Babel and Rafa

[SB]

Why was taking off Keane (who had been poor and wasn't stretching their defense at all) a questionable decision? Rafa had to bring on a pacy player to move their defense around in the hopes of creating space for others to work in as well as trying to get a goal with that player in particular. I would have been tempted to do a double substitution or Babel first but I don't think trying a player that Rafa obviously thinks is more suited to the central forward role than Babel is all that strange.

Maybe the fact that he hasn't scored any goals could be considered as a strange desicion. Just a thought!

[andrewces38]

Oh, it was a bafflingly strange sub, I have no qualms about admitting that I stand by Rafa's decisions not to start Babel recently, but it was truely a strange decision both to take keane off again, and then to bring on N'gog in his place. However, that doesn't mean N'gog has suddenly become Rafa's favourite player all of a sudden.

I think its probably about 50/50. Rafa is stubborn, but he's not a fool, and babel has not impressed in his cameos, and rare starts, this year. In fact, last time he was played as a central striker (I forget the game), he was abjectly poor. Deserves a chance? Yeah. he probably does, but his fitness and his aptitude are both rightly in question currently.

I cant honestly think why Rafa put him on instead of Babel I have been cracking up here trying to work out his thinking and I think I have come up with the answer.
Rafa obviously waved down the touchline and signalled to Babel to get ready and then N'Gog came running over and Rafa didnt take his eyes of the game and thought that he was talking to Babel , all in all i think Rafa should have gone to specsavers

[Woobus]

I cant honestly think why Rafa put him on instead of Babel I have been cracking up here trying to work out his thinking and I think I have come up with the answer.

Think you need a holiday if you have been cracking up wondering why one player came on 10 minutes before another player in a game of football

[MrMichael]

Why was taking off Keane (who had been poor and wasn't stretching their defense at all) a questionable decision? Rafa had to bring on a pacy player to move their defense around in the hopes of creating space for others to work in as well as trying to get a goal with that player in particular. I would have been tempted to do a double substitution or Babel first but I don't think trying a player that Rafa obviously thinks is more suited to the central forward role than Babel is all that strange.

Because, imo, we needed a goal and taking off your £20m striker in favour of a 19 year old who has never scored in English football is never likely to help that really. I agree that Keane was not having a good game, but a change in formation, bringing on Babel (or N'Gog) to play alongside Keane would, to me, have been a more sensible decision and changed things up a bit more than it did.

[Roboklopp]

aye

[rage]

Because, imo, we needed a goal and taking off your £20m striker in favour of a 19 year old who has never scored in English football is never likely to help that really. I agree that Keane was not having a good game, but a change in formation, bringing on Babel (or N'Gog) to play alongside Keane would, to me, have been a more sensible decision and changed things up a bit more than it did.

but rafa's a stubborn git, and this wasn't the first time that his pride has cost us points. rafa and babel clearly aren't seeing eye to eye and ngog coming on instead of babel was just as much a kick in the teeth for babel as it was for keane.

[Woobus]

but rafa's a stubborn git, and this wasn't the first time that his pride has cost us points. rafa and babel clearly aren't seeing eye to eye and ngog coming on instead of babel was just as much a kick in the teeth for babel as it was for keane.

All the best managers are stubborn gits, they demand things done their way. Fergi and Wenger all have dropped points due to refusing to back down and believe their way is the right way.
Its up to Babel now to prove to Rafa that he was wrong, will be interesting to see if he has the right attitude. He needs to go out and have a game like Tevez did last night for the scum and knuckle down instead of sulking (well that is if he has been sulking)

[MrMichael]

but rafa's a stubborn git, and this wasn't the first time that his pride has cost us points. rafa and babel clearly aren't seeing eye to eye and ngog coming on instead of babel was just as much a kick in the teeth for babel as it was for keane.

Its easy though to blame Rafa. The fact is that the team he put out, and even the way it played, should have beaten all 3 sides we've drawn 0-0 with at Anfield. The one thing Rafa can't do is put the ball in the back of the net, and the same players capable of dominating ManU and Chelsea have not done the business in the "easier" games recently. Somewhat curious substitutions aside, we still had the chances to win all those games perfectly comfortably, if never playing in top gear. If we had, well, our points total would just be ridiculous, but its still not too shabby, especially with all these dodgy decisions of the manager and rubbish players we have.



Oh, and personally I've thought Babel has been woeful in his last few appearances, in fact pretty much since he went to the Olympics. The fact remains that he needs to buck up as much as Rafa needs to give him more of a chance.

[dww]

Maybe the fact that he hasn't scored any goals could be considered as a strange desicion. Just a thought!

Because, imo, we needed a goal and taking off your £20m striker in favour of a 19 year old who has never scored in English football is never likely to help that really. I agree that Keane was not having a good game, but a change in formation, bringing on Babel (or N'Gog) to play alongside Keane would, to me, have been a more sensible decision and changed things up a bit more than it did.

He's played what twice for us? I'm not sure it is fair to hold his record against him as he is obviously a developing player.

Keane was playing and didn't look like scoring - judging the match on it's own merits is what a manager's job is all about and I think it is perfectly fair to take him off for anyone you feel would do a better job. Buying Keane for that money is a separate issue but are you really suggesting that transfer price should be thought about in such a situation? N'Gog has pace and that is what we needed IMO.

I'm never convinced that switching to two up front is a great idea unless one is a target man or in form goal scorer. Personally I think the substitution to be made was probably Babel for Riera in an ideal world and then throw N'Gog on at the end but I really think there is very little between that strategy, what you suggested and what Rafa did in terms of likely pay off. The thing is that as the stats that were about earlier in the season show Rafa tends to get these substitution calls right more than others (by which I mean managers as opposed to anyone else).

[Skillz]

Keane was dire and I fully expected him to be subbed. He was and ngog was better as was Kuyt.