Rafa Expects More from These Two Mediocre Liverpool Performers
by YNWA on September 8th, 2009 18 commentsBenitez makes it very clear to this pair that they both have plenty to prove.
Babel has revealed he would be interested in a loan move to Ajax when the transfer window reopens in January, while Riera made only his first start of the campaign at Bolton last weekend.
Benitez insists both players will get chances to shine over the coming months – and that it will then be down to them to seize the opportunities which come their way.
“Albert and Ryan both want to play,” said Benitez. “They play in the same position and so have to compete with each other, which is good for us.
“The message is very simple. On the pitch all of the players have to prove something.
“Ryan knows he cannot go now, so he has to impress. He is a good player and we know he has talent. It’s important for us to talk with him and see how he progresses over these months.
“With the World Cup at the end of the year the majority of our players will want to impress and if they do well in each training session they will have more chances.” (Official Website)
To be honest whilst Riera may have been at the club less time than Ryan Babel he is probably due a fair bit of flak also. The Spanish winger hasn’t really done enough to justify a consistent run in the team and Yossi Benayoun deserves his place ahead of both players.
Rafa is right to make it clear to both players that it is up to them to show the club what they are capable of and then, and only then, will they be considered first choice starters. Both have World Cup places to play for. Babel is probably very close to getting the loan, or permanent, move he has bleated on about this week and Riera was apparently the subject of much speculation in relation to a move back to Spain.
Come on lads both of you need to let your talents do the talking.
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anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Riera is the only option out wide on the left because even when he isn’t playing well he still others the one most important thing that the others don’t and that is width and he is the only one of the three who actually links up with the left back rather than leaving the left back isolated.
anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Rafa could easily accomodate Riera or Babel as well as Yossi, simply by axing Lucas, playing Stevie in the middle and having the options of Babel, Riera & Yossi to play on the left or behind Torres.
The real reason these two players are miffed is because the likes of Voronin & Lucas are ahead of them to get a game.
anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Once Aurelio is back – push him into left mid, wicked delivery with that left foot of his and less likely to drift inside the way Babbel and Yossi do.
As a full back, Aurelio would also know how to do his share of tackling back, something Rafa loves! It would also give Insua the chance to blossom with a good run in the team.
anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Riera is not mediocre.Babel certainly is though.I feel Riera will have a better season after his first.Babel needs to think a bit more when he’s on the ball,he lacks game intelligence and has a poor attitude.
Retryboy - September 8th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Agree he should drop lucas to accommodate one of them won’t change his 4-5-1 tho even if we would have a better team think rafa needs to prove he can learn lessons personally think he is a gr8 manager but zonal marking costs us goals week in week out, babel is a striker and could be a good one, lucas aint good enough rafa needs to admit he is human makes mistakes and stop being so stubborn
Retryboy - September 8th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Think insua is already number 1 if he did persist with 4-5-1 aurelio with mascherano and gerrard would work in the centre till aquilani is fit
...samlfc.... - September 8th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Yeah aurelio would be a good left wiger but he does get injured frequent but all i can say is i hope we start ahving a winning streak and everyone to step up their game!
anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
rafa is a stupid piece of stubborn shit. He’s a dumb manager and lacks wat it takes to win the epl. He does not adapt his strategy, eg playing shit lucas, playin babel as a winger, not putting stevie back in midfield. Lucas is more of a box to box player, correction, was a box to box player whom rafa fucked up. Babel is quick, likes to dribble, and has good finishing, all attributes of a fucking striker. Pull your head out of your ass rafa and play players in positions that suit them. We dnt need masch against lesser teams. Stevie controls the midfield. Thats wat he does best. This 4-5-1 formation is good 4 big games n champions league. We need strikers upfront to score against smaller teams n babel can do that. Ben is an attacking central midfielder thats why he keeps running in when played on the wing u twat. Rafa is dumb. We need a new manager
Donavan Ried - September 8th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Maybe Rafa should be looking at the Liverpool system, coaches and to himself as to why there are so many players that do not seem to be progressing
anonymous - September 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Ryan Bable and Albert Riera really need to prove something othwise they geeting the boot sooner or later!!!
THIS WAS DONE BY GERRARD OF OZ!!!!
footybanter.co.uk - September 9th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Riera is leagues better on the left-wing than Babel imo. I don’t even see how it’s much of a choice between the two.
Perhaps Rafa is seeing something Babel that I’m not…
anonymous - September 9th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Gr8 post anoymous sept 8 at 8:36. totally agree. rafa is the key factor in the problem with these 2. How he can continue to play the pathetic imp astounds me. As for the author of this “article” , it is you who is mediocre, you have the brain mentality of a frozen pea, and are probably one of these lucas lovers, and IN rafa we trust dickheads who dont know their elbow from their a_hole! Piss the fat spanish git, off, get guus hidink in, play babel up front with torres, and watch the wins come in.
baggins09 - September 9th, 2009 at 8:31 am
didn’t rafa play aurelio in the middle at valencia in a similar role to alonso quite frequently, i thing he’d be great with masch he would push forward more than alonso, can tackle and would score more too. i would put
gerrard either cm or rm when playing yossi behind torres
—————————————-reina————————————
———————skrtl—————————–agger/carra————
johnson—————————————————————–insua
——————————–masch——————————————
———————————————aurelio/gerrard——————
kuyt/gerrard—————————————————–yossi/riera
——————————gerrard/yossi———————————–
——————————torres/babel————————————-
Retryboy - September 10th, 2009 at 4:24 am
What the hell sort of messed up team is that baggins yeah maybe leave carra out or torres and stick gerrard on the right?! Are you gerard houllier in disguise should go 4-4-2 1.reina 2.johnson 3.insua 4.carragher 5.agger 6.mascherano 7.gerrard 8.riera 9.torres 10.kuyt 11.benayoun thats why hobbits don’t play football baggins well that and the big feet
baggins09 - September 10th, 2009 at 8:16 am
i wouldn’t leave torres out mate didn’t really explain properly i would use babel when torres injured and play gerrard off babel kuyt on right and yossi on the left, if aurelio is injured i would move gerrard back to cm then have yossi playing off torres and kuyt on the right and riera on the left. its not a permanent solution just till we have aquilani back and so we don’t have to have lucas at cm.
id also rotate carra and agger depending on style of opposition, if they attack go with carra if they park the bus go with agger as he offers more going forward.
houllier comment was harsh, and baggins is my dog 09 when we got him.
and you know rafa won’t go 4-4-2 so i was fitting what we’ve got where they would do best job for us mate
isaac hunt - September 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am
i hate it when people say reira is mediocore or not good enogh. is it him that we have missed in the two losses? most probably alonso but when reira was playing last year we were winning and not losing.he can put decent crosses in and can take on players. he doesnt score enough goals but remember that he can score some crackers.(villa,PSV).
Retryboy - September 10th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Sorry m8 just the way u had your lineup written would have carra in the team every week tho think he plays better with agger too u r right tho he is totally set on 4-5-1 can we afford to be that in-flexible with kuyt and nemeth who could both be gr8 partners for torres and yep babel to come in when torres is injured feel we are missing a trick would get stevie g back dominating the midfield and laying those slide rule passes through would let us have yossi and riera in the team too on the wings but rafa will persist with 4-5-1 so agree totally that the sooner aurelio is fit to play in the middle and lucas out the team the better apologies for the houllier comment m8
baggins09 - September 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
apology accepted mate i didn’t write to explain i was just making pretty patterns with names