Rafa/Liverpool will do the double next year

[Sir X]

Liverpool to unveil striker Babel

Babel impressed for Holland in the European Under-21 Championship
Liverpool will unveil Ajax's Ryal Babel as their new signing at a 1315 BST news conference at Anfield on Friday.
The 20-year-old Dutch striker will sign a five-year deal with the Reds after the two clubs agreed a reported £11.5m fee and he agreed personal terms.

"I listened to them and I got a great feeling about the club," said Babel. "I have made my choice with my heart and the coach has big plans for me."

Yossi Benayoun, a reported £5m signing from West Ham, will also be unveiled.

606: DEBATE
I think he is a fantastic buy

23 Carra Gold

Babel admitted it was a tough decision to leave Ajax, where he made his debut aged 17 in 2004 and scored five goals in 27 Eredivisie matches last season.

He added on Ajax TV: "I am now only at Ajax to say goodbye to everyone, and I must say that's quite difficult.

"I think I will miss the fans, the ones that have always supported me, the guys of course and the coach.

"I certainly leave Ajax with pain in my heart. I will come to Amsterdam quite often, and then I will come to visit the club."

Babel was a member of the Dutch team that won the European Under-21 Championship in June and he has been capped 14 times by the full Dutch team.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has also signed forwards Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin this summer


Liverpool naah joke next season , sorry fe unnuh. Crouch , Kuyt , Veronin , babel , plus the new and improved youth system..we nuh done yet.

[Paul Marin]

X - you know me and you is die-hard Reds. But dread...don't put that kind of cosmic pressure on the team.

Now, that being said, it will be tough to beat Manure this year...yet, I think the league table will be closer than last year. They have spent close to US$100M already and are about to get Tevez who, despite all the hulabaloo and drama, will end up at Manu before the end of the transfer window bringing their spending to about $140M if not more.

Now, does that mean that we can't do it and should just lie down? NO! But, Torres, Benayoun and Babel - good players - are arguably not TOP players, which is what I would have preferred to see. For example, Tevez not Torres would have been my choice.

Nevertheless, I am optimistic. But the double...wow! You are the kind of supporter we need more of.

YNWA

[Sir X]

1st C.L league and championships are our birth right , we have been winning knockout cups on a meager (lacking of depth squad ) now in a long time we have quality and depth , so the big question is what can liverpool achieve ?

Man U has been outspending pool for the past 20 years and still have a far way to attain our glory fear not breds .

RAFA: FANS IN FOR A TREAT NEXT SEASON
Mark Platt 13 July 2007
Rafa Benitez believes Liverpool fans are in for a treat when they see Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun in a red shirt next season.
As the pair were unveiled at an Anfield press conference this afternoon, Benitez spoke glowingly about his latest acquisitions and predicted a bright future for them on Merseyside.

"Both Babel and Benayoun have lots of quality. They are good creative players, the kind of which our supporters will like," said the Reds boss.

"I've admired both players for a long time and what was also really important to me was the fact that they both wanted to come here so much. They've a strong desire to improve and win trophies

"I think we've worked really hard this summer. A lot of names have been spoken about but we've always had our targets. Yossi Benayoun was one of them and Ryan Babel was another. We are really pleased."

According to Benitez, the capture of both Babel and Benayoun offers the Reds exciting options on the flanks and in attack.

He added: "Babel is a player with pace, quality, great potential for the future and great ability for the present. He's played with Ajax in Europe and for the national team and shown what a good player he is.

"He was one of the best players in the (under-21) European Championships, but we've been watching him for a very long time. We first saw him when he was 16 when I was still at Valencia. We remember a game he played against Barcelona when he broke into the Ajax side and we've followed him ever since. There were a lot of big clubs interested in him. He is a very good player now, and in the future he could be fantastic.

"It's too soon when people start trying to make comparisons between him and Thierry Henry. Henry is a fantastic, experienced player who has shown his quality for a long time, but Ryan has all the assets you need to be a top player.

"He'll probably play more as a winger but the fact that he can play in both positions means he's a very valuable asset to us. It's good because with a player like him we can always change our plan depending on how a game is going.

"The same goes for Benayoun. He can play as a winger and also as a second striker. He has a similar style to Luis Garcia and for opposition defences he will be difficult to control.

"Both will be important players for us. Ryan may need a little time to settle down in the Premiership but Yossi already has experience from his time at West Ham."