19 Mar 2012

£11m Rafa Benitez flop threatens to quit the Bundesliga...

Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel is not enjoying life at Hoffenheim at the moment, and despite the recent appointment of ex-Red Markus Babbel as manager, the Dutch international's poor form has continued, which could conceivably affect his chances of making the Netherlands team for Euro 2012.

No stranger to making inadvisable public statements, Babel - who cost Liverpool 11m in 2007 - has basically threatened to quit Hoffenheim over the club's run of two wins in fifteen games, which included a 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich last week.

Babel told Sport1:

"At the moment, we are playing football like we are confused. Personally, I have managed to improve since being at this club, but when you are playing for a team that has some problems, then it is tough to generally impress individually.

"Football is a fast moving business. It is possible that I may play for some other team in the future. I am hoping to see us achieve our goals here. If not, I have to very much consider my career".


Clearly, Babel has an over-inflated view of his own importance to the team. In the last 25 games, he's contributed a Downing-esque 1 goal and 1 assist for Hoffenheim, yet he incredulously claims his form has 'improved' (!)

An attacking player's job is simple: create and/or score goals, and for me, any attacking player who doesn't do that regularly is not doing their job properly. With that in mind, I fail to see how Babel has 'improved'.

At Liverpool, Babel had the excuse of constantly being dropped/on the bench, but at Hoffenheim, he's started 29 out of 31 appearances this season, which has allowed him the run of games he was denied at Anfield.

Since Babbel's appointment, Hoffenheim have managed only one win in six games.

Jaimie Kanwar


38 comments:

  1. Maybe Benitez was right after all...babel used to fall over his own shadow.

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  2. Jaime you and your facts. I'm sure you haven't watched a single babel game this season, so you would have absolutely no idea.

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  3. Great headline Jamie - do you describe Alonso or Reina or Torres or Mascherano or Skrtel as "Rafa Benitez success" ? I think not, so why call Babel anything other than a disappointment or "flop" if you must write in tabloid fashion - instead just another cheap shot at Rafa. Your commentary has become sooooo.... tedious. Get back to data based discussion if you want people to read & stay away from pointless attention seeking headlines.

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  4. What difference does it make if I've watched his games or not (and I have seen a few, by the way). Babel has one goal and one assist in 25 games. End of story.

    It's not good enough for an attacking player, irrespective of the reason why. Liverpool fans are good at accepting mediocrity these days though so of you think that's a good return, that's up to you.

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  5. None of your business12:19 pm, March 19, 2012

    Come on Andrew, Jaimie obviously knows absolutely everything about football

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  6. The days when I cared about what Ryan Babel did is long past. He is no different to any other ex-player that didn't live up to his billing. I mean does anybody care what Voronin is up to or Konchesky or Poulsen or Antonio Nunez? I am only interested in former players such as Alonso, players who were lions for the club and still respect it massively. I'm not saying babel doesn't respect the club, but he's hardly someone I will remember in 20 years time. 

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  7. This is your usual snipe at Benitez,(one of the best managers LFC have ever had!). Why not tell us all about the failures of Houllier,Hodgson etc; You Jamie remain one of a minority of LFC supporters that constantly knock Rafa,who incidently would be welcomed back to LFC tomorrow! FACT ! Which LFC managers 'did you like' ?

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  8. This article is not a knock at Benitez at all; that's what you're projecting onto it. Babel is a Benitez flop; it's a simple fact. I do not 'constantly knock' Benitez either - click on the 'Benitez' link in the label cloud and you will find lots of positive stuff about the man. That wouldn't suit your argument though, would it?

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  9. Threatens? Flops don't threaten; they get shipped out, maybe back to the Eredivisie if any club cares to show any interest in Babel's talents... 

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  10. I'm sure you have.....
    Listen my little friend, facts are like bikinis. They give you a pretty good idea of what's going on but they hide all the good stuff. I know you haven't seen him play for Hoffenheim, don't even try to tell me you have! - He has been playing well at times and has been there little over a year and managed 5-6 goals in 40 appearances I think. He has been injured and played in many different positions. Last season he was played as a striker mostly, which gave a better end product. As a winger, having the absolute end product is not everything. He breaks play well, and has had a lot of 2nd last through balls (which probably don't count as assists on whatever stats-website you've been looking at).

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  11. Who cares about Babel???, he was useless!

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  12. Why not refer to as Liverpool flop unless its personal ??

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  13. Babel (striker)was played out of position,as were others.I accept your reply,and must say I enjoy your column,however I still believe tha Rafa would be welcomed back! I like many others do take umbrage to the knocking he gets from some people.

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  14. If you want your comments to stay live then please drop the patronising tone.

    I lived in Germany for twelve years when I was growing up, and I still follow German football now; so yes, I have watched Babel play for Hoffenheim.

    However you try and justify it, creative attacking players are judged on goals, assists, and the ability to change a game. Babel has 1 goal and 1 assist in 25 games; Hoffenheim have 2 wins in 15 games. How exactly is Babel making an impact?

    You can make excuses about being played out of position but the stats speak for themselves, and every club uses stats to assess their players, so they're not meaningless at all. In fact, stats are increasingly the most important aspect of player analysis, and this is definitely the case at Liverpool.

    Again: 1 goal and 1 assist in 25 games. No amount of excuses can make that sound good.

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  15. Personal? Be serious (!) Benitez chose to sign Babel; Benitez is responsible for signing players, thus failures (and successes) are on his shoulders. There's nothing personal at all, just what you're projecting.

    I love the hypocrisy of LFC fans - how many fans refer to Poulsen and Konchesky as 'Liverpool Flops'? Exactly - you'll always hear them referred to as 'Hodgson flops' or variations thereof.

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  16. I agree with you that Rafa would be welcomed back; I don't dispute that. In fact, if he did come back, I wouldn't be too fussed about it. He will have (hopefully) learned from his experiences at LFC and Inter, and perhaps he'll become a better manager as a result.

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  17. forget rafa kenny is the boss and has took us to wembley twice maybe a hatrick ?

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  18. better than downing

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  19. Chi Bai lu, how on earth could Rafa buy this player!

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  20. Still think he is better than a lot of what we have. But he has no chance of getting into the Dutch squad.

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  21. I like how you always end up writing more in the comment section of your articles than in the body of the posts. Not sure what that says, but it does say something. ;)

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  22. hahaha babel. he IS a Liverpool flop. Every manager gets some signings wrong. he was one of rafas. but even sir alex has signed a few flops in his time. They dont define him as a manger. I get this isnt a dig at rafa, why cant u other silly sods. And hey woy hodgson signed a lot of flops and even they dont define him, he simply wasnt good enough to handle managing a big club in the spotlight. he looked good at times (babel) but he'll never be a household name.

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  23. Oh... My... God... !

    Did Jaimie Kanwar just write what I think he did???

    Go on and admit it: you love Rafa. ;)

    Seriously though; I don't think you can blame Rafa for Babel's poor form any more than Dalglish can be blamed for Carroll's. Some players just don't adapt well and its not always possible to predict that.

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  24. Is Benitez Effect still to blame or is Babel just a waste of space who only ever played well while at U21 Euros before securing a big move and then sat on a £70k a week deal

    Evidence is starting to suggest the latter

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  25. How do you judge players who play for lower ranked sides?

    They inevitably score less goals, and therefore create less assists. What stats are important to you then?

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  26. great support. can you predict the future??
    dalglish wont be going anywhere in the near future and downing might be turning the corner. will you eat your words?? 

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  27. Everything is relative, but you knew that already.

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  28.  I can't help but think the author is coming at this all wrong.  On the one hand he used to say Babel deserved a run, but doesn't this contradict that.  Babel may well have improved, but if he has inferior or poor team mates, how can he be expected to do his job.  There is no 'I' in team.

    I would ask the author to reconsider his points, as they do not appear to account for other players.  If Babel is surrounded by 'rubbish' how can he do his job effectively?  It's like saying, if a goalkeeper lets a goal in, he is not doing his job.  Ludicrous.

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  29. You guys earn money to comment on this page who has 25 visitors a day or something? If so i will be on here 24/7 talking rubbish... lol

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  30. I remember all your constant snipes at Rafa when he was here, how he did not know how to put his arm around a player's shoulder and how he mistreated the likes of Babel by dropping him  and was responsible for their underperformance.  Rafa is the greatest manager we have had since Paisely and most of us would have him back in a flash.  Fact.

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  31. if a goalkeeper lets one goal in, that's okay. if he's repeatedly conceding goals in every single game, then he's not doing his job properly. The same principle applies to Babel: 1 goal and 1 assist in 25 games; that's 23 games with no creative contribution. That is a problem.

    Yes, I used to argue that Babel deserved a run in the team at LFC, and he did. That has nothing to do with what we're discussing now; he's at a new club; things are different, and he's had a run of games, and produced next to nothing.

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  32. he may have signed Babel. And you could catogorize him as a flop because as fans we expected more. But tell me, did Benitez play him often or close to every game when he figured out he didn't have the form?

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  33. Maybe the guy has just gone backwards?

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  34. Babel's a strange one. So much talent and raw pace, but doesn't seem to have the right attitude. I feel like if a manager can get the best out of him he will truly flourish. But, you're right, 1 goal and 1 assist are not good enough for a striker. 

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  35. scored some cracking goals from us. In fact, probably only Gerrard ever matched the quality of some of his strikes.

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  36. Sat on his deal? The guy consistently begged to be allowed to be sent out on loan if he wasn't going to be allowed to play, as he obviously knew his career was moving backwards as a Liverpool reserve.
    Unfortunately for Babel, he was always too naive in trusting that 'next year would be a clean slate and fresh start', and so ended up wasting way too much of his life at Anfield.

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  37. No Babel is not a "BENITEZ flop", He is a "BABEL flop", The guy had potential, but let other things get in the way.

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