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If ever first impressions were deceiving, this was certainly it. Phil
Babb rose to prominence practically overnight with a series of
exceptional performances at the 1994 World Cup. Along with the fantastic
Paul McGrath, they made up a formidable partnership that particularly
excelled in the opening game as Ireland pulled off a shock 1-0 victory
against Roberto Baggio's Italy. A defender with speed was as much a
rarity then as it is now, so Phil Babb immediately became one of the
most sought after players. That was certainly the case with Liverpool
where Roy Evans was looking to shore up a defence that had been the
downfall of his predecessor. Within hours of signing another central
defender - John Scales from Wimbledon - Evans also snapped up Babb for
£3.6million.
It was a popular move as the fans had been just as
impressed as their manager. At Anfield, however, the flaws in his game
soon started to emerge. Phil was used to a flat back four and found it
hard to get to grips with Evans' experimental 3-5-2 formation. Played on
the left hand side of the three-man defence, Babb never looked
comfortable and was often pulled out of position by opposing wingers.
This situation was compounded by his lack of control and passing
ability. With Ireland he was largely expected to launch the ball down
the field but at Liverpool he had to do much more than that. Strangely,
Babb eventually lost his place when Evans finally desisted with his
wingbacks policy and reverted to a more traditional central defensive
pairing, a system that was far more suited to Phil's game.
His situation
was further acerbated when Gerard Houllier took over as manager as the
Frenchman immediately identified the defender as one of those surplus to
requirements. Whereas other players like David James and Paul Ince
opted to leave following a similar judgement Babb chose to see out his
contract, a move that irreparably damaged his reputation with the
Liverpool fans. He joined Sporting Lisbon on a free transfer in the
summer of 2000 having failed to make a solitary appearance for the Reds
during his final season at Anfield. Even so Phil will forever have a
place in Anfield folklore, although for reasons that he probably would
rather forget. A desperate but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to stop a
goal bound shot during a game against Chelsea resulted in Babb sliding
into the post with his feet spread open. It is safe to say that few
players have ever agonised over a goal as Phil did on that occasion. (Paul Grech)
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