The Ryan Babel Fan Club

[Imy]

It just takes time for a new player to settle in and demand the ball like that. It certainly took Pennant plenty of time but he is getting there now. You could see it happened to Leto last night too. Some of it is just the other players being used to the established players and familiarising themselves with the runs they make etc.

Lucas was exactly the same when came on last night. For the first 5-10 mins he was a bit shy in demanding the ball. Once he had a few touches though he was growing in confidence and started to make himself available more and more often.

Its all down to confidence and experience. The young players just need to integrate themselves into the side and it does take time.

Agree

Did this not happen to Macmanaman when he joined Madrid, his team mates passed to everybody but him (at 1st), but once he got the confidence of his team mates this changed.

[KK07]

I was delighted when we signed him and I still am.

I think he's gonna be a fantastic player for us a nd a real world star.

[mickeydocs]

Sign me up to the fan club, I want to be fan club member 19

[Pablo]

Add "Babel fan club member #19" your sig mickey and welcome aboard.

[anfieldanfield]

I think I'll wait a few weeks before passing judgement.

He still looks VERY raw to me.

[Pablo]

I think I'll wait a few weeks before passing judgement.

He still looks VERY raw to me.

I wait with baited breath, haha.

He is very raw, thats clear to see, but hes only a young lad adjusting to a new environment.

Do you at least take back the Cisse comparison yet?

[mickeydocs]

consider it done pablo

[anfieldanfield]

I wait with baited breath, haha.

He is very raw, thats clear to see, but hes only a young lad adjusting to a new environment.

Do you at least take back the Cisse comparison yet?

Nah, I can still see similarities.....

Not necessarily in a bad way.

[Pablo]

I'll give you a bit more time to realise the horrendous error of your ways.

[RedReet]

Disagree about his awareness I think that is far far better than you are giving him credit for, the little ball into Kuyt last night for the goal showed great awareness and great deft touch. I think the reason he seems to shoot on sight a bit at the moment is just his overeagerness to get off the mark and impress the fans. I cant fault him for that. Once he settles down I think he will show great awareness and pick the right moment to unleash his Jimmy H shots (copyright Slim).

I will win over the doubters, lol

that's patently untrue, look at the way he plays the one/two with pennant or the way he slips in kuyt (sucking two defenders to give dirk more space) if you ask me his awareness is one of his strongest assets with his weakness (currently) probably his lack of confidence to take a player on down the wing.

Aye, I remember reading an article before he joined and he said his awareness and vision were his strongest attributes. He often gets likened to Thierry because of his pace, but he thought of himself as more Bergkamp like and preferred a pacy forward (like Torres) playing slightly in front of him.

The kid definitely has talent, lets just hope if develops as it should.

[publiusscipio]

that's patently untrue, look at the way he plays the one/two with pennant or the way he slips in kuyt (sucking two defenders to give dirk more space) if you ask me his awareness is one of his strongest assets with his weakness (currently) probably his lack of confidence to take a player on down the wing.

[-V-]

Given a bit of time Babel will be a star. He has started slowly but i can see talent in him. He has good ball control and wicked right foot. I expect that we will see him scoring plenty of goals cutting from the left

[JohnDoe]

He's a star waiting to happen. Massive potential that is about to explode.

In six months, which is the "Rafa waiting time", we'll see a lot better from him.

[bigfooty]

In six months, which is the "Rafa waiting time", we'll see a lot better from him.

Maybe. Heard the same about Gonzo this time last season and he'd actually bagged a goal by this point.

I can see potential in Babel and I hope it comes to fruition but I don't see how anyone can start going about him being a future star, the next Henry or that sort of bollocks based on what he's done in a red shirt so far.

I don't think his cause is helped though by our problems in filling the left-mid slot. With Kewell looking like he'll never come back fully fit we're in a similar situation to last season when Gonzo perhaps had to play more than was intended as we ran out of options.

[El Jefecito]

I'll give you a bit more time to realise the horrendous error of your ways.

BTW I'm taking #7 so cross it off your list