Ryan Babel

[Maxiedge]

Very harsh and unfair. Mascherano hasn't played to the same level as last year, does that make him useless?

I personally thought he was a passenger over the whole of last season. That's all in the past now though.

The Mascherano comparison is not really applicable as he's just been in bad form recently (last 4-5 games?).

[TheElephantMan]

For me it captured the essential paradox of life - that to live is, some day, to die. The explosion of joy at scoring a goal (an obvious simulacrum for both the pain and glory of birth and the ecstasy of orgasm, itself a pre-manifestation of the rite of birth that it presages) is at once and forever tainted by the meaningless of the goal (or, so clearly in a post-existentialist world where the numbness of death is both a daily reality and yet also a frightening secret we withhold from ourselves, life) itself. Beating Newcastle 5-1 is both satisfying and hollow and in Babel's over-celebration of the then important but ultimately futile second goal we see both its apogee and apotheosis.

I agree.

[dww]

For me it captured the essential paradox of life - that to live is, some day, to die. The explosion of joy at scoring a goal (an obvious simulacrum for both the pain and glory of birth and the ecstasy of orgasm, itself a pre-manifestation of the rite of birth that it presages) is at once and forever tainted by the meaningless of the goal (or, so clearly in a post-existentialist world where the numbness of death is both a daily reality and yet also a frightening secret we withhold from ourselves, life) itself. Beating Newcastle 5-1 is both satisfying and hollow and in Babel's over-celebration of the then important but ultimately futile second goal we see both its apogee and apotheosis.

I fear you are only scratching the surface with this, if I may be so bold, somewhat light weight analysis of what may well be the pivotal moment not just of our season but of the whole of human history.

[saj]

I personally thought he was a passenger over the whole of last season. That's all in the past now though.

The Mascherano comparison is not really applicable as he's just been in bad form recently (last 4-5 games?).

Mascherano hasn't even played in all of the last 5 games and in my opinion has been poor all season.

Alonso only played 27 games in the whole of last season in all cometitions. He had a very bad injury to his foot (he broke it) - he a disruptive season due to this injury and also due to his mini feud with Rafa

[AFII]

Sell him.

Why keep an unhappy player?

[Maxiedge]

Mascherano hasn't even played in all of the last 5 games and in my opinion has been poor all season.

Alonso only played 27 games in the whole of last season in all cometitions. He had a very bad injury to his foot (he broke it) - he a disruptive season due to this injury and also due to his mini feud with Rafa

Last 5 games he's played then.

You know when I said 'useless' it was in a relaxed tone and was not meant to be taken so literally. I also used that term because it's all in the past and he's showing me and everyone else what a great player he really is.

[bipjohn]

I think he is one of the worst players pound-for-pound I've ever seen in a red shirt. He can't pass, can't shoot, can't cross, can't see other team mates and can't beat a man.

I cringe everytime I see him on the team sheet. Utter garbage. He doesn't even try which is why I'm happy to slate one of my players. At least El Zhar, Ngog and Benny get stuck in.

BABEL IS ****E.

Couldn't agree more.

Wow!!

Pound for pound, in the boxing sense?
Cant shoot, who was that at chelsea last year?
His goal per time on the pitch record for us, I bet, would stand up to anyones.

Yes, I fully agree with the comments about him being frustrating, got a lot more to offer, etc. But you would have to be pretty blinkered to accuse him of that lot (cant pass, shoot, cross, etc). The lad clearly has talent but is struggling, for whatever reason, to use it.

To write him off after 18 months is a little poor in my opinion.

Oh and by the way I cringe every time I hear comments like yours, never mind cringe when you see a Liverpool player on a Liverpool teamsheet.

Maybe your a WUM and Ive fell for it?

[Joe King]

It's the seeming lack of interest that gets me. It's all well and good talking about fighting for your place and being the victim of discarded rotation and the like but when he DOES get picked he can hardly even be arsed playing with the rest of the team.

Every problem he has seems to be mental down to his confidence, or lack of it, and his decision making. He doesn't seem to be the most intelligent of players. Physically, he has the capacity to be amazing but the attitude doesn't seem to be matching up to that potential. It's holding him back.

He seems, dare I say it, lazy.

You speakth sense.

[TheElephantMan]

Wow!!

Pound for pound, in the boxing sense?
Cant shoot, who was that at chelsea last year?
His goal per time on the pitch record for us, I bet, would stand up to anyones.

Yes, I fully agree with the comments about him being frustrating, got a lot more to offer, etc. But you would have to be pretty blinkered to accuse him of that lot (cant pass, shoot, cross, etc). The lad clearly has talent but is struggling, for whatever reason, to use it.

To write him off after 18 months is a little poor in my opinion.

Oh and by the way I cringe every time I hear comments like yours, never mind cringe when you see a Liverpool player on a Liverpool teamsheet.

Maybe your a WUM and Ive fell for it?

Maybe he has an opinion and I agreed with it? Babel has shown signs of quality, but he has no game intelligence, is very lazy, his shooting and passing are poor to say the least. This is supposedly one of the brightest young talents in Europe, and he's showing nothing to suggest that he can perform at the required level. I think he would be a massive success in a less physical, slower paced league, but in my opinion he isn't going to improve sufficiently at LFC.

[rudedog]

For me it captured the essential paradox of life - that to live is, some day, to die. The explosion of joy at scoring a goal (an obvious simulacrum for both the pain and glory of birth and the ecstasy of orgasm, itself a pre-manifestation of the rite of birth that it presages) is at once and forever tainted by the meaningless of the goal (or, so clearly in a post-existentialist world where the numbness of death is both a daily reality and yet also a frightening secret we withhold from ourselves, life) itself. Beating Newcastle 5-1 is both satisfying and hollow and in Babel's over-celebration of the then important but ultimately futile second goal we see both its apogee and apotheosis.

My Nan said pretty much the same thing about my celebrations after I beat her at Gin Rummy.

[slimbimjim]

My Nan said pretty much the same thing about my celebrations after I beat her at Gin Rummy.

[Exiled_red]

I think last season he proved he was a decent player with alot of promise. I don't think he has now become a bad player I think he is just lacking in confidence. Also I think the injury to him over the summer and then being pushed into the Olympics without a proper preseason has meant he has struggled. Personally I would say that he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a couple of weeks to ensure he is fit, then either give him a few reserve games or a months loan spell to find his form

[dww]

I think last season he proved he was a decent player with alot of promise. I don't think he has now become a bad player I think he is just lacking in confidence. Also I think the injury to him over the summer and then being pushed into the Olympics without a proper preseason has meant he has struggled. Personally I would say that he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a couple of weeks to ensure he is fit, then either give him a few reserve games or a months loan spell to find his form

In retrospect I think he showed last season that he could do limited things very well. But we already knew that. He was best as an impact sub and when we play well his pace can worry teams but the same was true of Cisse and he went as he couldn't offer enough to the team in the long term.

He is young and might progress but the worry is that his problems are mental - which IMO is the hardest part of a player to develop. A loan would be pointless as he wouldn't be at a club with the same level of coaching or players around him and it is in that context he needs to improve his game. He deserves more games before we as fans write him off IMO but at the same time from what I have seen I wouldn't be upset if Rafa decided having seen him in training as well that he should leave.

[Neil Young]

I fear you are only scratching the surface with this, if I may be so bold, somewhat light weight analysis of what may well be the pivotal moment not just of our season but of the whole of human history.

That's fair comment. In my lust for the superficial I'd missed the import of the moment Of all my failings it's my biggest.

As both the definitive and transfigurative figure of all humanity, Babel shoulders a heavy burden and, in anyone's language, we can only hope he is a tower of strength.

[Neil Young]

My Nan said pretty much the same thing about my celebrations after I beat her.