Good Enough and Old Enough: Insua Deserves to Play

One of the criticisms that is often levelled at Benitez is his reluctance to play young players. That there are many valid reasons for this - lack of quality and the ability to handle the pressure of playing at such a level being two of them - doesn't really matter.

That said, perhaps Benitez is perhaps too reticent when it comes to giving young players a chance. Yet there is something with playing at the Emirates that seems to inspire him. Last year he started the league game with Damien Plessis at the heart of midfield whilst this season it was Emiliano Insua who got his opportunity at the left hand side of defence.

And to say that the Argentine impressed would be an understatement. Indeed, probably the biggest compliment that can be handed out to him is that he looked like a left sided Steve Finnan.

The impression that Insua had finally reached the stage where he could easily handle Premier League football was served a couple of weeks earlier at Ewood Park. His performance on that day, although highly promising, was nevertheless discounted because it was ‘only’ Blackburn.

Those who still hold doubts about his ability, however, are on the decrease. Defensively, against Arsenal Insua held out very well both when faced by the pace of Bacary Sagna and when asked to deal with the trickery of Samir Nasri. Even more impressive was the way he went forward where his ability to find space and the precision of his crossing should have found a better response by the strikers.

Perhaps the biggest tell-tale sign of Insua’s maturity was in the manner that the senior players treated him. There is the tendency to avoid passing the ball to players who are still very much in the learning curve, thus limiting the possibility of them running into danger. Not so with Insua where both Alonso and Gerrard were actively looking to give the ball to him. If any proof of his capabilities was still sought, such confidence by those two should provide it.

Even so it is still too early to go make any definitive judgements: those who saw a young Gregory Vignal excel at Goodison some years back will surely agree. What can be said is that he has won the right to an extended run in the side. Hard luck to Andrea Dossena, who for all the criticism is trying to adapt to a different environment and a new role, but one of the virtues of having a competition for places is that it rewards those who are doing best.

For Benitez, however, it is not that simple. Leaving out the Italian international in favour of a nineteen year old would tacitly strengthen the feeling that Dossena is damaged goods, that he simply isn’t good enough for Liverpool. Considering that Liverpool have just spent £7 million on him – a good amount of which would have to be written off were he to be sold within the next twelve months – that is easier said than done. The temptation to stick with Dossena in the hope that he comes good will surely be there.

Especially as there are many who are more than eager to highlight any of Benitez’s failed transfers. In this case, any such criticism can easily be answered. For it was Benitez himself who bought Insua as a seventeen year old and then oversaw his development to the first team.

If anything, Insua can be put forward as the prototype of what he is trying to achieve with the reserves: get players young, develop them and then slowly introduce them into a team that is functioning well. Which, come to think of it, would also shut up those who say that not enough opportunities are made available by Benitez to young players.