As mentioned, it's all a mental problem.
His touch and shots and his passing is average to above average, but the problem comes in when it is time for him to implement one of these skills. He will panic and make the wrong decision 7 out of 10 times against a team that is decent defensively. He more than any other striker on our team seems to be very fickle with his confidence.
Which isn't a HUGE problem if he is only coming on as a sub, as he has less time to think himself out of the game and there's not the pressure of having to hold down a level of play. He is just able to go balls out and hope it works for him, and that seems to work for him.
But when he starts, he has all the added pressure of trying to hold onto a new spot and higher expectations in terms of performance and he is on the pitch for longer which leaves him more time to worry and have his confidence wrecked. He gets anxious and makes silly mistakes. And then come the fireworks. He will make bad passes, he will dribble into defenders, and he will be caught in offsides position three or four times in the game.
Ordinarily, the best option would be to hold onto him as an impact substitute; because he has had some great performances in those circumstances...
BUT I cannot justify resigning him for another contract anytime in the near future. I don't know how high his wages are, but even based simply upon his estimated trade value, 15 million is MUCH to much to pay for a player who doesn't at least have potential to earn a regular spot in the starting 11 and I just don't think Babel ever will.
We should honestly just cut our losses while he's still young enough to at least have some of the "he is an oil-well of untapped potential" appeal that he does now. My personal opinion is that 24-25 years old is around the time when a player fully loses the talented youngster appeal amongst managers and Babel is already 23. I promise that his cost is going to plummet once he reaches his middle 20's if he's still on our bench. Sell him for the 12/13 million that we will get now before the jig is up and his value begins to plummet like the Hindenburg.
I should add that I don't hate Babel or think he's shit, but he is nowhere close to either match the value of which the club bought him for or the expectations of the supporters. Maybe we did put him in an unfair spot by hyping him so much and adding all of that stress, but that comes with being a costly transfer and that excuse doesn't gather sympathy for too long ordinarily. Unfortunately, he just wasn't worth the time and money spent.
He's a good lad and I hope he gets it figured out in the future and he is able to reach his peak ability at a club that appreciates him. I'm just out of patience with the boy. It's like I'm a battered wife, I keep taking you back after you hurt me so bad. It's time for him to move out of the house (and file a restraining order).