27 Nov 2009

REVEALED: The LIVERPOOL ECHO's witch-hunt against Ryan Babel

What a surprise - The 'Liverpool Echo' has jumped on the anti-Ryan Babel bandwagon, and is increasingly taking delight in belittling the player and doing its best to place him in a bad light.

As we all know, unless your name is Gerrard or Carragher, you're pretty much fair game when it comes to the Liverpool Echo. Here are a few recent examples of how the paper has abandoned any sense of fairness and is just pushing the 'Babel Out' agenda instead:

This is the opening sentence of an article headlined 'Outspoken Ryan Babel opens up Liverpool FC exit after interview'

"RYAN BABEL is edging closer to the Anfield exit after launching an astonishing attack on manager Rafa Benitez and his team-mates".

Look at the choice of words: 'ASTONISHING ATTACK' on the manager and his team-mates'.

Could you get any more irresponsibly emotive than that?

The article is basically designed to drive a wedge between Babel and his team-mates; to create tenstion and fan the flames of conflict within the dressing room. Why else would the Echo use such langauge?

Babel's interview in no way, shape or form constitutes an 'astonishing attack' on Rafa or his team-mates; that presupposes some kind of premeditated, malicious intent, which is clearly not there.

Yes, his interview was ill-advised, but malicious intent to attack his manager and team-mates? No way.

The following snippets are from an article headlined: 'Liverpool FC Manager Rafa Benitez wants Ryan Babel to explain outburst'.

"RYAN BABEL will be hauled into Rafa Benitez’s office today and asked to explain his latest petulant outburst".


Again, look at the phraseology: 'Hauled' into Benitez's office to explain his 'latest petulant outburst'. Latest outburst? The Echo tries to create the impression here that Babel is always making outburts in the press, which is entirely false.

In the same article, the Echo then bends the truth about the timing of Babel's interview to make it sound as bad as possible:

"Given this eruption happened on the morning of the Reds’ crucial Champions League clash against Debrecen, many within the club not surprisingly took a dim view".

This is completely irresponsible 'journalism' from the Echo - they are basically intimating that Babel deliberately gave his interview on the morning of a crucial Champions League game. Indeed, many who read that sentence will form that opinion anyway, purely because of the way it is written.

As the writer of the article undoubtedly knows (or should know) Babel gave the interview at least a week before the Debrecen game. The S*n lifted the quotes from the article and then published them on the morning of the game.

Is that Babel's fault? NO. The Echo should've been fair and acknowledged that point, but instead they once again chose to fan the flames of discontent in a deliberate bid to put Babel in a bad light.

The Echo then followed up with an article headlined: 'Liverpool and Everton players show their true colours', the purpose of which was clearly to ridicule Babel, and encourage fans to belittle him. The article stated:

RYAN BABEL believes he has sacrificed a lot in his time at Anfield. “As a Liverpool player I can't play in my blue Nike boots. Blue is Everton's colour and Liverpool and Everton are rivals in everything,” he complained.

For what other possible reason that ridicule would the Echo publish a snippet like that? Again, look at the way the story is presented: Apparently Babel was 'complaining' about not being able to wear his blue boots, something the Echo paints as a huge sacrifice the player believes he has made.

And let's not forget that this was not part of a larger article; that small snippet (and a lame comparison to Everton) WAS the article, which proves it was written specifically to ridicule Babel.

I'm sorry, but this kind of character assassination is unacceptable. It may be subtle, but that is *exactly* what this is: character assassination.

David Prentice and Dominic King clearly do not like Babel, and they have arguably allowed their personal feelings to cloud their judgement. As such, they have resorted to a petty and barely concealed campaign to put Babel in as bad a light as possible.

You will never see such comments made about the likes of Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher, but that's hardly surprising given the fact they are homegrown players. It seems that in the eyes of the Echo, all players are equal, but some players are more equal than others.

People give me grief for criticising the likes of Rafa Benitez and Dirk Kuyt, but whether fans like it or not, there is always a sound basis for my criticism. I focus on specific events/instances, and always back up what I say. I never resort to deliberately belittling players/staff at the club, and I never would.

The Echo should print an apology to Babel for deliberately misrepresenting the nature of his interview; for inciting further unnecessary resentment towards the player, and for inviting needless negative media attention on the club.

----

Join the site's new Facebook page!


Become a fan on Facebook!



110 comments:

  1. I think the issue that Rafa has not fined babel for his public outbursts, which in turn has also caused bad media and un wanted pressure for the club, has upset many people and the Echo obviously had enough and decided to get their own back on the lad. He won't be doing that again if he thinks it has upset the supporters. I'm sorry but he needed to learn a lesson.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And what about all the times Steven Gerrard has made inadvisable outbursts?  Has he ever been fined? Why should Babel be fined?  If there was a consistent policy in place for this then fair enough, but there isn't.  As well as Gerrard, other players have said things in the press that were not really professional, but nothing happened to them.  Torres once suggested that the Spanish players would leave Liverpool if Benitez left.  Was he fined for that?  No.

    Popular players can say what they like and get away with it, and the fans will say nothing.  Unpopular players get jumped on the minute they open their mouths.

    With Babel, we've had people trying to make out he gave an interview to the sun; they've taken snippets from his interview and tried to twist them into something negative without considering the context, and now the Echo is doing their best ot make him appear in a bad light.

    It's not fair treatment at all, and fans should not accept unfair treatment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good job there, Jamie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jamie, 
    You've outdone yourself today. Considering your agenda -  which is the constant attack you lay at Benitez (and don't deny it, everyone can see it) - I don't know how you can sit there and criticise somebody else for doing it. Pot, kettle, black. You do make me laugh sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Agree that the basis and tone of the Echo article is inflammatory, but quite often the Echo journalists are acting in tandem with the club and the Echo always run stories past LFC before printing. Hence, Benitez is angry with Babel and there will be some form of action taken against him

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good article....but I'm afraid your fighting a losing battle if you want the press (especially the red-tops) to do anything other than try and create a media storm. The worrying thing is the majority of people will accept this lazy journalism as truth. It's probably one of the reasons the Sun seams to hold so much sway over public opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "<span> The S*n lifted the quotes from the article and then published them on the morning of the game." The interview took place the day before the game; so this point is irrelevant.
    </span>

    What about JAIMIE KANWAR'S witch-hunt against Liverpool FC?
    Babel did moan about not being able to wear blue boots, and also spoke of factions in the group; which may or may not be true. He doesn't get a game because of his lack of effort and positional sense, Benitez spends most of the time when he (Babel) is on the pitch telling him where he should be; he's like Jermaine Pennant, told one thing then does another.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Please give an example of when steven gerrard or jamie carragher have publicy undermimed liverpool fc in an interview?
    Ok a media witch hunt is not humanely acceptable, but if LFC had fined babel and put a stop to this the 1st time he came out with ill advised comments - this would never have happend. Maybe a player like Ryan needs to be man managed and protected more -  but thats not rafas style.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The interview did NOT take place the day before the game.  It took place over a week ago.  I got that directly from the Editor of the Dutch magazine that ran the article.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Maybe not in interviews, but Gerrards court case and Carraghers book (where he talked about Lucas Neil) are examples of where the players have potentially undermined the club.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I will provide a list of examples (give me 10 mins or so to compile them) - and in my comment to you I never said anything about Carrager; I mentioned Gerrard.

    Whatever Babel did, such treatment from a Liverpool newspaper (that is read by tens of thousands of fans both online and offline) is unacceptable.

    I find it hilarious how people are always telling me I should not criticise benitez, and that 'real fans' should defend him, but how does that apply to the Echo?! 

    Criticism of Babel is fine, as is criticism of Benitez.  When it becomes personal and designed deliberately to belittle and ridicule, then it becomes something else entirely.

    ReplyDelete
  12. How do you know when players have been fined, Jamie, do they ring you up and tell you? Or maybe, when it happens, most players accept it, if it justified.
    As for Torres' comments, I think he was trying to state how much the players backed Benitez, not having a pop.

    ReplyDelete
  13. you're only supporting Ryan Babel because the situation reflects badly on rafa if thats the way you want to twist it. potentially great player, bad attitude, inconsistant, does not want to track back and brain dead

    ReplyDelete
  14. you can get locked up for talking to yourself, Jamie

    ReplyDelete
  15. seriously retarded comment mate

    ReplyDelete
  16. I know the journalists at the Liverpool Echo and your article above is a complete joke. The Echo are staunch Liverpool and Everton papers- they support the club and the team be they red or blue. What the Echo have reported are the true words of Ryan Babel- they may have lifted the quotes and put their spin on them but you would know all about that Jaimie- you do it all the time.

    For anyone who has ever played a team sport (I play rugby by the way) it is important to have team unity, especially when confidence is low. Benitez may have done a few things wrong recently but what you can't have, at this level of sport, is people going off in factions. Babel has given an extremely ill-advised interview at a bad time, and has been reported at a bad time for him, especially in light of the fact that he was actually picked to start against Man City and then came off when he picked up a knock, it makes a mockery of the interview words.

    45,000 Liverpool fans are willing Babel every week to have a good game, including Benitez himself, but they get frustrated by his lack of effort, his laziness and his seeming inappreciation of his team mates. All professional footballers have an element of selfishness in them but what Babel has done has to alienate himself at a time when the team need to pull together. I would rather him out the door if he is going to criticise his team-mates at a time when unity is needed.

    This is also not the first time Babel has expressed a desire to leave, usually swiftly followed by a denial of what he actually said but this time he goes too far and I dont blame the Echo for criticising him. When Gerrard and Carragher talk, it is usually spoken with a bit of feeling and is a fair reflection of what the fans and the players are thinking. Gerrard is the club captain, Carra the vice.

    Babel has absolutely no right to a first team shirt, same as any other player until he has proved it, he has scored a few decent goals but too often he goes missing, doesnt improve as a player and that is why he doesnt get picked. If he wants to leave, fine, let him leave- but the Echo have reported words here that were actually said by Ryan Babel, lets get that straight- they have not created a story out of nothing. The same words were reported on Sky Sports and plenty of other media sources and the guys in the studio on Tuesday all collectively agreed that it was a badly timed and badly spoken interview- Souness even commented on how poor it was he had done that- the Echo do not have an agenda against Ryan Babel- what they want to see is all the players pulling in the same direction to get both Merseyside teams on the up- they are Liverpool supporters after all- something that you seem to forget more often than not.

    ReplyDelete
  17. One more snide comment and I will bad you permanently from commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  18. regarding babel.......maybe your rite, fans accept outbursts from certain players and not from others...

    but thats think why that is the case???

    maybe because if players like gerard, terry, rooney have an out burst, fans either accept or ignore it, because they know they have their club at heart...

    other players ...like babel have not earned that right...you may argue with this, but mate its the way life is...you accept things from people you know give them all and when players moan you kinda think...what gives you the right to say that....

    babel has never earned the right, hes never earned his place in the team....and before you say ..HE NEVER GOT THE CHANCE...BLAME BENITEZ...thats think about yossi...a sub ina similar position to babel but has performed and now an instant starter....

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ryan Babel has been given chance after chance to prove himself and has not grasped the chances he has been given its that simple. He always looks disinterested and sulky when give time on the pitch and is a very selfish player. If he has a problem he needs to look at himself for the solutions not the manager who showed extra ordinary faith in signing him originally Quite simply he is not good enough and the Echo where right to print there article.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ran Babel's situation suits your viewpoint perfecty ie. any kock at Rafa is good - so you've jumped on the Babel bandwagon. It's a none story and few fans care about Babel, who clearly rates himself much higher than most fans - apart frm yourself! Meanwhile, the rest of us "SUPPOTERS" are getting behnd the team.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Look its clear that you feel strongly about the misrepresentation of Ryan Babel.

    In the midst of a week where we have been eliminated from the champions league there seems to be an awful lot of talk on here about Ryan Babel the 'victim'. 

    Seems strange to me...

    Are you his agent?

    ReplyDelete
  22. You're just another person who is willing to accept unfairness as long as it's against a player you don't really like.  Gerrard has said some outrageous things in the past; he's been accused of assault; has been booked for diving; has slagged off fellow professionals in his book AS WELL AS OTHER LIVERPOOL PLAYERS, yet he gets away with it.

    In his book, Gerrard slagged off Salif Diao WHO WAS STILL AT THE CLUB AT THE TIME.  Did the Echo raise that issue?  Did the fans foam at the mouth about how unacceptable it was to criticise a fellow player.

    NO. And therein lies the complete and utter hypocrisy of some fans and Liverpool media.

    English homegrown players can say what they want.  Foreign players are jumped on at the slightest indiscretion.

    And yes, I am suggesting that there is latent xenophobia at play here.  Why else would there be different rules for different players?

    Deny it all you like, but we all know that if it was Carragher who smiled during the Hillsborough memorial service he would not have received the bile and vitriol meted out to Charles Itandje.  You and other fans would've been falling over yourselves to find justifications for it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ryan Babel only has himself to blame.  Poor attitude and a lack of heart not what we really need right now. 

    ReplyDelete
  24. No - i am supporting Babel because I hate unfairness.  I have defended Benitez against what i perceive to be unfairness in the past too. I defended him against ridiculous FA charges; I defended him against Tom Hicks' public attack against him in 2008; I defended him against Gerrard questioning his decision to sub him v Everton.

    Defending players/management against unfair treatment is the theme in much of what I write. I don't have any allegiance to any one player or staff member; I treat everyone the same, and if someone is receiving unfair treatment, I will defend them, irrespective of who it is.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Not gonna lie Kanwar I still reckon your a manc in disguise but you talk sense here. good read. If this isn't posted then your deffo a manc.

    ReplyDelete
  26. There is a slight difference. IMO Steven can say anything he wants as he PERFORMS for the team, while Ryan has not even come close to earning the right to bitch.

    ReplyDelete
  27. In many ways, the Liverpool Echo is worse than the S*n. We all know what he S*n is, and what to expect from them, but it's generally accepted that The Echo is on a higher plain of integrity. I always see right through most red-tops bullsh*t because of the cheap sensantionist wording, and this is exactly what the Echo is guilty of this time.

    Well done Jamie for exposing the Echo - LFC's unofficial mouthpiece. Commenter (above), 'roadender' is probably right in saying that the club did okay the article - which actually makes things worse; the club sanctioning the character-assassinating 'article'.

    The Echo would do well to actually do some real journalism and analysis of how the manager is coping with team's 'performances', and why things are the way they are, and how they could improve.

    And why a manager who inspired a supposed mish-mash of a previous manager's players to win a Champions League final in his first season, and can't get his babies to destroy Debrecen five years on - who were the worst team we've faced in many years - who (inho), would have been beaten 3-0 by the Wigan team who lost 9-1 to Spurs.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Are you comparing the Echo to the S*n? Now i've heard everything.

    ReplyDelete
  29. "Deny it all you like, but we all know that if it was Carragher who smiled during the Hillsborough memorial service he would not have received the bile and vitriol meted out to Charles Itandje.  You and other fans would've been falling over yourselves to find justifications for it."

    That is a ridiclous statement, I honeslty though better of you, you cant play the xenophobic card if it hasnt happend!!!! the simple reason that Steve or Jamie wouldn't get slated is because they love the club and fans, and have respect for that.

    Babel doesnt.

    ReplyDelete
  30. And there lies the crux of the issue....'good' players can get away with mouthing-off against others.

    IMO no-one has the 'right to bitch'. Constructive criticism, yes, but character assassination, no.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Carragher wouldn't smile during the Hillsborough Memorial Service because he is a Liverpool lad, Itandje was the ONLY player that has ever done so and rightly got villified for it! And not just by the Liverpool press and supporters!

    As for your first comments, I actually like Babel as a player- I want to see him do well but not at the expense of the team! He has so much potential but even the best players work hard and Babel just does not do that!

    Gerrard was indeed accused of assault but a Court of Law found him Not Guilty and what has being booked for diving got to do with Ryan Babel?? Other players have been booked for diving too and I don't like to see our players dive but they are not the only ones that do it- look at Eduardo!

    As for the comments about Diao- I think you will find that Diao was out on loan at the time that the book came out in September 2006- at Stoke and he hadnt been at the club since August 2005 when he went to Portsmouth on loan....with regard the other players...who did Gerrard slag off?

    You can cry racism all you want mate but I think you will find that the papers and the fans give all the players leeway especially when they have proved themselves at the club- look at Torres, Reina, Hyypia- all highly regarded, all foreign, because they have actually earned their stripes.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I see, so if a player performs well they have a license to say whatever they want.  And you really believe that?!  This is a prime example of how fans make excuses for their favourite players.  So, in your view, it must have been okay for Gerrard to slag of Salif Diao in his book - a player who was STILL at the club at the time?

    ReplyDelete
  33. JAIMIE WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO ATTACK THE LIVERPOOL ECHO?

    Why didn't you write this story yesterday or the day before when SEVERAL of the Nationals ran the story?

    I'll tell you why.

    It's because you know you're far more likely to generate hits on your blog if you attack a LIVERPOOL based newspaper rather than a National redtop. If you actually knew ANYTHING about our City (as you're not a scouser) you'd know we respect the ECHO as they are the one newspaper throughout the country that are generally spot on where LFC is concerned (transfers etc).

    Why is it a "witch-hunt" when the ECHO runs a story but the redtops escape your wrath?

    PLEASE EXPLAIN.


    So what if they've called it an "astonishing attack"? Big deal! He's opened his mouth far too many times in the media and has HAS said he wants to leave if he doesn't get played, almost like he's holding us to ransom.

    He hasn't done enough to warrant a place ahead of Benayoun as Benayoun has a similar appearance ratio (subbed or unused in 73% of matches so far in his career) but has performed much better.

    How does Babel respond to this?

    “His (Benitez) philosophy is simple – try your hardest in training and then your chance will come. But sometimes I wonder how long I can sustain it."

    “Many players can play lots of bad matches and still keep their credits – I can't."

    “All the forwards, they always live for their own success. It is hard for someone who isn't selfish by nature to act selfish,”

    “I don't know if my team-mates were shocked by my new character but I do notice once in a while they get confused. Normally I would pass the ball – now I take the shot myself more often. I see how they look at me with a face that says; 'Hey I am free!'"

    “But I'm not going to explain it any further because they don't give me any explanation when I ask for the ball."

    It's not a witchhunt when he's actually SAID what is being reported!

    He's basically moaning about not being played and then inferring his TEAM MATES have or are playing poorly but still get picked. The lad just doesn't get it, I think it's quite simple with Rafa and it's somethimg he's eluded to in the past and recently - Work hard and you'll get a chance.

    Gripe, snipe, whinge and moan? You'll be heading for the reserves.

    ReplyDelete
  34. JAIMIE WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO ATTACK THE LIVERPOOL ECHO?

    Why didn't you write this story yesterday or the day before when SEVERAL of the Nationals ran the story?

    I'll tell you why.

    It's because you know you're far more likely to generate hits on your blog if you attack a LIVERPOOL based newspaper rather than a National redtop. If you actually knew ANYTHING about our City (as you're not a scouser) you'd know we respect the ECHO as they are the one newspaper throughout the country that are generally spot on where LFC is concerned (transfers etc).

    Why is it a "witch-hunt" when the ECHO runs a story but the redtops escape your wrath?

    PLEASE EXPLAIN.


    So what if they've called it an "astonishing attack"? Big deal! He's opened his mouth far too many times in the media and has HAS said he wants to leave if he doesn't get played, almost like he's holding us to ransom.

    He hasn't done enough to warrant a place ahead of Benayoun as Benayoun has a similar appearance ratio (subbed or unused in 73% of matches so far in his career) but has performed much better.

    How does Babel respond to this?

    “His (Benitez) philosophy is simple – try your hardest in training and then your chance will come. But sometimes I wonder how long I can sustain it."

    “Many players can play lots of bad matches and still keep their credits – I can't."

    “All the forwards, they always live for their own success. It is hard for someone who isn't selfish by nature to act selfish,”

    “I don't know if my team-mates were shocked by my new character but I do notice once in a while they get confused. Normally I would pass the ball – now I take the shot myself more often. I see how they look at me with a face that says; 'Hey I am free!'"

    “But I'm not going to explain it any further because they don't give me any explanation when I ask for the ball."

    It's not a witchhunt when he's actually SAID what is being reported!

    He's basically moaning about not being played and then inferring his TEAM MATES have or are playing poorly but still get picked. The lad just doesn't get it, I think it's quite simple with Rafa and it's somethimg he's eluded to in the past and recently - Work hard and you'll get a chance.

    Gripe, snipe, whinge and moan? You'll be heading for the reserves.

    ReplyDelete
  35. JAIMIE WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO ATTACK THE LIVERPOOL ECHO?

    Why didn't you write this story yesterday or the day before when SEVERAL of the Nationals ran the story?

    I'll tell you why.

    It's because you know you're far more likely to generate hits on your blog if you attack a LIVERPOOL based newspaper rather than a National redtop. If you actually knew ANYTHING about our City (as you're not a scouser) you'd know we respect the ECHO as they are the one newspaper throughout the country that are generally spot on where LFC is concerned (transfers etc).

    Why is it a "witch-hunt" when the ECHO runs a story but the redtops escape your wrath?

    PLEASE EXPLAIN.


    So what if they've called it an "astonishing attack"? Big deal! He's opened his mouth far too many times in the media and has HAS said he wants to leave if he doesn't get played, almost like he's holding us to ransom.

    He hasn't done enough to warrant a place ahead of Benayoun as Benayoun has a similar appearance ratio (subbed or unused in 73% of matches so far in his career) but has performed much better.

    How does Babel respond to this?

    “His (Benitez) philosophy is simple – try your hardest in training and then your chance will come. But sometimes I wonder how long I can sustain it."

    “Many players can play lots of bad matches and still keep their credits – I can't."

    “All the forwards, they always live for their own success. It is hard for someone who isn't selfish by nature to act selfish,”

    “I don't know if my team-mates were shocked by my new character but I do notice once in a while they get confused. Normally I would pass the ball – now I take the shot myself more often. I see how they look at me with a face that says; 'Hey I am free!'"

    “But I'm not going to explain it any further because they don't give me any explanation when I ask for the ball."

    It's not a witchhunt when he's actually SAID what is being reported!

    He's basically moaning about not being played and then inferring his TEAM MATES have or are playing poorly but still get picked. The lad just doesn't get it, I think it's quite simple with Rafa and it's somethimg he's eluded to in the past and recently - Work hard and you'll get a chance.

    Gripe, snipe, whinge and moan? You'll be heading for the reserves.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Xenophobic card?  Don't be so naive.  Xenophobia is rampant everywhere, not just in this country but across the world.  If you read between the lines, you can see it everywhere.  There is a reason that overseason players receive more abuse from fans and the press than british players. It is not an accident.  The Echo's articles about Babel play to the latent xenophobia lurking within some fans.  It gives them a chance to externalise that Xenophobia without actually being offensive.  People's bile and vitriol comes from a lot places, and xenophobia is one of them. 

    ReplyDelete
  37. I think you are a closet ManUre fan. Babel is out of order. We are a TEAM. We are the greatest and most succesful football team in England. We ARE Liverpool Football Club. YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  38. Nothing to see here. Newspaper makes more of something than there really is- it's what they do.

    If you're going to write an article every time this happens it will leave very little time to add other content to the site...

    ReplyDelete
  39. A witch hunt against Babel? You could be accused of a witch hunt againt Kuyt, maybe not in such an emotive way but you have written two articles about him recently saying that he is not good enough and is having a negative impact on the team and that he should be dropped.

    Or you continuing witch hunt again Rafa - you've called him negligent, and a saboteur. Is calling someone negligent any better than calling them petulant?

    maybe they do have an agenda against Babel. So what? You have an agenda against Rafa but you continue to right about it.

    You wrote the following:

    ReplyDelete
  40. "Deny it all you like, but we all know that if it was Carragher who smiled during the Hillsborough memorial service he would not have received the bile and vitriol meted out to Charles Itandje.  You and other fans would've been falling over yourselves to find justifications for it."
    NO WE WOULDN'T. I LOST A FAMILY MEMBER AT HILLSBOROUGH SO DON'T EVEN DARE TO SUGGEST WE AS LIVERPOOL FANS WOULD ALLOW ANYONE TO DISHONOUR OUR LOVED ONES MEMORY.

    And Itandje wasn't smiling he was joking around and sniggering when he should have been showing respect.

    THE DIFFERENCE IS CARRAGHER IS A SCOUSER AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPACT OF HILLSBOROUGH ON OUR CITY, HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST HE'D LAUGH AND SNIGGER DURING THE MEMORIAL SERVICE.

    I'll be sending your comment and story to the ECHO and Liverpool FC, I'm sure they'd be very interested in your slanderous article!

    Prepare yourself Kanwaar.

    ReplyDelete
  41. HOW VERY SLANDEROUS AND LIBELOUS OF YOU JAIMIE, I'M SURE THE ECHO AND LIVERPOOL FC WILL BE VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR STORY. LET'S FIND OUT.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Yes, I'm Dutch and Voetbal Internationaal is a respected magazine. Every week all sorts of players give interviews to the magazine in which they talk very honestly about the way things are at their clubs and how they feel. That's also a typically Dutch thing, I guess. They don't get any media training.  The way the interview has blown out of proportion in the English/Liverpool media is astounding, but not surprising. For instance the boots thing. He's actually talking very affectionately about how the Liverpool fans warned him  that he shouldn't wear his blue boots, then he says that during the game it's very loud, but afterwards the fans go home together. He says he can't feel any genuine hate and that the hate is reserved for Man United.

    Ok, next up the 'bad dressing atmosphere', again his comments in context come across as completely different. He says that on the pitch they are a very close team, but off the pitch everybody goes their own way. He says he gets along well with Lucas and Yossi, but that Dirk prefers to play cards with the Spaniards and that Kuyt shares their sense of humour, whereas he doesn't so much. He then says 'don't feel sorry for me or anything, I'm not quietly sitting in a corner, I just go my own way'.

     He does say that he was disappointed that after his first season he hasn't had any consistent runs in the side. He doesn't know what he exactly has to do to earn that. And that Benítez just always tells him to keep trying. He says that he was used to receiving feedback at Ajax, but that at top clubs you don't get that. If he's not playing Rafa or Gerrard aren't there to talk to him, so he says that he has learn't to figure out himself how to determine if he's playing well or not. He sounds very proud of that. Babel says he has grown a lot as a player at Liverpool, but that he could have learnt more if he had played more. He also says that at Ajax he never really cared if he scored a goal or not as long as the team won. But that at top clubs like Liverpool they judge you on your goals. Now he's learnt to become more selfish, although it never used to be in his nature to be selfish.

    Plus he says he never wanted to be a rap artist when he was a kid, because he does not like fame and he doesn't like to have everybody to have an opinion on him. He says that since football became his work, music became his hobby and his release.

    I also saw some translations that said that Babel had said there were other players who played worse than him, but still played and something about how he couldn't celebrate his goals anymore. I swear I've really looked for these comments, but I can't find them or even something similar.

    I've read many interviews with Babel and he always comes across as very sincere, maybe a little bit sensitive. When you read interviews with players like van Persie, Sneijder or even Kuijt, they always come a cross as very self-assured/arrogant.

    Of course here in Holland we really like Babel and want him to be able to play in the World Cup. Van Marwijk has told every player that they have to be regular starters for their club. Everybody was really disappointed when Babel had to miss the Euro's, because he broke his ankle (that was why he defied Rafa and went to the Olympics). Martin Jol (the Ajax manager) was on a football show last week and he spoke about his admiration for Babel. That Babel doesn't now think he has become to good for a club for Ajax, but that he's true footballer who doesn't care where he plays, as long as he plays.

    I was really surprised to see such a negative reaction towards the interview and I'm thankful that you were looking to set the record straight! I hope things will work out for Babel at [...]

    ReplyDelete
  43. Knock yourself out ;)

    ReplyDelete
  44. Slander? Sorry, can't hear any 'spoken words' here?

    Show me how in the slightest this article will impact on the Echo's earnings?

    Empty threat!

    ReplyDelete
  45. A witch hunt against Babel? You could also be accused of a witch hunt against Rafa, may be in a less emotive way. You've called him negligent and a saboteur for example. Is calling someone negligent any different to calling someone petulant? I would say that calling someone negligent or a saboteur is a character assassination and not constructive criticsim. It is also irresponsibily emotive. Stating that a manager has purposely sabotaged his team - bit much wouldn't you say, or that has he has failed to show a duty of care. So for you to do it is ok, but if another journalist does it then it is irresponsible? Ok, Jaimie's world is starting to make a little more sense. 

    In recent weeks you've written two articles about Kuyt. Is this a witch hunt? Again less emotive but you've called for him to be dropped and said that he is having a negative impact on the team. Not a character assassination but you've really had it in for him in recent weeks so you wrote about it.

    You wrote a statement in the article above which made me chuckle because all I had to do was re-jig it slightly and it perfectly described your anti-Rafa stance;

    Jaimie Kanwar (instead of David Prentice and Dominic King) clearly does not like Benitez(instead of Babel) and he has arguably allowed his personal feeling to cloud his judgement. As such he has resorted to a petty and barely concealed campaign to put Benitiez (instead of Babel) in as bad light as possible.

    You do really need to step down from that high horse. Every journalist has an agenda. As you say opinions are subjective therefore there is always an element of bias. You hide your agenda under the tag "critical realism" but there is clearly an anti- Rafa agenda.

    Its up to the reader to read articles and make up their own mind. Do I think Babel was a little petulant? I do actually. Why not go and speak to the manager about some of the issues he had rather than a journalist? Why air his problems out into the public arena and not keep it behind closed doors? Do I think he has maliciously intended to

    If you ask the Echo to make a public apology to Babel then I would like you to make a public apology to Rafa? Will you? No. Do I really expect you to? No. It's your opinion. This is their opinion. If they've exaggerated it slightly or made it more emotive, then so what? That's what most newsapapers/journalists do.

    ReplyDelete
  46. An excellent point Gary.

    I'm still waiting for Jaimie Kanwaar to explain why he's attacked the ECHO for running tis story when the same story has been run by nearly all of the Nationals in this past week?

    He's trying to suggest that many Liverpool fans will read this article (perhaps why he's attacked the paper) but he's also quick to point out that most of our fans live OUTSIDE the City (including himself) and therefore have as much of a chance of reading this as they would ANY newspaper.

    I firmly believe he's attacked the ECHO because they're a Liverpool media outlet and it will therefore generate more hits on his blog, it's the obvious and only logical conclusion. Unless of course he just doesn't like Liverpool which would be a strange situation!

    As you've eluded to Gary, complete and utter double-standards.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I don't hide the fact that I am not a fan of Benitez's managment style; the difference is I do not post articles with the sole intent of belittling him and inviting ridicule.  I have a valid point of view and I consistently raise examples to back it up. 

    The Echo published an article that focused solely on Babel's 'blue boots' comment.  They deliberately wrote in such a way that it would invite ridicule. 

    That is the difference.

    ReplyDelete
  48. There is nothing in the Echo article that insinuates any xenophobia at all. This is something that you have attributed to it. They call him a Dutchman, but that is what he is. Is there anything wrong with that?  

    Are you accusing David Prentice or Dominic King of being xenophobic? This is verging on defamation Jaimie. I would be careful what you say.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Ryan Babel knew exactly what he was doing in giving the interview and the likely consequence. It typifies the characterof the guy that he has to winge to the press about lack of chances knowing it would probably 'engineer' the exit he clearly wants. He hasn't delivered and everyone will have an opinion as to why, he is a talented player, but whether he lacks the mental strength to play at a top club must be questioned.
    And for your previous article that critised Rafa for his poor treatment of the player beggered belief. Our best season in years was achieved because the likes of Ryan Babel sat on the bench or in the stands. Yet you would have him picked each week, but failed to say why. I will happilysay why he didn't get picked. He lacks focus, especially when we are dominating a game, he can't impose himself on the opposition, his positional sense is appalling, his commitment (to fight for the ball) is questionable and his work rate is average at best. The player who gained from Babels absence was Yossi, who ticks most if not all of the above.
    You clearly have an agenda so why you don't simply be honest and state what that is, instead of pretending to be delivering some objective argument.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Whoever calls Babel inconsistent (majority of people) are not using their own words, fans have read it somewhere, told their friends and now everyone just wont stop repeating it and believing it. The worrying thing is it's actually scary listening to these people so sure that hes inconsistent when no one has seen him start more than 2 games in a row in 3 years.

    and now for this comment 'Many players can play lots of bad matches and still keep their credits – I can't'
    Opening day at Tottenham, didnt Torres, Gerrard, Kuyt and Lucas all have a worse games that Babel, yet who was the only player to be dropped for the next like 11 games? Babel.

    When Benayoun threatened to leave last season unless he got more playing time Benitez started him alot more. Babel has never made any comments at all like that until now you can tell he's had enough, maybe he thinks it will work for him as it did for benayoun.

    Jaimie amazing articles man.

    ReplyDelete
  51. gary - You are smarter than that.  There is no mention of xenophobia in my article.  I think the point I am making above is clear, and it has  nothing to do with the tone of the article.

    ReplyDelete
  52. How am I pretending?  I've never stated that I delver 'objective arguments'?  Where do you get this stuff.  I am open and honest about how I am not a fan of Benitez's management style; I've never denied it, and I highlight examples of his poor man-management whenever they arise.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I don't know if you support Liverpool or are just some joker, but you have no idea what it means to be a player for this club, and by extension a fan. Your writing is a combination of rabble rousing and utter nonsense.
    You are possibly one of the most prolific writers on Liverpool fc on the net and doubtless the worst.      

    ReplyDelete
  54. when has the media ever been fair? all journalists put a spin on story to suit there own agenda, jamie does it all the time. 

    jamie claims he uses facts, he does not he uses statistics witch can be presented in any form to appear to back an argument up. an educated individual will see past the journalists story to see the real picture. the echo writers are presenting things as they see them. and either you agree or don't agree. to read any opinion and take it as gospel is stupid at best.

    only babel and his close friends and family will really know what he feels about his situation at liverpool.

    players should do there talking on the pitch. they are paid to do what the manager says if they don't, they don't play. obviously babel is not doing what he has been told to do when he plays. 

    ReplyDelete
  55. As i said you are less emotive in your writing but calling a manager negligent or a saboteur is a character assassination so you're no different to any other journalist. 

    There's also a big difference between saying your don't like Rafa's management style and calling him negligent or a saboteur. If you say that he has made mistakes and that he has done this wrong then fair enough but by saying that he has purposely sabotaged something is a character assassination. To say that the has failed to show a duty of care isn't constructive criticism regarding his management style it is acharacter assassination because you are basically ssaying that Rafa does not show the necessary duty of care.

    I've read the article and cannot see how it is purposely set out to belittle babel. Ok they call him petulant, but so what, he did act slightly petulantly in my opinion. The remainder of the artcles basically quotes what Babel has said.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hey, JK! Right on, man! We are a Team. Glad someone reminded us of that. Get behind the team - thick and thin, walk through a storm, all that stuff! New media has given rise to so many amateur pundits, 99.9% of them clueless! Support the club - thick and thin. We don't run it, manage it, whatever...we just support it. That's our job. We might not be happy, we might have different views, but we're supporters - not owners or managers. I think that's been lost on most people. I'm smart; I run my own business; I'm successful; but I don't run LFC. It's my football club - always has been, always will be - and I will not subject myself to the nonsense flying around. Get behind the team boys! Win or lose.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Only in their style of writing and how they use quotes and the timming of stories to suite their own agenda....not in the opinions they hold about issues!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Accusations of defamation against Babel is a libelous accusation poster, you'd have to understand Law before commenting on it, in order for something to be slanderous or libelous it doesn't need to be spoken hence the numerous apologies made by newspapers and other media outlets for varying degrees of inaccurate reporting!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Jamie, your agenda has always been obvious.  Your witch-hunt against Rafa knows no depths.

    I'm only surprised that you haven't blamed the cold weather in Liverpool, on Rafa.  And the housing market crash, the Liverpool boss no doubt played a part in that.

    Babel had a lot of potential.  But he has never come close to realising that potential.  He gifts possession to the opposition far too easily.  And he makes limited efforts to reclaim possession.  His attitude has always been poor IMHO.  Sadly, too many of his potential, just don't make it at the top clubs.  He may well do well at a club like Spurs, where consistency of performance is not something that they are accustomed to.

    ReplyDelete
  60. He was out on loan and his contract was running out in the summer therefore he was never returning to the club. Not saying its right but thats what he did.

    I think this article coming from you is pot calling the kettle black.

    From Babels track record i think he deserves everything he gets. Twitter Haterz comments, the comment about this is his seat for tonight. Trying to engineer a move because world cup year.

    Doesnt show enough fight - just seems to expect more games

    Doesnt do enough when given the chance.

    You seem to nock the 1s who clearly care about the club ie benitez gerrard carra and kuyt and back the 1s up who dont ie babel

    ReplyDelete
  61. Are you a liverpool fan or something else? Seems all you do is create negative comments about liverpool! how about saking the question, "ryan babel yet again speaking up about wanting to leave liverpool". Its obvious your not a rafa fan but he gave Babel a start on Sat and look what happened, hobbled off with injury that he prob could have ran off (gerrard plea to him told the story). This about the 5 time the same article has come out now, are you saying that all of them are made up?

    ReplyDelete
  62. Let me just get this clear; you refer to giving "them a chance to externalise that xenophbia". Who is them? The fans or the Echo? If "them" is the Echo, by saying that the Echo have written an article 'playing' to the latent xenophobic lurking within some fans is accusing them of incitment.

    Clear it up. If "them" is the fans then fine, but if "them" is the Echo I think you need to be careful about how you're wording this.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Babel's interview seem to come in a wrong moment certainly..
    I agree Sam: your views about a team sport are correct, but statistics suggest that Ryan Babel has never get a real chance.
    Football is not an easy sport: often playing 5,6,7 games in a row it's important for increasing the confidence of a player and his inclusion in the team.
    Friendship is very important in a team.
    Yossi performed well also when He starts from bench but I don't think it's the same for any players.
    There are many difference between Babel & Yossi.
    Maybe Babel is one of that players they need time (in terms of game) on the pitch for increasingly his condition.
    Are You all sure that Babel has had the sufficient time on the pitch?
    Statistic seems to say not.
    Are You Sure that Benitez, although has payed well Babel, has a real confidence of Babel's potential?
    I'm not so sure of that.
    Certainly the Babel's interview remains a huge mistake by the Player, but, before flame Babel, WE have to remind that Babel is a young player.
    Ryan should also reach the maturity to face the troubles in a correct way.
    So, We have to keep calm.

    ReplyDelete
  64. You obviously dont realise what you do then do you jaimie, theyre using the boots thing as another example of Babels type of attitude, who really gives a shit what boots he wears yet hes actually the one who braught it up.

    Jaimie Babel made a mistake and the echo has jumped on his back for it. If benitez makes a mistake you jump on his back for it.

    You claim that you dont like his man management style and back it up with examples how is this any different?

    You really just dont get it, do you???

    ReplyDelete
  65. Very weak very feable argument full of broad and unsubstantiated generalisations regarding latent xenophobia and the right to free speach only for the English players and not for the foreigners.

    As long as you speculate and don't substantiate these arguments then this article must be classified as a rant. And no, the article doesn't offer proof of any form of racism.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Well it makes a change from the "liverpool-kop" Benitez witch hunt!

    ReplyDelete
  67. We must have read it lol, are you suggesting that none of us go to the games, shut up you tool. He is very inconsistant and number of games has nothing to do with it. In a game he could have one flash of brilliance and then do nothing for the rest of the game. In his liverpool carear the only game i have seen him play well in for 90 minutes was bolton away in his first season.

    A fine example is lyon - great goal - seconds later freekick out for a throw in - im not saying he should have scored or anything like that but i bet lots of fans who go to the games would have said that pretty much sums babel up, brilliance followed by mediocrity.

    Anyone who says babel doesnt deserve critism is an idiot - look at lucas constantly been heckled and called and abused yet he gets on with it, tries to improve. Exactly the kind of attitude a proffessional footballer should have in my humble opinion good on him. I also believe the stick lucas recieves is out of order everyone knows hes not alonso yet compare him to him. Not many in the world can pass like alonso.

    benayoun another example - came out with a bit in the papers saying he wanted more games but when he got his chances he took them, by playing and trying harder than ever, another fine example of a good attitude, babels doesnt come close

    ReplyDelete
  68. Graham, I've not been calling for a Benitez witch hunt.
    I'm only trying to discuss by stats, minutes on pitch or eventually games in a row collected by Babel.
    I'm only trying to argue a point of view if it's always possible on
    LFC-KOP.com.

    ReplyDelete
  69. To be fair, Gerrard's good but he aint no Doctor/Physio! An injury is an injury and with the current injury problems at the club it's good to be cautious.

    YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  70. Jamie you are a legend, i love you.

    You tell the truth again mate and these so called fans cant stand it, i read everyday mate and people in general just moan about you, yet they keep reading, its because they know you are right but want to look big and hard and post utter shite on the forum because they dont know any better.

    I will have a bet with every forum writer that Liverpool Fc will never win the league under the fat spanish waiter, Stoke have a better chance than us

    5 points above Hull, what a bloody joke.

    Keep them coming Jamie, quality writer 

    ReplyDelete
  71. I'm a genuine Ryan Babel fan, always - and still think - that he deserves a string of games if only just to get his confidence going. If lucas and kuyt get unlimited games regardless of how they play, why cant someone with genuine talent?

    BUT BUT BUT his interview - regardless of when it was done - was out of order, particularly the comments about his teammates.

    Kanwar's points I see, maybe the echo is going a little OTT with the blue boots article, but you can only expect such headlines when Babel makes comments like that. Babel has said the forwards dont pass the ball. I'm sorry but Gerrard, Torres, Yossi and Kuyt (as much as I dislike him) are all team players.

    ReplyDelete
  72. I think Babel is a young guy who just wants to play football. All the comments about him being inconsistent are true but who isn't? Do Torres and Gerrard always have perfect games? No, but we always give them our support. The fact is that Babel is a right footed striker who is being played on the left hand side of midfield in the majority. It's no wonder he's not happy. I think Benitez is at fault for allowing a prestigious talent go to waste.

    I think a forward line of Torres paired with Babel would get us plenty of goals and would allow Gerrard to play in his more natural role in central midfield.

    ReplyDelete
  73. I've e-mailed your article to James Pearce at the ECHO Jaimie, lets see what they make of it.

    ReplyDelete
  74. If you think John Thompson from The Echo would run with that babel story without things being backed up, your out of your mind. For the record, show me quotes from gerrard and carragher slagging their fellow teammates and the manager.

    ReplyDelete
  75. However that if far from critical realism as your site proclaims.

    ReplyDelete
  76. maybe Benitez only likes players who put in a lot of effort, eg Kuyt, Gerrard, Carra, Benayoun and only allows a prima dona in his team when they consistently add benefit to the side. Hence, Babel is out of favour, as was Luis Garcia and Pennant, as is Riera.
    Also, maybe treating footballers as adults is a Spanish/Iberian trait, as opposed to being an apologist for their immature tantrums. If so, the very nature of your dislike of Benitez,Jamie, could be founded in xenophobia

    ReplyDelete
  77. liverpool are horrible, have been for ten years. here's your future u scouse scum:
    failure to finish in top 4. financial ruin. torres sold. pool relegated. goodbye u thick inbreds. no one will miss your club or fans.

    ReplyDelete
  78. do you feel better for getting that off your chest, now get back to your asylum

    ReplyDelete
  79. please return your stolen laptop u heroin addicted scumbag. u are thick

    ReplyDelete
  80. ...come to think of it, heroins probably a bit up-market for liverpool..... isnt glue u all sniff up there u dirty inbred?

    ReplyDelete
  81. so which 'them' is it, Jamie.

    I think Gary's question is fair and valid.

    ReplyDelete
  82. I'm clearly talking about fans.  And given regular articles highlighting the behaviour of certain sections of the fanbase, I think this is obvious.

    ReplyDelete
  83. isn't it past your bedtime

    ReplyDelete
  84. At least there's someone lke you to write 'articles' the way they are meant to be written ! Keep up the awesome work mate.
    You'll Never Walk Alone.

    ReplyDelete
  85. if we give babel a run of games, and we draw or get beat in all of those games, and it happens to be because babel didn't put the work rate in, we can always blame lucas or kuyt. because regardless of how much effort they put in to a game, they never get any credit.

    they may not be the most skillful but they will run barefoot over hot coals for the cause. thats all babel needs to do to become a regular.   

    ReplyDelete
  86. What a brilliant, informative, level headed response. I'm going to go ahead and say this: it's not xenophobia Jamie. It's racism. The way in which this kid's character has been chopped and skewed is absolutely disproportionate to his opportunities on the pitch and his comments. It's as if he's being hounded out of Anfield by a normally supportive media and fanbase. The boots comment looks and sounds like a light hearted joke. An acknowledgement of the nuances of an intense local rivalry. Yet people's perceptions are so skewed from reality that I can only attribute the disproportionate bad feeling against this guy to his skin colour. If John Barnes hadn't scored his first game (having started in his favourite position of course) he would have gotten the same biased treatment. The Echo's stance is frankly ridiculous and backwards especially considering the fact that Mascherano is probably trying to engineer a move to Barcelona as we speak.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Babel is nothing like Pennant other than being young and black. Pennant is an illiterate criminal. Babel just wants to play football. And yes Benitez has been fantastic in bringing on Torres, Gerrard, Crouch and Alonso as players but I believe he doesn't know how to bring on an old fashioned pacy dribbler in the same way as Ferguson or Wenger. He may admire them but he has no idea how to fit them into his formation. He didn't do it at Valencia and although he knows that kind of player is gold dust ib the Premiership he only feels comfortable with industrious workers like Kuyt and Lucas.

    ReplyDelete
  88. I really dont see how the Echo is taking delight at Babels current position. We payed £11 - £13 million for him and he has not shown any sort of form to warrant that huge price tag. Of course the lad has undoubted potential, however he hasnt got the right attitude. To me he shows no signs of truly wanting to do well for the club and is not commited to the cause. As for the "Astonishing Attack" agenda, it was exactly that. The timing of his comments could not have come at a worser time. The fact that he decided to make these comments public on the day of a crucial game shows that he only cares about himsellf and not his team mates or the club itself. I for one do not wish to see him much longer at the club.

    ReplyDelete
  89. jaimie you son are a cork sucker

    ReplyDelete
  90. if torres said that the spanish players would leave if benitez did, why should he get fined for that? he's coming out and making public support of the manager when he was under pressure, trying to create unity. sounds fair enough to me.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Jamie the article you refer to could almost have been written by you as it is the same style of journalism you spout...

    ReplyDelete
  92. Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's captain and Ryan Babel is a frustrated immature young player. How can you honestly compare the two.

    Ryan Babel has shown maybe 3 glimpses of quality in his 2 yrs at the club. He has been given chances to proof himself but has failed nearly everytime. The boy obviously has a poor attitude and lacks character when it comes to getting his head down and concentrating on proofing himself. 
    Players like Yossi have been in a similar position but have not taken multiple interviews and complained.
    I admire you in trying to defend Babel but the lad hasn't got what it takes to be in a Benitez team.
    The point is, he keeps doing these silly interviews showing his frustration in not progressing at the club. This is always going to come across badly when fans are frustrated in his constant poor performances. 
    The lad is going around thinking he's a world class player when he should be 'showing more of the walk and less of the talk'.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Babel hasnt been given chance after chance. since he arrived in 2007 he has just start 24 games.

    ReplyDelete
  94. it does not take a trained football eye to see that Ryan Babel does not pull his weight and his first touch is poor. he cant cross and doesnt pose a genuine threat for someone worth £11m. when facing criticism, he doesnt work hard, he drops his head easily and he is a disappointment. he clearly would rather chat cheaply in news papers than do his talking on the pitch. stevie g has the right as captain and one of the finest palyers in the clubs history to voice his opinion, he has earned the fans respect. there is a huge difference between the two players. we all would like babel to have done well but his performances are not good enough

    ReplyDelete
  95. HE'S BEEN GIVEN SCANT OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE AND WHEN HE HAS HE'S BEEN PLAYED ON THE LEFT. HE'S RIGHT FOOTED. CAN NO ONE SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS SITUATION. I WILL JUDGE HIM WHEN I SEE HIM PLAY FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME IN HIS BEST POSITION. UNTIL THEN ALL THESE EXTREME JUDGEMENTS ARE BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF SAND.

    Sorry for the caps but some people are refusing to think logically about the guy and in the meantime we are wasting one of Europe's brightest young talents.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Aaron Lennon can't cross on left foot neither.

    That's why he plays on the right.

    ReplyDelete
  97. However Babel's run and cross on his right foot for Torres against West Ham wasn't too bad though.

    ReplyDelete
  98. instead of echo writing shit about babel, write shit about benitez he is the one that needs to go. stubborn idiot who keeps playin his boyfreinds kuyt and lucas every match. who have nohting to offer. instead of playing lucas and kuyt all the matches what if he played babel half of what he plays kuy and lucas, then we'd have a preety good footballer in our hands.
    any ways i hope babel goes to another premier league club cuz benitez is runing his career.im sure other managers will motivate him instead of givin him 5 mins every match..

    ReplyDelete
  99. After having a look around this site, this being my first visit, I have come to a couple of conclusions about the state of our fanbase.

    1) There are too many sensationalists out there, worried about minor issues concerning small time journalism. Let's be honest, our problems at the moment lie ON THE PITCH. Not on the pages of the Echo, the s*n or any other rag for that matter.

    2) There are too many people ready to 'yank chains'. If you seriously think Mr. Kanwar, that what you do on this site is for the good of LFC and its fans then you are deluded. You have great success in upsetting people who simply follow their team through good times and bad, and have the downright gall to suggest that those of us who don't want to constantly rip the team, and its manager, to pieces, have some mad group mentality. Maybe you're right.....last I heard it's called BEING A FAN. When you are at the game you would want everybody to be behind the team I assume..........point made.

    ReplyDelete
  100. i agree with you entirely jaimie i never thought we could never geta more blinkerd crawly bum licker than tony barrett and then comes along king with his every thing is coming up roses approach and as much as i love and adore rushie does himself and king confer with the lfc press office before they publish there columns

    ReplyDelete
  101. i think what jamie has written is fair and right,
    the 'fans' who come here and give him shit
    are clearly covered by some red veil.

    ReplyDelete
  102. also,
    i feel the need to add
    thats its ridiculous that people often come here
    questioning jamies allegiance to liverpool,
    he clearly loves liverpool and i see it
    in the passion he gives to his articles
    criticism does not mean hate

    *im a united fan*

    ReplyDelete
  103. Well done Desy, well done: a very reasonable point of view.
    You'll never walk alone Desy   :)

    ReplyDelete
  104. Can I have your contact on my facebook? ^^

    ReplyDelete
  105. Desy- Babel plays on the left for Holland and doesnt do too badly. Why can't he re-produce the same for Liverpool, is it because his heart is not in it? As for being one of Europes brightest young talents, having a laugh, Babel doesnt and never will compare to the like of Messi, Aguero, di Maria, Benzema, Ronaldo, Rossi etc etc....they are all exceptionally hard working individuals, Babel is lazy.

    ReplyDelete