Liverpool FC Forum

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The campaign may be drawing to a close for the majority of the Liverpool team at Tottenham this weekend - but for Ryan Babel there's a huge motivation to ensure he stays on top of his game. 
While many of the players on duty at White Hart Lane will be planning their end of season holidays after Sunday's match, Babel and several of his teammates will be looking forward to a summer of international football at the European Championships.
 
Babel is almost certainly going to feature in Holland's plans for the competition as they look to qualify from the 'Group of Death' along with France and Italy, and so he has no intention of slipping into 'end of season' mode at the climax of the Premier League year.
 
"My season isn't finished after Sunday," he says. "I have to keep my form and fitness and so I'm really hoping to be involved and in the team.
 
"I'm looking forward to the summer and playing for my country but first we have a match to play with Liverpool and it's important we end the season with a win. We want to give the supporters something to cheer and give them a feeling of joy on the last day.
 
"We're disappointed not to have gone closer in the title race but I think we can learn from the mistakes we have made this season and make sure we don't repeat them next year."
 
Babel's form during his debut season on Merseyside has been one of many positives manager Rafa Benitez can look to when he analyses the campaign - but the Dutchman insists there's still much more to come.
 
"I definitely feel as though I've got better and I'm much happier with my form in the second half of the season than in the first part," he added.
 
"The season has gone really quickly but I am satisfied and it has been very enjoyable. There have been good moments and bad moments, happy times and sad times, but that's football.
 
"Next season I want to develop more, train even better, work even harder and look to improve more. I set myself a target of ten goals at the start of the season and I've reached that which is very pleasing.
 
"There is still much more to come from me though. I think I will be a lot more settled next year because it's normal that you have to get used to things in your first season. For example, I have only just moved into my new house so that's something I don't need to think about anymore. I can be completely settled next season and concentrate solely on football."
 

Thats what he thinks of his first season, what about Newkitt members ?

For me I like his style, I like what his game is about. His pace and directness to go at players and he does have a ferocious shot. I like watching attacking players 'Kewell in his pomp' but we havent had that kind of player at Liverpool for years now. So when I see a lad thats even remotley of this ilk, I wait in hope that he turns out to be a gem.

Whether or not he will be remains to be seen, his touch for me is much like his fellow countrymens ... Dirk Kuyt, pretty ordinairy, and that does let Babel down throughout the course of a game. Like all wide players its quite easy to play on the edge of a game and become a periphial figure during the course of it. I'd like to see a little bit more desire in him where this aspect of the game is concerned, to come and get the ball and show for it more.

I cant will him to be a player he is not, but IMO he has the basic fundamentals to be a really good player for us, and in his first season he has done pretty well overall, while being an enigmatic player for us.

I dont know what Rafa intends to do with him, keep him out wide or shuffle him around. With the current formation really Babels only options are to play either wide left or possibly right realistically. I dont know if Babel will kick on into next season, and IMHO Rafa should still be on the lookout for a seasoned/quality winger to slot straight into the first team, afterall its evident we're still short in quality wide men. But where would this leave Babel ? Probably making sub appearances in all honesty, this season when he's come on as sub hes made more of an impact on a game.

Also this season though he was thrown in at the deep end by Rafa, there wasnt a real bedding in period for the Dutchman. It was 'ere you go lad, do the job' which I'm all for especially if the player is good enough, its hard to tell with Babel at this stage, I think if anything hes more of a 'bit player' if we find someone more able.

But overall the lad has done pretty well in his first season and I hope he can improve on that next season too.

[NANNY RED]

My only critisism of Babel is he needs to toughen up, Hes a big strong lad but tends sometimes to shy out of tackles , if he get that side of his game correct and imo he has to if he wants to be a regular then the lad will be fine

[greenbyname_redbynature]

I think Babel has done well. Not consistant enough as of yet but the odd flash of brilliance has given me confidence in the lad. Eye for goal, always looking to move the play forward and has expressed pace which is one thing we've struggled with down the left wing for a while.

Improve his attitude and improve his bottle, we'll have a hell of a player on our books.

[account deleted by request]

I think he has done OK this season without having a great game to his name yet. He has scored some good goals and given glimpses of what he is capable of, but I still have my doubts. He certainly needs to toughen up as Nanny has already said, and start using his left foot occasionally if only to put a little doubt in the oppositions mind as to what he is going to do.

If I had to guess I would say he will be a decent player but not quite what we are looking for (Pongole) rather than the new Henry.

[Thingy]

Hes done well Babel. He will either stay like Garcia in a way, not playing style but showing flashes of Brilliance and other times be bad, or he will be a world beater. Im growing more confident itll be the latter. Attitude, Fitness and Consistency need to improve but im sure Rafa can sort it out. I remember him saying early season he had problems with his bird and that effected him. Seems very lonely and insecure to me. Hes not when he has a mic in front of him though, anyone seen him rap?

[Igor Zidane]

Babel £10-£12 million  and how many goals . I think he has had a good first season , but imo he's not a winger ,so the sooner he gets put up front the better for him .

If you compare what the mancs payed for Nani and anderson ,and the first season they have had it looks very positive for babel and lucas for that matter.

[red37]

Babel £10-£12 million  and how many goals . I think he has had a good first season , but imo he's not a winger ,so the sooner he gets put up front the better for him .

If you compare what the mancs payed for Nani and anderson ,and the first season they have had it looks very positive for babel and lucas for that matter.

I agree with Ig.

I said earlier in the piece when he arrived that, i reckon we will have a gem on our hands 2-3 years down the line and i've not changed my mind since. His most effective position for me, as others have said - surely is up front. In any case i like what he has brought to the attack. Another couple of seasons under his belt should allow for any creases to be ironed out and with confidence, there's no reason at all why the lad can't go on to great things.

[tubby]

I hope he has a good tournament. I think for 12Mil he maybe should be a bit more consistent but hes stil young. I wish Rafa would just play him up front though instead of in the left wing.

[maguskwt]

not too impressed and certainly not the next henry... a bit too one dimensional for me and runs the danger of being just used as a sub. But that's not the worst thing, the worst thing is that he doesn't seem to be focussed enough to put in a consisten performance. Fair enough, he's still young though so he's got the benefit of the doubt...

If he could step up and form a good partnership with torres up front enough to convince benitez then maybe he'll succeed...

[kazza]

I think Babel has had a very good "first season". He seems to be a big game player that keeps a cool head in front of goal and is technically good. One of the more skillfull players on the team. His work rate is not the best and his play has been inconsistant but I think he could be a star in the making. I would like to see him play as a second striker instead of winger.

[ivor_the_injun]

Hit and miss really. Clearly a skilful lad, but runs into trouble all too often, particularly in the league. At times I think he's too greedy, but then at other times he seems to lack the confidence to take his man on.

Certainly not a Gonzalez-style failure, but some way short of the standard Kewell set for the left side in his first season (if only he'd kept it up). That's the benchmark really - we want a constant threat from both wings, and we haven't yet got it.

Not convinced at all that he is the answer as a winger, but unless he explodes at the Euros as a striker, I don't know if Rafa fancies him up front just yet. It'll be interesting if both Crouch and Voronin leave to see who comes in.

[The Manhattan Project]

He's done well in his first season.

Remember he's still young and has a lot to learn.

But one I think who will improve with every season.

A good buy.

[parchpea]

I think the lad is an out and out forward player and needs a run there maybe pre season.

Right now its as if hes one of those footballers without a position you feel confident he can nail down.

Be interesting to se if he gets a run in Euro 2008 and where he plays and that could be a guide to how to make best use of Babel.

[mistyred]

Good player like his style can be whatever he want's it's there for all to see just needs to be consistent and put in his favoured position he is
wasted out on the flanks.

[Sabre]

At some point of the season I've given stick to Babel -- not much a la Sabre--, because I expected big things of this season, and he hasn't been the key man for the left wing I was expecting.

But that was a bit harsh, he had too much responsability over his shoulders for the first year, the ideal situation would have been having Kewell well and letting the newcomer grow in the team progresively.

But we gave yet another chance to Kewell, and yet again he failed to play regularly. That decission by the way was up to Rafa, and with hindsight, he was wrong. Rafa probably has felt like an idiot when Kewell has turned down an offer, so he already has his punnishment.

So once again, a young player like Gonzalez or Babel was given too much games too soon, in the first year in a foreign country. And despite Babel didn't collapse like the Chilean did, it certainly wasn't the best situation.

I agree Babel though, that he has much more to show. I think too that he'll improve, and that he has potential, and pace.

On the dark side I don't like some of his decissions sometimes, it seems as if he's not aware of what his team mates are doing sometimes. He has to learn to use his left foot more or he'll be predictable in the wing (in some of the last games he has improved a bit this tendency). I also rised a question mark when he said he's not ready for 90 mins due to the high rythm of this league.

So, as you see, some good things, and question marks. But it was the first season, not everybody can adapt like Torres, he wasn't supported by a more left wing experienced player, and this is after all a huge club with a lot of pressure. He has potential, and I hope he'll keep progressing.