Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

Rafa has done it before, I think he will cut his loses in the Summer and Babel will be shipped out.

Money where your mouth is Boggles, €50 says that doesnt happen. Deal?

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

Money where your mouth is Boggles, €50 says that doesnt happen. Deal?

Told you before money is messy.

Sigs are up for grabs thou.

kida

Mr Alan wrote: »

Little hasty to say Owen syndrome again tbh. He wasnt really injured at all last year.

maybe but 2 hamstring injuries within a few weeks may get into his head. by alla ccounts he seems to be deeply upset by injuries to him

Racing Flat

shotamoose wrote: »

Somebody please reassure me that these recurring Torres hamstring injuries are not that abnormal and not the start of a Michael Owen-like loss of speed and power.

More like a chronic case of second season syndrome I'd say. Kuyt got over his though...

In the worst case scenario that it is chronic recurring hamstring injuries, hopefully it goes the Ryan Giggs route rather than the Owen route.

rosboy

Liverpool extremely concerned over Torres injury repeat

Liverpool FC fear that Fernando Torres has suffered a repeat of the hamstring injury that sidelined him for 7 games earlier this season. Medical staff at the club are extremely concerned that Torres suffered a small tear in his muscle in the final minutes of the match after completing the full 90-minutes against Marseille last night.

The full extent of the injury is unknown and more details will emerge once the player completes a series of tests on the injury at 5pm this evening (Thursday), but the concern is that there is a micro-tear in the player's right hamstring.

Torres is personally very upset and anxious, cancelling all of his pre-arranged media commitments and interviews scheduled for tomorrow, while Rafa Benitez is extremely worried that he could once again face a lengthy spell without his star striker.

http://guillembalague.com/rumores_desp.php?id=115&titulo=Liverpool%20extremely%20concerned%20over%20Torres%20injury%20repeat

Tusky

Very very worrying. Hopefully this doesnt turn into a long term reoccurring injury. It give our title chances a massive knock back as Keane is hardly in free scoring form. I say give Babel a few games up front with Gerrard behind him.

Malice

~Rebel~ wrote: »

The only bit of pace there is El Zhar though, who isn't lightning either. Hate playing 2 slow players up top, too easy for the defence to handle. I like 1 fast and 1 more technical so the defence has to stay closer to goal to stop the exposed space being opened up, this allows a player like Keane to do what he's best at, with the faster player free to make diagonal runs knowing he can beat his man for pace. So for me, it has to be Keane and Babel up top, Riera left and Kuyt right.

That's a fair point. Have Keane and Babel ever played together up front? I know they have been on the pitch together but that has been with Babel on the left as far as I know

Karmafaerie

Boggles wrote: »

Told you before money is messy.

Sigs are up for grabs thou.

Not really Boggles, as the sig you have with Alan there, is one that you took against his wishes and repeatedly refused to take down after he asked you a few times.

As for Babel.

I'll take any bet you wish on the matter.
Money/sigs/First born son;)

He will be a success at Liverpool.

PHB

Keane and Babel is an interesting idea, personally I think Gerrard and Babel might work better.

Mr Alan

Thierry Henry believes Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title.

He says this in his second exclusive interview with the official site.

I would take him in a heartbeat if available.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldow ... 8-0844.htm

witnessmenow

Here is the link for the Henry interview

Mr Alan

Thierry Henry believes Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title.

He says this in his second exclusive interview with the official site.

I would take him in a heartbeat if available.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N162292081128-0844.htm

Gelio

Mr Alan wrote: »

Thierry Henry believes Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title.

He says this in his second exclusive interview with the official site.

I would take him in a heartbeat if available.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldow ... 8-0844.htm

Link not working for me . . .
Sounds interesting

Boom_Bap

Mr Alan wrote: »

Thierry Henry believes Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title.

He says this in his second exclusive interview with the official site.

I would take him in a heartbeat if available.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldow ... 8-0844.htm

There where rumours at the end of last season that he was coming our way and he offered lots of praise to Liverpool. I would say that he would come in a heartbeat too, just all that mess of contracts, clubs and money getting in the way

_blank_

Why the hell is Henry doing interviews with the Liverpool website?

Starnge, imo.

Gelio

Oh, got it.
Never realised Henry and Gerrard were friends.
I wonder if the good results will continue.

Karmafaerie

Des wrote: »

Why the hell is Henry doing interviews with the Liverpool website?

Starnge, imo.

He's a Liverpool fan.
He couldn't really do anything for the club while with Arsenal, but now that He's in another league, why not?

He's constantly praised the club, and is a good friend with Gerrard.
He's a well respected footballer, so why not interview him for Liverpool?

L'prof

Karmafaerie wrote: »

He's a Liverpool fan.
He couldn't really do anything for the club while with Arsenal, but now that He's in another league, why not?

He's constantly praised the club, and is a good friend with Gerrard.
He's a well respected footballer, so why not interview him for Liverpool?

I wouldn't go that far!

See here.

Bounty Hunter

Torres being out again sucks but this surely has to be the time for Liverpool to prove their credentials as title contenders. They did great without Torres thus far and during that time have already played the top 5 teams (thus should now have a run of relativley speaking easyier games) and all while Keane hasnt been banging them in as expected.

colly10

Anyone know if the hamstring is one of those possible recurring injuries that can happen for your career. Torres is getting way too many of them, its starting to get worrying

Boom_Bap

colly10 wrote: »

Anyone know if the hamstring is one of those possible recurring injuries that can happen for your career. Torres is getting way too many of them, its starting to get worrying

Mickey Owen suffered from it, still does.

Jazzy

tis a bit odd that he'd give an interview to the lfc website

a funny quote was this -
"I love Arsenal. The way they play football is a pleasure to see. Liverpool do what they do and they've been joint top for a long time now."

'do what they do' bit of a jibe imo. sure we arent pretty thierry but we are 10 points ahead of the playschool :pac:

L'prof

Jazzy wrote: »

tis a bit odd that he'd give an interview to the lfc website

a funny quote was this -
"I love Arsenal. The way they play football is a pleasure to see. Liverpool do what they do and they've been joint top for a long time now."

'do what they do' bit of a jibe imo. sure we arent pretty thierry but we are 10 points ahead of the playschool :pac:

No need to be so smug, now and May are a long way apart!

herbieflowers

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

Torres being out again sucks but this surely has to be the time for Liverpool to prove their credentials as title contenders. They did great without Torres thus far and during that time have already played the top 5 teams (thus should now have a run of relativley speaking easyier games) and all while Keane hasnt been banging them in as expected.

You're bang on. It's been a great run for Liverpool, all without Torres for the last five weeks (I'm sure every time he scores they win). And the thing is, they haven't played brilliantly for all that period, they're becoming adept at playing badly and winning.

Jazzy

jasonorr wrote: »

No need to be so smug, now and May are a long way apart!

so you are saying they could be out of playschool by then and started in junior infants?

L'prof

Jazzy wrote: »

so you are saying they could be out of playschool by then and started in junior infants?

Yep, that's it...:rolleyes:

kingshankly

was in anfield last saturday and witnesed the worst atmosphere I can recall in 20 years going to matches . This has been a worrying trend lately even champion league games have been poor .
But in recent league games all you can hear is the away fans especially playing weaker teams (playing the top teams and everton the atmosphere is good)
I think there is a certain onus on the crowd to get behind the team but recently if the first goal is slow in coming the crowd start getting restless with every poor pass and the booing has to stop last week when alonso came on for mascherano the crowd booed because Lucas stayed on even though mash was having a mare
If were going to reach the holy Grail in may we need to turn anfield into a fortress again with the crowd in full voice and getting behind every man in a red shirt

Jazzy

jasonorr wrote: »

Yep, that's it...:rolleyes:

every little victory

mormank

Boggles wrote: »

Time has ran out on the Babel and Ronaldo comparision, I'm no fan of Babel and don't rate him above a decent average forward player, always thought it was an unfair comparison anyways.

Babel is 22 next week and for alot of people on here is going backwards.



53 Apps 23 Goals, PL Medal.

I suppose in some peoples eyes Ronaldo is still a waster. :pac:

To be fair to Babel he has had limited appearences from the Bench this season but infact it is nearly identical to last season, peoples opinion of Babel became clouded because he came into a bit of form the last few months of last season, for most the season he was terrible.

I can only see him going backwards because at this moment in time when he comes on he looks uninterested and with Kuyt playing out of his skin and Reira looking a solid purchase, he simply won't get back in the team.

Rafa has done it before, I think he will cut his loses in the Summer and Babel will be shipped out.

well i challenge you to find a single quote of mine where i say ronaldo isnt a great player. even when he was 18-20 i used to watch a full utd game if he was playin, absolutely class to watch and im an avid pool fan.

i meant the season before he exploded then, that most ppl still thought he was a waster, i include giggs and V. Nistlerooy in that, if the media or touchline reactions are to be believed.

i want comparing him to ronaldo as such, just saying to give the lad some time cos it took ronnie 3 seasons to really get into the swing of things...even if his debut against bolton was one of the best debuts ever!!

Tusky

Originally Posted by Boggles
Time has ran out on the Babel and Ronaldo comparision, I'm no fan of Babel and don't rate him above a decent average forward player, always thought it was an unfair comparison anyways.

Babel is 22 next week and for alot of people on here is going backwards.



53 Apps 23 Goals, PL Medal.

I suppose in some peoples eyes Ronaldo is still a waster.

To be fair to Babel he has had limited appearences from the Bench this season but infact it is nearly identical to last season, peoples opinion of Babel became clouded because he came into a bit of form the last few months of last season, for most the season he was terrible.

I can only see him going backwards because at this moment in time when he comes on he looks uninterested and with Kuyt playing out of his skin and Reira looking a solid purchase, he simply won't get back in the team.

Rafa has done it before, I think he will cut his loses in the Summer and Babel will be shipped out.

What a load of nonsense...not in regards to Babel v Ronaldo, that was never even an argument in my eyes (Ronaldo is miles better) but in regards to the rest of it. Babel hasnt had a single league start this season. I think he has played something like 260 minutes in total...less than 3 full games. Of course he has been awful, he hasnt had a chance to play regularly. He will play 15 minutes of one game and then wont play any part in the next.

I think what Benitez has done has been very wrong. Its the same thing he did with Crouch. Just as Crouch/Babel started to come good, he stopped playing them. I think Riera has been a great signing, but has he been good enough to completely play Babel out of the team ? I dont think so. Hes only been involved in one goal since hes been here...I actually think Babel would have scored/created more if he had played the minutes Riera has.

Even last season when Babel was playing really well, he never started 4 or 5 games on the trot as Riera has this season.

Boggles

Tusky wrote: »

What a load of nonsense...

An odd way to start your reply considering you basically echo my post completely :eek:

Rafa doesn't seem to like out and out attacking wide men, in fact what Rafa doesn't like he normally gets rid of, that was the point.

As for you saying well if Babel had started he would have scored more or if starts he will create more is guessing, he is not starting and probably won't start because there is better players ahead of him.

raven136

Boggles wrote: »

An odd way to start your reply considering you basically echo my post completely :eek:

Rafa doesn't seem to like out and out attacking wide men, in fact what Rafa doesn't like he normally gets rid of, that was the point.
.

Whats Riera?and how many games has he started this season?

Boggles

raven136 wrote: »

Whats Riera?and how many games has he started this season?

Traditional winger.

herbieflowers

tbf I don't think his best position is out wide, I'd prefer to see him up front.

Boggles

herbieflowers wrote: »

tbf I don't think his best position is out wide, I'd prefer to see him up front.

His best position is out wide as part of a front 3.

herbieflowers

don't agree. seen him a few times play as a striker or off the striker and he looked much more comfortable

Boggles

herbieflowers wrote: »

don't agree. seen him a few times play as a striker or off the striker and he looked much more comfortable

For Ajax is played the majority of his games as part of a front 3.

Which games have you seen him play as a striker or a support striker?

herbieflowers

hmm, I thought he was bought as a striker? Anyway, there were a couple of Pool games where he played up front, and a few of Holland games over the years. Yeah, vague I know.

~Rebel~

whatever about left wing with riera doing great stuff, but babel is the natural replacement for torres. Would suit both him and keane really. Keane needs a partner, and babel has the perfect attributes, tall and fast, and needs game time

Boggles

~Rebel~ wrote: »

babel has the perfect attributes, tall and fast, and needs game time

Tall, fast, and strong are actually the attributes of a winger these days.

Babels touch is far too poor to play alongside Keane IMO.

mike65

Played his first game November 29 1998, against Blackburn Rovers. 10 mins sub for 'Vegan Hamandeggem'.

Mike

~Rebel~

babel when played up top against chelsea did everything a tall frontman should, so we know he has it in his bag.

But the bottom line really is keane needs a partner to get anything near his best out him, ideally someone who makes up for keane's flaws, someone fast and who can win headers etc. Our choices with torres out are pretty much babel or ngog.

Alternatively we can just have keane up top on his own again, and have him be largely ineffective again.

rossie1977

mike65 wrote: »

Played his first game November 29 1998, against Blackburn Rovers. 10 mins sub for 'Vegan Hamandeggem'.

Mike

was at that game, nearly sure he entered the field of play without a name or number on his back

Karmafaerie

jasonorr wrote: »

I wouldn't go that far!

See here.

Came out wrong, simple meant he's always liked the club, not that he was a supporter in the clasical sense.
Bad choice of words.

Karmafaerie

Seeing as some have missed/forgotten.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is delighted with Ryan Babel’s progress and believes the Dutch international is getting ready for striking role.

The 21-year-old, who joined the Reds last summer, has mostly been employed in wide position and as a perfect impact player off the bench so as to exploit his speed and energy to hurt the tiring opponents.

However, Benitez has now revealed that with specialist winger Albert Riera, Spain international, signed in September, Babel is being conceived as a striker.

“When we signed Albert Riera, we thought of Babel more as a striker,” he told the club’s official website.

“Ryan is still a young player.

“Some Dutch players come to England for only one or two years – in this case, this is his second year and he was injured at the start coming back from the Olympic Games, but he is giving us something more.”

Hailing Babel’s substitute performance in the 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the Spanish tactician added: “I was really pleased with him the other day at Chelsea. I think that was the perfect game for him.

“At that time, we needed pace and power and ability so we could cope with the two centre backs – he could beat them.

“It was perfect and really good for him.”

Rafa has already said that With the purchase of Riera, the plan was to shift Babel more centraly.
He's not really competing with Riera on a positional basis.

To be honest, I believe the injuries to Torres have hindered Babels chances.
With our biggest scoring threat missing, my guess would be that Rafa has had to curtail Ryan's chances.
With no Nando, Rafa has to make sure he picks more established players, and can't afford to take the chance.
Also, with Robbies wobbly start, Rafa has to take into consideration the effect playing Ryan would have.
The last thing Robbie needs are "Oh My Good God, £20,000,000 Flop Keane Dropped For Ever By Rotating Rafa (Who Has Also Been Found Guilty For Smallpox)" headlines in every paper.

There also has to be a small bit of "if it aignt broke" syndrome going on.
If Rafa brings Ryan in central (or even out wide), and we start loosing, the media, and "fans", will pounce on both instantly.

There are a hell of a lot more issues than just who Rafa wants to pick if we're honest.

Karmafaerie

And for those who missed it, here's the full article in question.
Great read, well presented.
Babel doesn't really show that much frustration IMO, simply states how he feels to the questions he's asked.
He has a lo of pressure on his shoulders, and he wants to prove he's worthy of that.
This wasn't some shady, player going to a newspaper to try and influence his managers selection, affair.
This is a player who wants desperately to succeed, saying the exact thing that he's said to everyone since he came.
He wants to succeed, cause he believes he's good enough.
Anyone who's read Carra's book, can verify that Jamie had, and still has, the exact same attitude to his game time and positioning.

Some of the second hand printing of the story, portrayed it in a slightly different light as usual.
But Babel just reiterated that it can be frustrating not playing, and that he see's himself as a striker.
Nothing pushy, demanding, or disrespectful.
In fact, I thought it showed him in a great light.
He said that he wanted to play regularly in the center, that it could be frustrating that he wasn't, but that he was going to prove himself worthy with hard work, and that he blamed himself for not working hard enough, and not others for not picking him.

Good attitude for a 21 year old.

With a little help from above, Babel aspires to central casting

Liverpool's thoughtful Dutch forward says he is in a hurry to succeed - and in his favourite role


A biting November's day on Merseyside. A kettle is boiling in the background and the windows are beginning to steam up as Ryan Babel takes his seat and offers a polite handshake. First impressions? That he seems remarkably unassuming for a star footballer at one of Europe's bigger clubs. But then there is the story of him berating a team-mate - "where's your touch?" - in one of his first training sessions at Liverpool so maybe there is more to him than meets the eye.

He is an intriguing character. Babel is 22 next month, but you could easily think he was younger. He has a boyish, slightly buck-toothed smile and you want to put an arm round him when he explains how, before moving to Liverpool, he had never lived away from his parents and how, 16 months in, he is still trying to find a church where he feels totally comfortable. Babel often carries a copy of the Bible and has a routine before every match where he finds a quiet spot for his prayers.

But Babel is streetwise. He had to be to survive in the Bijlmermeer, the unloved district of Amsterdam where he was brought up. Just click online and watch the videos of him rapping. Babel has a studio at home and has put out a number of records under the name Rio, including one collaboration with his Holland international team-mate Royston Drenthe. His lyrics could make Eminem blush - sample: "you can see this nigga with number 19/I can't even spend all my money/keep your daughter inside or you will be my family" - but the Dutch seem to like it. "The last one was called Eeyeeyo and went to number one in Holland over the summer," he says. "Music has always been an important part of my life."

The Biljmermeer, or colloquially Bijlmer, is a cluster of tower blocks close to the Amsterdam Arena and home to many of the city's 70,000 immigrants from the former Dutch colony of Surinam. "I don't want to use the word 'ghetto' but that is one way people describe it," says Babel. "I was lucky. My parents were very strict and had rules for me and, if ever I was playing outside, I always had a set time to come back in. But the Bijlmer had a lot of problems and I had other friends who chose the wrong road. There were a lot of drugs and crime and when you get into that scene it can be difficult to get back out."

This was also the place where El Al flight 1862, on the way from New York to Tel Aviv and having refuelled at Schiphol airport, crashed in 1992. "The plane came over our flat [he uses his hand to show how close it was] before crashing into the next high block. It could easily have been us." Thirty-nine people from his neighbourhood were killed, along with the three crew members on the plane and the only other person on board, a non-paying passenger. "It's a horrible memory. I was very young at the time [two months short of his sixth birthday] but I can still remember it. There was this almighty bang and when we ran out we could see all the flames and smoke. We were so close to it we had to leave our flat because it was not safe and we ended up at my grandma's. Then, when we were allowed to go back, I can just remember this terrible scene of complete devastation. It was like something out of a film."

His upbringing makes him more interested in real life than celebrity life. Babel is not just an accomplished footballer for Liverpool but a fine ambassador. He has been involved in an anti-racism workshop run by the Anthony Walker Foundation and this week devoted himself to another of the Premier League's Creating Chances events, at the launch of Liverpool's Respect 4 All centre. The project, funded in part by the Premier League Professional Footballers' Association, is for 12- to 16-year-olds with different types of disabilities.

Babel moved easily among the children, starting off with a game of wheelchair basketball before a target-practice routine with visually impaired children and a penalty shoot-out with youngsters with severe learning difficulties. Two hours of what would ordinarily be post-training rest time had elapsed by the time he had finished, but he was happy. "It's always a good feeling if you can make these kids happy. Not everyone has the life they expect but I still think they can make the best of it and, with this kind of centre, we want to help to inspire them."

Babel has sporting genes. His father, Guno, is a basketball coach. His mother, Asta, was an accomplished athlete and his sister, Janice, almost made it to the Olympics as a 100m and 200m sprinter. As fast as her brother? "Close," he smiles.

His own athleticism was first spotted by Ajax when he was 11, although it was not a straightforward process. "They used to have selection days for all the local kids and I went to these trials three times and got turned down every time," he recalls. "On the third time I was so upset because I thought I was not good enough. I was eight years old and I had the feeling, 'That's it, I don't want to play for Ajax any more!' But I kept doing well at my amateur club and, in the end, Ajax came to me."

No community on the planet, per capita, produces more top footballers than Surinam. In their day, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert - all of Surinamese heritage - could all fit in a world XI. Babel is seen as the latest in a long distinguished line. He made his debut for Ajax shortly after his 17th birthday and, at 18, became Holland's youngest international goalscorer since the 1930s.

He cost Liverpool £11.5m and, in his first season, won their young player of the season award. Yet there are glimpses of frustration. Babel made 20 of his 48 appearances last season from the bench and, since the start of this one, has found himself on the edges even more. Of his 14 appearances, 10 have been as a substitute, making it difficult for him to fulfil the great Marco van Basten's prophecy that he could be "the next Thierry Henry".

"I'm satisfied with my level of performance but the situation is clear - that I'm not going to be one of the regular 11 starters," says Babel. "It's difficult. I do get frustrated. I can tell myself that I'm still only 21 and at the start of my career. But it is making it hard for me because, as time goes on, they keep telling me that I'm young and that my time will come. Well, OK, but I'm not a player who wants to wait. I want to be involved now rather than in three or four years' time."

While Rafael Benítez has used Robbie Keane to partner Fernando Torres, Babel has mostly been employed on the wing. His pace could trouble any full-back, but Babel is a reluctant wide man. "I have always said that I want to play as a striker," he says. "Of course, it would not help me improve if I wasn't able to play, or train, in another position a couple of times. But all the time? I used to play as a striker in Holland. I grew up as a striker. That's the position I want to play.

"But I'm working on it. I look at myself before I blame others. I'm going to do something about it. It's not something I'm scared about." As the children at Respect 4 All know, Babel likes a central role.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/15/liverpool-premierleague

Oh and Boggles, the part where it mentions how he was voted young player of the season last term, is one of the reasons he'll be a Liverpool player (and a top one at that) for a long time to come, if you still want that bet.;)

mormank

so if we were losing games you think Babel would play more?? sure if you are losing everybody says you have to play you're best 11 blah blah therefore he wouldnt get his chance then either...so when does he get his chance? surely now is the perfect opportunity. right now. against west ham, if he doesnt start i for one will be both surprised and dissappointed. i really wanna see babel get a run of starts

Jazzy

coated in more sugar then candy floss

Karmafaerie

mormank wrote: »

so if we were losing games you think Babel would play more?? sure if you are losing everybody says you have to play you're best 11 blah blah therefore he wouldnt get his chance then either...so when does he get his chance? surely now is the perfect opportunity. right now. against west ham, if he doesnt start i for one will be both surprised and dissappointed. i really wanna see babel get a run of starts

Believe me, there's nobody (bar Ryan himself), who's more disapointed with Ryan not starting than me.
I really believe the guy will be world class one day.
I get a pang of disapointment everytime I see a team sheet without his name, or his number come up on the fourth officials board when he's been taken off.
I just think that things have worked against him.
If Torres hadn't been injured, I believe Ryan would have had more starts as there'd have been less preasure on him to be the goal threat.
If Keane had had a more comfortable introduction to Liverpool, it would be easier to play Babel.

And you have to remember, Rafa's never been in this position before.
We're over 1/3 of the way into the season, and none of us need reminding where we are in the table.
If Ryan did become a regular starter, and the team stopped winning, he would get a lot of the blame.
And the higher you are, the further and more violently you fall.

All I'm sayingis that there are more issues at work.

Although I completely agree that I'd be annoyed if he doesn't start against the Hammers.:D

Karmafaerie

Jazzy wrote: »

coated in more sugar then candy floss

Yeah.
Evil Ryan Babel.

The bible carrying, church going fool.
Using his personal time to work with disadvantaged children, while talking about how he blames himself for not beng a starter, and vows to work hard to prove himself worthy now rather than later, because he's not scared of the challenge.

We should sell him instantly!:rolleyes:

He's not like our club hero Carragher, who stated in his bio that he'll leave if he doesn't start 30 games a season.

(I f*****g love Carra by the way, and think that nobody loves the club more than him.)

Ryan conducted himself extremely well in that interview, and came across as somebody who wants to work for his shirt.

Nothing sugar coated at all.