10 Feb 2012

Ex-Liverpool Star joins struggling Ryan Babel at Hoffenheim...

Liverpool fans have fond memories of swashbuckling right back Markus Babbel. During the memorable 2000-2001 treble-winning season, the German played 60 out of 63 games for the club, and was integral to Liverpool's success that year. Babbel was sacked by Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin in December 2011, but less than two months later, he is back in football as the manager of Hoffenheim.

It's now Babbel and Babel at Rhein-Neckar-Arena - former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel also plays for Hoffenheim, and after a run of poor results, I'm sure the Dutchman will be glad to see an expansion of the Liverpool connection at the club.

After signing on the dotted line, Babbel told the AFP:

"I shall try to get the team back on the rails - I wouldn't have accepted the job if I had not been convinced about it. One has to stress the team has its strong points"

Is Ryan Babel one of those 'strong points'? Not at the moment; after 5 goals in his first 7 games for Hoffenheim, Babel has now gone 19 games without a goal. With that kind of record, the Dutchman could find himself bounced out of the club, and with a new manager in charge, he'll have to prove himself all over again.

Babel seems unconcerned by his poor form though, and doesn't believe it will affect his selection chances for Euro 2012. He told Goal.com

"I don't fear that Hoffenheim's poor results will cost me my place in the Dutch squad. That shouldn't be a problem as long as I deliver the goods, and I have plenty of confidence"

Babel is not the only one in the midst of goal drought in the league; Liverpool have a few players of their own struggling for league goals, including:

* Stewart Downing: 23 games without a goal
* Jordan Henderson: 20 games without a goal
* Charlie Adam: 14 games without a goal
* Luis Suarez: 1 league goal in the last 13 games
* Andy Carroll: 1 league goal in the last 13 games

Painful to read.

Babbel opens the scoring against Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup Final:


Jaimie Kanwar


14 comments:

  1. The goals will come in this game or the next. Mark my words Jamie they will come. The understanding between the players is accelerating and I can envisage that in the next 5 games we will score 12 goals.

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  2. Babel is a complete waster, always has been, so his form is absolutely no surprise to me

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  3. Ryan Babel is a failure.

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  4. Yeah Ashfah, shame he's not a success like you.

    Who do you play for again?

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  5. Even playing for a lowly club in a new country, he has still severely outperformed Downing and everybody's hero, Mr. Big Game Kuyt. And he has actually scored as many as Suarez, while being one of the most successful dribbler's across Europe. 

    So what do you have to say about their form?

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  6. Lol Babel is better than (and would score more goals than) carroll, kuyt, hender-bender and downing put together. this liverpool team, sad to say, is worse than the pre-alonso/masch era (with the exception of class-act Suarez).

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  7. Time to boo Downeys every touch - he is pathetic and he must go or Kenny goes - look at the footbll Swansea play - OPEN YOUR BLOODY EYES

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  8. Regardless of how Liverpool's signings are doing, Babel is rubbish

    Downing has been shockingly bad

    Adam has done well, 10 assists, a few goals

    Hendo has done ok

    Kuyt is getting on a little now, but even at his peak he didn't have what we need now

    We need a fast winger who can beat a man with some skill and stand up a decent cross

    Everyone else has one

    Babel only ever looked good in Euro U21s before he joined us, once he got his 60k a week he gave up even trying..... Useless

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  9. What a great "supporter" you are....time to "boo" his every touch eh? You obviously haven't got a clue what it means to be a real Liverpool fan.

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  10. Babel looked good in his first season after joining us. And would've been excused for giving up on trying once it became clear that no matter what he'd never be given a similar opportunity as somebody like Kuyt (who contrary to reports has regularly failed to perform, even before this year)

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