David Prentice: Why Liverpool FC's Ryan Babel Only Has Himself To Blame

Ryan Babel feels let down by his manager at Anfield over a series of “broken promises.”

So let me just remind you of the words Babel himself uttered on the day he was unveiled at Liverpool two summers ago.

“It’s a great feeling to be compared to Thierry Henry and a goal for me to work hard every day to get to that level or to be even better.

“Henry was a big hero for me. I think I can have the same in England he had, but we will see in the years to come.

“I see myself as a fast player who likes to dribble and play beautiful football. I like combination football and I like to score goals.”

Babel’s Anfield career has been an exercise in frustration.

He is powerful, pacy, can shoot fiercely and accurately and is decent in the air as well.

The perfect striking package almost. Yet he’s spent more time in a dug-out than Stig of the Dump.

A whopping 63 per cent of Babel’s meagre 59 Liverpool appearances since he arrived have come from the subs’ bench.

And there’s only one person to blame for that.

If it’s Rafael Benitez, I’m the Dutchman, not Ryan Babel.