Babel and the last chance saloon.

[RedKnight]

You're buying potential with Babel, and just after he had an excellent U-21 showing.

[The Party Boy]

I don't get why he didn't even make the bench on Saturday? Whats the point of trying to build up his confidence, playing him on the first day and then not even having him on the bench a couple of games later? Bolton away is probably one of the games that would suit him, especially with all that space after the sending off. I think his best game for us was at Bolton when we won 3-1.

[The Great Jacko]

I don't get why he didn't even make the bench on Saturday? Whats the point of trying to build up his confidence, playing him on the first day and then not even having him on the bench a couple of games later? Bolton away is probably one of the games that would suit him, especially with all that space after the sending off. I think his best game for us was at Bolton when we won 3-1.

 

maybe he had asked for a loan prior to the match and was dealt with accordingly?

[aws]

I'd rather see Dossena on the bench. At least he tries and sometimes makes it past the full back.

[The Great Jacko]

Tell you what pisses me off. In all the time he has been here, he has not played a single reserve game as far as I can recall.

 

He should be playing reserve games, so they can try him out in different positions and for him to build some confidence by playing well and scoring goals. It would also help keep him sharp, rather than the one game a month he seems to be getting. And if he's shit in those games, then fuck him right off.

 

Same goes for other squad players too.

 

I don't think Rafa thinks of the reserves in that way does he? He views it almost as an U-21 team rather than a competitive league useful for sharpeness. I assume he thinks he can work with Babel or any player on positional play via training. Not saying he's right or wrong just that this is what he's said in the past.

[Antynwa]

I think Rafa utilises the whole reserve system in a totally fucked up way. Babel's attitude just pisses me off more than anything.

[AmerScouse]

The fact that he wants to go back to Ajax indicates his complete lack of ambition. Fuck him off.

 

actually i think it indicates that he wants to go where he's been comfortable in the past and where he thinks he'll play the most so as to make the world cup squad. but let's have a go at the lad's ambition as the only reason.

 

and can we please all stop with the "utter lazy bastard" comments. you can easily see he's been up for it when he's played this season. if people want to say he's been shit, then so be it, but when he's played this season he's put in the shift. he may be shit defensively and he may have played poorly but lack of effort or laziness is not an accurate description.

 

and its good to see rafa gave him a chance this season before he threw him out with the dishwater. 90 mins against spurs and then 30 mins or something against villa and then oops you aren't in the squad anymore.

 

at least rafa is clear that when he doens't like you, you and everyone else on the planet clearly knows it. all we need now is for him to say he has no intention of selling him to know full well that he's gone in january.

[Superjari]

and can we please all stop with the "utter lazy bastard" comments. you can easily see he's been up for it when he's played this season. .

 

I do not remember any part of the Spurs game where he looked up for it. If you want someone to jump over tackles he's your man.

[King Gheedorah]

I've given up on that lad.

[zigackly]

when he's played this season he's put in the shift

 

My arse put in a better shift than him against Spurs and Villa.

[coop]

I don't think Babel cost £12m.

 

It was more like £8m with the rest made of 'addons'.

[aws]

He was a disgrace against spurs. No effort and no heart. We'd have done better without him on the pitch.

[PaulMcC]

I wish we'd just let him leave on loan.

 

The team is automatically worse anytime he plays cos he's our worst player.

[Josef Svejk]

actually i think it indicates that he wants to go where he's been comfortable in the past and where he thinks he'll play the most so as to make the world cup squad. but let's have a go at the lad's ambition as the only reason.

 

"Going back to where you were comfortable in the past" is not a sign of a lack of ambition? Especially when it's an inferior team in an inferior league?

 

As for going to the World Cup, it's a miracle he gets anywhere near the Dutch squad one way or the other...

[Hermes]

I don't think Babel cost £12m.

 

It was more like £8m with the rest made of 'addons'.

 

What, like if he has a million selling rap song we get another £5m?

[Jarvinja Ilnow]

What, like if he has a million selling rap song we get another £5m?

 

that or a percentage of the profits if he gets the role in the Dutch version of High Ssschoool Muushical

[cyador]

Babel needs to realise its a two way street. He's gotta perform to get playing time. He's got two very solid performers competing with him for that spot who even at their worst outperform babel.

 

I think cause he's 22/23 when he's given playing time over riera, benny, your gambling he's gonna start to realise that potential.

 

Then he steps out onto the pitch, and you realise that riera and benny are always gonna be the better bet.

 

Fuck him off, he's had enough time. And sod loaning him to ajax or anyone else, the bastards can pay back some of the money they stole off us for him.

[AmerScouse]

"Going back to where you were comfortable in the past" is not a sign of a lack of ambition? Especially when it's an inferior team in an inferior league?

 

As for going to the World Cup, it's a miracle he gets anywhere near the Dutch squad one way or the other...

 

and trying to get into a world cup squad isn't ambition? i'm not a babel apologist, i don't think he's been up to it here. i had high hopes for him and he hasn't delivered. but i think the effort has been there this year. again he may have been shit against spurs, but i thought he worked hard. i thought he tried or at least made an effort to make things happen.

 

plenty of players in a world cup year go where they are going to play so they are in form and get picked. maybe liverpool just isn't his standard. maybe ajax is his standard where he's a big fish in a little pond. it doesn't make him a shit player, there are plenty of good players in 2nd tier leagues that play for good national teams, especially the dutch team.

 

ajax is where he's had success as a player and in a system that he's comfortable in, why would he go to a completely different team when his confidence is already shot, he thinks the manager is a liar and isn't giving him a chance and he has no opportunity?

 

anyone who expected babel to be a hard working, grafter type of player who puts in tackles and tracks all over the field needs their head examined. he is and was when we bought him a luxury player. i just get tired of all the generalizations that are thrown about and expectations of the type of player people want him to be when it was clearly on the tin when we bought him that he never would be one of those players in teh first place.

[cyador]

and trying to get into a world cup squad isn't ambition? i'm not a babel apologist, i don't think he's been up to it here. i had high hopes for him and he hasn't delivered. but i think the effort has been there this year. again he may have been shit against spurs, but i thought he worked hard. i thought he tried or at least made an effort to make things happen.

 

plenty of players in a world cup year go where they are going to play so they are in form and get picked. maybe liverpool just isn't his standard. maybe ajax is his standard where he's a big fish in a little pond. it doesn't make him a shit player, there are plenty of good players in 2nd tier leagues that play for good national teams, especially the dutch team.

 

ajax is where he's had success as a player and in a system that he's comfortable in, why would he go to a completely different team when his confidence is already shot, he thinks the manager is a liar and isn't giving him a chance and he has no opportunity?

 

anyone who expected babel to be a hard working, grafter type of player who puts in tackles and tracks all over the field needs their head examined. he is and was when we bought him a luxury player. i just get tired of all the generalizations that are thrown about and expectations of the type of player people want him to be when it was clearly on the tin when we bought him that he never would be one of those players in teh first place.

 

So what your saying is babel is too much of a star to track back, put a tackle in, protect his fullback, etc?

 

Fuck that shit right now, have you seen the graft torres puts in tackling, chasing the ball, winning the ball when defending freekicks? what about yossi, who always put a graft in?

I don't care if he's zidane or fucking maradona, if he plays in a rafa team, he's got to put a shift in.

 

And thats not even the main fucking problem with the guy, you'd forgive him not doing the defensive side of the game, if he'd actually bloody contribute something to our attacking game.

 

He doesn't. he's shit. End of.

[ben48]

and trying to get into a world cup squad isn't ambition? i'm not a babel apologist, i don't think he's been up to it here. i had high hopes for him and he hasn't delivered. but i think the effort has been there this year. again he may have been shit against spurs, but i thought he worked hard. i thought he tried or at least made an effort to make things happen.

 

plenty of players in a world cup year go where they are going to play so they are in form and get picked. maybe liverpool just isn't his standard. maybe ajax is his standard where he's a big fish in a little pond. it doesn't make him a shit player, there are plenty of good players in 2nd tier leagues that play for good national teams, especially the dutch team.

 

ajax is where he's had success as a player and in a system that he's comfortable in, why would he go to a completely different team when his confidence is already shot, he thinks the manager is a liar and isn't giving him a chance and he has no opportunity?

 

anyone who expected babel to be a hard working, grafter type of player who puts in tackles and tracks all over the field needs their head examined. he is and was when we bought him a luxury player. i just get tired of all the generalizations that are thrown about and expectations of the type of player people want him to be when it was clearly on the tin when we bought him that he never would be one of those players in teh first place.

 

If Ajax rate him why don`t they buy him back?.

[Paul]

Anyone reckon we could any more than £5m for him now? Or is that too much considering his inevitably high wages and poor two and (what will be) a half seasons?

[Red House]

Anyone reckon we could any more than £5m for him now? Or is that too much considering his inevitably high wages and poor two and (what will be) a half seasons?

 

I reckon he could be useful in swap deals but doubt many managers would have Babel at the top of their shortlist.

[Guest LFD]

Anyone reckon we could any more than £5m for him now? Or is that too much considering his inevitably high wages and poor two and (what will be) a half seasons?

 

Probably why Rafa kept him. It's not like he's guaranteed the money if we sell players - For example Keane.

[AmerScouse]

So what your saying is babel is too much of a star to track back, put a tackle in, protect his fullback, etc?

 

Fuck that shit right now, have you seen the graft torres puts in tackling, chasing the ball, winning the ball when defending freekicks? what about yossi, who always put a graft in?

I don't care if he's zidane or fucking maradona, if he plays in a rafa team, he's got to put a shift in.

 

And thats not even the main fucking problem with the guy, you'd forgive him not doing the defensive side of the game, if he'd actually bloody contribute something to our attacking game.

 

He doesn't. he's shit. End of.

 

eh, i think you are making actually making my point for me. i'm arguing that he's not a lazy bastard.

 

i must have missed the part where i said he was a star, cause i said he's not up to the liverpool standard. you get what you get with a luxury player.

 

and i must be watching the wrong torres this season because i think the fella has spent more time lying on the ground writhing around acting a bit primadonna then he has in previous seasons harassing opposition defenses when we don't have the ball.

 

difference being is that i won't sit here and say torres is a twat and its all gone to his head etc, because its only been a few games he's been like that. and in fairness he gets kicked quite a bit our lovely nando does.

[AmerScouse]

If Ajax rate him why don`t they buy him back?.

 

because like us, they have no money? and why buy a player when you can get him on loan for virtually nothing and have it improve your team?

 

rafa is the one who didn't let babel go, i'm sure babel would have left already rather than stay this season.