Pablo Zabaleta

I think that we need Zanetti for this world cup. We don t need to get to caught up in the youth movement unless we want to just concede this world cup and get players ready for 2010. The truth is that we already have enough young players and especially on defense I think that we need some experience.

Posted from  United States

i completely agree with todd. although he is not a defender, he plays right mid. if he is good enough to be on the team im sure he would have already showed it in the hungary and paraguay games.

Posted from  United States

Zabaleta plays ok for Espanyol, but there is nothing too special. Espanyol could loose 10 straight games and only Espanyol fans would know. Maybe he could show better stuff at a better club.

Some people are so deluded saying we should take so and so players without thinking at all. Reputations should count for nothing and people should name players who are worthy of being in the squad. Take the players that are performing well currently – full stop. If Zabaleta is playing well take him. Zanetti main attribute is his consistancy. As far Ponzio is concerned, after watching him he is very ordinary.

What we need is winners, we are not taking players for the sake of it.

Posted from  United Kingdom

I agree with you here… Zanetti (in my opinion) is our best player. I trust him with the ball and never get scared. He’s so consistent, that’s why he is the captain of Inter Milan and the Argentine team. Who else is similar to Zanetti in this regard?

Zanetti is not the captain of ARG., Sorin is.

Posted from  United States

What we need is the superb and reliable Mr Zanetti. Running up and down argentinas right wing ,he has made that position his own and believe me if Zabaleta is anything as good as zanetti we would have heard much more about him and Pekerman would have experimented more with him. Who cares who is captain, sorin or zanetti, both quality wingbacks and leaders. Zanetti gets my vote. At 32 now hez going to want to win that cup more than ever as this will be his last chance. Yep i totally agree, most consistant argentina player.

Posted from  United Kingdom

Is Zanetti really on the bubble? I would lose a lot of confidence in Pekerman if he left Zanetti off the squad. Maybe Pekerman is just tryiing to make some of these other guys feel like they almost made the team. Looking ahead to after the Cup. I think that is a little dangerous though. Why not just pick the 23 and move forward. The team unity is very important here. If someone get hurt then you will obviously replace them. Why wait around?

Posted from  United States

I would also lose a lot of confidence and trust in JP if he doesn’t include Zanetti in the squad. He played a great game today against Ajax in the champions league, just another example of his consistency…

Zanetti should be in. Zabaleta is a mediocre player. He played for San Lorenzo before the YWC and the transfer to Espanyol; and a friendo of mine, who is a fna of San Lorenzo, was thrilled and sorprosed to find out that they had sold him to a SPanish team.

Posted from  United States

Well we will see how he plays today in the COPY DEL REY against Deportivo de la Coruna!

Pekerman aint taking Zabaleta for Zanetti, no chance. He should have done this with the whole squad, not naming certainties for germany, make them sweat and play to their fullest until then.

You know it, i know it, the whole world knows Zanetti’s place is booked.

Posted from  United Kingdom

Yeah Zenetti’s place is there. He was also one of the member’s missing from the team against Croatia. Key guys missing were:
Sorin
Zanetti
Heinze
Ayala
Mascherano

If you look at this list, it makes up our defensive core. Mascherano is a defensive midfielder…

this is another julian, and i am argentinian. i will be quite dissapointed if i happen to see zanetti in the squad in germany. on or off the bench. this is a player who should be forgotten about. with all due respect, in his prime pupi was one of the best, but now merely a shadow of what he once was. it really is a shame that pekerman has not called up Pernia, from Getafe. this is the best left back in all of spain. ten goals this season! Zabaleta is far too hyped up. Ive seen him alot this year at espanyol and he was never far more than mediocre. DEFINETLY not argentine team standards….in that position the most likely player will be Burdisso

Posted from  Switzerland

listen… Zabaleta isn’t a deffender, he’s a right midfielder (an excellent one) the classic number 8 in Argentina, and he has won with san lorenzo the ’sudamericana cup’, with espanyol ‘la copa del rey’, and he was the captain of the YWC champions.