The Curious Case of Ryan Babel: Who To Blame for His Failings at Livepool FC?

Ryan Guno Babel, at 23, is one of the most talked about players in Liverpool FC since his switch from Ajax in 2007. Every young player likes to be talked about around his club; however, the big difference is his has been for wrong reasons.  

Former Netherlands coach, Marco Van Basten, had criticized Rafa Benitez of ruining the starlet and said that the player had taken a step back after joining Liverpool FC for a £11.5 million fee. He said, “If you look at Ryan Babel, it is a mortal sin he now sits on the bench at Liverpool. He was playing well in Holland and for the Under-21s but now he has taken a step backward.”

Rafa Benitez is one of the top managers in the world but when you look at the stats for Babel’s spell at Liverpool and compare it with his previous achievements, one could not help but think his atrocious treatment towards the player has never helped him shine at Liverpool FC.

Pre-Liverpool Career Highlights

On February 1, 2004 he made his first team debut with Ajax at the age of 17. Although Ajax went on to win the Dutch League, he didn’t appear for nine months after that debut.

Remarkably, 2005 was the season for him to shine as a teenager and a young player. He had the dream start to the season by scoring the winner against PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Super Cup final. That season saw him help Ajax qualify for the group stages of Champions League when he scored in both the legs against Brondby.

He went on to score 8, 5, and 7 goals in 2004, 2005, and 2006 respectively for Ajax.

On the International stage, he became the youngest Dutch player to score in 68 years when he substituted Arjen Robben in an away game against Romania on 26 March, 2005.

What all of this means is one can expect him to do wonders at Liverpool following his arrival on 13 July, 2007. Anfield faithful were hopeful to see him grow into a world-class striker and witness him helping the club win much needed silverware.

The awful current situation is that he was treated as a doll to lure any other strikers to Anfield and used as bait for the swap deals.

After a summer of transfer speculation linking the Dutch forward with moves to clubs from across Europe, the 23-year-old is still sitting on the fringes of Liverpool’s first-team.

He was reportedly offered to West Ham United in a swap deal to help land Carlton Cole to Liverpool as a backup striker for the Spain superstar, Fernando Torres.

The Anfield supporters are divided for this enigmatic Ryan Babel. With many of the fans wanted a back-up striker for the hitman, Torres. However, a vast majority of the fans were disappointed when Babel was offered in swap deal to land Carlton Cole, who in my opinion is no better than the Dutchman himself.

A growing percentage of football fans would suggest as yet the former Ajax man would be right to feel he has not had a fair crack of the whip.

The pacey striker has all the much needed attributes to be a successful centre forward. The guy loves the club. He doesn’t want to leave the club for any other clubs in the world. Time and time again he has shown his patience and desire to play and do something for the cause of Liverpool FC.

“I am going nowhere, LFC all the way. YNWA,” was his tweet on the eleventh hour. He wants to play more for the club. Recently he has urged Roy Hodgson to let him play in his preferred position as a striker, not as a left winger.

If we look at the stats in which horrendous conditions he played under Benitez, one could agree to give him a season to shine, finally.

Out of an 82 appearances for the club in all competitions, he was subbed or on the bench in 84 percent of games. He was subbed in 66 oercebt of starts. Taking into account unused sub status in the squad 93 times subbed or on the bench in 90 percent games

I am very confident that if allowed and played consistently he could have been a very effective player for the club. In my opinion, Rafa has suffocated his career by showing no faith and giving an endless period of inactivities just like Robbie Keanem but Roy is having the final blow in what Rafa has started.

Liverpool is not playing Champions League football this season. They’re restricted to Europa League and that’s the place, at least, where Roy needs to use Babel effectively and do not let another talent go just like that. I am confident that if the situation continues then come next summer transfer window and we’d have lost the player! 

Liverpool fans often seem to censure Babel for his alleged lack of drive during his sporadic appearances, but how would you react when your manager has ruined your career, never given you a fair chance and made it abundantly clear that he has no faith in you?

Roy Hodgson has been running around desperately, and made a mockery of himself and the club, in an attempt to sign Cole on the dying moments of transfer window. Carlton Cole could represent an ideal improved version of Ngog, certainly he is no better than Ryan Babel.

Another argument one might have is the preferred playing position for Babel. He has been used mostly as a left winger but wants to play alongside Torres in attack. Right now, although, Milan Jovanovic has done everything to establish himself on the left wing position but yet to fully embark on that. 

It is not a secret the effect a “preferred playing position” has in a player’s performance and eventually the ability to lift the game on his own. Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Dirk Kuyt are other examples of it.

Roy’s tactical dilemma puts him in a situation where he cannot adjust Babel as a striker unless he deploys a 4-4-2 formation. Perhaps he could give Torres rest in domestic competitions and Europa League a few times.

Roy said “If we are going to have a long season in Europa League that’s going to add enormously to the numbers we play.” And for that reason, we need Ryan Babel. This is the exact situation why we need Babel and why he needs to be given a fair time to play instead of using him for last 10-12 minutes as a substitute and expect him to score a hat trick.

A new striker would not cost us less than 12 to 14 million pounds and by looking into the current books of Kop Holdings Ltd anyone could suggest that we could use the resources we have at our disposal for the time being until and unless they prove to be not working and in that case we could opt for a new one replacing the old one.

Roy Hodgson has been criticized by millions of Reds around the globe for his superfluous witty “man management” and formation skills until now. He seems to be baffled and annoyed with the players or their abilities or he is simply trying to solve the riddle of Liverpool players. Whatever it may be, it is clear that either he hasn’t figure out who is a CM and who is a wide player or he simply is a mediocre manager.

I am not suggesting Roy is a appalling manager, but his man management and building formations seem to be wrong in every game he has played till now.

A one of the toughest seasons of Premier League, lengthy spells of Europa League and included domestic cup ties will offer plenty of opportunities for him to play.

The worst situation could be him failing to discover the magic to turn talent into form this season. If that happens then Roy Hodgson will have no regrets for allowing a chance to the inconsistent Dutch forward. He could then let him leave the club after four dreadful seasons.

On the contrary, if he has been given a full season, which I hope is this one, he, could well be the integrated part of the team and flourish as a talented striker. If that happens, then come January 2011, we will not be in need for another striker.

He may yet prove to be the key role in getting us back to Champions League and to the final two of the Europa League come May 2011.