up the play there, Insua is often left exposed and without anyone to link up with or to help cover him defense.

I remember when we first brought Reira last year, one thing everyone pointed out was his brilliant ability to link up with the full back, I think we really need this back. With Reira in the side I feel we'll have a much more balanced side and we'll see more from our left side similar to that from our right side. Obviously Reira is being sold or some crap at the moment hence why he's not being played, I just hope that sometime soon either Silva comes in or Reira starts playing, this'll make Insua's job easier, and he'll perform even better, and Reira is fantastic in his own right.

For the next game would it be too much to ask?

 

[HC]

It seems a little strange how both Babel and Benny have neglected helping Insua out down the left, do you not think this is possibly more to do with Insua than it is the player playing infront of him?

I cannot wait for Aurelio to be match fit.

 

[Squiggles]

I largely agree that we need Riera back in the team pronto.

Either Riera's been acting a cock or Rafa just want more goals from the LW position, but whatever Rafa's reasoning, his absence is costing us.

However the problem with making our left side as good as our right is both Insua and Riera are inferior players to Kuyt and Johnson.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

[quote author=Hardcastle link=topic=35484.msg932920#msg932920 date=1251293564]
It seems a little strange how both Babel and Benny have neglected helping Insua out down the left, do you not think this is possibly more to do with Insua than it is the player playing infront of him?

I cannot wait for Aurelio to be match fit.


[/quote]

No it doesn't
Babel does not read the game and see what is going on and Yossi keeps drifting inside, Insua is not the common factor.
If Aurelio had been playing he would be in a hell of a mess as he does not have the stamina , or pace, to do half of what Insua has been having to do

regards

 

[Mystic]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=35484.msg932941#msg932941 date=1251294751]
[quote author=Hardcastle link=topic=35484.msg932920#msg932920 date=1251293564]
It seems a little strange how both Babel and Benny have neglected helping Insua out down the left, do you not think this is possibly more to do with Insua than it is the player playing infront of him?

I cannot wait for Aurelio to be match fit.


[/quote]

No it doesn't
Babel does not read the game and see what is going on and Yossi keeps drifting inside, Insua is not the common factor.
If Aurelio had been playing he would be in a hell of a mess as he does not have the stamina , or pace, to do half of what Insua has been having to do

regards
[/quote]

Brilliant put, to blame Insua for this is stupid, he's been performing well and he's been somewhat of a work horse, the amount of times he's been in a great position out wide and simply neglected by Babel/Yossi has been criminal, then when the player loses the ball it's he who has to power it back on his own to cover.

As Vlad mentions, had this been Aurelio he wouldn't have been able to cope with the amount of work.

Insua and Reira aren't as good as Johnson and Kuyt, but play them together and they will be very dangerous.

 

[HC]

[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=35484.msg932941#msg932941 date=1251294751]
[quote author=Hardcastle link=topic=35484.msg932920#msg932920 date=1251293564]
It seems a little strange how both Babel and Benny have neglected helping Insua out down the left, do you not think this is possibly more to do with Insua than it is the player playing infront of him?

I cannot wait for Aurelio to be match fit.


[/quote]

No it doesn't
Babel does not read the game and see what is going on and Yossi keeps drifting inside, Insua is not the common factor.
If Aurelio had been playing he would be in a hell of a mess as he does not have the stamina , or pace, to do half of what Insua has been having to do

regards
[/quote]

Half of what Insua has been doing?

He hasn't been doing alot. He was invisible during the Villa game. I'm fairly sure Benayoun came inside and does come inside with pior knowledge that his supporting fullback will push forward and doesn't do it on his own accord - Insua did not do this. Yet it's benayouns fault?

Regarding Stamina and fitness - Insua hardly looks all that either, needs to shed some pounds. Aurelio may have a bit of sick note in him but he's not a total wreck on the pitch in terms of fitness either, when actually playing.

 

[mark1975]

Insua set up the goal!

 

[mark1975]

I made a point about this the other day.

Insua and Johnson are both being given licence to attack, there's nothing wrong with that, but when we had Arbeloa he tucked inside when needed to create a solid three in the centre. The problem now is that Johnson AND Insua are both providing the width and so are being caught either too wide or too advanced, or both.

If Riera (for example) was there he would be staying wide and dropping when needed, allowing both to attack with the assurance of the other one covering and little in the way of open space for the opposition wide players to exploit. It also avoids the central midfielders being dragged wide to cover the space. While on the opposite flank Kuyt already provides this, but Johnson needs to come across to cover Carra and Skrtel when we need him too.

Too many times when caught on the break at Spurs and against Villa we were stretched at the back, which allowed players the space to run into.

There's clearly issues but I don't think it's solely down to the fullbacks, the odd tweak (where at least one of the fullbacks tucks in when needed) and getting Riera back would cure a shit load of our current woes.

 

[keniget]

I don't think we've struggled *that* badly defensively. Certainly against Villa, the first two decisive goals were sucker punches from set pieces.

The main problem is that the midfield isn't holding it's own and not giving the team the solid base we've relied upon in previous seasons. Kuyt has started poorly, the left hand side is not looking great, Masher is a fire-fighter and Lucas isn't one to impose himself on the game and get us to start playing.

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=35484.msg932974#msg932974 date=1251297269]
I don't think we've struggled *that* badly defensively. Certainly against Villa, the first two decisive goals were sucker punches from set pieces.

The main problem is that the midfield isn't holding it's own and not giving the team the solid base we've relied upon in previous seasons. Kuyt has started poorly, the left hand side is not looking great, Masher is a fire-fighter and Lucas isn't one to impose himself on the game and get us to start playing.
[/quote]

The problem when we get hit on the break though is a worrying one, because it will happen in games so it's important we sort it out.

When Villa did hit us they attacked down the flanks and alot of the time only the fullbacks were in a position to challenge, which left the centre halves caught in two minds incase the attacker got beyond the fullback, while Villa always had someone waiting in the centre ready to pounce on a ball across. Everytime they did this is troubled us and we were lucky not to concede more because of it. They stretched us big time and exploited it, and other teams will too.

 

[Mystic]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=35484.msg932977#msg932977 date=1251297596]
[quote author=keniget link=topic=35484.msg932974#msg932974 date=1251297269]
I don't think we've struggled *that* badly defensively. Certainly against Villa, the first two decisive goals were sucker punches from set pieces.

The main problem is that the midfield isn't holding it's own and not giving the team the solid base we've relied upon in previous seasons. Kuyt has started poorly, the left hand side is not looking great, Masher is a fire-fighter and Lucas isn't one to impose himself on the game and get us to start playing.
[/quote]

The problem when we get hit on the break though is a worrying one, because it will happen in games so it's important we sort it out.

When Villa did hit us they attacked down the flanks and alot of the time only the fullbacks were in a position to challenge, which left the centre halves caught in two minds incase the attacker got beyond the fullback, while Villa always had someone waiting in the centre ready to pounce on a ball across. Everytime they did this is troubled us and we were lucky not to concede more because of it. They stretched us big time and exploited it, and other teams will too.
[/quote]

Completely agree with you here again, although the inclusion of Reira wouldn't stop this it would greatly help. You mention about one of the full backs needing to step in on occasion in the center, I've seen Insua doing this a few times, Johnson as well but not as much, I think the problem is though, due to the break down of play down the left Insua over has to far to track back to be able to get back into the defense properly, and also as you mention the cover isn't there on the left meaning he has to defend the flank alone, the inclusion of Reira would for one reduce the amount of times the play breaks down with him high up the pitch, and secondly, provide him that valuable cover.

It's seems like a no brainer to me, i just really hope Rafa does something about this.

 

[HC]

Riera's ability to play keep ball and move the ball about has been a big miss, more so given Xabi's exit.

With Gerrard more often than not up the pitch there's noone to do that that over the course of a match.

 

[keniget]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=35484.msg932977#msg932977 date=1251297596]
[quote author=keniget link=topic=35484.msg932974#msg932974 date=1251297269]
I don't think we've struggled *that* badly defensively. Certainly against Villa, the first two decisive goals were sucker punches from set pieces.

The main problem is that the midfield isn't holding it's own and not giving the team the solid base we've relied upon in previous seasons. Kuyt has started poorly, the left hand side is not looking great, Masher is a fire-fighter and Lucas isn't one to impose himself on the game and get us to start playing.
[/quote]

The problem when we get hit on the break though is a worrying one, because it will happen in games so it's important we sort it out.

When Villa did hit us they attacked down the flanks and alot of the time only the fullbacks were in a position to challenge, which left the centre halves caught in two minds incase the attacker got beyond the fullback, while Villa always had someone waiting in the centre ready to pounce on a ball across. Everytime they did this is troubled us and we were lucky not to concede more because of it. They stretched us big time and exploited it, and other teams will too.
[/quote]

The threat of the counter-attack is always going to be a bigger one when you try to become more adventurous as a team. Villa managed to stretch us as did Spurs because we were fucking catastrophic in possession - something that has always been a real strong point for us in the past - and because our midfield were just poor in general.

We need our strong, dominant midfield back.