Originally Posted by Neil G
Completely disagree. He more than looked the part today.
The only way a young player from a foreign league is going to get used to the Prem is if he plays week in week out from the start. If the manager is worried that a bad game will knock the player's confidence then that's understandable, but Babel looks to me as if he's got bags of confidence and self-belief and wants to show what he can do. If started regularly he can quickly build up a reputation as a player that the opposition should be scared of, and we could do with more players like that in our side.
Babel reminds me a lot of Ronaldo when he signed for the Mancs, and he didn't become the player he is today by being wrapped in cotton wool and used sparingly at the beginning.
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Its pretty evident from what he's shown so far that he has the talent, but also that he makes the wrong decision from time to time, and is inconsistent. The little cameos at the end of games, when he can use his pace and aggression are a good way to bed him.
I also see him getting starts against some of the weaker teams.
He's very young and there was an emphasis on the team getting getting a good start. With the 2 games we've had to start I think Rafa has done the right thing with Babel.