Liverpool’s New Striker?

Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by James Herd in Blog

Ryan Babel is still a Liverpool player. He continues to divide opinion amongst many supporters. Nobody can doubt the frightening potential that Babel has, but equally, nobody can doubt his failure to make an impression at Liverpool Football Club so far.

Yesterday was a busy day of rumours; Carlton Cole, Bojan, Bobby Zamora and Peter Crouch to name a few. But when the clock struck 18:00, Liverpool were unable to strike a deal for a new front man to assist Fernando Torres.

Disappointment for many Liverpool fans, but this is Ryan Babel’s chance to step up to the mark, and prove himself to be the player we imagined him to become when he first arrived at Melwood.

According to sources, Babel spent much of the day in a helicopter floating above and around Upton Park and White Hart Lane. However Babel ended all the speculation well before the deadline by tweeting “Guys guys guys …I’m going no where … LFC all the way …ynwa !!!”

Babel has been Liverpool’s most prolific striker this season, scoring a goal every 63 minutes compared to Ngog (119 minutes) and Torres (227 minutes). This is a fairly meaningless statistic in August, but if he can be anywhere near as prolific when we reach May, Roy’s failure to sign a striker may have been an accidental stroke of genius.

Hodgson seems intent on playing him as a striker, whereas Benitez never really discovered where to place Babel in the team. Speaking to the Press Association, Babel recently stated:

“I spoke with him at the beginning of the season about this. It is positive. I will play up front when he [Roy Hodgson] plays me so that is what I’m focusing on.”

Babel has often looked lost on the pitch over the past 12 months, but there is no doubting his positive attitude: “Every player has a preferred position but wherever the manager plays me I will do my best”.

So is Ryan Babel going to be the ‘new’ striker Liverpool strived for? You have to feel this is a huge season for the Dutch international. Many will jump to the defence of young David Ngog and rant on how he is better than our number 19. But when you look at things in perspective you will see that the two players are worlds apart in terms of playing style.

On one hand you have David Ngog who has bulked up over the summer. He has come a long way and his hold up and link up play has become impressive. However, he cannot run at defenders or shoot outside the area like Babel can. Babel may not be a target man like that of his counterpart, but he is the type of player who you want to get in behind defender; because frankly, players like Babel scare the bejesus out of them.

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26 Responses to “Liverpool’s New Striker?”

Macca

01. Sep, 2010

he needs a run of games to prove he is capable of what we believe he is capable of, if he isn’t given a chance it’s pointless keeping him. If we revert to a 442 at home he should be given a chance with Fernando to see if they can form a partnership or not.
Ray

01. Sep, 2010

I am happy to have Babel get a chance to prove his worth as a striker but I want to see him playing together upfront with Torres and not just to replace Torres.

Having said that… I still believe that we need to bring in another 2 strikers. Obviously now, it will have to be for the January transfer window but we need to start working at it from now and even preferably finalise the deals with the players before the window opens so that on the very first day of January the new strikers come in.

All the teams vying for a top 4 spot in the league have 3 or 4 first team strikers except us. This issue has been going on for over a year now and I cannot believe that we still have not signed a striker even on a loan deal let alone on a permanent deal.

I get the impression no striker wants to join us.

Very sad.
rushy

01. Sep, 2010

what a loud of fucking guff! RH left it too late and we ended up with nobody! whether or not you think that Ryan Babel is the answer to our striking problems or not( i for one dont) thats what we are left with! david ngog is not going to score 10 goals a season in the premier league and badly needs to go out on loan if he is to have a future at the club to get his game sorted in his own head, but that isnt possible with the lack of personel in this area… i would rather see pacheco get more game time ahead of ngog!
James Herd

01. Sep, 2010

I’m not sure what point you are making Rushy. I’m fully aware that Babel is what we are left with. Hence his chance to finally utilise his potential. David Ngog is young, as is Babel. Strikers very rarely blossom until mid 20′s, this failure to sign a new striker presents Ryan a chance to step up and fill the hole that has been left, and a more regular starting place would see Ngog play a lot less football, therefore he can develop his game at a normal pace, instead of being rushed into the first team as he was last season.
guy

01. Sep, 2010

The loan market is still open, so we could possibly still sign Mario Gomez on loan, although doubtful. But I am glad Ryan Babel stayed, as I rate him higher then Carlton Cole. Just give him time, and if he still fails to develop, then i guess we have no choice but to sell him
Choccy

01. Sep, 2010

Rushy get a life, you’ve picked he name of a Liverpool legend as your nickname, and now your tarnishing it with the tosh your talking.

Ngog is a fast improving player. He’s certainly not as good as Torres yet, but then Torres is one of the best in the world so not many are. Ngog though is coming along nicely, and so far looks like £1.5m very well spent. I love Babel, he’s a very exciting player, but he needs a run of games to get his play together and get his confidence up. Personally I think he should have gone on loan for the season to get that. Ngog though has far better hold up play than Babel and so far this season has shown he’s got an eye for a goal. In 2-3 years time if he gets enough game time to develop he’ll be a class player.
Martin Button

01. Sep, 2010

And rushy. I would put money on Ngog getting 10 goals this season if he gets 30+ games. He’s already got 4 goals in 6 games so to get another 6 in 26 + appearances should be easily achieveable for him.
rushy

01. Sep, 2010

choccy you cock my name is rush lol…….i love liverpool football club like a family member but lets be realistic babel isnt going to set the world alight and if you think that david ngog is capable of 10 PREM GOALS i did say prem goals Martin then you no nothing about our beloved club or footy in general!…. i cant stand everyone trying to be so positive on here when the sad fact is that we are falling miserably short!
- Dominic Campbell
  
  01. Sep, 2010
  
  To be fair, it is you that sounds like you don’t know about your football. you say Pacheco should play ahead of Ngog. Thats all well and good, but Pacheco isnt a striker. He’s a support striker like the role Cole is playing.
  
  And Ngog managed 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 games last year. So he is capable of 10+ goals this season.
  
  We havent seen a long enough run of ryan babel to be able to judge. He is exciting though.
topscout

01. Sep, 2010

can’t believe(now i can), that RH did not sign at least one quality striker, before yesterdays deadline, RH had acouple months before this, to do it. he’s a TIT. why wait for the deadline to try and sign a striker

to get the best out of babel, i wud play him just behind Torres, in a free role, at Anfield.

In some away games, i wud rest torres and play babel as the lone striker, with cole, just behind him.

babel is a class player, just needs a manager, to give him a run of games and that belives in him.

Why do you think harry tried to sign him for spurs????.
Michael Khalilian

01. Sep, 2010

We should play 4-4-2 with torres and babel up front and see how they do. Babel shouldn’t be playing a lone striker role, he’s not that good at holding up play and is not physical enough to deal with 3 defenders on him right when he gets the ball back to goal. If we partner him up with Torres I think he would do wonderfully, Torres would take much of the attention from the defense and that would leave Babel to run at the defense and link up with cole and torres which is what he’s good at.
- Choccy
  
  02. Sep, 2010
  
  If you’re partnering Babel with Torres, where does Cole come into the equation? I believe the rumours are he signed for us so he could get away from playing in wide roles, which leaves centre mid and he’s too lightweight to hold his own in there.
  
  Then you have Jovanovic, who so far has been excellent playing as a left sided forward cutting in, looking like a class purchase (incidentally I’m surprised not to have seen more comments on how good he is looking).
1ofthejuicys

01. Sep, 2010

Doesnt matter now the transfer window is closed! So quit Crying and get behind our new manager and the team and start acting like liverpool supporters!!!!
Red Rob

02. Sep, 2010

i personally beleive that babels ability to develop as a player was hindered by rafa, i was excited when he signed and have we have seen glimpses of quality but hes never played 3 games in a row for us which is down to inconsistency and poor managment, lets face facts if babel was under wengers wing he would be a completely different player by now it annoys me when my gooner friends say it but i know its true. he needs games yes but he also needs time to learn the trade and learn the ins and out of being a striker. if it does work out babel and torres could become as fearsome as any front two in europe….ngog has and will get better 10 goals is acheivable and would get doubters off his back and given time pacheco will become a beast!!!!
abgmja

02. Sep, 2010

Yes…..this is the time for him to show his calibre.. Let plays him in front partner with Torres…he still young and my aspectation he should be fast, good dribble and brave….no fear and play your best…..take your chance…..
Choccy

02. Sep, 2010

Having read through the comments so far I have to say the doom and gloom merchants need to buck up. Yes we’d all like to have a team full of Gerrards and Torres’s, but it’s unrealistic. I actually think we have some very good attacking options. Torres we know is outstanding when fit. Then you have Babel, Ngog and Pacheco, all bursting with promise and a good run combined with a bit of luck could see one or two of those three show themselves as potential world class players this year. Ngog has shown this so far with a few goals in Europe leading to some great performances from him.

To back those four up you have Cole, Kuyt and Jovanovic, all capable of playing up front.

Also consider the constant complaint of Liverpool supporters under Benitez, that youth wasn’t given a chance. Babel, Ngog and Pacheco are all great youth players, give them a chance, let them show their worth.
Hodge Podge

02. Sep, 2010

Im not sure why people keep blaming managers for not getting players signed. Obviously managers need to identify which players they would like to sign and try to push it along but other people at the club normally are responsible for getting them signed(It used to be Rick Parry and he took forever trying to get things done).

Now we seem to have many Attacking players but not strikers, so I think the possiblity of playing a 4-3-3 against some teams looks good. Not sure Roy plays that way much though, more likely to be 4-5-1 I guess. It would be nice to see us getting players such as Babel, Cole, Jovanovic, really running at defenses and get the best out of them rather than methodically passing around forever.
Propetis

02. Sep, 2010

well in my opinion babel is a good 3rd choice in attack after kuyt and torres. but thats only if kuyt playes up front.given the lack in wingers thats not possible i guess.
So, for me, 4-2-3-1 is our formation for as long as we dont get a good winger.a left footed one preferably.cause neither kuyt nor cole are wingers tbh…maxi is the only one that actually playes the wing but he hasnt prove anything for me so far…
sorry i went too far.back to babel, if he is given the time i think he can develop into a really good player, he got the talent and needs game.

YNWA
Greece
topscout

02. Sep, 2010

FAO…propetis,

you think kuyt is a better striker than babel?, u need your head testing.

Babel has got more skill in his little toe, than kuyt has in his whole body.

don’t get me started on kuyt and i think you think lucas is agood player.
cool

03. Sep, 2010

All he needs is match time, benitez never played and when he did, babel was amzing. I would say keeping babel is better deal than signing mario gomez or carlton cole. He is fast, can dribble and has a nice finish. well done roy.
al

03. Sep, 2010

People,i think at at the moment we have a problem.we dont have an extra striker.anyways i like babel to play cause he can cut through defenders and score.i think he will be better off then ngog.so i hope they give him more chances.i think lucas should get loaned or sold.
david

03. Sep, 2010

Because of David N’Gog’s inabilty to be good at football, Babel should definitely be the back-up striker for Torres. Whether he should play with him is a different story. I have been keeping a close eye on N’Gog’s progress over the past year or so, and he is just the most useless pile of trash I have ever laid eyes on. We so desperately needed to bring in another striker before the transfer deadline, but unfortunately we weren’t able to. Liverpool should still play a 4-5-1 for the time being, Gerrard and Meireles (great signing) in the middle with Cole behind Torres. Babel should continue to play on the wings and if we are without Torres then he should be first in line to be the front man, not that ridiculous waste of space David N’Gog.
SH

06. Sep, 2010

Just to reiterate what most everyone else thinks. Babel needs games under his belt. The guy has the ability, he just needs to play in a role where he is given adequate support play….. i.e up front as a foil for Torres and with decent supply…. this being Cole and Gerrard. For too long he was brought in as a sub or stuck up front by himself for the last 10minutes of a match. As it stands we have enough players to play 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 (with Meireles and Gerrard potentially capable of switching roles as needed).

Johnson ——- Carra———-Skrtyl——-Agger/Aurelio

Rodriguez———Gerrard—–Meireles———Cole/Jova

Torres———–Babel/Ngog

————————————————————————OR

Johnson ——- Carra———-Skrtyl——-Agger/Aurelio

Meireles——-Poulsen

Rodriguez———Gerrard————Cole

Torres
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20. Nov, 2010

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20. Nov, 2010

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