Babel's Loan Request Turned Down

[The Birdman]

Since when has Babel been a striker?? I thought he played left wing in a 3 for Ajax, he doesn't even try to hold the ball up, doesn't work hard and doesn't even come short then use his pace to spin in behind.
What he does do is stand around looking disinterested then we eventually pass to him and mostly he runs down blind alleys.
To give him his due though he is 100% better at going outside the right back and attempting to cross with his left foot.
Everyone can see he has talent, I think everyone can see he is improving but that improvement is slower than all of us thought, he isn't staking a claim to play regularly when he does get his chance.
He'll be brilliant against PSV because it's back in Holland and back within his comfort zone.

[Woobus]

well what does he see in keane or lucas for that matter.

Well for Lucas he probably see's someone with the right character and one willing to fight for his right to play for Liverpool. With Babel all he has got this season is complaints about not playing enough.

Good interview with Lucas below from the official site

Lucas Leiva has spoken of his determination to establish himself in Rafa Benitez's first-team plans.
The 21-year-old has featured in 14 senior games this season, mainly as a substitute.

He accepts he must improve to force his way past the likes of Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard - but it's a challenge he's ready to face head on.

"I'm always trying to improve," said Lucas, who also has young Frenchman Damien Plessis hot on his heels.

"All I can do is try to improve every single day in training and that will give me a better chance of playing well if I am given some minutes on the pitch for the team.

"I know how difficult it is to play in midfield for a club like Liverpool as we have players like Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano who also play there and are great players."

Although he does not boast the impressive appearance haul of his teammates in international football yet, the youngster has become a regular in Dunga's Brazil squad following an impressive spell as Brazil U20 captain.

Lucas hopes such a progression can soon be matched at Liverpool.

"I think I am a better player than I was last season. I have not played too much but when I do I try to play with a high tempo because I think that is the key to doing well for an English team."

The dead leg suffered by Mascherano against Blackburn on Saturday could give Lucas a starting opportunity against PSV Eindhoven this evening, and with it a chance to repay boss Rafa Benitez's faith in him.

The former Gremio man has endured a tricky spell as of late, notably during a frustrating afternoon against Fulham two weeks ago.

Despite this, the boss is backing his midfielder.

"He is competing against Mascherano, the captain of Argentina, one of the best players in the world in Steven Gerrard, and Xabi Alonso, a champion of Europe.

"He has quality, he has a very good approach to each game and he can tackle, he can win in the air, he can pass."

[MindGuerrillas]

Since when has Babel been a striker?? I thought he played left wing in a 3 for Ajax

He did indeed. The same sort of position he's played for us in the 4231 formation.

I too am not sure where this idea of him being a striker comes from. At no point in his club career has he ever played that position and yet you hear so many fans and pundits banging on about giving a chance in his 'favoured position' meaning, of course, up front.

It's nonsense. You've only got to watch him in the couple of times he's played there for us to see that he has no idea how to play in that position.

I think that maybe some fans have been taken in by the couple of goals he scored last season from a central position. These goals all came in games where he had been brought on as a late sub against tired defenders. Also they were in games when we were ahead and therefore the opposition was pushing high up the pitch trying to get back in the game allowing Babel to score goals on the break using his pace. Scoring in these sort of scenarios and scoring in normal game situations is totally different.

[dww]

He did indeed. The same sort of position he's played for us in the 4231 formation.

I too am not sure where this idea of him being a striker comes from. At no point in his club career has he ever played that position and yet you hear so many fans and pundits banging on about giving a chance in his 'favoured position' meaning, of course, up front.

To be fair in recent interviews he has talked of wanting to play there. He also did so at the U21 tournament before we bought him.

I personally think he is more suited to a position behind a main striker but I think that there is a fairly large difference in the role he played before and the one Rafa wants him to play.

I think there is a solid argument that as a sub this season he could have made more of an impact by being up front purely due to his pace.

[Nicey]

Ryan Babel's agent claims the Liverpool winger has failed in a bid to engineer a loan move back to Ajax.

Babel moved from the Amsterdammers to Liverpool in July 2007 but has been unable to hold down a regular starting place at Anfield.

He has made 17 appearances in all competitions this season but the majority of those have come off the bench.

According to his agent Winnie Haatrecht, the 21-year-old would relish a temporary return to Holland in January but Liverpool dismissed the possibility out of hand.

"Ryan finds that he sits on the bench too much at Liverpool, he wants to play more and asked me to see if Ajax were interested in a temporary return," Haatrecht told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"After we got an enthusiastic reaction from Ajax, we asked Liverpool for their co-operation but the club don't want to see him go.

"Rafael Benitez finds Ryan too important. Hopefully we will see that in more playing time.

"Let's be clear: Ryan feels great at Liverpool, but for him to develop further he needs playing time"

Lets be clear Ryan if you start playing funny buggers you can **** right off to some small club anytime you damm well please .. I am yet to be blown away by this guy .. Reira has shown me more in the short time he has been here

[MindGuerrillas]

To be fair in recent interviews he has talked of wanting to play there. He also did so at the U21 tournament before we bought him.

I saw those interviews too but surely he doesn't become a striker just because he says wants to play as one. A few games for the U21s when he hasn't played there for his clubs doesn't qualify him either IMO. He has to be judged on what he's done on the pitch for the majority of his career. So far he's played the vast majority of his football on the left and simply doesn't have enough experience up front to justify his, and some fans, demands for him to play there.

[DannyMan2006]

Give the lad a break.

He wants to play footall as opposed to sitting on he bench, I will point out that it was Carra who said in his book that he would leave if he wasn't playing regularly.

He wants to work, not be lazy and I want all our players to have that mentality. Babel is not 26, he is 21 and needs games to develop his game. The fact that Rafa has refused his loan deal shows that he stil has a big part to play in our season. And that is something we should all be happy with.

He does not want to leave the club, he wants to play. Good on him.

[barnes10]

look he wants to play and is frustrated at being benched and not starting.

no harm in that but there's only one answer isnt there.

Ryan, when you get the chance, put a good fookin shift in and do something, cause some havoc up front with your pace and strength, score a goal, make clever runs to tear open their defence, control the ball properly, pass well and lift your head up.

it may sound harsh but the lad just needs to go for it, blend well with the team and get friggin stuck in.

i can't stand it when players would walk away before they putting up a fight. reminds me of collymore this one...

[DannyMan2006]

look he wants to play and is frustrated at being benched and not starting.

no harm in that but there's only one answer isnt there.

Ryan, when you get the chance, put a good fookin shift in and do something, cause some havoc up front with your pace and strength, score a goal, make clever runs to tear open their defence, control the ball properly, pass well and lift your head up.

it may sound harsh but the lad just needs to go for it, blend well with the team and get friggin stuck in.

i can't stand it when players would walk away before they putting up a fight. reminds me of collymore this one...

I agree with your first part, spot on. The bit on bold I disagree with. Collymore was first team and played the full 90 week in week out. He left because he emotinally could not cope with playing for a big club. Babel has not really had the chance.

[dww]

I saw those interviews too but surely he doesn't become a striker just because he says wants to play as one. A few games for the U21s when he hasn't played there for his clubs doesn't qualify him either IMO. He has to be judged on what he's done on the pitch for the majority of his career. So far he's played the vast majority of his football on the left and simply doesn't have enough experience up front to justify his, and some fans, demands for him to play there.

Well it certainly means you can take the quote marks off 'prefered position'

I think the point I would make is that he feels that the wide striker role he used to play is closer to the central striker in our formation than the wide left position.

[barnes10]

I agree with your first part, spot on. The bit on bold I disagree with. Collymore was first team and played the full 90 week in week out. He left because he emotinally could not cope with playing for a big club. Babel has not really had the chance.

fair enough. i wasnt thinking about reasons why he failed, more that he was a fantstic talent, potential 'final piece of the jigsaw' but looked to be giving up and seemed to not want it bad enough.

I think babel has had a good chance tbh. he has just put in too many careless displays. for every game in which he's been a matchwinner, he's had one where he's been woeful.

anywawy, it seems churlish that im picking out his weaknesses after last night. last night is what we need more of and last night, if he was consistently playing like that would mean he'd make the first 11 far more often!

[Nicey]

Give the lad a break.

He wants to play footall as opposed to sitting on he bench, I will point out that it was Carra who said in his book that he would leave if he wasn't playing regularly.

He wants to work, not be lazy and I want all our players to have that mentality. Babel is not 26, he is 21 and needs games to develop his game. The fact that Rafa has refused his loan deal shows that he stil has a big part to play in our season. And that is something we should all be happy with.

He does not want to leave the club, he wants to play. Good on him.

Fair enough mate .. I think we are all in agreement that we all rate the lad ..if he wants to play brilliant .. but tell his ****ing agent to shut the **** up or he willl be playing somewhere else ..

[RedReet]

Ryan Babel: Why I asked to leave Liverpool
Dec 10 2008

Ryan Babel has admitted he did ask Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez about a loan move away from Anfield - and that the Reds boss offered him no assurances about his place in the side.

The young Dutchman scored a fine header to set Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven yesterday.

Before the match Babel’s commitment to the cause and claims he had tried to get a loan move back to Ajax were talking points.

Babel’s agent claimed the 20-year-old winger had wanted him to sound out Ajax about the proposition.

But Liverpool have made it very clear Babel is going nowhere and must knuckle down to his role in the squad, having been unable to convince Benitez he should be a regular in the starting line-up.

Now Benitez, as with Yossi Benayoun and the out-of-form Robbie Keane, has had to spell out the need to accept the squad system, and that they will not be sold.

Babel said after the win in Eindhoven: “I have talked to the manager about my future, about maybe a loan somewhere so I can play every week.

“Ajax was only an example, a possibility, not something I was trying to make happen.”

Ajax had been keen on the idea, but have been told there is no chance of such a move while Liverpool are fighting for the Barclays Premier League title.

Babel said: “Rafa has said no. He did not promise me anything for the rest of the season, there were no conditions and I have to accept this.”

[bobbyfallon]

Ryan Babel: Why I asked to leave Liverpool
Dec 10 2008

Ryan Babel has admitted he did ask Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez about a loan move away from Anfield - and that the Reds boss offered him no assurances about his place in the side.

The young Dutchman scored a fine header to set Liverpool on their way to a 3-1 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven yesterday.

Before the match Babel’s commitment to the cause and claims he had tried to get a loan move back to Ajax were talking points.

Babel’s agent claimed the 20-year-old winger had wanted him to sound out Ajax about the proposition.

But Liverpool have made it very clear Babel is going nowhere and must knuckle down to his role in the squad, having been unable to convince Benitez he should be a regular in the starting line-up.

Now Benitez, as with Yossi Benayoun and the out-of-form Robbie Keane, has had to spell out the need to accept the squad system, and that they will not be sold.

Babel said after the win in Eindhoven: “I have talked to the manager about my future, about maybe a loan somewhere so I can play every week.

“Ajax was only an example, a possibility, not something I was trying to make happen.”

Ajax had been keen on the idea, but have been told there is no chance of such a move while Liverpool are fighting for the Barclays Premier League title.

Babel said: “Rafa has said no. He did not promise me anything for the rest of the season, there were no conditions and I have to accept this.”

****in right you do. work hard earn it and you will be adored by the fans.

[spider-neil]

****in right you do. work hard earn it and you will be adored by the fans.

babel already has loads of fans...