Welcome Ryan Babel

[Friendsoffulham]

Babel Signs For Fulham



The Club is delighted to announce the signing of Ryan Babel on a permanent transfer from Besiktas, with the deal running until the end of the season.

A versatile attacker who is comfortable operating anywhere along the frontline, Babel already has plenty of experience of English football, having made 146 appearances for Liverpool during a three-and-a-half year stint on Merseyside.

The 32-year-old Netherlands international has been assigned the number 12 shirt.



Speaking to fulhamfctv upon signing, Babel said: "My first impressions are good and I'm very excited.

"I definitely have faith that Fulham can stay up. That's one of the reasons that I'm here, to try and help that to happen. I'm ready to go, I'm excited and I can't wait."

Tony Khan added: "Ryan has excelled at playing attacking football on both the club and international stage, and we welcome that experience as we build our squad for a strong second-half push with nine important home fixtures remaining, beginning Sunday when Spurs visit the Cottage.

"Ryan scored 15 goals across all competitions last season and arrives with the support of our Manager. Claudio and I are confident that Ryan's return to the Premier League here will be every bit as good for him as his addition will be good for our squad. Come on Fulham!"

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/january/15/ryan-babel-signs-for-fulham

[JoelH5]

More experience can't hurt. He's already played around 20 games this season so he's ready to go straight away.

[AnOldBrownie]

Good pickup.    We'll see how he does on the right.

Good pace, good size, epl experience ...no need to start AK47 anymore imo.


Gotta update my Pro Evo 2019 squad tonight.   :003:

[JoelH5]

Good pickup.    We'll see how he does on the right.

Good pace, good size, epl experience ...no need to start AK47 anymore imo.


Gotta update my Pro Evo 2019 squad tonight.   :003:

Haha exactly what I do when we sign someone. I'm excited. I'll be pissed if we don't get a RB and CB but if we do, he's another piece of the puzzle

[Milo]

Welcome Ryan! I do not want to write him off completely, and wish him the best of luck.

However.. after the summer we have every right to be more critical of signings and I personally feel this is another example of time wasted recruiting the wrong type of player. Where are the full backs we badly need? On my thread last month we voted conclusively as a forum that we needed a new CB and new full backs.

I am aware the "safe option" is not to leave myself open to all the "I told you so!!"s in a month's time on the off chance he bangs in 10 goals... but time is running out, we have one window to claw ourselves out of this deep relegation hole, and I think we shouldn't instead bury our heads in the sand on poor recruitment decisions.

[alfie]

Welcome Ryan! I do not want to write him off completely, and wish him the best of luck.

However.. after the summer we have every right to be more critical of signings and I personally feel this is another example of time wasted recruiting the wrong type of player. Where are the full backs we badly need? On my thread last month we voted conclusively that we needed a new CB and new full backs.

I am aware the "safe option" is to not to leave myself open to all the "I told you so!!"s in a month's time on the off chance he bangs in 10 goals... but time is running out, we have one window to claw ourselves out of this deep relegation hole, and I think we shouldn't instead bury our heads in the sand on poor recruitment decisions.

That's the question though, where are these full backs? Would love to know, after all on this forum they must have premiership experience, don't see too many of them itching to come here.

[AnOldBrownie]

So...how can we afford Ryan? FFP?

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[St. Andrews White]

Pleased with this. Experience, pace, goals, low-cost.

If it doesn't work out then we've not spent very much money and it doesn't matter, but he could do well for us.

And for those asking about full-backs, I'd hope our management saw the need for another attacker AS WELL AS new defenders, I doubt they're ignorant to it (though it's Fulham so you never know I suppose)

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[General]

Good pickup.    We'll see how he does on the right.

Good pace, good size, epl experience ...no need to start AK47 anymore imo.


Gotta update my Pro Evo 2019 squad tonight.   :003:

Does epl experience count that much if you've been gone so long?  There must be a bucket load of players whove done well in this league only to come back and not reach the same standards. Jury is out IMO... whilst I liked babel when he played for Liverpool even then I saw him as hit and miss.. I see schurrle as more of a sure thing and look how people have taken to him despite his obvious class.

[General]

Ps who remembers when managers used to comment on signings themselves instead of not... claudio asked for experienced leaders.. saying fulham will get relegated without them.. babel is not an experienced leader.. definitely not a defender either.

[Woolly Mammoth]

and there lies our problem.

[Matt10]

If we use the most immediate match as an idea for defending. Well, 0 shots on target for the other team, would suggest our defence is bending but not breaking.

For me, our defenders it's all mental, and yes a leader like Mawson is out injured right now, but we do need a nother to further solidify the backline.

With that said, we also only have 5 players who have a goal to their name. That is simply not good enough. Look at what our players have said, "If you don't take your chances in the Premier League, you will be punished." Rightfully so, we have been in prime positions to convert our chances, and have not done so.

Babel is our first signing this window, and he has proven to be in good form and can find the back of the net. The question, just like anyone on the squad, is can he prove himself week in and week out? That's the only area that is a natural uncertainty by simply because we haven't seen him play in a Fulham shirt yet.

Momentum is something we definitely need on our side. I think finding goal scorers to create our momentum is more instantly appreciated during the match versus the grueling out clean-sheets. It may be ugly, but it sure is effective. However, it sure would be nice to just score a bunch of goals and build a cushion for ourselves in one of these matches.

[The Rational Fan]

Pleased with this. Experience, pace, goals, low-cost.

If it doesn't work out then we've not spent very much money and it doesn't matter, but he could do well for us.

And for those asking about full-backs, I'd hope our management saw the need for another attacker AS WELL AS new defenders, I doubt they're ignorant to it (though it's Fulham so you never know I suppose)

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

In the last Three Championship seasons, seven teams have conceeded 40 or less goals, of which six gain automatic promotion; and no team in the last three years that conceeded more than 40 goals and gained automatic promotion to the EPL. If we don't stay up, we need at a minimium a permanent back line that will conceeded less than 40 goals a season in the Championship. Fulham must now realise you cannot buy a new back line in the summer and expect it to conceeded 40 goals or less in a season. BUY NOW

[SouthIslandWhite]

Well if the YouTube videos are accurate, then we just got a good player who can help us score a few goals.  Frankly we could probably use him. We sure could use a bit of possession and maybe a few more goals on the good side of the ledger. Time will tell. Dear God, please don't let him be another Mitroglou.

[peter w]

Oh God where to start with this.

I currently live in Istanbul and whilst here my local team are Besiktas and I go to see them fairly frequently. For roughly 12 months or so I've wanted this useless waste of space to leave the Vodafone Arena. to say he is piss poor, or has been piss poor, is to talk up his abilities. The Tukish top division is as bad now as any time over the past 10 years or so and clubs are losing players due to FFP.

Over the past couple of months or so, as decent players go (Pepe had his contract cancelled in December from Besiktas), and lesser equipped Turkish players replace them in the team, Babel was fairly in unique in finding himself just dropped due to being fkin rubbish.

All I can say is Besiktas's loss is Fulham's loss. When he signed he was asked that after playing in both the premier league and la liga which one was best he cited the latter because his game was more suited to it than to the Premier league. He is slow, lazy, rarely likes to take a player on (because of the first two), always takes the easy option - rolls the ball back to someone else rather than doing what you want a winger to do and attack a player or space. he does and has chipped in with a goal or two but that is mainly due to playing for one of the better teams here where more chances are created.

I expect him to play well in the first few games - as many new signings do - but then for him to revert to type. Christ, he's awful. Thank feck (as a Besiktas fan) he's gone.

[Bassey the warrior]

Welcome Ryan.

[Bassey the warrior]

Oh God where to start with this.

I currently live in Istanbul and whilst here my local team are Besiktas and I go to see them fairly frequently. For roughly 12 months or so I've wanted this useless waste of space to leave the Vodafone Arena. to say he is piss poor, or has been piss poor, is to talk up his abilities. The Tukish top division is as bad now as any time over the past 10 years or so and clubs are losing players due to FFP.

Over the past couple of months or so, as decent players go (Pepe had his contract cancelled in December from Besiktas), and lesser equipped Turkish players replace them in the team, Babel was fairly in unique in finding himself just dropped due to being fkin rubbish.

All I can say is Besiktas's loss is Fulham's loss. When he signed he was asked that after playing in both the premier league and la liga which one was best he cited the latter because his game was more suited to it than to the Premier league. He is slow, lazy, rarely likes to take a player on (because of the first two), always takes the easy option - rolls the ball back to someone else rather than doing what you want a winger to do and attack a player or space. he does and has chipped in with a goal or two but that is mainly due to playing for one of the better teams here where more chances are created.

I expect him to play well in the first few games - as many new signings do - but then for him to revert to type. Christ, he's awful. Thank feck (as a Besiktas fan) he's gone.

That's worrying, we already have loads of them. Isn't he still getting a game for Netherlands?

[peter w]

Oh God where to start with this.

I currently live in Istanbul and whilst here my local team are Besiktas and I go to see them fairly frequently. For roughly 12 months or so I've wanted this useless waste of space to leave the Vodafone Arena. to say he is piss poor, or has been piss poor, is to talk up his abilities. The Tukish top division is as bad now as any time over the past 10 years or so and clubs are losing players due to FFP.

Over the past couple of months or so, as decent players go (Pepe had his contract cancelled in December from Besiktas), and lesser equipped Turkish players replace them in the team, Babel was fairly in unique in finding himself just dropped due to being fkin rubbish.

All I can say is Besiktas's loss is Fulham's loss. When he signed he was asked that after playing in both the premier league and la liga which one was best he cited the latter because his game was more suited to it than to the Premier league. He is slow, lazy, rarely likes to take a player on (because of the first two), always takes the easy option - rolls the ball back to someone else rather than doing what you want a winger to do and attack a player or space. he does and has chipped in with a goal or two but that is mainly due to playing for one of the better teams here where more chances are created.

I expect him to play well in the first few games - as many new signings do - but then for him to revert to type. Christ, he's awful. Thank feck (as a Besiktas fan) he's gone.

That's worrying, we already have loads of them. Isn't he still getting a game for Netherlands?

Quite a few Dutch players playing over here - or who have played over here recently have featured for the Netherlands. I was never particularly surprised that this coincided with probably their worst spell for a long time. As they improve I'd expect these players to be phased out.

[JoelH5]

Oh God where to start with this.

I currently live in Istanbul and whilst here my local team are Besiktas and I go to see them fairly frequently. For roughly 12 months or so I've wanted this useless waste of space to leave the Vodafone Arena. to say he is piss poor, or has been piss poor, is to talk up his abilities. The Tukish top division is as bad now as any time over the past 10 years or so and clubs are losing players due to FFP.

Over the past couple of months or so, as decent players go (Pepe had his contract cancelled in December from Besiktas), and lesser equipped Turkish players replace them in the team, Babel was fairly in unique in finding himself just dropped due to being fkin rubbish.

All I can say is Besiktas's loss is Fulham's loss. When he signed he was asked that after playing in both the premier league and la liga which one was best he cited the latter because his game was more suited to it than to the Premier league. He is slow, lazy, rarely likes to take a player on (because of the first two), always takes the easy option - rolls the ball back to someone else rather than doing what you want a winger to do and attack a player or space. he does and has chipped in with a goal or two but that is mainly due to playing for one of the better teams here where more chances are created.

I expect him to play well in the first few games - as many new signings do - but then for him to revert to type. Christ, he's awful. Thank feck (as a Besiktas fan) he's gone.

That's worrying, we already have loads of them. Isn't he still getting a game for Netherlands?

Quite a few Dutch players playing over here - or who have played over here recently have featured for the Netherlands. I was never particularly surprised that this coincided with probably their worst spell for a long time. As they improve I'd expect these players to be phased out.

Sorry Peter but that's wrong. Over the last 6 months or so the Dutch have had a resurgence. This has coincided with players like Babel being RECALLED. Babel scored against France recently and he started against Germany in Netherlands last game in which they again did very well. Babel is a player in good form.

[Moltobueno]

I also think there must be something in him to be a constant starter for the national team