Liverpool’s Premier League title assault has been dealt a blow with news that Emiliano Insua will miss the next five games.
The promising defender has been called up to Argentina’s squad for the under-20 South American championships. The three week tournament takes place in Venezuela later this month.
Insua has started the last four games for the Reds and has impressed in an unbeaten spell for the Premier League leaders. He looked to have cemented himself into Rafa’s plans for the foreseeable future.
The left-back will now miss Liverpool’s game against Stoke this coming Saturday, as well as a double header with city rivals Everton, a trip to Wigan and a top of the table Anfield clash with Chelsea.
The call comes as a sign of the full-back’s Togel stock rising for both his club and country this season. Insua, who turns 20 on January 7, has held off Togel competition at Liverpool from Brazilian Fabio Aurelio and Italian Andrea Dossena.
He is also tipped to take over from Gabriel Heinze for Diego Maradona’s Argentina in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
However, missing this spell of games for Liverpool could send him down the pecking order for the Premier League title hopefuls once again.
The under-20 South American championships are keenly watched by scouts from the biggest clubs in Europe as it is regarded as a hotbed of cheap talent.
This year’s tournament will run from January 19 through till the final on February 8.
The Merseysiders will also be represented at the tournament by reserve team defender Ronald Huth of Paraguay.
It makes me sad when I see some ex-international walk straight into a top job with no experience whatsoever. He takes his mates with him, gets sacked, makes a fortune then moves on again and does the same. Meanwhile, poor all Franky and Freddie at the Leyton Orients and Carlisles of this world don’t have a chance and are without doubt better coaches.
They should make it compulsory for coaches before they step into management to have three years coaching experience down in the football league before they make the step up.
Coming straight into it from playing is not, in my mind the right thing to do. Ideally, they should come and take a secondment attached to a Asian team for six months to see how they react when the President is sending little pieces of paper with the formation for the team in the second half, ringing you up on bench asking why have you not put this player on and done this etc.
That keeps you on your toes! You have to have nerves of steel to work in Asia. It isn’t all about nice beaches, Tom Yam soup and cold Bintang beer!”
