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Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:08 pmby LFC2007
I can tell you, watch:
IT DOES NOT WORRY ME IN THE SLIGHTEST.
See
I don't think the "vast majority" of Liverpool fans have been hailing him as the new Henry, they've been hailing him as a quality young player.
I've seen him about 5 or 6 times in the Eredivisie, as well as the UCL, I also saw him play in the Euro's this summer. He looks quality.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:09 pmby tubby
Well I do hope for the teams sake that he turns out to be a good buy.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:13 pmby dawson99
ive never mentioned henry either, all im saying is that with the hype surrounding torres, i think babel is gonna be the surprise buy from what ive seen of him and how i think he'll work in the team
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:17 pmby cuppatea
Well it certainly worries me to see him take a verbal drubbing from his own fans, especially considering Zenden was the best we had to offer on the left last season and we're in dire need of a quality winger (Kewell can't be relied upon, either for form or fitness).
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:20 pmby LFC2007
I don't think he did take a verbal drubbing, most Ajax fans who came on this forum just thought we had overpaid slightly. It's the money, £11.5m to them is like Abramovich turning up.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:02 pmby JC_81
It's a reasonable question - whose signings will make the most impact - ours or United's? Considering both teams are bringing in predominantly players who have never played in the Premiership, it's really anyone's guess, as there's no sure way of predicting who'll adapt and if so, how quickly.
I would have to say that our signings probably have more chance to make the bigger impact. Our major weakness last year was breaking teams down and scoring goals. We've signed 4 attacking players. Guessing that maybe two of those signings will be hits and 2 misses, we'll still improve in an attacking sense.
Last year United had 2 main strengths imo. Their attacking football was the best around and they didn't mess around too much with team selection. Add in 3 more attacking players (assuming Tevez deal goes through), plus Hargreaves, and I think Fergie will be too tempted to muck around with team selection. The young lads he's brought in from Portugal could be absolute stars in the making, but in the short term it might weaken them having to blood those players. I think Scholes and Giggs have one more good season in them, so Fergie needs to get these new lads bedded in for the season after, when they'll probably be relied upon.
Overall I think we'll improve on last season. I can't see United getting quite as many points as they did last season.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:12 pmby cuppatea
Well here's a few comments I've read on an Ajax fan forum:
"Absolutely great deal for Ajax if you ask me.
I mean, Babel has potential, but is nowhere near Ibrahimovic (who we sold for 16 ml euros). Ofcourse these players can't be compared, but still the sum Liverpool is about to pay is just crazy for a player who very possibly won't be playing nearly every match coming season.
He is fast and quite strong, but his technique is just very poor, he's not able to give a decent cross and every action he makes is just really predictable."
"Correct me if i'm wrong but do you guys not prefer R. Quaresma above Babel for that kind of money? I readed things about that..
About Liverpool & Babel,
I don't think he is the player that you want at this time, as you said you're looking for a winger. Babel is fast and gives a lot of threat but further it's not a real winger, not a superb actionmove and no good cross."
"Best deal AJAX ever made: worthless player gone for 11 miljoen pounds... 
"
"In Holland, all jaws fell open when we heard Liverpool was prepared to pay 17 mil (euros) for him. When you simply look at the statistics, there are two things that are remarkable:
1. In terms of goals, he's one of the worst wingers/strikers in the history of Ajax. (14 gls in 73 dutch premiership matches)
2. In terms of assists, he's one of the worst wingers/strikers in the history of Ajax. (7 asts in 73 dutch premiership matches)
In my opinion, the sale of Babel will benefit Ajax in two ways: it will give the club a shocker of a transfer budget, and it will give room to a winger/striker who actually can score and create goals. As a Feyenoord fan, me no liky.
I have to admit, he is tall and he is quick. He's got plenty of phenomenal moves and he will get the crowd on its feet every now and then. He's one of those players who can show some magic on the pitch. But when it comes to "return on investment", his yield is disappointing. Babel simply doesn't know his own strengths and weaknesses which causes him to make a lot of wrong choices on the pitch. Before last summer's U21 European Championships, he told friend and foe he wanted to become the tournaments topscorer. He was lucky to score one goal... from the spot."
(in reply to the guy above) "I agree with most of your story, although I can't believe you really think Babel has "plenty of phenomenal moves". He hardly has one! And that one (he hardly masters) he uses over and over again. His only strength to get passed his man is using his pace and body."
Although to be fair, from the above forum it's a fairly even split between those who think he's a bit 
and those who think he can go on and become a good player for us.
Here's one from youtube:
"Let me tell you as a true Ajax-fan. Liverpool is getting fu***d up the . You have to much money in UK! Babel really is worthless!!! He only has pace and strength! He is NOT a winger, no heading, first touch and oversight of the game. And most important he is INEFFICIENT!! Just look at his goals and assist stats. We will wrap him in gift paper and polish him before we kick him on the boat to the UK if you pay 17,5 euro's!! :-)"
Also like I said, if you run a Dutch Ajax forum through an online translator, their fans seemed desperate to sell Babel, and equally desperate to keep hold of the likes of Sneijder and Huntelaar - and this is Ajax fans talking amongst themselves, in their own language, not for the benefit of Liverpool fans hoping to hear how good he is. I just think that what we need now is a top quality left winger who can come in and do a job from the word go, and I'm not sure a young lad many Ajax fans were happy to get shut of is the answer (particularly since he doesn't even see himself as a winger).
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:24 pmby LFC2007
From the same Dutch Ajax forum:
1) "He's a pretty good striker but definetely needs to work on his technique. Still he's one of the greatest Dutch talents though of his generation. In the end he could be worth any single penny if he gets brought well by Rafa."
2) "Oh Yea....haha...Ofcourse i hope he stay for 1 more year longer. But for 20 mil euro you guys can have him.
He is a great player.
and also here they talk much about it."
3) "Well, he originally came out of our youth system as a central forward, but because of Huntelaar he has played as left forward this season. You should't expect pinpoint crosses from him, but he can pass a man and he is really fast and athletic so he can be of worth as a winger"
4)"Im sure Babel will be worth all of it, if he gets all the support he needs. And its a good thing that Kuyt is there. So he can show em arround a bit."
...................................................
And your quote about Babel/Quarsema, here's the rest of it:
"You can compare Babel the best with Henry, only got Babel a lot to learn but he's twenty so he has the time to grow!(at Ajax we give him that) Summary, he got the potential for a worldclass attacker(like henry) but at this moment he is not more than a good talent"
IT'S FUNNY HOW YOU MISS OUT THE POSITIVE COMMENTS IN EXACTLY THE SAME POSTS.
To sum up, what you say is utter tripe, you have taken the quotes out of context and not accounted for the many positive comments by Ajax fans.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:38 pmby dawson99
plus, they are hardly likely to be over the moon about the transfer, they are bitter, and so they should be
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:41 pmby cuppatea
I said it was an even split between good and bad comments on that forum...
I still don't think a few positive comments glosses over the fact that many of them appear to think he's useless, , especially when even the good comments contain a "but" ("pretty good striker BUT needs to work on his technique", "great player BUT for 20 mil euros you can have him").
And like I said, that's for the benefit of a Liverpool fan asking about the player, go check http://www.ajaxforum.nl (using an online translator, unless you speak Dutch) and have a look at the Ajax fans talking amongst themselves (even before the deal was done). They're not exactly distraught at the idea of losing him are they? Read through that forum and tell me Ajax fans valued Babel in the same way they do Huntelaar or Sneijder.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:42 pmby dawson99
20 million euros to a dutch team is a f*ck load of money tho.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:04 pmby LFC2007
cuppatea wrote:I said it was an even split between good and bad comments on that forum...
You implied that there was a CLEAR consensus against Babel, hence why you wrote:
"but you can't tell me it doesn't worry you when the majority of Dutch football fans (who've seen him week in, week out) think we're getting mugged."
One forum does not represent the whole of Ajax, and there were plenty of comments offering him praise. That "but" that you talk about is nothing out of the ordinary, you can put a "but" over any player his age. The same applies to Nani and Anderson.
I don't think they would be too distraught at losing him, they are getting a more than healthy sum in return. There is an inevitability about Ajax's young players anyway, the quality ones will always seek to progress in a European League other than the Eredivisie. I think that has a part to play too.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:08 pmby redtrader74
The money paid for Babel is a side issue, he needs to play well and score goals for us, that is the reason he was bought, do that and the price is an irrelevance. I'm sure Juve fans were having a laugh when Wenger paid £10-11m for their waste of space Henry. The price we paid was probably what Ajax wanted or wouldn't bother selling, i guess they gambled that sooner or later someone else would come in with the same money or more if he had a good season.
Posted:
Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:17 pmby Bad Bob
Hope springs eternal for me, I must say. Chelsea looked like they'd strengthened significantly last year and would never be caught and look what happened to them. If the Mancs have a slow start or hit a real rough patch, the opportunity might well be there for us. Of course, we can't focus on what they're doing because we need to beat the teams in front of us every week. If we play the kind of football we've shown we're capable of and take it one game at a time (that old cliche), we'll be there or there abouts this season--no matter what the Mancs accomplish.
