Topic: Babel: I'm not finished here

[Fuzion6]

Ryan is what we need at the club - young, hungry, pace and lot of talent. Understand he may not have the consistency but needs to be trusted more.

[Fuzion6]

If you read the latest zonalmarking.net piece on the game it tls bout this and how Babel against Villa was drifting wide and moving around a lot providing options and filling the space vacated by kuyt and maxi drifting in. Guardian chalkboards show this was not done at all by the strikers yday...

[Didi_ram]

Ryan will probably start up front on Wednesday as N'gog is doubtful.
Id want to see Torres play alongside him.

[d gorgeous one haz spoken]

babel needs to move on. liverpool is not the right fit for him and it's really sad that he doesn't realize this by now. i hope some decent club comes in for him in january so liverpool can cash in on him while he can play regularly, instead of wasting his time on the bench every week.

[Beninger]

On the right if it won't be up top.  He simply kicks the ball up field and runs onto it.  They can't stop it...

[Z e u s]

Is that three good games from Babel in a row?

That must be a first.

Let's hope he keeps it up, as he looks full of confidence.  Maybe he knows he has nothing to lose and is just playing with no fear or pressure?!

[LiamG]

He looks a better choice than Torres at the moment

[bigbear]

He needs to play as part of a front 3. Perfect for him.

[sattapaartridge]

If he can stay disciplined on the right, rather than like Kuyt (who drifted in and onto the left, broke down attack after attack on both sides of the pitch), he'd be an asset.

I think his running of the ball is better than Ngog's (although i felt sorry for ngog, that he had to play with a bumbling Kuyt and a disinterested Fernando) who tried to do to much without the seniors helping him.

Babel on the right would have been good for Ngog, the pace and space he'd have got would have presented at least more chances.

[SkyBlueRed]

He looks like he is starting to show what he can do, it's taken a long while to show though due to a variety of circumstances. I'd really like to think the lad has a future here, lets hope he keeps up current form.

[Turkmeister]

He needs to play as part of a front 3. Perfect for him.

In the form that he is in, he deserves to play every minute at the moment. Seems our most lively forward at the moment and the most constant threat to defenders.

[joey55]

I think he's the perfect player fo us (Spurs). Our fans want the likes of Dzeko or Suarez, but I think we need a striker with certain attributes, which they don't have. We desperately need a striker that has  lightening pace, strength and size. If we had a fast and powerful striker yesterday we could have scored 3 or 4 goals on the break against Chelsea. I know Babel isn't the best finisher, but given the chances he'd get with Modric, VDV, Bale and Lennon feeding him, he'd score goals. Yet I'm not sure the likes of Dzeko or Suarez have the pace to get in behind or break at the same speed as Lennon or Bale, than either Pav or Defoe do.

How long is left on his contract and how much do you think he would cost? I think he's wasted at Liverpool. Not becasue you aren't a great team, but because you have Torres and don't look at attack at speed as much as we do. I actually think we are the team best suited to Babel in all of Europe. We just try and attack with pace at evey given opportunity and I'm sure this is how to get the best out of Babel. Yesterday Chelsea would have us chasing shadows for ages, then when we reagined possession, isnted of trying to compose ourselves and get our shape back, we'd look to attack from the moment we got the ball. But our attacks are so often broken down due to lack of pace or strength to hold the ball up from our strikers.

[SmileyMoustache]

Babel's biggest problem is that he's a bit of a moron. You just have to look at his twitter page to see that. If he had any sort of character he would be a regular by now..he's only had 3 season to prove it. The whole reason he's had some game time recently is to put him back in the shop window. We desperately need to recoup some of the cash we wasted on this guy. Talk of getting Suarez is exciting, i rate him as one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment.

[LiamG]

Babel's biggest problem is that he's a bit of a moron. You just have to look at his twitter page to see that. If he had any sort of character he would be a regular by now..he's only had 3 season to prove it. The whole reason he's had some game time recently is to put him back in the shop window. We desperately need to recoup some of the cash we wasted on this guy. Talk of getting Suarez is exciting, i rate him as one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment.

What would twitter have to do with his ability?

[Rohit]

The lad is one of our few match winners and he needs to play now hes adding consistency i hope. He is atleast hungary to prove himself.

[gallden]

What would twitter have to do with his ability?

Don't you know he should be  training and not on twatter. SMH

[penga]

Babel's biggest problem is that he's a bit of a moron. You just have to look at his twitter page to see that. If he had any sort of character he would be a regular by now..he's only had 3 season to prove it. The whole reason he's had some game time recently is to put him back in the shop window. We desperately need to recoup some of the cash we wasted on this guy. Talk of getting Suarez is exciting, i rate him as one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment.

Ye cos Suarez has such a good character and all you know cheating with his hands, BITING PEOPLE on the pitch for little reason (and getting banned by his own club for several matches)...I'd much rather my players be good characters and bite people than twitter you know.

[The 5th Benitle]

Babel's biggest problem is that he's a bit of a moron.

Yes. All successful footballers are MENSA members, after all.

[Aquilani 4]

Babel: Hodgson's style makes me want to stay 

Ryan Babel has revealed how Roy Hodgson's hands-on approach to management has made him change his mind about wanting to leave Liverpool.

Babel was ready to quit Anfield last summer after falling out of favour with former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who marginalised the Dutch winger.

And Babel made no secret of his disillusionment, using his twitter account to express his frustration at his perceived unfair treatment under Benitez.

But Babel, who arrived at Liverpool from Ajax in 2007 for £13million, said Hodgson's more approachable style, in contrast to Benitez's aloof way, had convinced him to stay and fight for his place.
 
"It's not up to me whether I see my future here, it's up to Liverpool," said Babel. "This is my fourth season so it's up to them what they do. I have one more year at the end of this season left on my contract and I would like to stay.

"It has been frustrating here as a player, but it's not changed my loyalty towards the club. It's more with the manager. The club is fantastic. But if a manager doesn't like you it's between you and the manager.

"The club is amazing and there are still a lot of fans who believe in me so that gives me a goal. They [Hodgson and Benitez] are different. The current manager does things differently, and maybe that suits me better.

"When he arrived he was closer with the team, talking to players, and maybe that gives the players a boost to respond better.

"He's more involved day to day with the players. He does things differently. Under Rafa the assistant managers took a lot of responsibility but that is different now.

"I hope this country hasn't seen the best of me yet. The maximum number of games I've played in a row is four and it's difficult for any player to find consistency if you're not playing every week."

When he arrived at Liverpool, Babel was deployed as a wide player, a position in which he made his name at Ajax.

"But the 23-year-old has played in a more central striking position under Hodgson this season and said he favoured his new-found role.

"I think first of all I'm just enjoying the opportunity to play and I am trying to make the most of it," said Babel.

"But that position [central] suits me a bit better because you can use most of your energy up front. Maybe on the wing you have to defend a bit more and maybe that suits me less.

"The striker role, together with someone else, is pretty good for me."

Babel was looking forward to playing up front alongside Fernando Torres in Liverpool's Europa League tie with FC Utrecht on Wednesday. But Hodgson's shock U-turn in leaving Torres on the bench for the 0-0 draw, having vowed to play him from the start, left Babel as bemused as anyone.

"I only found Fernando wasn't playing an hour before the game," said Babel. "The day before the game we were working together. I've never played up front with Fernando and I was looking forward to it but maybe the manager wanted to give him some rest."

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-s-Ryan-Babel-admits-Roy-Hodgson-s-management-style-has-made-him-want-to-stay-at-Anfield-article652019.html

[Breitner]

Fuck me he was bad last night. It was like watching a puppy chase a parked car.

[Saint Kopite]

Agreed.

I have been supporting him but he wants pants yesterday. Although, Considering that he is a professional footballer he should have done better but may be it was down to the fact that the Utrecht supporters were abusing his mom? I know he needs to toughen up and ignore those kind of things but when a player is down on confidence it can affect his performances.

[John C]

He needs to play as part of a front 3. Perfect for him.

He needs a job in the chippy. Perfect for him.

[Cadno]

I think he showed quite clearly last night why he cannot play up front with torres. My 5 year old daughter could win more in the air than him.   His workrate and general play has improved and he does look like he could be decent cover for torres in dome instances.  But for the love of god work on the high balls Ryan

[Turkmeister]

Yep he was bad last night, this is not a list of excuses for him, but he was fed scraps all night, had no real link between our midfield play and that up top, and just maybe following on from two great performances to then being dropped at newcastle and then not playing with Torres might have dented his confidence.

Babel has so much to offer, he needs a proper run, I would give my right arm for him to start with Torres up front for the next 4 games. Learn each others play and start to really gel. I have nothing against ngog,  but he has and always will seem to me as a cheap back up striker for the ranks.

[King_doggerel]

He has no place up front. None at all, regardless of what he thinks.

[Fuzion6]

Given he had zero service he was alright. His movement is v good.

[MelwoodBoy]

His worst display in a Liverpool shirt and if he's played worse ANYWHERE Id like to see it, because if he has he mustve been literally lying on the floor playing dead

Disgusting lack of heart and effort. Absolutely disgusting

[thegoodfella]

Babel is no Bobby Zamora.

[Fuzion6]

How some of you call yourself fans is beyond me. Kuyt puts in worse performances week in and out and ismloved.

[SmithyTheRed]

He's shite - sell sell sell!

[MelwoodBoy]

How some of you call yourself fans is beyond me. Kuyt puts in worse performances week in and out and ismloved.

Effort

Its the least you can ask

[Fuzion6]

Effort

Its the least you can ask

Would loved to have heard your comments on babels last few games though i don't remember you making any - probably waiting for a poorer game from him when he had the wonderful midfield of poulsen feeding balls from 40 yards away

[GrkStav]

Given he had zero service he was alright. His movement is v good.

I do not think it is accurate to say he had "zero service". Numerous time he was passed the ball in relative decent spots and he invariably chose the wrong pass and/or executed it poorly. He and Cole were guilty of that all game long but especially in the second half. Does not mean that he's not a good player but at some point one starts to wonder . . . will he manage to do one thing right consistently in a game?

[MelwoodBoy]

Would loved to have heard your comments on babels last few games though i don't remember you making any - probably waiting for a poorer game from him when he had the wonderful midfield of poulsen feeding balls from 40 yards away

OK

Im going with 'how dare very you'

I actually like Babel, think hes got something if he could get more games. Just that his la k of effort last night made me extremely angry and his performance was the worst Ive seen from him in a Liverpool shirt

[Lawnmowerman]

Given he had zero service he was alright. His movement is v good.

I thought his movement was awful,just sauntering around,awful game

[Spanish Al]

RAWK makes you laugh. Torres plays shite up front, fluffs chances (in the same team that plays every week) but he's playing shit because the team isnt helping him and long balls are getting smashed up to him.

Then. Babel plays in a team which is not regular, full of bit part players and youth, gets scraps and high balls lumped to him. And guess whay, Babel needs to win more balls in the air and is labelled as being shite and after one bad game coming off the back of some impressive performances people say he's shown why he cant play up front. Because he didnt play well in a meaningless game full of bit part players.

[MelwoodBoy]

RAWK makes you laugh. Torres plays shite up front, fluffs chances (in the same team that plays every week) but he's playing shit because the team isnt helping him and long balls are getting smashed up to him.

Then. Babel plays in a team which is not regular, full of bit part players and youth, gets scraps and high balls lumped to him. And guess whay, Babel needs to win more balls in the air and is labelled as being shite and after one bad game coming off the back of some impressive performances people say he's shown why he cant play up front. Because he didnt play well in a meaningless game full of bit part players.

Like Babel

Shit last night with a disgusting work ethic and attitude not something anyone else in the team can control

Torres, same sentiment v Newcastle and some others

[Visigoth33]

RAWK makes you laugh. Torres plays shite up front, fluffs chances (in the same team that plays every week) but he's playing shit because the team isnt helping him and long balls are getting smashed up to him.

Then. Babel plays in a team which is not regular, full of bit part players and youth, gets scraps and high balls lumped to him. And guess whay, Babel needs to win more balls in the air and is labelled as being shite and after one bad game coming off the back of some impressive performances people say he's shown why he cant play up front. Because he didnt play well in a meaningless game full of bit part players.

Exactly,considering how the rest of the team performed under Roy's donkey tactics.

[common]

My Liverpool future is in the club's hands, says Ryan Babel

Ryan Babel has refused to rule out a January departure from Liverpool, saying his future is in the hands of the club.

The Dutch winger was an £11.25m signing from Ajax in 2007 but has started only 31 Premier League games in over three years with the club. That patchy playing record saw the 23-year-old offered to Sunderland last January and it seems the Anfield exit door could be open for Babel again next month.

"It doesn't annoy me that I always get asked about my future," he said. "It is not up to me whether I see my future here, it is up to Liverpool. This is my fourth season so it is up to them what they do.

"I have one more year at the end of the season on my contract. I would like to stay. It has been frustrating here as a player, but it has not changed my loyalty to the club. It is more to the manager. The club is fantastic. But if a manager does not like you it is between you and the manager. The club is amazing and there are still a lot of fans who believe in me so that gives me a goal."

The Dutch winger, though, does seem to be enjoying life more under Roy Hodgson than under his predeccessor Rafael Benítez. "They are different," he said. "He [Hodgson] does things differently, and maybe that suits me better. When he arrived he was closer with the team, talking to players, maybe that gives the players a boost to respond better. He is more involved day to day with the players. He does things differently. Under Rafa the assistant managers took a lot of responsibility but that is different now.

"I hope this country has not seen the best of me yet. The maximum games I have played in a row is four and it is difficult for every player to find that consistency if you are not playing every week."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/17/ryan-babel-liverpool-future

[Beninger]

Like they say, you're only as good as your last game...