Ryan Babel: Time to Shine

For me Ryan Babel seems to be a complex player; one for me, I have never really understood or been able to fully judge his performances for the Reds. £10 Million striker come winger arrived in 2007 under Rafa from Ajax and has made around 130 appearances for the Reds with 21 goals. Not bad for someone consistently used as a sub.

There is no doubt the guy has talent. Three of the most famous men in football seem to agree. Van Basten has been quoted as saying Babel “has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry.” Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has said that Babel has the ability to terrorise defenders in the Premier League with his pace and trickery with the ball. Former player Alan Hansen called upon Babel to “play like he did against Lyon, as he still possesses the ability to be a ‘top player,’ in one of our famous European Nights. So as a fan to all the other Reds out there, am I missing something???? Why is this guy not a regular?

We have all seen the qualities he contains, explosive appearances, great performances one game, and to be honest lacklustre the next. Babel would be first to admit this himself. His performance against Northampton led to him posting on his Twitter Page “No excuses for last nite .. We weren’t good enough.. And I #failed personally .. Haven’t lost faith, so I keep working..” As a follow on from this, he has been dropped from the 23 man Dutch squad. It would be fair to say less talented players have played more than him. Is it due to a lazy attitude in Melwood? Who knows? It is fair to say Ryan has never been allowed to develop consistency into his game; I cannot remember the last time he played two games in a row.

For me the most frustrating thing in the world is seeing a person having masses of talent and not reaching their full potential; either from being blocked or not pushing themselves. I personally wish Roy would give him a run of games to prove his worth. I have friends who support other teams who really rate him. How long can you hold someone on the bench until their confidence is shot? I want to see him do well as I believe in him, I have not lost faith either Ryan. I think now is the time to show his worth and get a regular run in the team.  Leaving someone on the bench for months and then expecting a performance, even against a Northampton Town, players will struggle. What are everyone else’s thoughts?

YNWA