With Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson opting to keep both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard at home for Thursday’s Europa League encounter against Napoli, the Reds boss has called on the team’s fringe players to step up to the mark:
“It’ll be a chance for at least four or five players that haven’t played so much this year to show me that they should be in the team or that I should be taking them seriously.”
On many occasions, such as the disastrous defeat to Northampton Town in the Carling Cup as well as some other Europa League ties this season, these so-called fringe players have been asked to perform and have consistently failed to impress. When is the time we should begin to lose patience with them? Three players that especially come to mind are:
Ryan Babel – No surprises with this one, but the Dutch forward is fast running out of time if he wants to stay at Anfield. Once again it has become apparent that the manager just doesn’t fancy the player, as like Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson has rarely given the player a start. But can you blame the manager though? At the start of the season, Roy stated he would play him in his best position up front rather than on the wing. On the occasions that he has played up front, only once did he impress with a brief flash of inspiration with a first half injury time goal against Trabzonspor. Although he was taken off at half-time during that match to give Fernando Torres some much needed match practice, Babel should have been encouraged to push on, but against Northampton in the Carling Cup, he was one of many who just didn’t show up. Roy has given him until January to make an impression but with the way things are going, it looks certain he will be shipped out.
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STELLA ARTOIS WORLD DRAUGHT MASTERS
why do the fringe players only get a rare opportunity to shine, when dumped into a team with a bunch of reserves strewn across the pitch, whereas others get a chance to fail continuously while playing alongside Gerrard, Johnson, Torres et al. How is that giving everybody a fair crack of the whip??
Maxi is old and past it so shouldn’t really be playing at all for us, and Jovanovich is also old and hasn’t shown too much individual ability but he deserves more opportunity to play when the team is looking so crap. Babel definitely should be playing a lot more though, in the same starting line-ups with Torres – especially if we are going to continue with this negative counter-attacking approach to games; how on earth are you supposed to counter attack with no pace in the team?!
In the past I have been crying out for Babel to be given more chances, but was bitterly disappointed when he actually played. To me he doesn’t seem too determined to make things happen. I think we should sell him if he doesn’t manage to convince when playing and doesn’t do enough in training to convince the entire coaching staff that he should be played more often.
Maxi didn’t look the part last season and he doesn’t look it now. Must be a reason why Athletico let him go. He is a mere shadow of his former self. And he is no option in a squad that lacks pace as much as ours.
Jovanovic has been at the club for five minutes, so we should give him until the end of the season to prove his worth.
The fringe players should get more chances than Hodgson should. He needs to be gone before the end of next week before he does any more damage.
anteater – you’ve been bitterly disappointed when he’s played? Even during this dreadful opening to the season where the results have been terrible and the performances even worse, Babel has played roughly about 30 minutes with the first team! Is that the fair chance that Hodgson was talking about at the beginning of the season??
He’s then made a handful of sporadic appearances with the reserves – what kind of consistency are you really expecting from that kind of inconsistent playing time??
With Maxi’s age and obvious lack of ability on the other hand, I don’t see why he is still getting any game time at all. He is just taking away opportunities from younger players to get some much needed time on the pitch and offers us nothing either long term or short term
Jay, I have not started supporting Liverpool this season so I may well refer to the way Babel has performed in the season before, too.
30 minutes of first team action is not a fair chance, you are right on that one, but he has featured in seven games so far this season (four as a sub) and didn’t exactly pull up trees. Anyway, as I’ve said above, I’d give him until the end of this season.
In a team crying out for width we need to drop maxi who is obsessed with cutting inside where he achieves sweet fa, and push Johnson up to right midfield cause he clearly can’t defend to save himself. I,m not convinced wIth jova yet, though feel pacheco would be better in an attacking left position. Babel has had more than enough chances, and if Roy has the brass neck to critisise babel then woy should take a long look an a mirror then resign! He is clearly clueless and just sits on the bench watching a system that isn’t working, praying that it will suddenly start working. If it’s broken, fix it!
Jay wright I agree 100% with wot ur saying couldn’t have said it better myself
Anteater – ok, but he barely got any consistent runs in the team in previous years either, and the new manager came in with all this big talk about wiping the slate clean and asking the likes of Babel to prove themselves.
Instead, ALL of the fringe players are thrown together at once, thereby putting them at an immediate disadvantage in comparison to the likes of Kuyt, Maxi, Lucas etc, who under-perform whilst playing alongside our few top class players.
So Babel has featured in four games amongst the reserves, and played for about 30 minutes in cameo appearances with the “A Team” – barely worth judging him on that imo…
Tbh though, I’d be playing him regularly, but only giving him until Christmas to sign a new contract, or be looking to move him on to the highest bidder – him potentially moving on for a free would be more of a concern to me than any talk about his talent
hodgson on torres tonight – he has no idea of what liverpool are about, none at all, what is missing PASSION what are liverpool all about in a word PASHION.
BABEL AS LAWRENSON SAID, HAS A HEART THE SIZE OF A PEA. HE’S BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND HAD LOADS OF CHANCES, HE IS RUNNING HIS CONTRACT DOWN AND SHOULD BE MADE TO GO IN JANUARY.
Hodgson has asked for time and has said “judge me after 10 games” and then gives Babel 10 minutes here or there and the odd game in the “B” team to prove his worth. His confidence must be shot. Give him 10 consecutive games, preferably up alongside Torres or wide right with Jova left in a 4-4-2 and if he comes up short fair enough.
Sorry folks, but concerning Babel, well, either you have it in you or you don’t. He has pace, yes. What else, well, hard shot which can go anywhere. Bite? No. Determination? No. Vision? No.
I don’t see him train, but our coaching staff do. Rafa didn’t seem to have much faith in him and Sammy Lee said the other day that he has to do it (performing) on a regular basis and in training too. This is as much of an indication that he doesn’t even cut it in training as you get.
To me it seems that Babel has additionally to the heart the size of a pea (as mentioned above) the brain the size of a pea. Doesn’t help, does it.
Re: give him 10 consecutive games […] alongside Torres.
Babel has never shown that he is a striker. His record in the Netherlands, where Kuyt was scoring freely, doesn’t indicate at Babel being a striker either.
It’s really sad that this one obviously doesn’t come of, 11.5m wasted.
Babel has not played a whole 90 mins in his preffered position under hodson and he is judged. All i know is dat a dead babel is better than a living joe cole on dat left wing. Loose babel to another premier league team with good manager n u’ll blame yourself. You only need to take huntelaar as example.
U say Milan , Babel are under performing…… If u ask me i dont think so , Woy played Milan Jovanovic for the first three games and the player showed a bit of hard working nature as shown by kuyt . Thn Woy drops him on to th subs. If u ask me he has done al he can . Same in case of babel , has he started any league games yet no. Woy has nt give ths guy a try so tht he cld shine. If u ask me the fringe player’s in our team in the recent matches are Torres, Cole, Johnson, Poulsen, Paul …. Throw thm back 2 th subs. Torres is a world class striker bt nt right nw. Give ngog a chance let Torres earn his place in the starting line up. Ngog has proved he can score goals ,our top goal getter of th season so far yet on the subs list y bcoz , We give Torres big bucks and never wanna lose him.
“yes,i’m being successful….i came here 2 win trophies so i’m goin 2 championship 2 dominate…..now remaining hard works r to sell gerrard,kuyt,torres and reina” why on earth the fans in UK force the club 2 sack me?
Give them a run of games and judge them…
Maxi and Jova may need to be shipped out.. Never buy a player where his existing club does not wants him… it is a sign that he is no good…
Babel need more game… and give pacheco more games…
Alternatively shipped Hodsgon out…