Babel article

[Paul]

An interesting read, this. He comes across as very level headed for his age. What's also clear is the way he recognises himself that his game is still very much in development. The transfer fee is a big pressure, in that context, as we all expect an £11m player to make an immediate impact. I also wonder what he was signed as. Does Rafa see him as a winger in the long term, or was it merely a chance to snap up a young talent and put him out there to do a job until we bring in an authentic winger who will allow Babel to move into his natural position up front?

 

 

 

From The Sunday Times, October 7, 2007

 

Ryan Babel top of the class

Liverpool’s Dutch striker is learning fast after a quiet start to his Merseyside career and hopes to make Tottenham pay today

 

Jonathan Northcroft

 

The pupils of Shorefields Technology College speak a total of 26 first languages – and that list does not include Scouse. It is one of Liverpool’s most multicultural schools and its catchment area, Dingle and Toxteth, among the UK’s most deprived. A class of 12-and 13-year-olds have a special visitor. “Babel, will you sign this?” “Can you have a kickabout with me mates, Babel?” they say, not quite believing enough of Ryan Babel’s presence to use his Christian name.

 

But these kids are sharp. Their teacher asked them to think of questions before the Liverpool player arrived at the college and a hand shot up. “How much does he earn a week?” Up went another. “I want to know what car he’s got, bet it’s a Porsche Boxster.” The class are nonplussed when informed this most grounded £11.5m budding superstar tools about in a club Volkswagen Jetta.

 

Babel is about to get something fancier for his garage but it is obvious that he favours real life over celebrity life. He moves easily among the children, at 20 closer to them in age than he is to Jamie Carragher, and converses shyly but on their level. He is here to take part in a workshop on racism run by the Anthony Walker Foundation. Anthony was murdered in a racially motivated attack in Merseyside in 2005 and his charismatic sister, Dominique, talks about her brother before dividing the class into discussion groups. Babel goes round them taking part and, carefully, completes a worksheet. Two hours of what should be posttraining rest time have gone by the time he leaves, but he is smiling.

 

“It was important for me to come today because I also suffered racism when I was younger, so I know the feeling. I think Liverpool did a great job to pick me to help with this campaign. I was able to tell the kids about my experiences and how to deal with them,” the Dutch forward says. “There was racism towards me in school and, actually, I was rough enough to say something back. I wasn’t scared and spoke out, in a normal way, and after, it wasn’t a problem.

 

“In the UK you have a lot of different cultures and in Holland it’s the same. Right now, Muslims have the worst time of all. The politics are very against them. Before the Muslims it was Surinamese people – my community – which was having the trouble.”

 

Babel was raised in De Bijlmer, a tough estate in Amsterdam and home to many of the city’s 70,000 immigrants from Surinam, a former Dutch colony bordering Brazil. No community on the planet, per capita, produces so many top footballers: Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids sprang from there. Babel is seen as latest in the distinguished line. He made his debut for Ajax shortly after his 17th birthday and at 18 became Holland’s youngest international goalscorer in 68 years. The great Dutch striker Marco van Basten was his mentor. “When he was my trainer in the Ajax reserve team he told me small things a normal, regular trainer wouldn’t teach you, details to improve my game,” Babel says. “He was a striker and I’m a striker also and because he was such a smart player he could teach me a lot about the mental side.

 

“He was a killer in the box. In the beginning my game was not about scoring. My goal was just to dribble and give some nice action and I was satisfied but he made me think, ‘Hey, you’re a striker, you have to score’. After a practice game he’d ask how many I’d scored? I’d say zero. He’d say, ‘But you’re a striker’. That changed the way I think and was good for the learning process.”

 

Babel’s natural athletic speed (his sister, Janice, is an emerging sprinter who hopes to go to the Olympics) led Ajax to play him on the flank, the position he has occupied for Holland and since joining Liverpool. His balance, touch and physique have drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry, and the hype is sometimes wearying. “To come is easy but to stay is more difficult. It became very hard in Holland because the expectation levels from the crowd and the media were so high. Every week I had to play very good and it did not always happen like that,” he says.

 

Henk Ten Cate, the Ajax manager, would tell him to clear his mind and “just kick the ball and run”. Ten Cate is now wanted by Chelsea to work as assistant to Avram Grant. “He’s a very good trainer. If he goes, I think he will put Chelsea back on top. He’s also from Surinam,” Babel says. “He can be clever, he can be easy, he can be hard, depending on what’s needed. He’s just a good manager of players who can work in a lot of different situations.”

 

At Anfield, Babel is finding out about expectation all over again. He says today’s game with Tottenham is crucial, given Liverpool’s curious slump since beating Toulouse 4-0 and Derby 6-0 consecutively. Babel, with clever control and icy finishing, would have pleased even Van Basten with the goal he scored – his first in England – in the rout of Derby but he has not played a full 90 minutes since, nor has he been involved at all in Liverpool’s past three matches.

 

Another of Rafael Benitez’s selection mysteries? “I’m relaxed,” smiles Babel. “I knew before I signed the contract he was working with rotation and it was up to me to go with that or not. I’m trying to work very hard every day and I’m ready if he needs me.

 

“Right now, I just see the beginning in terms of how I want to develop as a player. I see this as a learning year. In Ajax I grew up playing with 4-3-3, I only know that system. Liverpool is something new. I was a left-winger at Ajax, here I’m a winger and a midfielder, and have to do more defensively.

 

“I’m learning a lot about what the movements are in each position in midfield and up front, and things seem to be going faster than I’d imagined. After, I will try and focus on one position. I prefer to play as a striker and hopefully I’ll get the chance one day. And I will take it, definitely.”

 

In training he studies others. “Alonso, Sissoko, Crouch, Kuyt . . . their movements and visions. Gerrard is great to watch if you want to learn how to shoot properly and I’ve already asked him a couple of times how he can manage to keep the ball low from long distance. Torres is good for seeing his movement and his finishing. Rafa is very patient and talks a lot about my game.”

 

His education about Merseyside is enhanced by participating in Liverpool’s widespread community work, the Shorefields visit having been organised as part of the Premier League’s Creating Chances programme.

 

One thing is annoying Babel. In a recent profile – published in the Financial Times of all places – a journalist alleged that he would rather have been a rapper than a footballer and he was struggling to cope in his new flat, unable even to boil an egg. The only thing the article got right about his private life was, deeply religious, he is still looking for the right church in Liverpool. Babel’s girlfriend has just moved over and is about to begin a university course in the city and Benitez need not worry about nutrition. “I can take care of myself,” he says. “That is the first thing my mum taught me before I went out of the door.”

 

Ryan Babel, as the wide-eyed kids of Shorefields heard, stands on his own two feet.

[RedinSweden]

Nice read that. Seems like a good lad. I am sure he will do well. I just hope the mongs don't expect too much too soon and get on his back.

[Paul]

Nice read that. Seems like a good lad. I am sure he will do well. I just hope the mongs don't expect too much too soon and get on his back.

 

The thing is Jim, whilst I believe he deserves the settling in period any player should have, there's no avoiding the fact that we want to see some indication that his fee was justified.

[drewy]

Nice read that. Seems like a good lad. I am sure he will do well. I just hope the mongs don't expect too much too soon and get on his back.

 

I think you might be pissing in the wind, some of them have already started.

 

Decent read, seems to be a well rounded character.

[Paul]

I think you might be pissing in the wind, some of them have already started.

 

Decent read, seems to be a well rounded character.

 

It's inevitable, though, isn't Andy? If we pay £11.5m for a "young talent" ™, then everyone will want to see that he's worth it - especially when most had barely heard of him, nevermind seen him before he arrived. As things stand now, he's hardly played and there's already doubt about whether he's actually a winger or not.

[drewy]

It's inevitable, though, isn't Andy? If we pay £11.5m for a "young talent" , then everyone will want to see that he's worth it - especially when most had barely heard of him, nevermind seen him before he arrived. As things stand now, he's hardly played and there's already doubt about whether he's actually a winger or not.

 

Thing is though Paul is £11.5M such a big deal anymore? Not when you consider what the mancs paid for their "young talent" of Nani & Mr Anderson.

 

I don't hear people questioning these two kids who if anything are probably a bigger gamble than Babel. Mr Anderson has been complete shite and Nani hasn't been much better yet the wolves aren't out for them.

 

It's the press, pure and simple. The "rotation" question is like a gift from God to these hacks, they love it. It enables them to openly attack Rafa and wade into other aspects of his mangement style, transfer dealings, man management etc.

 

Unfortunately for us some "fans" believe absolutely everything they read in print or hear on the radio.

 

Pisshead Slur must be fuckin' made up with the almost constant negative media attention Rafa seems to attract. Keeps the heat away from him whilst they whittle away shitty wins with a massively expensive squad.

[Paul]

Sadly, I think you're right about the price, on reflection (although £11.5m still sounds like a huge figure to me for a twenty year old). As for United, the current strength of their squad means they can afford to ease their gifted youngsters in, thereby helping them to avoid the pressure that is on ours. The other thing is that the overwhelming pressure on our club to at least challenge for the league adds to it all too.

 

I don't think United have been totally immune to criticism, though. I read that Ferguson was left very worried by Anderson's performance in the League Cup and now believes he's at least a year away from being ready for the first team.

[coop]

I notice in that article that Babel mentions he is a striker.

[Spy Bee]

I'm very relieved that he can boil an egg. Go play up front on an egg.

[Paul]

Sadly, I think you're right about the price, on reflection (although £11.5m still sounds like a huge figure to me for a twenty year old). As for United, the current strength of their squad means they can afford to ease their gifted youngsters in, thereby helping them to avoid the pressure that is on ours. The other thing is that the overwhelming pressure on our club to at least challenge for the league adds to it all too.

 

I don't think United have been totally immune to criticism, though. I read that Ferguson was left very worried by Anderson's performance in the League Cup and now believes he's at least a year away from being ready for the first team.

Since posting this, I've seen The Observer's match report for United's game yesterday and he was their man of the match.

[drewy]

That's badly wrong Paul, Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney and Scholes all had far better games than him.

 

I suppose it's all about opinions.

[Hermes]

The thing is Jim, whilst I believe he deserves the settling in period any player should have, there's no avoiding the fact that we want to see some indication that his fee was justified.

 

Whether he is good enough is down to Babel, whether he is worth the fee is down to Rafa. The two are seperate.

[Paul]

Whether he is good enough is down to Babel, whether he is worth the fee is down to Rafa. The two are seperate.

 

Obviously.

[Lapskaus]

why does Rafa buy deeply religious players all the time? Babel, Yossi & Momo. Are there any more?

Some will now say: does it matter? Well, it does matter when Yossi and momo cant play because they walk around all day not eating.

[sh#t waffle]

That's badly wrong Paul, Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney and Scholes all had far better games than him.

 

I suppose it's all about opinions.

 

Apparently the Mirror are saying today that Ferguson's so disappointed with him that he may be shipped back to Portugal in January. Babel has shown enough in patches that he has a decent chance of making it here. I'd love it if Rafa played Yossi on the left and Babel up front today, really don't think Spurs could cope with him and Torres.

[WaltonRed]

Id love to see him upfront with Torres but I cant see it happening, especially if Crouch goes we will probably bring someone in.

[Dirk]

Id love to see him upfront with Torres but I cant see it happening, especially if Crouch goes we will probably bring someone in.

 

Perhaps Rafa might sell Crouch and bring in a left winger, putting Babel in contention for a centre forward berth.

[Red Nick]

Perhaps Rafa might sell Crouch and bring in a left winger, putting Babel in contention for a centre forward berth.

 

Thats what I would do

 

Problem now is getting wide players of real quality when we could have bought Quaresma, Mancini or Malouda in the summer

[Paul]

Perhaps Rafa might sell Crouch and bring in a left winger, putting Babel in contention for a centre forward berth.

 

Agreed. Assuming we don't suffer an horrendous spate of injuries, I don't think we should sign another striker as we've got Babel and Yossi who can play up there (unless we've got some ridiculously huge pot of gold stashed away, obviously). The priorities are the flanks (especially the left) and centre half. I'm still taken with my Micah Richards pipe dream, though. He'd kill several birds with one stone, offering us cover and competition for a number of slots in the side as well as real width and aggression from right back. Signing him would make us much stronger going forward on the right until we've got the cash to sign a top right winger.

[Red Nick]

Should have sold Crouch in the summer and used the money for a Mancini type of player

[africanherbsman]

Should have sold Crouch in the summer and used the money for a Mancini type of player

 

You've already said that in your previous post on this thread. Can you please refrain from sounding like a broken record? Thankyou.

[Red Nick]

You've already said that in your previous post on this thread. Can you please refrain from sounding like a broken record? Thankyou.

 

If you were slightly more intelegent you might have noticed the difference between the two posts but as they say some people just dont get it

[zigackly]

Read that article somewhere earlier (maybe even here). Seems a good lad. Hope he gets a little more play as I think he's a better option than either of our left-backs on the wing for starters.

[africanherbsman]

If you were slightly more intelegent you might have noticed the difference between the two posts but as they say some people just dont get it

 

The only difference was you went down a different route to make the same point. I'm not entering in to an argument with you Nick as I find arguing with a stranger on an internet forum to be a strange and futile practise. I know how you feel about our transfer dealings over the summer as you mention it in every thread on the board. For what it's worth I agree with you with regards to us failing to sign a proper winger, I just wish you wouldn't mention it at every oppurtunity.

[G Richards]

I read the Babel article in the Times this afternoon. Good read. I think he will end up as a striker for us, but I suppose time will tell. I'm with Paul on the Micah Richards bandwagon. Crouch plus whatever money on top it takes.

 

As for Quaresma (assuming Rafa was interested) I think his club sold other players this summer, so their financial situation was such that they didn't need to sell Quaresma. This might be the sort of situation Rafa alluded to when he said that it might be possible to sign a player in January because the bulk of the negotiation has already been done over the summer.