Liverpool have had some stellar players over the years but there have also been some absolute stinkers and before Jurgen Klopp rocked up, there were some dreary years. Liverpool flop Ryan Babel might be best remembered at Anfield for his winner against Manchester United. However, his career has somewhat nosedived since and he finds himself plying his trade in the Turkish second division with Eyupspor. The 35-year-old made the move to the club this summer where he has made one appearance so far.
Netherlands international Ryan Babel has said that he struggled during his time at Liverpool due to the poor handling from then-manager Rafa Benitez. The Dutch winger is currently in the ranks of Besiktas, where he has become an influential player in the starting lineup.
Speaking about his time at Anfield, Babel revealed that the change of position from Benitez did not help his chances of adapting to the Premier League, he said: “This was my first time going abroad and also living by myself. The adaptation… every day was a new surprise. I soon figured that in the Premier League they call you a flop very quick. I was only used to 4-3-3. For me as a left-winger you have also a left midfielder and a left-back behind you. But in a 4-4-2 you are basically also the left midfielder so you have to help more in defence and I wasn’t used to that. That was mostly the criticism I got, that they couldn’t trust me in defensive work.”
Continue reading