Dear Ryan, word has it you were on your way to London to sign for either West Ham or Tottenham on transfer deadline day. Did you ever get in that helicopter or was it just wild speculation that prompted Sky Sports News and several other media outlets to report that you were on your way out of Merseyside? It seems that in every recent transfer window your name has been on the “departure list”. How does this make you feel? Unloved, rejected, misunderstood, alone?
It has become a trend in the sporting world for its stars to tweet about their careers and problems, to let their fans know how they are feeling and to elicit empathy. Sometimes emotions run so high that players have to turn to the written word as a way out of their “crisis”. Just ask Kevin Pietersen. Liverpool fans have become accustomed to your online updates, some tire of them and some are indifferent. I hadn’t paid much attention to any of them until i saw the post “I’m going nowhere! #LFC all the way… #ynwa” just as the transfer window was closing.
The failure to secure a striker to support or even challenge Fernando Torres for a starting place prompted more criticism among Liverpool fans. It seemed the “big summer” that Tom Hicks had spoken about had failed to materialise as a fourth consecutive transfer window passed where Liverpool had made more money than they had spent. A debt-ridden club with aspirations of a return to the top again looked ill-equipped for the fight ahead. Despite not being a target or a necessity to Liverpool, Tottenham’s capture of Rafael van de Vaart was a painful reminder of the pull of the Champions League and the absence of it at Anfield this year. Liverpool needed a “name” but got no-one. Disillusionment reigned but the news you were staying gave me a glimmer of hope.
I say a glimmer because I, like many other fans, feel the jury is still out on you. However, If i were pleading your case to those 12 individuals I would say that football was more important to you than tweeting and rapping. I would tell them that you have never played more than 6 consecutive games in your 3 years at Liverpool; scant time for a footballer to get into his rhythm. I would remind them of your strike in Lyon and your 11 goal debut season. I would argue you that you have only played in your favourite position a handful of times and that you looked a natural when you scored against Trabzonspor.
I imagine communication with Rafael Benitez wasn’t that great and his insistence on playing David Ngog ahead of you when Torres was injured must have been very frustrating. So what can be done now? You are staying. A new manager and a new start is what you have got. So, on the premise that Roy Hodgson gives you your chance to shine, are you ready to show us what you can do? Can you finally shed your “great potential” tag? Liverpool Football Club needs all the help it can get at the moment so your assistance is needed.
Thanks. Glad you’re going nowhere
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We have the slowest wingers in the prem yet Roy the idiot Like Rafa the Blinkered Fool before him seems to think Kuyt and Janovic(In Rafa’s case Riera) are better.None of them can go past players and both of them are the main reason we don’t score enough goals.I hope Babel leaves and joins a club that can utilize his talents and proves to some of the so called “Most knowledgeable fans in the world” (Ha! That’s a f**king laugh)What a decent player he is.Marco Van Basten rated Babel highly and said that him moving to Liverpool would be a mistake and a step backwards.Think about this who’s opinion about Babel would you respect the most?A load of blinkered “Expert” fans or one of the greatest footballers we’ve seen who has watched Babel develop as a player before his move to our rotting club\team? Roy is Rafa the Negative MKII Babel will never get a chance under such an idiot like him.
My jury is most definitely not out, I was there for the Trabzonspor game, and I has delighted that Roy had the guts to sub this waste of space right after he had scored a goal, because the lazy sod had done stuff all for 44 minutes.
You may say it’s a lack of confidence, but when you are getting paid that much money to do a job, you should bloody well be trying your very hardest to do that job, even if you are not playing well.
Babel has only ever shown me, that he thinks he deserves it to be handed to him on a plate, and I have never seen him play as if his life depended on it.
He needs to be off loaded in January, he has had far too many chances, he does not deserve any more.
nobleox you any relation to yawn ? check up the starts Ryan has had since he came to us and how many times he actuly finished a game and how many times he has been a sub which is hard to come on and always make an impact you may be surprised fella and also watch when he is on the pitch and the subs board goes up his reaction he knows he is going to be subed you dont build your confidence up when that happens how ever much money he earns . you ever played football or are you one of these go to a match and your a football expert sounds like the latter to me
Emmet Fox – that is my sentiment exactly. Babel is held to a ridiculous standard where any good is ignored with all focus going onto any failings that he may have in a game.
Even though he is one of the few players capable of opening up a game for us from open play, he is the only one that gets castigated for trying to beat a man, while the rest of the drones that play it safe (and still make mistakes with misplaced passes, poor ball control, failed dribbles, wrong decisions etc) all get a relative free pass. Torres is a proven world class striker but he messes up on the ball just as often as Babel does, without the repurcussions. Kuyt is a goal-poacher who offers nothing going forwards if he doesn’t score one of his rebounds, but he is constantly complimented for his defensive efforts with his attacking contributions overlooked. He’s an attacking player at a supposed top club ffs!!
Just like Utd with Ronaldo, Arsenal with Henry, Chelsea with Malouda, Spurs with Lennon etc – none of which set the world alight immediately, but all of which were given plenty of time on the pitch to come good – we should be sticking with Babel and encouraging him to keep on playing his game, whether he has some bad games or not, until he does deliver on a regular basis on the talent that he clearly has.
Either that or continue to stick with the limited but ‘hard-working’ players that currently clutter our team, and play such uninspiring football 🙁
Well, Babel should get chances this year due to our small squad size. Let’s hope he improves because there is nothing we would like to see more than Babel fulfilling his potential. His physical attributes are excellent. I think he needs to improve his decision making and perhaps work on ball control and then we will see him knocking in the goals.
With that said though, I have been impressed with Ngog this season and also hope he gets plenty of games. Against Trab (2nd leg) he pulled off a nice bit of dribbling in the box to leave a few defenders scratching their heads. Didn’t score then but showed good composure. I think he is coming of age and some time bulking up and I think he could be top quality.
Any other opinions on our Ngog?
Ngog is a better prospect than Babel is younger smarter and just as athletic not quite as quick and is more skilled than Ryan is .
I do not rate Babel and do not know why they have kept him so long, he definitely is not the next Thierry Henry and should have been sold.
For all those who keep saying “He is not the next Thierry Henry”, I don’t necessarily disagree, but I would point out that when Arsene Wenger bought Henry, as a 23 yr old by the way, he only had about 20 goals in 150 matches. Babels got more top flight goals and apps under his belt. The facts they speak.. just listen.
Albey I think you’ll find I was sticking up for Babel so don’t compare me to the blinkered fool that is nobleox
Yawn i was having a go at you over what you implyed about liverpool fc and there supporters knowledge and about what you said about van basten he didnt even play Ryan that much when he f””ked up holland as manager and the reason i compared you with nobelox was your both negative about our club and supporters and want lfc players to leave the club
Nobody cares Ryan!!!!!