Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:09 pm

this is in response to a discussion me and my mate were having last night whilst watching the game. as normal, ryan babel comes on with about twenty minutes to go and i turn around to my mate and say "well time for ryan babel's mandatrory goal then". everytime he comes off the bench he seems to score recently. besiktas (twice), newcastle, bolton and now yesterday. everytime he comes on he's a genuine goal threat.

i have to say that so far, i think the way rafa has introduced him into the english game has been spot on. the odd start coupled with a succession of cameo appearances from the bench when defences are tiring. infact you could probably compare it to how ferguson eased christiano ronaldo into united's first team. when he first arrived, like babel, he was very raw and made a lot of mistakes, despite everyone being able to see that beneath the core there was the potential for a great player. this is how i see babel at the moment.

i just make the point because we've got a huge game coming up on sunday and to be quite honest you could take your pick as to who will partner torres upfront. i'm just thinking back to the game last year when bellamy's pace basically ripped vidic a new ar$ehole at times and thinking that the more pace we have upfront the better. i see wes brown as the weak link and i don't think evra is that great defensively either. the question i'm asking is whether it's worth risking babel upfront for this game and really going trying to exploit united with pace or whether you'd stick with kuyt, voronin or crouch? long term i certainly see babel as a striker for us alongside torres and surely this is an ideal opportunity to try it?

thoughts?

by **skatesy** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:13 pm

I have many times thought about what it would be like with Torres and Babel upfront together...I think it is worth a shot as I feel that Babel is better in a forward position rather than a wide midfield position. Plus I think that Benayoun and Kewell are the best on the right and left, respectively anyway.

by **stmichael** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:48 pm

it's certainly the long term future. the pace is frigtening between those two and i just think playing the two of them together would force united to defend deeper than they would normally be used to.

by **HOMER** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:54 pm

good shout - with their defence playing deeper it would give gerrard more room to cause mayhem

by **The_Rock** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:10 pm

The thing is when babel usually comes on...the other team is pressing at the other end...so he has a lot of space to run with the ball.

When he starts the match, he kinda struggles because the marking is tight. He then looks very ordinary.

To be fair...i am still not sure about babel. But one thing is for sure...he ain't a left winger. Rafa should play him upfront.

by **puroresu** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:12 pm

I think Babel up front would be good. He seems to prefer a more central role.

by **stmichael** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:16 pm

The_Rock wrote:To be fair...i am still not sure about babel.

The kid's still only 20 years old. I'm not saying he should be starting every week. I'm just suggesting that he should start upfront at the weekend because united are paricularly vulnerable to pace at the back, particularly Vidic.

The goals that he's scored this season have shown a great strikers instinct. His pace is incredible and I think that we might well be seeing him & Torres as our first choice front two next season.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:21 pm

i get a sneaky feeling Rafa will play Voronin up front with Torres at the weekend because this is the sort of game where he likes players running between the lines, and he has always suggested he rates Voronin in this role.. I hope he doesnt

by **The_Rock** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:22 pm

stmichael wrote:
The_Rock wrote:To be fair...i am still not sure about babel.

The kid's still only 20 years old. I'm not saying he should be starting every week. I'm just suggesting that he should start upfront at the weekend because united are paricularly vulnerable to pace at the back, particularly Vidic.

The goals that he's scored this season have shown a great strikers instinct. His pace is incredible and I think that we might well be seeing him & Torres as our first choice front two next season.

well...i am willing to give him time.

But your're right. I rather babel started upfront with torres against manure...as i realise that crouch won't win any headers against vudic and ferdinand.

by **europian-kings** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:32 pm

lightning pace and i always look forward to seeind him in the final 20 mins as you know he will have a couple of chances to score and he frightens the defence. not sure torres and him would work together as in creating chances for eachother but i suppose its worth a try.
i still think rafa will go for torres and kuyt against united and bring on babels pace for the final 30 to scare the defence

by **cptrios** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:35 pm

Anyone have a stat for goals he's scored as a starter vs. as a sub? If we're confident that we can take a lead/tie into the 65th minute or so (which we should be), it seems to me as though we should just go with what works and bring him in as a supersub.

by **Redman in wales** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:41 pm

At the moment, I'm quite happy with what he's doing. I think coming off the bench with 20/25 minutes to go exploits his pace even more against a tired defence - especially when the opposition is chasing a game - its a great way of sowing the match up.

As for a starting berth, I'm still not sure. not just yet anyway. Whilst commenting on Crouch a month back, Rafa had saidthat some players are just more influencial and better when they come off the bench, and untill babel learns a bit more composure and vision, I think he's one hell of a bench player.

Against utd in particular, I would start crouch / kuyt with torres, and definately bring babel on with 25 minutes to go, becaue against tired legs, he's even better.

looking to the future though, thats one hell of a pacey front line. imagine being an opposition defender when liverpool counter... torres and babel sprinting at you!!!

by **stmichael** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:49 pm

cptrios wrote:Anyone have a stat for goals he's scored as a starter vs. as a sub? If we're confident that we can take a lead/tie into the 65th minute or so (which we should be), it seems to me as though we should just go with what works and bring him in as a supersub.

RYAN BABEL

Minutes On Pitch: 981
Goals: 6
Goal Every: 163 minutes
Games: 9 (+12 as sub)

That's very good.

by **KennyisGod....still** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:53 pm

Maybe we got a new David Fairclough on our hands.......

by **Zi-Dan Agger** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:13 pm

KennyisGod....still wrote:Maybe we got a new David Fairclough on our hands.......

Haha you're right, I said the exact same thing to my dad last night when he rolled in his 4th :buttrock

Liverpool FC Forum

RYAN BABEL to join Hoffenheim

Who is online