Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has criticised the effectiveness of the club's training methods, arguing that game-preparation in the Bundesliga is superior, which he believes had led to him being fitter than he ever was at Anfield.
In an interview with De Telegraaf, Babel observed:
“I think I’ve had really benefited from the move to the Bundesliga. We do more preparation work at Hoffenheim than I ever saw in England and we do longer training sessions. I’ve never felt so fit. You need competition to get fit. I often sat on the bench and the schedule in England, with a game every three days, meant the training was only there to maintain us.”
Babel left in January 2011, so he's obviously referring to the training regimes under Rafa Benitez and, briefly, Roy Hodgson, both of whom had very different approaches.
Whether Babel's comments have merit or not is irrelevant now anyway as the training regime has changed dramatically under Kenny Dalglish, with more focus on players enjoying possession, and cultivating a pass and move style through five-a-sides and rigorous practice sessions.
For an insight into Liverpool's current training philosophy, check out the following video, in which Darren Burgess, head of fitness and conditioning, discusses the team's cutting-edge training methods:
Jaimie Kanwar
In an interview with De Telegraaf, Babel observed:
“I think I’ve had really benefited from the move to the Bundesliga. We do more preparation work at Hoffenheim than I ever saw in England and we do longer training sessions. I’ve never felt so fit. You need competition to get fit. I often sat on the bench and the schedule in England, with a game every three days, meant the training was only there to maintain us.”
Babel left in January 2011, so he's obviously referring to the training regimes under Rafa Benitez and, briefly, Roy Hodgson, both of whom had very different approaches.
Whether Babel's comments have merit or not is irrelevant now anyway as the training regime has changed dramatically under Kenny Dalglish, with more focus on players enjoying possession, and cultivating a pass and move style through five-a-sides and rigorous practice sessions.
For an insight into Liverpool's current training philosophy, check out the following video, in which Darren Burgess, head of fitness and conditioning, discusses the team's cutting-edge training methods:
Jaimie Kanwar
Yeah! We could do with some "cutting edge" SCORING I think!
ReplyDeleteI think Babel has a point but with regards to his personal preferences and development. Big football teams play every 3-4 days in the peak periods of the season. A lot has changed since Babel left anyway as you have noted already but I think it also says something about his mentality if he needs so much committed to him to perform at his peak. In the end, I would worry more about what the current -players say but I would keep these comments made by Babel in mind for the future.
ReplyDeleteHe was a better (or just more confident?) player when he first arrived than after several years of our coaching and management methods so obviously something went wrong there.
ReplyDeleteAt least he became much better defensively and willing to waste his energy chasing back as was the Liverpool way tho. Unfortunately that's not the way to way Premiers titles tho :-(
What a tit go and dj somewhere,your not missed
ReplyDeleteI think that the heading here is guilty of sensational btw. He stated his preference for the new system he is working in, but that hardly constitutes as slamming his former club's practices
ReplyDeleteNothing to stop him or any other player doing extra training if they think it's needed. Never heard him asking for a run out for the reserves to get some match practice either.
ReplyDeleteAll the attributes needed to be a modern footballer with the exception of the one thing that can't be taught- decision making / "football brain"
Great to know that as well as being a top player Raul was also up there with Dirk fitness wise. Remind we why we sold him to one of our biggest rivals again? Maybe the passport went against him....
ReplyDeletebabel says in england there are more games than the budesliga.
ReplyDeletetherefore training has to be modified accordingly. I dont think this is a case of sour grapes. its just babel saying playing in the BL was good for his career and in hindsight it suits him more. player management is different in a number of clubs. babel is being managed differently, it suits him, im not seeing this as sour grapes or him having a point to say in respect to us.
i thinks its normal for footballers to be telling the public how great things are. I do recall reading that babel realised great benefits from rafa and he mentioned once that rafa made the players lay in ice baths after the games and how much it helped him in the end.
i like the guy, but he isnt lighting up the BL and neither are his team. also his proclivity to making silly rap vids with teens is a bit on the dodge side and sometimes i wish the footballers would talk less and get on with it.
Jamie, how about using your skills to de-construct the latest torres statement.
Yes, you're probably right about the headline. I'll change it later.
ReplyDeleteBabel's problem was he was inconsistent when he was given an opportunity, he could pull off the spectacular one week and then for the next month he couldn't hit a barn yard wall and his control was that of bambi, not to mention his tricks (or the 2 he had) were predictable.
ReplyDeletewhen you are a sub or an up and coming player you need to take every opportunity given to you and give the manager no plausible reason to drop you.
babel's biggest problem is that he has the 'I'm a victim mentality and want's to blame others rather than looking within
Babel was useless -- could never control a football - still cant -never will
ReplyDeleteLiverpool players are absolutely slow and have no speed. They look slow compared to the manchester clubs, they look 3 times slower. Something is definitely not happening and i cannot understand why liverpool fans cannot see that. Our players are slow and they cannot last the full 90min. That is a fact. I am a liverpool fan even if u don't believe me. Did u check how henderson breathes after makin a run, it's like he cannot get air into his lungs fast enough. Did u see how Adam runs after players and gives up, because he cannot last the distance. Did u see how Caragher takes forever just to make up his mind to pass the ball. I know i sound very negative, but the sooner King Kenny realizes this, the better for the team. We are agrevatingly slow, the only player that looks like he is fit is Agger. You cannot deny that Saurez and Kuyt runs the socks off, But but i am telling you that they are slow and unfit. If u look at the speed and of United's play and that they keep there tempo for the whole 90min atnd more, surely we as liverpool fan must realize that our players are just 3 times slower.
ReplyDeleteI hope we can do better agains Spurs and that the players put in better shifts on the training grounds. Maybe it is our fitness team that is not doing things right. I don't know, but surely somebody in the club must see the lack of fitness through out our team, Seriously?
he failed plain and simple. if the training methods so crap how come all the english teams fill all the place at last stages of champions league. made up he gone another player who picked up wages and sat on bench and never fulfilled potential
ReplyDeletewhat are you on about - the guy asked to be allowed to leave if he couldn't play on numerous occassions. It was never his choice to stay and sit on the bench watching the likes of Maxi and Kuyt flatter to deceive week on week
ReplyDeletewhat are you on about - Babel asked to be allowed to leave for the sake of his career on numerous occassions seeing as he wasn't getting any real playing time at Liverpool. It was never his choice to sit and waste away on our bench while the likes of Maxi and Kuyt were allowed to flatter to deceive week after week
ReplyDeleteWhich wingers are consistent to you Johnny, and better yet are you able to point out any that are consistent while receiving such inconsistent playing time?? Were Kuyt and Rodriguez 'consistent' while they were delivering no goals, assists, creativity or results for the team while we were getting outplayed and beaten on a regular basis last season??
ReplyDeleteYou talk about Babel being spectacular for a week then crap for a month, but the thing is he would never actually play consistently for a month! (compare that to Maxi or Kuyt for example who were terrible all season until finally delivering a few goals at the end of the season and suddenly being everybody's hero's again)
It seems like a bit of a catch 22 to be perceived as capable of being a match winner. Those players are deemed 'inconsistent' every time they fail to deliver a match winning performance, whereas the rest of the team are allowed to deliver the same middling performances every week with little to no criticism (when Kuyt, Lucas, Skrtel etc were delivering their 'consistent' performances for us under Hodgson, in what tangible way did those performances help the team??)
Bable left and it's good that he did. He couldn't have make it in Liverpool and I don't think he is big gain to Bundesliga either.
ReplyDeleteAs far as his training goes, he might be right about some things.
Liverpool did play 3 games a week sometimes but Babel would maybe get an hour of playing time in that 3 games so it was hard for him to show what he can do. He would have used more training probably.
u fkin idiots look at the talent this man possesed he was labled the next henry 4 fk sakes wt r coaches there 2 do he gt chances and never performed fkin bullshit, he came first season and won the youngest olaye of year award 4 liverpool, he was still the same player it was because of stupidd prickss like u and coaches like benitez and hodgson that the world was deprived of a talent like this ur fkin pile of shot carrol cant do fk all or henderson fkin idiots they dont have half babels talent stupid rasict cunts
ReplyDelete