Ryan Babel - "We need money for this club!"

[PeeG]

To those on twitter who have added Ryan Babel.

 

http://twitter.com/RyanBabel/status/7609475802

 

He had a Twitter interview for his followers last night. Thought I would ask him does he like Tom Hicks and George Gillett? or what he thought of the owners. His response "We need money for the club !!"

 

To those who haven't got twitter or who aren't following him, then check out the story below which includes a screenshot of it where he has 'retweeted' my question and answered it saying we need money.

 

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/127547-ryan-babel-tells-liverpool-fc-owners,-we-need-money-for-this-club.html

 

Ryan Babel has lifted the lid on Liverpool's need to strengthen in the January transfer window by publicly stating, "we need money".

 

The 23-year-old winger made the announcement during an impromptu Q&A session with Reds fans on social networking website Twitter late last night.

 

When asked by one supporter what his views were on owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, Babel replied: "We need money for the club!"

 

The frustrations of Dutch international Babel reflect those of the club's support who have become angered by the running of the club by the American duo since they took over the Premier League outfit in February 2007.

 

Paul Gardner, a 26-year-old Reds' fan and committee member of supporters group Spirit of Shankly, posed the question to the former Ajax starlet and believes that the outburst indicates further unrest at Anfield.

 

He said: "I saw Ryan was doing a Q&A with fans on Twitter, so I thought I would just see what a player's opinion is of the owners.

 

"It was to see whether what happens off the pitch affects the players. I asked him does he like and Tom and George and was expecting no reply or at most a yes or no reply.

 

"His answer doesn't directly answer the question but it shows that Tom and George's actions with lack of investment does filter down to the players and what they think the club needs. Their actions not only affects who the playing staff is but the mindset of the players.

 

"The fans know we need money and now we can see the players know this as well. Tom and George need to take note of this and sell up for the good of the club."

 

Liverpool are currently in an estimated £250 million worth of debt following a refinancing loan agreed with the Royal Bank of Scotland by Gillett and Hicks 11 months after they had assumed control of the boardroom.

 

It was reported last week that manager Rafael Benitez has been allocated £1.5 million to spend in the transfer market this month despite recouping up to £6.5 million on the out-of-favour duo of Andriy Voronin and Andrea Dossena, who secured moves to Dynamo Moscow and Napoli respectively in the past seven days.

 

Last week, Birmingham City saw a £9 million bid for Babel rejected by the Reds who are holding out for £12 million in the hope of recouping up to £16 million to reduce debts.

 

The move that will see Argentina winger Maxi Rodriguez trade Madrid for Merseyside is set to cost Liverpool £1.5 million - Benitez's entire budget. An announcement heralding his capture is believed to be imminent.

[owenthomas]

To those on twitter who have added Ryan Babel.

 

http://twitter.com/RyanBabel/status/7609475802

 

He had a Twitter interview for his followers last night. Thought I would ask him does he like Tom Hicks and George Gillett? or what he thought of the owners. His response "We need money for the club !!"

 

To those who haven't got twitter or who aren't following him, then check out the story below which includes a screenshot of it where he has 'retweeted' my question and answered it saying we need money.

 

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/127547-ryan-babel-tells-liverpool-fc-owners,-we-need-money-for-this-club.html

nice one Paul.. there was a story early in the season where, after announcing the 80m sponsorship deal, Gerrard asked Purslow whether or not this meant there'd be money available for Rafa to go and spend but was met with a blank look.. i think there's no doubt it pisses the players off and rightly so..

 

"The move that will see Argentina winger Maxi Rodriguez trade Madrid for Merseyside is set to cost Liverpool £1.5 million - Benitez's entire budget" = f***ing hell.......

[john_lfc]

We need him to get off his a*** and get back to form never mind money

[Gunga Din]

he would be better served pulling his fecking finger out and playing for the shirt rather than t***tering and trying to be a DJ, the wastrel

[drdooom]

"The move that will see Argentina winger Maxi Rodriguez trade Madrid for Merseyside is set to cost Liverpool £1.5 million - Benitez's entire budget" = f***ing hell.......

 

Sell for £6m, spend £1.5m. Depressing but sadly not shocking if that's how it turns out.

[Frosty Jack]

The whole team is demoralized, this isn't Rafa losing the dressing room, it's clearly the owners.

[Gunga Din]

The whole team is demoralized, this isn't Rafa losing the dressing room, it's clearly the owners.

 

 

its not "clearly" anything. the owners are not responsible for team selection, substitutions and tactics.

[CarraLegend]

The whole team is demoralized, this isn't Rafa losing the dressing room, it's clearly the owners.

 

Yep, people can complain all they like about zonal, rotation, spanish scum or whatever but the fact is they started this rot.

[muleskinner]

its not "clearly" anything. the owners are not responsible for team selection, substitutions and tactics.

 

I think they are responsible for the malaise hanging over the club that has manifested itself in many ways, morale of the players appears to be one of them.

[Hassony]

its not "clearly" anything. the owners are not responsible for team selection, substitutions and tactics.

 

not even in the sense that the squad is weak because of them?

 

we had torres coming out a couple of weeks back backing rafa and saying that fourth place will be an acheivement for us because of the lack of money, and now this from Babel (who probably has more right to be frustrated with his manager than any other player in the squad)

[Gunga Din]

not even in the sense that the squad is weak because of them?

 

we had torres coming out a couple of weeks back backing rafa and saying that fourth place will be an acheivement for us because of the lack of money, and now this from Babel (who probably has more right to be frustrated with his manager than any other player in the squad)

 

the squad isnt as strong as any of us would like, but to lay the current bad form of the team solely at the door of the owners is mental. the team is massively underperforming. the players are massively underforming, and the manager at the minute seems to be getting a lot of things wrong. we've lost more games in half a season than we have lost in the previous 2.

 

if you are going to blame the owners for the team playing bad, then by the same logic we must praise them when the team plays well.

Edited January 11, 2010 by Gunga Din

[fyds]

its not "clearly" anything. the owners are not responsible for team selection, substitutions and tactics.

The owners are 'clearly' responsible for those players Rafa is able to buy and sell to choose his team selections and tactics from. His choices are limited because of their actions.

[Gunga Din]

I think they are responsible for the malaise hanging over the club that has manifested itself in many ways, morale of the players appears to be one of them.

 

 

i would hazzard a guess that Ryan Babels poor moral comes more from a lack of playing football and the real possability of missing out on the world cup, rather than what is going on in the board room.

[fyds]

i would hazzard a guess that Ryan Babels poor moral comes more from a lack of playing football and the real possability of missing out on the world cup, rather than what is going on in the board room.

I think that's fair comment - but the other sense of the squad being stifled with the lack of funding will have a (lesser) part too.

[DJS]

The owners are 'clearly' responsible for those players Rafa is able to buy and sell to choose his team selections and tactics from. His choices are limited because of their actions.

 

That's true to a point, but the squad that Rafa has at his disposal is clearly under achieving.

 

You can say that the owners actions are limiting what Rafa can do and severely limiting our chances of a title challenge, but we certainly have a squad that's capable of finishing in the top four.

 

Or are people suggesting that our squad is on par with the likes of Birmingham and that competing with them IS actually an accurate reflection of the level that our team/squad is at?

 

Personally, i think that's not the case. I agree that we dont have enough to compete for the title, but we sure as hell do have enough to be in the top four - if managed properly.

Edited January 11, 2010 by DJS

[Gunga Din]

The owners are 'clearly' responsible for those players Rafa is able to buy and sell to choose his team selections and tactics from. His choices are limited because of their actions.

 

 

like a 17million pound fullback to replace a full back, or £17 mil to replace a central midfielder he had wanted rid off for 2 years?

 

i think everyone is in agreement that the owners are f***ing us over, but to blame them for this seasons circus on the pitch is not going to wash with me. sorry

[Gomez]

i would hazzard a guess that Ryan Babels poor moral comes more from a lack of playing football and the real possability of missing out on the world cup, rather than what is going on in the board room.

 

Regardless, it is good that he is speaking out against the owners, I only wish more of our players would do it.

[Davvo]

The whole team is demoralized, this isn't Rafa losing the dressing room, it's clearly the owners.

 

No doubt the owners have had a demoralising effect on all of the staff I'd say. There are many, many aspects to our current malaise, and there can be no doubt they stem from the owners.

 

It's tough too, as to try and say 'f*** them, we're playing for each other and the club and the fans, let's just get on with it', can seem in some ways to sound like 'whatever, we cant change it so forget it'. That's not an easy thing to do when you're passionate about something, although for the players/manager especially, and for the fans during the 90 minutes, that's really what's got to happen. Otherwise, there might not be much left to be passionate about.

 

 

 

 

 

[Frosty Jack]

its not "clearly" anything. the owners are not responsible for team selection, substitutions and tactics.

 

Let's see what happens in the summer then eh?

you really think the players aren't going to be affected by all this situation?

If a manager can lose a dressing room, and that can affect morale and performance, why not this?

 

Even after the events of the past week you still have your head in the sand about the owners.

You claim to hold them responsible for the financial situation yet will not accept any correlation between that and what happens on the pitch.

[Cobs]

we had the same skint, c*** owners in March/April/May when we were smashing the schite out of all and sundry

[CarraLegend]

we had the same skint, c*** owners in March/April/May when we were smashing the schite out of all and sundry

 

Yep and then had a chance to build on that and they chose not to - morale massively dented.

[Earl Hafler]

I think they are responsible for the malaise hanging over the club that has manifested itself in many ways, morale of the players appears to be one of them.

 

also due to poor team selection / tactics.

 

Everyone at the club is to blame - that's why it's been such a disappointing season so far.

[Cobs]

Yep and then had a chance to build on that and they chose not to - morale massively dented.

 

we bought a £17m full back and a £20m midfielder

 

I find it hard to believe the squad were that devastated

 

 

Babel's lucky we're skint or he'd be out on his ear, btw

[CarraLegend]

we bought a £17m full back and a £20m midfielder

 

I find it hard to believe the squad were that devastated

 

 

Babel's lucky we're skint or he'd be out on his ear, btw

 

Yep and sold one of our best players for £30m, aswell as losing Arbeloa and Hyypia. Thanks for proving my point!

[Cobs]

Yep and sold one of our best players for £30m, aswell as losing Arbeloa and Hyypia. Thanks for proving my point!

 

 

If that's all it took to 'massively dent morale' we were always f*cked to start with