Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:35 pm**

europian-kings wrote: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

I'd go with him as a sub, a bit of pace vs tired legs as few teams use up subs to replace their CBs (except for injury)

I liked the link up of Kuyt and Torres last night, has to be the preferred starting pair at the moment. We looked very good when we kept the ball on the ground, makes me happy when Crouch isn't in the side for that reason alone. I wonder if anyone told Reina that Crouch wasn't playing last night as he insisted on punting it upfield and I reckon we probably lost 70% + of possession from those punts

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:58 pm**

Redman in wales wrote: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!!!

Agree.

Babels goals this season all seem to have a touch of class about them. I mean the dummy against Derby, the back heel against Besiktas and the brilliant rounding of the keeper last night. You can definitely see a Thierry Henry type quality in him.

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:05 pm**

Owzat wrote:I wonder if anyone told Reina that Crouch wasn't playing last night as he insisted on punting it upfield and I reckon we probably lost 70% + of possession from those punts

In addition to Saint's explanation about the wind in the other thread (which was spot on, BTW), you may have noticed in the last few weeks that Reina likes to hit them long to Torres for quick counter attacks against defenders that have pushed up. Has nowt to do with Crouch.

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:37 pm**

I am waiting for him to FINALLY score one when he cuts inside from the left and RIPS it near post, for a while it was his signature move, and he came close a couple times for us.

Not sure if this is a good time to experiment, where is bigmick on this one? Although it does make sense as the long term parternship, AND a team LIKE Man U is the perfect style to play it against, I would still rather try it out against someone else first. But would like to see Babel come on for whoever is the "other" striker and not Kewell.

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:15 pm**

I've definitely been encouraged by him recently, and there's no question the lad has talent.

One thing that seems to be the case with him is that he's better when he hasn't got time to think. His instincts seem incredibly well honed, so when he's in a situation like the keeper rushing towards him last night, his touch to take him out of the game just looked absolutely effortless, as if it was completely the obvious thing to do. The same with the dummied shot against Derby, and ditto with the flicked finish against Besiktas.

For me he looks less good when he has more time and more options. In those situations, his default setting seems to be "leather it", and that's a sign of immaturity in all fairness. Likewise with his header for what should have been a hat-trick in the 8-0 - he had time to think about where to put it and he blew what was actually a very straightforward chance.

No question though, he's starting to look a £10m player. I don't think a start against Man U will happen just yet, but I certainly think we've got ourselves quite some player for a year or two down the road. That said, I think the other strikers will be taking note of that goal return. For a young bit-part player in his first months in the Prem, it's not to be sniffed at.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:40 pm**

ivor_the_injun wrote:I've definitely been encouraged by him recently, and there's no question the lad has talent.

One thing that seems to be the case with him is that he's better when he hasn't got time to think. His instincts seem incredibly well honed, so when he's in a situation like the keeper rushing towards him last night, his touch to take him out of the game just looked absolutely effortless, as if it was completely the obvious thing to do. The same with the dummied shot against Derby, and ditto with the flicked finish against Besiktas.

For me he looks less good when he has more time and more options. In those situations, his default setting seems to be "leather it", and that's a sign of immaturity in all fairness. Likewise with his header for what should have been a hat-trick in the 8-0 - he had time to think about where to put it and he blew what was actually a very straightforward chance.

No question though, he's starting to look a £10m player. I don't think a start against Man U will happen just yet, but I certainly think we've got ourselves quite some player for a year or two down the road. That said, I think the other strikers will be taking note of that goal return. For a young bit-part player in his first months in the Prem, it's not to be sniffed at.

If you look at the goal again from tuesday night, when he rounds the keeper he never looks where the goal is. He seems to always be looking away when he slots it home which just proves that he has a strikers instinct.

On the subject of him looking better as a sub i think that is because of 2 things

1/ He's been used a lot at left midfield even though he has always played on the right side of a three or as a main striker for club and country in the past. He has let no one down when he has played in that position but as you stated he has a lot more time to think about things when playing wide and more often than not his final ball lets him down.

2/ When he comes on as sub with his skill and pace against tired legs he is deadly hence why I always back another goal to be scored when he comes on. You just have to wonder though if he keeps scoring, how long it will be before the manager can't leave him out.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:20 pm**

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

Spot on !

Coming in for Torres last tues and getting a goal, should not be the end of. Hope we get to see more of this arrangement so Torres can get to rest early - and stay 'fresh' for the next game

.
I'm confident that in Babel we'll see another 'beast' in the making, before the end of the season.

Mich observation is also true:

...he never looks where the goal is. He seems to always be looking away when he slots it home which just proves that he has a strikers instinct.

Element of surprise here mate. Not only at goal, also when he make breakthrough passes as assits he never looked up.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:37 pm**

lio wrote:Mich observation is also true:
...he never looks where the goal is. He seems to always be looking away when he slots it home which just proves that he has a strikers instinct.
Element of surprise here mate. Not only at goal, also when he make breakthrough passes as assits he never looked up.

slotting the ball into the goal without looking is a good thing... show's he has a striker's instinct...

but if he's passing without looking up all the time is not a good thing... as a playmaker you need to be playing with your head up... not head down... goes to show that he's not really a playmaker or doesn't have the ball control to play as a winger or a midfielder... midfielders need to be very comfortable on the ball, holding the ball and dribbling pass defenders etc like benyaoun and kewell... I'm afraid babel's skills are more of a striker's... push the ball and use pace... or maybe turn the ball once and use pace...

I do think that as a striker he has enough skills to become a good striker...

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:35 pm**

maguskwt wrote:
lio wrote:Mich observation is also true:
...he never looks where the goal is. He seems to always be looking away when he slots it home which just proves that he has a strikers instinct.
Element of surprise here mate. Not only at goal, also when he make breakthrough passes as assits he never looked up.

slotting the ball into the goal without looking is a good thing... show's he has a striker's instinct...

but if he's passing without looking up all the time is not a good thing... as a playmaker you need to be playing with your head up... not head down... goes to show that he's not really a playmaker or doesn't have the ball control to play as a winger or a midfielder... midfielders need to be very comfortable on the ball, holding the ball and dribbling pass defenders etc like benyaoun and kewell... I'm afraid babel's skills are more of a striker's... push the ball and use pace... or maybe turn the ball once and use pace...

I do think that as a striker he has enough skills to become a good striker...

I agree with just about everything you've said, mate, but I have been impressed with Babel's dribbling on several occasions this season.

There were a few occasions (can't remember specific opponents but it was at Anfield early in the season on one of the occasions) where he was playing wide and had been closed down out on the touchline. I was sure we'd see him dispossessed or, at the very least, the defender nudging the ball into touch. But, he somehow managed to ride the challenge, get the ball past the man with some nifty footwork and hare off down the touchline unmarked.

What lets him down is his crossing from wide positions but he does have the dribbling skill to get out of tight situations.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:24 pm**

stmichael wrote:
Redman in wales wrote: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!!!

Agree.

Babels goals this season all seem to have a touch of class about them. I mean the dummy against Derby, the back heel against Besiktas and the brilliant rounding of the keeper last night. You can definitely see a Thierry Henry type quality in him.

To be fair you can see alot of Theirry Henry in the way Torres plays. Attacking from the left, gliding past defenders like there not there, and just opening himself up beautifully for the finish in the far corner.

But I think people seem to be thinking he is quicker then he actually is. He's fast, but not lightning. Quicker in the first 10 yards.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:48 pm**

yeh torres isnt exceptionally fast. but his accelaration is unbeliveable. and when ur around the box u only need that extra couple seconds to get the shot away.

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:40 am**

Babel is still a kid needs time to find his feet ..

Still a bit wobbly on the ball ...

Should get better .... cant wait:D

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:02 am**

mungi wrote:yeh torres isnt exceptionally fast. but his accelaration is unbeliveable. and when ur around the box u only need that extra couple seconds to get the shot away.

is this a joke?? wheres the camera?? wheres beadle??

torres is very fast his acceleration is as fast as ive ever seen on a football pitch but dont underestimate how quick he is over distance, ive seen goals where he has done defenders with his pace from the halfway line

as for babel i said a long time ago on here a torres babel partnership would be awesome and i still think that

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:02 am**

i suck dick

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:22 am**

mungi wrote:yeh torres isnt exceptionally fast. but his accelaration is unbeliveable. and when ur around the box u only need that extra couple seconds to get the shot away.

Mungi.....

do you watch any liverpool games...

torres isnt fast.......your a joke!

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