Holland coach Marco Van Basten recently criticised Rafael Benitez’s handling of Ryan Babel, noting that the player had taken a step backward since his arrival at Anfield. A harsh assessment? Not if you look at the facts; and having examined the facts, Benitez’s truly appalling treatment of the player is depressingly clear.

Van Basten argued: “If you look at Ryan Babel, it is a mortal sin he now sits on the bench at Liverpool. He was playing well in Holland and for the Under-21s but now he has taken a step backwards.”

Babel cost £11.5m and inarguably has huge potential – the question is has he been given the chance to fulfil that potential?

The answer is resoundingly and unequivocally NO.

As we’ve all seen, Rafa loves his facts, so let’s consider some facts about Ryan Babel:

2007-08: Babel’s first season

50 appearances

Starts – 29
Subbed – 21 times
On the bench – 24 times
Unused sub – 4 games

Totals

Subbed or on the bench in 82% of games
Subbed in 72% of games started
Scored 11 goals. On 10 occasions, dropped to the bench for the next game.

2008-09

38 appearances

Starts – 9
Subbed – 4 times
On the bench – 25 times
Unused sub – 6 times

Subbed or benched in 76% of games
Subbed in 44% of games started

GRAND TOTALS

88 appearances

38 Starts
Subbed – 25 times
On the bench – 49 times
Unused sub – 10 times

Subbed or on the bench in 84% of games
Subbed in 66% of starts

Taking into account unused sub status

In the squad 93 times
Subbed or on the bench in 90% games

With these figures in mind, consider the following questions:

1. Has Babel been given any kind of chance to establish himself at Liverpool?
2. Has he been allowed to flourish in any way?
3. Has he been allowed a consistent run of games *ever*?
4. Given the fact that in his first season, he was dropped to the bench TEN TIMES after scoring goals, has he been treated fairly in this respect?
5. Is there any justification for such treatment of the player?

The most important question for me is this: Do we want players to be treated this way at Liverpool FC?

The answer has to be no, yet some pigheaded fans just refuse to accept the truth that Rafa’s treatment of certain players over the years has been simply inexcusable.

Fans often seem to criticise Babel for his alleged lack of drive during his sporadic appearances, but how would you react when your manager has damaged your career, never given you a fair chance and made it abundantly clear that he has no faith in you?

Robbie Keane is another example of a player Benitez has treated in a similarly inexcusable manner: Keane was subbed or on the bench in 28 of his 33 appearances, which equates to 85% of games.

I’ve heard countless fans come up with the same ridiculous arguments: ‘Keane missed a few sitters so he deserved to be on the bench’; or ‘Keane did nothing when he was on the pitch’.

What a load of cretinous drivel.

For some reason, the ‘Rafa can do no wrong’ brigade are unwilling to accept that it is practically impossible for a player to get into any kind of rhythm/build understanding with team-mates/build confidence etc when subjected to the kind of treatment meted out to Keane, Babel, and before them, Peter Crouch.

Another pertinent point to consider: With Keane and Babel, Benitez has totally wasted over £30m of the club’s money.

£30m!

And that’s not including salaries.

I have absolutely no doubt that if allowed to actually play consistently, both Keane and Babel could have been very effective players for the club. Instead, Benitez has subjected them both to career damaging periods of endless inactivity, for which there is no excuse.

This kind of treatment is one of the principal reasons I am not a fan of Benitez and his way of doing things. Treating players with such contempt (which is what it basically amounts to), does not fit with the philosophy of the club and – IMO – is not behaviour befitting a manager of Liverpool FC.

Fans might not care about the likes of Keane and Babel, but just watch them change their tune when one of their favourites starts suffering from the Benitez effect.

If Ryan Babel wants to save his career and actually progress as a player, he has only one option: leave Liverpool and go to a club where he will treated fairly and given a consistent chance to prove himself.

For any player, leaving Liverpool can only be a step down, but Benitez has made it unambiguously clear that he is NEVER going to give Babel a proper chance.

To stay at the club under the Benitez regime would be career suicide.

By Jaimie Kanwar. For more critical analysis of Liverpool FC, please visit Liverpool-Kop.com and follow Liverpool-Kop on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sir Alex Ferguson launched a scathing diatribe against Rafael Benitez yesterday, citing his “deplorably arrogant, twitching goatee” as an example of his “utter contempt for the aesthetic sensibilities of the League Manager’s Association (LMA)”.

According to Fergie, Rafa’s “dubiously manicured facial accouterment” epitomises his appalling disrespect for “struggling clean-shaven managers like Gareth Southgate, who have not been as providentially endowed with hirsuteness”.

No, Mr. Ferguson didn’t actually say those words, but the vitriolic nature of his latest attack on Rafa was just as ridiculous.

In tandem with his minion Sam Allardyce, the Manchester United manager has engaged in the most contrived and preposterous attempt at mental disintegration since, well, he last opened his mouth. Ferguson said:

“Arrogance is one thing. You cannot forgive contempt, which is what he showed Sam Allardyce last weekend. When Liverpool scored their second goal he signalled as if the game was finished. I do not think Sam deserved that.

“Sam has worked so hard for the LMA and he’s had a weakened team. I just thought it showed contempt. In my experience no Liverpool manager has ever done that. It was beyond the pale.”

Allardyce was unhappy at Rafa’s alleged “unfortunate gestures” after Liverpool scored their second goal.

“It was pretty dismissive to me and Blackburn – disrespectful and quite humiliating. The game is hard enough without a fellow manager making an undermining gesture.”

Even a cursory examination of the duo’s comments will reveal that Allardyce and Fergie had coordinated the attack. Indeed, for someone who contemplates what Rafa “does in his spare time”, Fergie himself has spent an inordinate amount of time colluding with his sycophantic colleague in order to formulate and propagate the laughable drivel on display today.

With respect to the contentious gesture, it is an unequivocal “facht” that Sam Allardyce was NOT the target. Pacing incessantly along the touchline as is Benitez’s wont, the manager was frantically trying to catch Xabi Alonso’s attention before he took the free kick preceding the second Liverpool goal.

Ostensibly, the manager was giving instructions to Alonso about where to direct the free kick. Alonso appeared to have ignored the order(s), but nevertheless, Torres scored. Consequently, Rafa’s ironic smile, rueful shrug and gesticulation towards Alonso seemed to say “Never mind, you proved me wrong, I won’t say anything else”.

For God’s sake, the gesture was more sheepish than contemptuous. And it did not insinuate anything about Blackburn’s capitulation. Nor was there any indication from the Liverpool manager that he considered the game to be over.

But Ferguson and Allardyce both know this, of course. Why else would Allardyce wait a week before expressing his displeasure? Because the invective was premeditated; a concerted effort to cast aspersions on the Liverpool manager’s integrity.

Judging from their criticism of Rafa’s alleged “contempt” for Blackburn, one would think he sent out a deck-chair, newspaper and coffee for Reina to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. What utter nonsense, really.

As many have noted, the psychological battle has now descended into the pitiful realm of puerile playground tactics. Obviously, Rafa wasn’t aware that the rules allow him to call on a “big” friend to help him out.

What an exciting prospect! Just imagine Alan Shearer condemning Fergie for his “bovine, gum-chewing antics” as being “offensive towards zebras, and by extension, Newcastle United”.

Now THAT would be entertaining.

By Kais-Sabir Jesani

For more critical analysis of Liverpool FC, please visit Liverpool-Kop.com and follow Liverpool-Kop on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Liverpool ideally need to win by three clear goals gainst Chelsea next week in order to progress in the Champions League. It would be a fantastic achievement, but the club’s utterly abject record at Stamford Bridge means it’s almost a statistical impossibility.

Let’s just look at the cold hard facts:

All time competitive games at Stamford Bridge (Since 1907)*

Played – 75
Won – 17
Drawn – 16
Lost – 42

Failure to win in 77% of competitive games.

Last 10 years

Played – 17
Won – 2
Drawn – 3
Lost – 12

Failure to win in 88% of competitive games.

Last 5 years

Played – 10
Won – 1
Drawn – 3
Lost – 6

Failure to win in 90% of competitive games.

Champions League only

Played – 4
Won – 0
Drawn – 2
Lost – 2

Failure to win in 100% of competitive games.

Notice a pattern emerging here?  The most compelling statistics are still to come:  In 102 years of competitive games at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool have:

1. Only beaten Chelsea by 3 clear goals ONCE (5-2 win in 1989)

2. Only ever scored 3 or more goals TWICE (A 3-3 draw in 1987 and the 5-2 thrashing in 1989).

Liverpool may have beaten Chelsea at the Bridge this season, but that was only the 3rd time in 20 years!

Fans will no doubt point the 4-1 hammering of Man United at Old Trafford as some kind of evidence that Liverpool can achieve the victory, but such results are the exception, not the rule.

Taking everything into consideration, including Chelsea’s stunning home record over the last few years, I don’t think it’ s an exaggeration to suggest that – barring some kind of miracle – the probability that Liverpool will beat Chelsea by three clear goals next week is practically zero.

This is not negativity, it is realism.

Liverpool got their comeuppance at Anfield after weeks of smug, self-satisfied boasting in the press. Hopefully, Rafa and the players have learned their lesson, and the early exit from the CL will allow the team to *quietly* set about the task of trying to win the league.

Of course, it would be amazing if Liverpool could produce a miracle next week!

Realistically though, we all know it’s never going to happen.

For more critical analysis of Liverpool FC, please visit Liverpool-Kop.com and follow Liverpool-Kop on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News