EPL Talk » Ryan Babel

Lethargic and Disjointed But Liverpool Can’t Panic

Paul Bestall — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:58:19 +0000

The unfortunate downside of modern technology means that any armchair fan can now comment on any team without actually seeing the game. As I type this, I’m listening to Radio 5 and Liverpool “fans” are calling for the head of Benitez. “The worst display I’ve ever seen from a Liverpool team” shouts one fan who obviously missed the F.A. Cup defeat to Barnsley and league defeats to Bradford, Barnsley and Watford too.

“We’d have won the League last season if it wasn’t for Benitez, sack him now” shouts another fan who seems to have forgotten Liverpool broke the record for the most points by a runner up in the Premiership last year. “We need a world class midfielder to replace Alonso, Rafa spend the money!!” So much for the reports Liverpool are skint eh? It reminds me of a time listening to a football phone in here in Sheffield, Wednesday had just lost, caller rings up. “Wednesday are rubbish, sack the manager.” “Have you been to the game?” asks the host. “No” comes the reply, “I’ve just seen the score on Sky Sports News”.

I’m stunned by the level of ire I’m hearing being aimed towards him, I never thought I’d get to a point where I’d be defending Rafa Benitez but seriously who really wants the manager sacked 3 games in to a season? Did I miss something or are Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa the worst teams the Premiership has ever seen? No, didn’t think so. Liverpool have lost to two very good teams. I know they only lost two games last season, but come on let’s be reasonable here. They’ve not lost to Scunthorpe and Norwich City have they?

It’s interesting to note that on the day of the Stoke City game last week, the rumours returned regarding Benitez’s position at Anfield and the fact he was contemplating walking away from the club. This is a story that will not go away and has dogged him since 2007. Someone keeps fanning the rumours and it certainly can’t have a stabilising effect on the team or the club.

Tonight Liverpool were poor, the first 20 minutes apart but Aston Villa were superb. They got a goal and never let Liverpool settle, typical of how Martin O’Neill likes to set his teams up away from home. They like to soak up pressure and attack on the break, using the pace they’ve got in the team. With Carragher and Skrtel still struggling with head injuries, Lucas showing a lack of invention. Mascherano oddly was then forced to push forward, leaving the back four exposed.

It played straight into Villa’s hands. Young and Agbonlahor looked someway back to the form that pushed Villa up the table last season. Reo-Coker was immense, chasing, harassing and fighting for every 50-50 ball. Friedel seemed unpassable. Villa deserved the win.

The thing with knee jerk reactions like this is that people simply go “Sack the manager” without considering who’d replace them. So sack Benitez, who do you replace him with? Would anyone come with the financial situation as seemingly dire as it is behind the scenes? Clearly there is no money to spend, the signing of Kyrgiakos smacks of bargain hunting, especially after all the speculation linking Liverpool with Hull’s Michael Turner.

Benitez hasn’t become a bad manager in 3 months and Liverpool haven’t become a bad team. They’re just trying to find some form with key personnel struggling with injuries, nothing more, nothing less. They need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and concentrate on Saturdays match at Bolton.Liverpool could have stolen a win on the opening day, but should have been 3-0 down by half time. Stoke were ripped apart time and again.

I don’t think anyone is going to run away with the league this season and Liverpool’s key situation could be the lack of African players come January. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City all have big players that will be going to Angola and that will be a tough month for those three teams, regardless of squad size and financial muscle. The Premiership is never won in August and the kneejerk fans need to remember that.

Ryan Babel: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

Ethan Armstrong — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:06:28 +0000

Marco van Basten told us Ryan Babel might just be the next Thierry Henry. And there have been some instances to suggest the 22-year-old could be on the path to greatness:

Babel’s 40 yard blast against Chelsea to give Liverpool a breath of hope in last year’s Champions League semi-final.

His arched rocket past Edwin van Der Sar in September to give Liverpool their first win over Manchester United since 2004.

And his header on target followed by a sharp rebound to put Saturday’s match against West Ham out of reach.

At times Babel shows the dexterity, vision and clever movement that Henry radiated endlessly during the Frenchman’s tenure in England. But for Babel these moments come in limited quantity.

For every instance when he turns a defender and bursts into space, there are a dozen when he twists himself into a cul de sac and loses the ball. For every instance when he makes a wonderblast on target, there are countless times when his selfishness forces him to ignore a teammate who could be in on goal from the simplest of passes.

Watching him during his first season, I thought Babel would come into full being in a year or so. He was young. He was adapting to the EPL. It would take time. I could see from his first league appearance (when he was subbed on against Aston Villa in August 2007) he had loads of promise. There was speed and wiliness just waiting to burst forth and van Basten’s Henry comparison seemed viable.

This season, there were moments when Babel showed signs of maturing. He seemed more settled in the league and was passing more when previously he would have charged forward, hogging the ball.

But despite continued signs of promise, Babel has yet to show any signs of blooming into the next superstar. By his own admission, Babel cannot cling to the “well, he’s still young” excuse for much longer. He needs to show his true worth every chance he gets.

A bit part of the problem is Babel hasn’t had enough first team experience this season to enjoy a solid platform on which to grow. Rafa Benitez likes to use Babel primarily as a substitute. And while Babel’s fresh pace and energy make a great weapon to bring on against tiring defenses, giving the lad periodic 20 minute windows to try to score a goal is not the best recipe for his development.

Van Basten has made similar criticism and thinks Babel should have stayed in Holland longer rather than warming Liverpool’s bench.

But Babel could still have something to offer Liverpool. For the Reds to truly challenge for the title over the next few years, they’ll need to use the upcoming transfer windows to chase after the depth of Manchester United and Chelsea. Babel may be among the players sold to raise funds for incoming talent, but Liverpool would be wise to maintain a collection of versatile players. Men who can fill more than one role. Babel can play as a winger or as a striker, and though he won’t be a first choice Albert Riera or Fernando Torres, his utility in two areas helps Liverpool make the squad deeper. Two for the price of one.

And while Gerrard and Torres are unequivocally Liverpool’s top hitmen, if either of them go down with injury next season, Babel can come on as the first striker (as he did when Torres came off on Saturday) or in support.

Hitting the goal against the Hammers makes me wonder what his future will be. I would have thought he was on his way out. Now I’m not sure. The kid has a place. If he gets the chance to play regularly, he could still prove to be a good buy for the Reds. Babel needs to have patience with Rafa and Rafa needs to have confidence in Babel.

Did the coach bring him on in London to reveal his confidence in Babel? Or was it to show him off to potential buyers?

Liverpools Title Challenge Is Slipping Away

Paul Bestall — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:20:06 +0000

What is Rafa Benitez playing at? Liverpool have had a nightmare January and from being out in front, now find themselves back amongst their rivals in third place, having dropped 6 points in the last 3 league games. Comparing their performances in the Premiership since their emphatic win at Newcastle on December 28th, they seem like a different team. Gone is the attacking zest and vigour we saw in the game at St James’ Park, replaced with a caution and fear of losing that is destroying their attempt to win a first league title in 18 seasons. Just what is the manager playing at? Now I know that tactically, Benitez is in essence, a cautious manager but the performance against Wigan Athletic looked like a team treading water. Sure, Gerrard and Benayoun had chance to put the game out of Wigan’s reach but they didn’t stick the chances away and left Wigan with a fighting chance. The challenge made by Lucas was suicidal, desperately chasing back to cover his defenders who had gone walkabout, fooled in to sticking a leg in when the ball was away and past him, with Koumas selling him a lovely feint and allowing Mido to score on his debut from the penalty spot. There’s no argument it was a cast iron penalty, but then to compound the issue, the manager takes Gerrard off and replaces him with Robbie Keane. Do you want to win the league or not Rafa?

You’ve just conceded a late equaliser, Manchester United have smashed W.B.A the night before 5-0, all your rivals are closing in and you take your best player off? Why on earth not keep him on to try and push on for the win, United would never take off Ronaldo in the same situation, neither would Chelsea with Lampard. After the game, Benitez said Gerrard was tired, but there was only 7 minutes left, was it to save him for Sundays clash against Chelsea? Lampard played the full game for Chelsea and Scolari had more of a case for saving his legs, with the game won againt Middlesbrough but he kept him on until the final whistle.

The post match press conference seems to compound Benitez’s problems, Liverpool are playing badly but it’s nothing to do with him. “It was a crazy half”, what was crazy about it? “I don’t wan’t to say”. “It has happened in the last three games and they have something in common that I don’t like.” What on earth is he going on about? Opponents tactics? Referee’s not giving them as many dodgy decisions as they’re used to? The idea of the game is to beat your opponents using skill and tactical nous, not bore them to death and diving around to win free kicks and penalties. I’m sorry Rafa, but it’s everything to do with you and the side and tactics you choose. Taking Torres off and replacing him with a left winger to play up front with Babel was a nonsense decision, to then take Gerrard off and replace him with Keane was another. Scared to over commit but chasing the game, Liverpool could have easily lost it had Rodallega’s free kick been a couple of inches lower. Dreadful against Stoke, poor against “small club” Everton and then another inept display yesterday has seen the advantage in the Premiership race move away from Liverpool and over to Manchester United, even Chelsea and Aston Villa could all push Liverpool down to 4th.

Liverpool have played 7 Premiership games from December 13th:

Won 2 and Drawn 5 (11 points)
Scored 13 goals and conceded 6 (8 of their goals scored came in the two wins against Bolton and Newcastle United)
2 Additional matches in the FA Cup so far, scoring 3 and conceding 1, with a replay to come at Goodison next week

Manchester United have also played 7 Premier League games in the same period

Won 6 and drawn 1 (19pts)
Scored 12 goals and conceded 0
Played 6 additional matches in 3 other competitions in the same period, 2 League Cup Semi Finals, A Semi Final and Final in the World Club Cup and 2 matches in the FA Cup.

Now if that doesn’t tell you that the power has reverted back to Manchester United nothing else will. United also still have the game in hand and if Liverpool lose on Sunday against Chelsea, they can forget any title aspirations for another year and will have wasted their best chance in over a decade. But in Benitez’s mind it won’t be his fault, it’ll be Manchester United’s, the referee’s, small clubs, Halley’s Comet, Rick Parry’s and Liverpool’s owners and that’s why the title challenge is crumbling. Benitez refuses to believe it is anything to do with him. Negative tactics, unneccessary squad rotation and stupid substitions are the reason United and Chelsea have overtook Liverpool, Aston Villa are now a point behind them. Earlier this month I commented that Ferguson had no need to fire his players up in the aftermath of the Benitez’s comments to the press about the bias shown towards United, clearly forgetting the shocking decisions Liverpool get in their favour, especially at Anfield. On current form, Liverpool will do well to finish the season in 4th and the only person to blame will be Benitez.

Liverpool Manchester United Video Highlights

The Gaffer — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:57:12 +0000

Liverpool certainly raised their game today with a historic 2-1 win against arch rivals Manchester United in an entertaining game. Watch the video highlights of the goals here.

It was an impressive team performance from Liverpool who definitely seemed more up for the game than a Manchester United side that seemed lethargic and on the backfoot at times, especially in the second half.

Albert Riera put in an very credible debut performance on the left wing for the Reds. Based on how he played today as well as how remarkable Ryan Babel was when he came on to replace Riera, Liverpool looks to have finally solved their weaknesses on the left wing.

What’s important for Liverpool FC is that they continue to put in spirited performances like this week-in, week-out. Boosted by a deserved win against Manchester United, the Reds have an opportunity now to push ahead of United in the league table and need to maintain a winning record to put the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

What are your thoughts from today’s game? How do you explain Manchester United’s weak performance today, especially in the second half? And should Javier Mascherano be knighted? Share your thoughts below by clicking the comments link.

Liverpool Does the Right Thing: German Clubs Do Not

Kartik Krishnaiyer — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:20:15 +0000

On the European Continent and on the British Isles the view of the Olympic football Tournament is completely different than in the rest of the world. In Europe the tournament is seen as more of a nuisance than anything, while among those in the Western Hemisphere and in Africa it is seen as big deal.

Nigeria and Cameroon are both recent champions of the event, and after both nations achieved their Gold Medals, mass celebrations consumed the nation. Mexico fired its national coach, the biggest hero in Mexican football history Hugo Sanchez because he failed to qualify the team for the Olympics, despite a month earlier, achieving the nation’s first result on American soil against the arch rival United States in nine years. Brazil’s Dunga has survived a tumultuous World Cup qualifying campaign thus far, because he is seen as the man to bring home an Olympic Gold Medal, and Brazil did not want to change coaches so soon before the Olympics.

The United States puts more emphasis on Olympic Football than any tournament outside of the World Cup, and because for years the Olympics themselves were used as a propaganda tool by the USA, I’ve heard debate within American soccer circles as to whether or not winning the Olympic Gold Medal would actually do more for the game domestically than winning the World Cup. While I do not subscribe to this view in the least bit, it simply demonstrates how important the Olympic tournament is considered to many people. In fact, one of the best forwards then United States has ever produced, Brian McBride has come out of international retirement just for this event, because of its importance to US Soccer. Tim Vickery, who understands Latin Football better than just about any European writer, explains why this event is so important to so many in an outstanding piece.

But European clubs for the most part are more annoyed and bothered by this event than they are interested in it. Liverpool is losing more than just about any club on the planet. Ryan Babel will be featuring for Holland, Javier Mascherano for Argentina, and Lucas for Brazil. This puts the Reds behind the eight ball in the first few weeks of the Premier League season. Rafa Benetiz isn’t happy about it, but unlike some of the clubs in Germany, Liverpool understands that FIFA’s declaration that all selected U-23 players must be released is to be honored. But even more admirable is that Liverpool has released Mascherano, who is an overage player and whose release Liverpool legally could have prevented.

Chelsea has released Solomon Kalou. Blackburn has released Ryan Nelson (an overage player) and Manchester United has allowed Anderson to join Brazil. However two German clubs are refusing to release their Brazilian players: Werder Bremen with Diego, perhaps the best player in the Bundesliga last season, and Schalke with Rafinha. Both players left their clubs this week without permission to join Brazil’s training. This stands in contrast not only to the example set by the three aforementioned English clubs, but by AC Milan who just signed Ronaldinho and have made him the center of a major worldwide marketing campaign. Despite this, Milan has allowed Ronaldinho to join Brazil’s squad, perhaps because Italian clubs are more used to this situation than other European clubs: Italy has competed in more Olympic Football tournaments than any other nation. (Believe it or not, the United States has qualified for the second most Olympic Football tournaments, and would tied with Italy for the most appearances had the US not barely missed qualification for the 2004 tournament).

What’s even more disturbing are the lengths the two German clubs are going to in order to try and stop players from exercising their free will and representing their country. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear a case being brought before it by the clubs and backed by the European Club Association to block U-23 players from joining their national teams in the Olympics. Werder Bremen has also refused to allow Dusko Tosic of Serbia to join his team and has reportedly confiscated his passport.

Olympic football is very important to many across the globe. As European clubs become more and more global in both their squad makeup and in their marketing they must learn to bend on these sorts of issues. Liverpool to their credit has reluctantly complied as they continue to try and build their global brand. The German clubs, already in a league whose international stature is waning have made a fatal mistake in the court of international football public opinion with their unreasonable stand. Though many in Europe whose focus is the club game and European tournaments may applaud Schalke and Bremen for their stands, the Bundesliga is no doubt soon to take a major beating in perception and respect level in Latin America.

While Olympic Football takes place outside the regular FIFA blackout windows, clubs in Europe must understand the importance of this event and also assume the risk for signing high profile internationals. Liverpool, as a more popular and successful club from an international standpoint clearly understands this better than Werder Breman and Schalke 04. Perhaps this helps to explain why the Premier League is head and shoulders above the Bundesliga these days when it comes to international recognition and popularity.