The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[Stalin]

Ryan Babel believes the departure of Robbie Keane can finally make him a striking star with Liverpool.

Holland international Babel said: "I've had a really good talk with manager Rafa Benitez. I told him I am really happy at Liverpool.

"This is the place where I want to become a top-class player. Robbie has gone to Tottenham and that increases my chances so much more.

"I'm ready for more playing time. Meeting the manager, and having a talk about the future, was really important."

Babel joined Liverpool from Ajax in an £11million deal in the summer of 2007 but has been a fringe player since.

There have been increasing calls around Anfield for the Dutchman to take some of the pressure off Fernando Torres's shoulders.

Babel - who missed a sitter at Portsmouth last night - added: "I understand Liverpool is a massive club. When you play here, you know you are going to face so many matches every season.

"We play in all competitions and not a single player can play all of those matches.

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"The manager invests so much time and energy in talking to us. He takes time with me. We talk about the system we play, about how he wants me and others to operate in his system. He has told me what my role can be in the future and what he expects of me now, if necessary as a winger.

"But I have not made a secret of my big desire to become a striker for Liverpool.

"That is where my ambition is and Benitez now knows that. I have told him that I have a real hunger for that position."

Some Liverpool fans are beginning to question Babel's progress, but the Dutchman insisted: "I have made big progress as a player at Liverpool.

"I train with the best players in the world and I feel as if I have one of the best coaches in the world.

"The Premier League is heaven for a player. You see and you meet the best of the best. Every opponent has quality and is physically strong. When I used to play at Ajax I could play and win matches without having to give 100 per cent. Under Benitez, and in the Premier League, that is impossible."

Babel still thinks Liverpool will win the title. He said: "Our rivals are going to drop points. They can't keep winning. It is important we show character when they make a mistake."

mirror.co.uk

making the right noises anyway

[Mid Down Gael]

Great win for liverpool, babel never seems to play well when he starts

or when he comes on!thought he would have bigyear this year showed potential last year to me he just seems to be someone that dont want to be there

Liverpool fan myself and have been very disapointed with Babel. Looks a player on way out in summer. Have to admitt we where blessed on sat. Rafa got lucky this time. He needs to catch a grip with team selections.

What would you have played and why?

For a start i wouldnt have went with only 3 attacking players from the start. Are you trying to justify that selection on sat? only Kuyt, Alonso and EL Nino came on we where beat by the worst performing team in league at minute. NGog was terrible along with Babel. We have no game for two weeks so there is plenty of time to rest if players are tired. We had are 4 best attacking options on the bench apart fron StevieG. So Rafa should have started with at least 2 from Reira, Alonso, Torres and Kuyt. admitt it we got lucky and a top side wouldnt have conceeded so easily as Pompy.

[Armamike]

Liverpool deserved to be on the winning side of a game like that, considering all the last ditch goals that we've conceded lately.

An odd looking team selection and tactics from Benitez but surprisingly the players adjusted to it quite well and looked quite comfortable for large periods.  It was disappointing to see Torres left out of the starting line up but i suppose you have to take the manager's word for it if he says he's too tired to play.  I'm afraid Ngog and Babel don't really cut the mustard. I haven't seen a lot of Ngog but any game time i've seen him, he hasn't offered any threat neither particularly quick or strong on the ball.  Kuyt made a big impact when he came on, did very well with his goal.  What more can be said about Torres? He's the top man.  As important to Liverpool now as was Ronaldo was for Utd last season. 

[corn02]

Great win for liverpool, babel never seems to play well when he starts

or when he comes on!thought he would have bigyear this year showed potential last year to me he just seems to be someone that dont want to be there

Liverpool fan myself and have been very disapointed with Babel. Looks a player on way out in summer. Have to admitt we where blessed on sat. Rafa got lucky this time. He needs to catch a grip with team selections.

What would you have played and why?

For a start i wouldnt have went with only 3 attacking players from the start. Are you trying to justify that selection on sat? only Kuyt, Alonso and EL Nino came on we where beat by the worst performing team in league at minute. NGog was terrible along with Babel. We have no game for two weeks so there is plenty of time to rest if players are tired. We had are 4 best attacking options on the bench apart fron StevieG. So Rafa should have started with at least 2 from Reira, Alonso, Torres and Kuyt. admitt it we got lucky and a top side wouldnt have conceeded so easily as Pompy.

It was probably the most offensive formation he has played all season.

[Minder]

Great win for liverpool, babel never seems to play well when he starts

or when he comes on!thought he would have bigyear this year showed potential last year to me he just seems to be someone that dont want to be there

Liverpool fan myself and have been very disapointed with Babel. Looks a player on way out in summer. Have to admitt we where blessed on sat. Rafa got lucky this time. He needs to catch a grip with team selections.

What would you have played and why?

For a start i wouldnt have went with only 3 attacking players from the start. Are you trying to justify that selection on sat? only Kuyt, Alonso and EL Nino came on we where beat by the worst performing team in league at minute. NGog was terrible along with Babel. We have no game for two weeks so there is plenty of time to rest if players are tired. We had are 4 best attacking options on the bench apart fron StevieG. So Rafa should have started with at least 2 from Reira, Alonso, Torres and Kuyt. admitt it we got lucky and a top side wouldnt have conceeded so easily as Pompy.

The only person that has to justify it is Benitez, at the risk of repeating myself people seem to forget that Benitez and the coaching staff know the physical condition of the players better than we do. I certainly would not have started Torres, people dont seem to remember that he has already had two lengthy spells out this year with hamstring injuries. Everyone was bitching and whining about Benitez taking Gerrard off against Wigan but it seems now that he wanted to come off as he was feeling his hamstring, which subsequently went against Everton. Some Liverpool supporters seem to be of the nonsense Craig Burley spouted on Setanta on Saturday regarding Torres & i am paraphrasing here "You need to wrap Torres up in cotton wool but you have to play him every match cos he will get you goals".........How can you do both? Answers on a postcard............

[EC Unique]

I see that Jamaican national manager John Barnes admits he's still interested in managing in England. Could he be a possible future manager of Liverpool?  Replacement for Rafa?

[bingobus]

I see that Jamaican national manager John Barnes admits he's still interested in managing in England. Could he be a possible future manager of Liverpool?  Replacement for Rafa?

   

Fair play EC, you obviously could think of nothing else to post on here and pulled up this gem. Yes, he'll be one of the favourites in June when Rafa leaves. I believe his Jamaica side has beaten a few of its neighbouring islands recently and this puts his stint at Celtic into prespective.

On a side note, he has put a few pounds on and could do with a few sessions himself.

[Hound]

Agger not all that happy. Nothing wrong in what he says, players shouldnt be happy when dropped, but timing is a bit odd given he just started the most recent game:

From Sporten.dk (courtesy of sportinglife.com)

"Let me be honest and admit that, if I don't play, then it's untenable and it can't go on like that,"

"It's never nice for a footballer to not play regularly. That is something I will not hide. But my situation at the club is that he [Benitez] doesn't want to let me play.

"So far I have opted to stay and wait for my chance and to fight for my place.

"I feel I am good enough. Therefore, it irritates me when I don't play. I am waiting for the chance to play a number of matches and to show that I am good enough."

[corn02]

End of Agger then?

[Norf Tyrone]

Any chance you can update your nice, new sparkley thread? I keep thinking Pompey/ Lpool is this Sat at 5:30pm, and it confuses me as Chelsea are on this Sat night. I am easilly confused matron.

[brokencrossbar1]

The Agger contract talks are at a very delicate situation and this is no doubt part of getting his extra wee bit.  I think he will sign up a shiny new contract in the next few months with a substantial pay hike and will play a lot more games between now and the end of the season.  He might suit the LB role

[corn02]

The Agger contract talks are at a very delicate situation and this is no doubt part of getting his extra wee bit.  I think he will sign up a shiny new contract in the next few months with a substantial pay hike and will play a lot more games between now and the end of the season.  He might suit the LB role

The commentator said we had only played three at the back once in a few years or something, I think West Ham was mentioned. Did we not play this for a spell with very good results last season?

[EC Unique]

News coming out of Spain is that Torres has injured himself and could be out for 3 months!

Wind-up I take it?

[corn02]

Liverpool's Spanish stars came safely through last night's international in Seville.
Fernando Torres negotiated 64 minutes against England before he was replaced by Spain's second goalscorer Fernando Llorente, while Xabi Alonso played the full 90 minutes.
 
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Alvaro Arbeloa were both introduced at half-time.
 
On a busy night of international football, Yossi Benayoun was Israel's match-winner, scoring from close range as his country beat Hungary 1-0 in Tel Aviv.
 
Young striker David Ngog also got on the scoresheet with a neat volley as France Under 21s drew 1-1 with Tunisia.
 
Javier Mascherano captained Argentina to a 2-0 win in France, while Daniel Agger was booked as he lasted 90 minutes in Denmark's 1-1 draw against Greece.
 
Ryan Babel came on for clubmate Dirk Kuyt at half-time in Holland's 1-1 draw with Tunisia, while Sami Hyypia played the full 90 minutes as Finland lost 1-0 to Portugal thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.
On Tuesday night Martin Skrtel and Andrea Dossena both tasted defeat in international friendlies.
 
Dossena earned his sixth cap after replacing Andrea Pirlo 75 minutes into Italy's 2-0 defeat against Brazil at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, while Skrtel played 90 minutes as Slovakia were beaten 3-2 by Ukraine.

[EC Unique]

If Rafa had a bit of sense Robbie would have been in that little piece Corn