Liverpool’s manager Rafa Benitez is renowned for tinkering with his starting lineup. He famously went 99 games a few years back before naming the same side twice in a row.
This led to many players, such as Peter Crouch, becoming disgruntled and leaving. Now Benitez’s lack of team-picking consistency has led to one of his current stars expressing a desire to find first-team football. The Dutch star has only started two games in the Premiership this season and his agent has revealed a loan deal, including his old club, could have been on only for the Anfield club to reject the idea.
Ryan Babel, is apparently finding life difficult at Liverpool, despite being top of the league, as he finds himself on the bench to often. The 21-year-old, who joined from Eredivisie side Ajax 18 months ago, has been hankering for a loan move back to his old club in a bid to gain first-team football.
Babel’s agent, Winnie Haatrecht, spoke to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf:
Ryan sits on the bench too much. He wants to play more and asked me to see if Ajax were interested in a temporary return. After we got an enthusiastic reaction from Ajax, we asked Liverpool but the club don’t want to see him go.
Rafael Benitez finds Ryan too important. Hopefully we will see that in more playing time.
Babel has found his chances limited in recent times, which has baffled some pundits who note Liverpool’s lack of width as a reason for their stuggles at home against Stoke, West Ham and Fulham. Benitez obviously rates Babel, enough to pay £11.5 million for him, yet not enough to give him game time. Will the (possibly strategic) agent-talk bring Babel to the forefront on the Spanish gaffer’s mind, handing the Dutchman more game time?