BABEL: TEAMMATES ARE HELPING ME LEARN

Ryan Babel has taken to studying some of his Liverpool teammates in a bid to prove an Anfield success.

The 21-year-old winger, who has impressed during three successive starts, admits he's been watching how some of the club's more experienced stars play the game. "I watch the other lads who've played for Liverpool for a few years and they help me a lot," Babel told Liverpoolfc.tv. "Even Steven Gerrard learns a lot every day. I am just at the beginning of my career so it's only logical to say I am still learning." The Dutch international admits seven months spent under the tutelage of Rafa Benitez at Melwood have helped him grow as a footballer. "We talk a lot about different things, not just about how to improve my game but also how to improve the play of the team," he revealed. "Tactically, defensively and offensively. I can definitely improve." Babel's bid to build a new life here on Merseyside has been aided no end by countryman Dirk Kuyt, who himself hasn't enjoyed the easiest of times these last few months. Without a goal since early December, Kuyt suffered the indignity of having to watch the bulk of his teammates leave for international duty earlier this month having been omitted from the latest Holland squad. It's a run of luck which has only this week been reversed with goals against Barnsley and Inter, the latter coming at the Kop end just when it seemed Liverpool were going to have to settle for a draw. For Babel, these goals were just deserts for a work ethic which is second to none. He said: "I was very pleased. It was very good for him to score a goal like that and it will give him a lot of confidence. I am very pleased for him because he works very hard every day and it's finally paid off. Maybe it will take the pressure off him now." So, does Kuyt have what it takes to get back into van Basten's squad in time for this summer's European Championships? According to Babel, it's a no-brainer. "Dirk shouldn't be too worried I don't think," he said. It was Kuyt's goal which helped set in motion an impressive 2-0 victory over a team 11 points clear in Serie A on Tuesday. While the goalscorer himself admitted afterwards that he would have been tempted to settle for 1-0, Babel has echoed comments by the club captain that Liverpool were most definitely in the hunt for a second. He said: "Yes, we were going for it. The manager tried to tell all the players to keep going on and try for the second. He was telling us to attack and I think Stevie was taking the lead in that. "At the end you think back and maybe I was a bit worried it was going to be a draw but finally Dirk scored the first goal. Then Inter were very disappointed and I think it made it easier for Stevie to go and get the second." It was a result Babel admits may have surprised some on the continent – including one or two back in his homeland. "When I spoke to people in Holland before the game they thought Inter were already through, that they would be big winners against Liverpool," explained the former Ajax ace. "I told them that we had a very good chance. I think they were surprised with how we played. Maybe they'll now look at the fact Inter were playing much of the game with 10 men as an excuse but I don't think that was it. "We were having enough chances to win the game even when it was 11 versus 11. We started very well and Inter were pegged back to their own box a little bit. We kept the pressure on them. I think we would have had a good chance even without the sending off." With four league games before the second leg, attentions now turn to domestic matters and the race for fourth. Babel, who has seven goals in 35 appearances so far this season, admits it takes a strong mentality to find the same motivation for Middlesbrough as for Inter Milan. He said: "It was a wonderful night and very exciting. It's wonderful to play in front of that crowd. They were amazing on the night from the beginning to the end. "It is a switch now to play against Middlesbrough. You have focused your week on Inter. We got a good result and everybody is happy, so you do have to switch. You have to get back up and get on with the league. Sometimes it can be difficult but we are professional enough to do this. "If we play with the same aggressiveness I think we will make it very difficult for Middlesbrough to perform. If we play the same again then we have a chance to score a lot of goals." Babel, who'll come up against his good friend George Boeteng on Saturday, insists he is well aware of how tough clinching fourth spot is going to be, with Man City, Aston Villa and Merseyside rivals Everton all circling. "It's going to be hard, of course," he said. "But we will try to win every game now. Everybody knows the situation and everybody has to work really hard now to make sure we get fourth." by Jimmy Rice 22 February 2008 from liverpoolfc.tv