Slow, slow, quick

30 it was then. It took a while for El Diego to finally give us his 30 for South Africa, but he got there in the end. Eventually.

So what do we have then? Well, one thing that jumps out straight away are the absentees, but I'll come back to that. The other is, well, it's the forwards. Messi, Tevez, Higuain, Milito, Aguero, Lavezzi......blinking flip, that's an embarrassment of riches however you look at it. Like a roll call of the world's finest attackers. Oh, and Martin Palermo's in there too.

Predictable picture of 'the not-going'

I'll cover each of the players and the positions in a little more detail in due course, but, hey, you'd have to be going some to not win the World Cup with that lot......wouldn't you?

That's just the thing. It's an unbelievable selection of attacking players, but what about the rest of the squad? Well......erm.....there's Benfica's Angel Di Maria and Liverpool's Javier Mascherano. But it's the defence and the midfield.....it's just...it's hard to put your finger on........it just doesn't look right.

Maybe I'm a little too critical, or cynical, or maybe just downright negative depending on your point of view. Argentina under Maradona have certainly looked to tighten up considerably at the back. Diego will not want his side to be caught with their pants down (Leo Messi excepted) by the better set-piece exponents this summer. The likely starters at the back by the time El Diego's side line up against Nigeria will be Otamendi, Heinze, DeMichelis and Walter Samuel. A strong and experienced back four, without doubt, but a back four comprising players that you would expect to challenge as centre backs, rather than covering all four defensive positions.

I'm always dubious of playing anyone out of position at full back. Granted the ultra defensive Otamendi, and Gabriel Heinze know the right back and left back roles well, but if you are a David Silva, or even a Theo Walcott, you'll fancy your chances of leaving these two on their well padded arse. The same could be said about any of the back four, to be honest.

There is good ariel ability there and should Argentina come up against a robust, workmanlike attack like, say, Greece or Denmark possess, then Diego's boys will more than handle the threat. Add in Argentina's front line, or even reserve front line, and there should be no problems. Ask a few questions of the defence though, get them turning or isolated, and I'm not so sure.

I suspect Diego puts a lot of faith in the excellent Javier Mascherano, currently the worlds most effective defensive screen. He'll be joined in central midfield by Juan Sebastien Veron, given a remit to make those killer passes and find the more destructive players ahead of him, or Leo Messi, to give him his full title. Di Maria, and the rangy Jonas Guttierez will add width, with Gonzalo Higuain taking the baton from Batistuta and Crespo. The bench will be tasty too.

All in all, there is an amazing side in there but I can't help thinking that Diego has put his own stubbornness ahead of fielding the strongest side possible. While he got some stick from the English press, I think Fabio Capello's recall for Jamie Carragher, and potential recall for Paul Scholes, was good management. Don Fabio clearly felt that, regardless of what had gone before, these were the best available players to him for the roles he wanted to fill right now. Something I think El Diego should have considered with Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Lucho Gonzales, Ever Banega or Lissandro Lopez and perhaps several others who may just have slipped out of 'the circle of trust'.

"Do you know what this means, Sergio?"

The more I look at the shape of Maradona's squad, the more I come to the same conclusion that, I'm sure, more competent opponents will reach. Stop Messi and you stop Argentina. No mean feat admittedly, but something that Inter Milan managed to do in the Champions League semi-final, both legs as well. Ironically, Zanetti and Cambiasso being the most effective in executing this task.

For Maradona's Argentina, there's clearly a plan A, but a plan B doesn't look as obvious.

Maybe I'm just missing something.

Either way, there is an array of talents at his disposal, whether El Diego can shape a tournament winning side from them is open to conjecture but it will certainly be interesting.

What do you think, dear reader?