Ryan Babel

[Neil G]

Could have tacked this on to the match thread or the Riise thread, but this lad deserves one of his own.

He's a really exciting player who looks like he can make something happen every time he gets on the ball, and just as importantly looks like he wants to make something happen. He should have started today instead of Riise. I understand Rafa effectively having two sides, one for the Prem and one for Europe, but it won't kill Babel if he plays every game for a while - Stevie manages it ok.

Start him for every game until Kewell is back, and let him acclimatise himself to the English game and build up his confidence. There are times when you should wrap talented young imports in cotton wool and times when you should throw them in and let them show what they can do. Babel clearly falls into the latter category.

[Kev Saunderson]

Amen.

[hamstrung]

I think he needs managing.

He'll have as many shite games as he does good at the moment, and its best to bring him on gradually.

Start him against some of the shite - today wasn't the time for his full debut.

[Liam]

Originally Posted by hamstrung

I think he needs managing.

He'll have as many shite games as he does good at the moment, and its best to bring him on gradually.

Start him against some of the shite - today wasn't the time for his full debut.

Agree with you there. He has the potential to be amazing if Rafa is patient with him. He looks like a striker rather than a winger to me though.

[coop]

He certainly looks like he can strike a ball.

Pennant has kept his performance from the end of last season going but this gives us time to bring Babel in step by step.

[Kev Saunderson]

Originally Posted by Liam

Agree with you there. He has the potential to be amazing if Rafa is patient with him. He looks like a striker rather than a winger to me though.

I agree with that. He looks like he is going to rule big time though.

[coop]

Said it before will say it again but i can see Torres and Babel as a strike partnership in the future for Liverpool.

[Neil G]

Originally Posted by hamstrung

I think he needs managing.

He'll have as many shite games as he does good at the moment, and its best to bring him on gradually.

Start him against some of the shite - today wasn't the time for his full debut.

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.

[dark train]

It is within the realms of possibility he could be just as good as marco van basten thinks. I like him, he can get a shot in from nothing, not just a shot mind, a fuckin wanger.

Think he's been unlucky, that shot today was no miss. That was a hard as hell shot from nothing if it had gone in (and it was fuckin close) it was goal of the month.

I think he was well worth the 11.5

[Newport]

Originally Posted by hamstrung

I think he needs managing.

He'll have as many shite games as he does good at the moment, and its best to bring him on gradually.

Start him against some of the shite - today wasn't the time for his full debut.

Agree on that. Ease him into the team as the season goes by. I think Rafa has learned from the Gonzalez mistake.

[James Dean]

Don't see anything special in him to be honest. Fast and seems to have a good shot but his technique and decisionmaking looks poor.

But he obviously deserve a season or two to prove his worth.

[MLB]

He's going to be fucking quality, I reckon. I'd have brought him on earlier.

[Fink]

im not convinced yet.....needs to cut out his errors but could well develop.

[hamstrung]

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.

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.

[Son of L8]

I like the look of him. Raw, but potentially very good. That was one absolute belter of a cross he sent in from the right shortly after coming on. Perfect height, whipped in fast and accurate just about eight yards from goal, that shit is a nightmare to defend. If he can do that consistently...

[Liam]

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.

Ryan Babel is raw and needs time to develop. He can still develop in the first team but not as a regular starter.

Where do people think he will end up playing? Upfront, left wing or right wing?

[hamstrung]

looks like a striker to me.

[Neil G]

I honestly don't understand this obsession with easing obviously gifted players into the team when there's no established player already available in their position. I can only think of three arguments in favour of it, and none of them cut any ice with me when it comes to genuine young talents like Babel.

1) Culture shock, i.e. getting used to a different style of play. So how else are you going to get used to it unless you get a whole game's worth on a regular basis? If you only play against selected opposition then you're not getting the full range of experience that you need. The same applies if you're only playing parts of games in which the play is often either stretched or compacted, but rarely both. You can work on your positional play, awareness and decision-making all you want in training, but the most important factor that will help you improve these is missing, and that's the opposition.

2) Fitness. Babel is 20 years old and clearly a superb athlete. Are people really worried about him being burned out if he plays every league game for a few months, plus a max of seven European games?

3) Confidence. See my post above - Babel clearly strikes me as the sort of enthusiastic young talent who will get straight back on the horse if he falls off, trying to make up for a bad performance by turning in a good one. There seems to be a patronising attitude toward young players that's widely held on this board and by fans and pundits in general, which suggests that if they have a bad game or two they'll start crying and run off to their mummy to be comforted. These players aren't kids, they're enthusiastic young adults with a point to prove. Plenty of people of a similar age and younger throw themselves into their work in other professions and can rise above the knocks and the setbacks, because they believe in themselves. Genuinely gifted footballers are no different.